The History Channel

It keeps us warm. It keeps us cool. It protects us and makes our world more comfortable. As simple as a pane of glass, or as complex as the fuselage of a space station, it's all around us, but is almost always out of sight. We explore where insulation technology has been, where it is today, and where it's going. We'll visit the manufacturing facilities of two of the most recognizable insulating materials: fiberglass and foam; and explore how insulation has evolved. Historical highlights include how the ancient Romans and Greeks insulated their homes, as well as the natives of tropical and arctic climates. New technologies covered include insulated concrete forms and gas-filled panels. Whether at home or in the office, on a space station, or beneath the sea, insulation is essential for making our world habitable. We'll show that how we use insulation, and how we develop it, will be a major factor in how we conserve our supply of energy in the coming years.

When a client brings in his father's 1954 Bantam tractor, Rick must mend this latent lawn wrangling machine. Can he successful salvage this project piece by piece, or will this farming fix up ultimately fail? Later, the guys have a mechanical mystery on their hands when a client brings in an early 1900s air brake tester for trains. Can the crew puzzle out this choo-choo contraption, or will this railroad relic get derailed?

Rick and his crew try to obey the speed limit when a 1962 Czechoslovakia scooter zooms into the shop. Can they get this Cold War clunker on the fix-up fast track, or will it get deported? Later, a miniature 1930s oil tanker trucks into the shop. Will this tiny toy transformation be nothing but child's play, or will the guys hit a rough and rocky road to restoration?

Rolling into the muggy swamplands of southern Louisiana, the bikers set out to turn a pest problem into a delicious dish. They climb aboard a fan-boat to join the hunt for a large invasive river rat called Nutria. Once they've bagged a bunch of the rodents, a small-town Cajun legend helps the boys turn their catch into spicy Andouille sausage. Then they take their new bounty to a legendary Jambalaya festival with the hopes that their Nutria Andouille will give them an edge!

It transports electricity, water, and heat. Our bodies can't survive without it, yet it can kill microbes in minutes. It brings music to our ears and beauty to our eyes. We'll delve into all of copper's impressive traits, history, and how it's mined. This versatile red metal's most famous attribute is its ability to conduct electricity--copper wires connect and energize the world. And it's revolutionizing the electronics industry by enabling ever-shrinking computer chips. It's also formed into plumbing pipes to convey water and is the metal of choice for beautiful roofs and sculptures. It doesn't only look good--it sounds great too. A visit to a bell foundry reveals why bronze, a copper alloy, has been used to make music for hundreds of years. In myriad shapes and for innumerable uses, copper figures prominently in our world.

It keeps us warm. It keeps us cool. It protects us and makes our world more comfortable. As simple as a pane of glass, or as complex as the fuselage of a space station, it's all around us, but is almost always out of sight. We explore where insulation technology has been, where it is today, and where it's going. We'll visit the manufacturing facilities of two of the most recognizable insulating materials: fiberglass and foam; and explore how insulation has evolved. Historical highlights include how the ancient Romans and Greeks insulated their homes, as well as the natives of tropical and arctic climates. New technologies covered include insulated concrete forms and gas-filled panels. Whether at home or in the office, on a space station, or beneath the sea, insulation is essential for making our world habitable. We'll show that how we use insulation, and how we develop it, will be a major factor in how we conserve our supply of energy in the coming years.

Go on a sweeping adventure into the mystery of the history of oil. Where does it come from? When will it run out? Where is it driving us? This amazing fluid that powers our lives has made a 160 million year journey to reach our gas tanks and plastic bags. Learn about Earth's extraordinary Carbon Cycle, and the role of oil in current concerns regarding the environment. The Oil Age we now take for granted began less than a century and a half ago, and it could be over in our lifetime.

Rubber, Plastic, Nylon, Aerosols, Resins, Solvents, and Lubricants--none can exist without oil. If we stopped driving our cars tomorrow, America would still need five million barrels of oil a day. Visit Vulcan Materials, where oil tanks are emptied into massive double-barrel mixers to make asphalt and then continue to the Rolls Royce Aerospace Facility where complex jet fuels are blended. Travel back to the 1870's to see how an unemployed whale oil salesman turned a greasy oil-drilling by-product into a household staple: Vaseline. Finally discover how cutting-edge recycling techniques can breathe new life into used motor oil, and where a number of renewable fuels and technologies take aim at oil sovereignty.

A versatile yet toxic metal, lead has served mankind for 6,000 years. Explore the vast mines where heavy machinery extracts and refines lead. Visit a car battery factory that makes a superior battery from pure lead. See how a team of experts safely remove harmful lead products from homes and businesses. How can a metal as dark as lead make lead crystal not only sparkle, but manage to stay transparent?

It began centuries ago as a pagan holiday that honored the dead and warned of a netherworld of spirits and ghosts. Today, it has morphed into a day for breaking rules, pushing boundaries and wearing disguises. But Halloween remains a time for us to deal with our own mortality. Our modern Halloween traditions have ancient roots--people were going door to door and begging for treats on Halloween night as far back as the Middle Ages. Halloweens past have been wilder and more dangerous than they are now. During the depression, Halloween became so violent and destructive that civil authorities had to step in and prevent wide-spread vandalism in cities across America. Their solution, the ritual now generates $2 billion dollars in candy sales each season. And these days adults get dressed up for the holiday almost as much as kids do. But no matter how many jack-o-lanterns get carved or kids yell "trick-or-treat!" Halloween is still all about the "scare."

This season, Troy has been hunting without his longtime helper Clint, and the boys have struggled, falling behind last year's pace. Determined to get back on track, Troy enlists the help of a local sharpshooter...a lady gator hunter named Liz Cavalier. Renegade Gator Hunter Bruce Mitchell hunts alone...that is if you don't count his partner/dog Tyler. Bruce and Tyler began the season solidly, racking up the gators and filling tags. It's business as usual--until, Tyler suddenly goes missing. For Joe and Tommy, the season was off to a strong start...but then, Tommy's behavior disrupted their momentum. Now, a monster gator is popping their lines, and the boys are determined to get him. As the sun sets, Terral and Trapper Agent Corey Hunt are on the trail of a large gator that's been menacing the locals. The boys scour the area to relocate the gator, and to rid the threat...before some one gets hurt.

In a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Shaolin monk Hu Qiong demonstrates his unbreakable body by smashing steel on his head, and spears in his throat. Bio-mechanic professor Dan Voss measures the forces at play to prove this is real. Dan watches Hu, as he attempts to push an electric drill into his own temple for a whole minute. Then, Daniel arrives in San Diego to witness Chad hold back a 500 bhp car. He calls in a sports physiologist to examine Chad's technique, and to work out the real forces at play. Next, Daniel brings Dickson from Ghana to South Africa to find out if the rumours of his superhuman control over his stomach are actually true. And finally, Daniel meets Byron at an archery range where super-slo-mo images capture his accuracy in detail. Then eye-tracking technology is brought in to see if his eyes ctually track the targets, or is it just luck?

Week eighteen, and the Harvest season goes from bad to worse as all three crews go to battle in the face of the deadliest tornado and drought season on record. The Sammons Crew struggles with unstable weather that mars the heartland--while Ralph Martin deals with unstable personalities that cost the crew tens of thousands in lost crops. Devastating equipment losses and storms systems bear down on the Roland and Sammons crews. Only the strongest Harvesters will survive.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

They lit the path to a brave new world and led the way to safe harbors as they warned of dangerous coastlines. They welcomed ships carrying precious cargo and new citizens to the fledgling country. But today, many American lighthouses face grave danger. While heroic efforts by concerned preservation groups and local governments have saved some, many are perilously close to being lost forever. Host Josh Binswanger looks at efforts to protect these beautiful and historic American treasures.

Go on a sweeping adventure into the mystery of the history of oil. Where does it come from? When will it run out? Where is it driving us? This amazing fluid that powers our lives has made a 160 million year journey to reach our gas tanks and plastic bags. Learn about Earth's extraordinary Carbon Cycle, and the role of oil in current concerns regarding the environment. The Oil Age we now take for granted began less than a century and a half ago, and it could be over in our lifetime.

Rubber, Plastic, Nylon, Aerosols, Resins, Solvents, and Lubricants--none can exist without oil. If we stopped driving our cars tomorrow, America would still need five million barrels of oil a day. Visit Vulcan Materials, where oil tanks are emptied into massive double-barrel mixers to make asphalt and then continue to the Rolls Royce Aerospace Facility where complex jet fuels are blended. Travel back to the 1870's to see how an unemployed whale oil salesman turned a greasy oil-drilling by-product into a household staple: Vaseline. Finally discover how cutting-edge recycling techniques can breathe new life into used motor oil, and where a number of renewable fuels and technologies take aim at oil sovereignty.