1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,417 [Dan narrating] 2 00:00:08,208 --> 00:00:11,417 [suspenseful music] 3 00:00:14,042 --> 00:00:15,917 - Imagine a device so powerful 4 00:00:15,917 --> 00:00:17,708 it could shake buildings 5 00:00:17,708 --> 00:00:19,000 and your insides. 6 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:20,375 [suspenseful music] 7 00:00:20,375 --> 00:00:23,125 - He's feeling better than he has in years. 8 00:00:23,125 --> 00:00:25,292 - Suddenly, he hops off the platform 9 00:00:25,292 --> 00:00:27,958 and makes a mad dash for the bathroom. 10 00:00:27,958 --> 00:00:29,792 - But unfortunately, 11 00:00:29,792 --> 00:00:32,000 nature is a bit faster than he is. 12 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:33,208 [tense suspenseful music] 13 00:00:33,208 --> 00:00:34,458 - How about a breakthrough appliance 14 00:00:34,458 --> 00:00:37,833 that runs on pure dog determination? 15 00:00:37,833 --> 00:00:41,958 - Someone figures, "Why not train a dog to run a spit?" 16 00:00:41,958 --> 00:00:45,208 - It becomes an indispensable kitchen device 17 00:00:45,208 --> 00:00:48,083 but it is a terrible job. 18 00:00:48,083 --> 00:00:50,625 - Turning for hours and hours. 19 00:00:50,625 --> 00:00:52,917 - Or a mousetrap so deadly, 20 00:00:52,917 --> 00:00:54,917 you need a permit to own it? 21 00:00:54,917 --> 00:00:57,667 - When the rodent eats the cheese, 22 00:00:57,667 --> 00:00:59,208 it trips the spring, 23 00:00:59,208 --> 00:01:02,250 and then the gun shoots the mouse. 24 00:01:02,250 --> 00:01:03,208 [tense dramatic music] [gun banging] 25 00:01:03,208 --> 00:01:04,583 - But the inventor's thinking 26 00:01:04,583 --> 00:01:06,542 a little bit further. 27 00:01:06,542 --> 00:01:07,625 [suspenseful music] 28 00:01:07,625 --> 00:01:09,167 - These are the machines 29 00:01:09,167 --> 00:01:11,708 so strange they are truly 30 00:01:11,708 --> 00:01:13,083 "Unbelievable." 31 00:01:15,042 --> 00:01:17,250 [suspenseful theme music] 32 00:01:25,208 --> 00:01:27,875 The light bulb, the phonograph, the film camera, 33 00:01:27,875 --> 00:01:31,875 just a few iconic inventions attributed to Thomas Edison, 34 00:01:31,875 --> 00:01:35,167 but his most unbelievable creation is a strange machine 35 00:01:35,167 --> 00:01:37,375 you've probably never heard of. 36 00:01:37,750 --> 00:01:39,750 [dramatic music] 37 00:01:39,750 --> 00:01:40,875 - It's 1920. 38 00:01:40,875 --> 00:01:41,875 It's a cold winter's night, 39 00:01:41,875 --> 00:01:43,208 and a group of men are in 40 00:01:43,208 --> 00:01:45,250 a darkened lab testing a machine. 41 00:01:45,250 --> 00:01:46,125 [electricity crackling] 42 00:01:46,125 --> 00:01:47,417 - When Edison calls out, 43 00:01:47,417 --> 00:01:49,000 somebody in the room flips a switch. 44 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:50,000 [camera flash popping] 45 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:51,125 - On the other side of the room, 46 00:01:51,125 --> 00:01:52,958 we have this photoelectric cell, 47 00:01:52,958 --> 00:01:55,542 which is going to generate a little bit of electricity 48 00:01:55,542 --> 00:01:57,875 as soon as it's hit by this beam of light. 49 00:01:57,875 --> 00:02:00,250 Now if this electricity ever stops, 50 00:02:00,250 --> 00:02:02,000 they would know that something 51 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:03,750 had broken that beam of light. 52 00:02:03,750 --> 00:02:05,500 [eerie dramatic music] 53 00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:08,083 - The men in the room start calling out people's names, 54 00:02:08,083 --> 00:02:11,208 asking them to walk through the light, 55 00:02:11,208 --> 00:02:12,875 and the people that they're calling, 56 00:02:12,875 --> 00:02:13,958 [dramatic music] 57 00:02:13,958 --> 00:02:15,333 they're all dead, 58 00:02:15,333 --> 00:02:19,042 and this machine is meant to detect ghosts. 59 00:02:19,042 --> 00:02:20,583 [eerie dramatic music] 60 00:02:20,583 --> 00:02:23,125 - [Dan] Speaking to the dead might seem strange today, 61 00:02:23,125 --> 00:02:25,208 but in the early 1900s, 62 00:02:25,208 --> 00:02:27,875 it was all the rage among society's elite. 63 00:02:27,875 --> 00:02:30,542 - Towards the late 19th century, early 20th century, 64 00:02:30,542 --> 00:02:33,042 spiritualism really rises in popularity, 65 00:02:33,042 --> 00:02:35,042 and it becomes very accepted, 66 00:02:35,042 --> 00:02:37,250 especially in well-to-do society. 67 00:02:37,250 --> 00:02:39,833 It almost becomes like a symbol of your status 68 00:02:39,833 --> 00:02:41,167 if you're having seance parties, 69 00:02:41,167 --> 00:02:42,250 if you're inviting people over 70 00:02:42,250 --> 00:02:43,458 to commune with the dead. 71 00:02:43,458 --> 00:02:45,375 - Especially after World War I 72 00:02:45,375 --> 00:02:48,583 when over 16 million people perished, 73 00:02:48,583 --> 00:02:51,625 people really turned to spirituality in the hopes 74 00:02:51,625 --> 00:02:55,250 of reconnecting with departed loved ones. 75 00:02:55,250 --> 00:02:57,250 - [Dan] While others reach for crystal balls, 76 00:02:57,250 --> 00:02:59,167 Edison grabs his toolkit. 77 00:02:59,167 --> 00:03:00,208 [suspenseful music] 78 00:03:00,208 --> 00:03:01,458 - Thomas Edison believes things 79 00:03:01,458 --> 00:03:03,708 like our personality are left behind when we die, 80 00:03:03,708 --> 00:03:06,208 and he believes that these bits of energy of us are 81 00:03:06,208 --> 00:03:09,542 almost like a physical thing that he calls entities. 82 00:03:09,542 --> 00:03:12,500 - The thing is Edison doesn't believe that some medium 83 00:03:12,500 --> 00:03:15,083 or some really dramatic psychic, 84 00:03:15,083 --> 00:03:16,875 who claims to be able to write 85 00:03:16,875 --> 00:03:19,833 what's being said on the other side, or Ouija boards, 86 00:03:19,833 --> 00:03:22,333 he doesn't believe in any of that theatricality. 87 00:03:22,333 --> 00:03:26,833 He wants to find scientific proof of the afterlife. 88 00:03:26,833 --> 00:03:28,167 [tense music] 89 00:03:28,167 --> 00:03:30,208 - So he designs a machine that can detect 90 00:03:30,208 --> 00:03:32,375 the presence of these entities 91 00:03:32,375 --> 00:03:34,375 using a beam of light. [camera flash popping] 92 00:03:34,375 --> 00:03:36,208 - [Dan] Detection is only the beginning. 93 00:03:36,208 --> 00:03:39,375 Edison believes his unusual invention can do more. 94 00:03:39,375 --> 00:03:41,833 - The machine might even be able 95 00:03:41,833 --> 00:03:44,375 to amplify these personalities 96 00:03:44,375 --> 00:03:46,167 the same way that a phonograph 97 00:03:46,167 --> 00:03:48,208 can amplify a person's voice. 98 00:03:48,208 --> 00:03:50,125 We might even be able to use this 99 00:03:50,125 --> 00:03:51,708 to communicate 100 00:03:51,708 --> 00:03:52,875 with the deceased. 101 00:03:52,875 --> 00:03:54,542 [tense dramatic music] 102 00:03:54,542 --> 00:03:55,917 - It kind of makes sense that he would go down this path, 103 00:03:55,917 --> 00:03:58,417 because his whole life and what he's invented 104 00:03:58,417 --> 00:04:02,042 has been built around the idea of communication. 105 00:04:02,042 --> 00:04:03,542 - [Dan] And true to form, 106 00:04:03,542 --> 00:04:06,292 Edison doesn't keep quiet about it for long. 107 00:04:06,292 --> 00:04:08,625 By 1920, he's ready to pull back the curtain. 108 00:04:09,708 --> 00:04:12,167 - In an interview with American Magazine, 109 00:04:12,167 --> 00:04:14,417 Edison reveals that he's been working 110 00:04:14,417 --> 00:04:16,375 on this device for some time, 111 00:04:16,375 --> 00:04:18,708 and that it's almost ready. 112 00:04:18,708 --> 00:04:22,875 This causes an enormous firestorm in the press. 113 00:04:22,875 --> 00:04:24,750 - People are eager to see 114 00:04:24,750 --> 00:04:26,250 and to see the results 115 00:04:26,250 --> 00:04:28,250 of what they are dubbing 116 00:04:28,250 --> 00:04:30,208 "Edison's Spirit Phone." 117 00:04:30,208 --> 00:04:31,708 [dramatic music] 118 00:04:31,708 --> 00:04:34,583 - [Dan] So what exactly becomes of the Spirit Phone? 119 00:04:34,583 --> 00:04:37,542 - Edison's tests ultimately never reveal 120 00:04:37,542 --> 00:04:39,875 any true scientific proof 121 00:04:39,875 --> 00:04:41,958 of any spirit entities. 122 00:04:41,958 --> 00:04:42,958 With no evidence, 123 00:04:42,958 --> 00:04:45,125 no empirical data to back it up, 124 00:04:45,125 --> 00:04:47,625 Edison stops sinking money into it. 125 00:04:47,625 --> 00:04:49,292 - He tries to bury the fact 126 00:04:49,292 --> 00:04:50,667 that he built this machine, 127 00:04:50,667 --> 00:04:52,542 but it is mentioned in his diaries. 128 00:04:52,542 --> 00:04:56,000 Unfortunately, nobody can ever find the plans or schematics. 129 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,333 - Edison dies in 1931 130 00:04:58,333 --> 00:05:01,083 and with him dies the Spirit Phone. 131 00:05:01,083 --> 00:05:02,375 [dramatic music] [hammer tapping] 132 00:05:02,375 --> 00:05:04,417 - [Dan] It may be lights out for the ghost phone, 133 00:05:04,417 --> 00:05:06,292 but not the idea behind it. 134 00:05:06,292 --> 00:05:07,583 [dramatic music] 135 00:05:07,583 --> 00:05:09,708 - These days there are machines 136 00:05:09,708 --> 00:05:12,417 that measure electromagnetic frequencies, 137 00:05:12,417 --> 00:05:15,458 which are used to detect spirits 138 00:05:15,458 --> 00:05:16,875 and whether or not they exist. 139 00:05:16,875 --> 00:05:19,750 - This modern technology is really another iteration 140 00:05:19,750 --> 00:05:22,417 of the same thing that Edison was trying to do. 141 00:05:22,417 --> 00:05:23,875 [machine humming] 142 00:05:23,875 --> 00:05:26,375 - As someone familiar with ghost-detecting devices, 143 00:05:26,375 --> 00:05:29,375 I will attest those things can be pretty glitchy. 144 00:05:29,375 --> 00:05:31,792 You could say the same about an unusual machine 145 00:05:31,792 --> 00:05:35,500 invented by Edison's legendary rival Nicola Tesla, 146 00:05:35,500 --> 00:05:39,000 a volatile gadget that has an unexpected function. 147 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,125 [tense dramatic music] [electricity crackling] 148 00:05:41,125 --> 00:05:42,542 - In the 1890s, 149 00:05:42,542 --> 00:05:46,458 genius inventor Nicola Tesla is working on 150 00:05:46,458 --> 00:05:50,375 new more efficient ways of generating electricity. 151 00:05:50,375 --> 00:05:52,208 [dramatic music] [machine humming] 152 00:05:52,208 --> 00:05:54,958 - The rotating electrical generator 153 00:05:54,958 --> 00:05:58,458 he finds is not very efficient, 154 00:05:58,458 --> 00:06:00,708 so he decides to invent a new version, 155 00:06:00,708 --> 00:06:03,333 something oscillating, goes up and down. 156 00:06:03,333 --> 00:06:04,542 [suspenseful music] 157 00:06:04,542 --> 00:06:05,708 - So basically it works with an air- 158 00:06:05,708 --> 00:06:07,708 or steam-powered piston driving a coil 159 00:06:07,708 --> 00:06:10,542 back and forth through a magnetic field. 160 00:06:10,542 --> 00:06:13,417 This happens on an incredible frequency. 161 00:06:13,417 --> 00:06:16,417 - This device does create a lot 162 00:06:16,417 --> 00:06:18,875 of electricity very efficiently, 163 00:06:18,875 --> 00:06:22,792 but it also produces an enormous amount of vibration. 164 00:06:22,792 --> 00:06:25,458 [dramatic music] [building rumbling] 165 00:06:25,458 --> 00:06:27,208 [objects rattling] 166 00:06:27,208 --> 00:06:29,542 - The amount of vibration is so immense, 167 00:06:29,542 --> 00:06:31,250 not only does it shake his building, 168 00:06:31,250 --> 00:06:33,708 it shakes the neighboring buildings, 169 00:06:33,708 --> 00:06:36,750 so much so they think they're experiencing an earthquake. 170 00:06:36,750 --> 00:06:39,875 It soon gets the nickname Tesla's Earthquake Machine. 171 00:06:39,875 --> 00:06:41,792 - [Dan] As scary as this is at first, 172 00:06:41,792 --> 00:06:44,375 there seems to be at least one upside. 173 00:06:44,375 --> 00:06:45,917 [dramatic music] 174 00:06:45,917 --> 00:06:47,542 - Tesla's team realizes 175 00:06:47,542 --> 00:06:51,458 that if they stand on a platform above the machine, 176 00:06:51,458 --> 00:06:55,292 the vibrations get sent throughout your whole body. 177 00:06:55,292 --> 00:06:58,208 - These vibrations feel really good. 178 00:06:58,208 --> 00:07:00,833 Like they feel extra good. 179 00:07:00,833 --> 00:07:03,792 - People who experience this are having like laughing fits, 180 00:07:03,792 --> 00:07:06,208 their mood changes, and some people say 181 00:07:06,208 --> 00:07:08,375 it actually improved their health. 182 00:07:09,417 --> 00:07:11,208 - Tesla, ever the inventor, thinks, 183 00:07:11,208 --> 00:07:13,250 "Hey, maybe this machine might 184 00:07:13,250 --> 00:07:14,958 have applications in medicine. 185 00:07:14,958 --> 00:07:18,417 Maybe it could destroy cancer cells 186 00:07:18,417 --> 00:07:20,958 or eliminate tuberculosis." 187 00:07:20,958 --> 00:07:21,917 [light dramatic music] 188 00:07:21,917 --> 00:07:23,083 - [Dan] It may even be able to help 189 00:07:23,083 --> 00:07:24,917 one of Tesla's famous friends, 190 00:07:24,917 --> 00:07:27,042 who's suffering from something much different. 191 00:07:27,042 --> 00:07:28,167 [tense eerie music] 192 00:07:28,167 --> 00:07:29,583 - In the 1890s, 193 00:07:29,583 --> 00:07:31,208 Tesla becomes a good friend 194 00:07:31,208 --> 00:07:33,500 with no other than Mark Twain. 195 00:07:33,500 --> 00:07:34,708 [light dramatic music] 196 00:07:34,708 --> 00:07:38,375 - When Tesla and Twain meet at a dinner party, 197 00:07:38,375 --> 00:07:40,375 a bromance quickly ensues. 198 00:07:40,375 --> 00:07:41,708 [dramatic music] 199 00:07:41,708 --> 00:07:43,083 - As they get closer, 200 00:07:43,083 --> 00:07:45,250 Twain reveals the fact that he's suffering 201 00:07:45,250 --> 00:07:47,083 from a really embarrassing problem. 202 00:07:47,083 --> 00:07:50,042 He has insufferable... 203 00:07:50,042 --> 00:07:51,292 constipation. 204 00:07:51,292 --> 00:07:52,250 [dramatic music] 205 00:07:52,250 --> 00:07:53,542 - Tesla tells Mark, 206 00:07:53,542 --> 00:07:55,208 "I think I might have something for you. 207 00:07:55,208 --> 00:07:56,833 Go stand on that platform. 208 00:07:56,833 --> 00:07:58,417 We're going to let those vibrations 209 00:07:58,417 --> 00:08:00,125 course through your body, 210 00:08:00,125 --> 00:08:02,500 and we're going to see if we can shake something loose." 211 00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:05,792 [dramatic music] 212 00:08:05,792 --> 00:08:09,375 - But Tesla gives Twain a very frank warning, 213 00:08:09,375 --> 00:08:11,583 "When I say get off the machine, 214 00:08:11,583 --> 00:08:13,583 you get off the machine." 215 00:08:13,583 --> 00:08:14,958 - So Twain agrees to all this. 216 00:08:14,958 --> 00:08:16,833 He's like, "Yeah, no problem. I got you." 217 00:08:16,833 --> 00:08:19,208 Tesla fires up the vibrations, 218 00:08:19,208 --> 00:08:20,500 [dramatic music] 219 00:08:20,500 --> 00:08:21,958 and it gets to going. 220 00:08:21,958 --> 00:08:23,042 [suspenseful music] 221 00:08:23,042 --> 00:08:25,083 - Twain loves it. 222 00:08:25,083 --> 00:08:26,208 He is eating it up. 223 00:08:26,208 --> 00:08:27,833 He's euphoric. 224 00:08:27,833 --> 00:08:30,958 He's feeling better than he has in years. 225 00:08:30,958 --> 00:08:33,208 - But sure enough eventually Tesla's like, 226 00:08:33,208 --> 00:08:36,125 "Yo, time. You got to get off now." 227 00:08:36,125 --> 00:08:38,333 And Twain is like, "You're tripping, dude." 228 00:08:38,333 --> 00:08:39,958 - Tesla starts getting stern, he's like, 229 00:08:39,958 --> 00:08:42,833 "Hey, come on, I said it's time to get off. 230 00:08:42,833 --> 00:08:44,542 You need to get off of this thing." 231 00:08:44,542 --> 00:08:47,583 Twain says, "No way, I'm not stopping this." 232 00:08:47,583 --> 00:08:49,708 - [Austin] Suddenly, Twain feels a gurgling 233 00:08:49,708 --> 00:08:51,542 in his intestines, 234 00:08:51,542 --> 00:08:53,000 and he hops off the platform 235 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,583 and makes a mad dash for the bathroom. 236 00:08:55,583 --> 00:08:57,250 - But unfortunately, 237 00:08:57,250 --> 00:08:58,875 [suspenseful music] 238 00:08:58,875 --> 00:09:01,500 nature is a bit faster than he is. 239 00:09:01,500 --> 00:09:02,875 [dramatic music] 240 00:09:02,875 --> 00:09:06,292 - On the upside, Tesla did prove his theory. 241 00:09:06,292 --> 00:09:07,542 [dramatic music] 242 00:09:07,542 --> 00:09:09,958 Today vibration therapy 243 00:09:09,958 --> 00:09:13,167 is proven in alleviating constipation, 244 00:09:13,167 --> 00:09:17,125 so much so that in 2023 the University of Georgia 245 00:09:17,125 --> 00:09:21,583 invented a vibrating pill to help disrupt constipation. 246 00:09:22,792 --> 00:09:25,250 - The incident may have ruined Twain's famous white suit, 247 00:09:25,250 --> 00:09:27,583 but not his legendary friendship with Tesla. 248 00:09:32,708 --> 00:09:34,417 - Fifteen years before the Imperial Walkers 249 00:09:34,417 --> 00:09:35,833 of Star Wars graced movie screens, 250 00:09:35,833 --> 00:09:39,375 their strange real-life inspiration gets its start 251 00:09:39,375 --> 00:09:40,708 in a government lab. 252 00:09:40,708 --> 00:09:43,042 [tense music] 253 00:09:43,042 --> 00:09:44,417 - In the mid 1960s, 254 00:09:44,417 --> 00:09:45,958 the U.S. military is looking 255 00:09:45,958 --> 00:09:47,625 at tons of potential conflicts, 256 00:09:47,625 --> 00:09:49,083 [helicopter whirring] 257 00:09:49,083 --> 00:09:50,625 the jungles of Vietnam, 258 00:09:50,625 --> 00:09:52,792 the deserts in the Middle East, 259 00:09:52,792 --> 00:09:54,875 maybe even the moon, 260 00:09:54,875 --> 00:09:57,375 and they need vehicles that can really work 261 00:09:57,375 --> 00:09:59,875 in any type of terrain. 262 00:09:59,875 --> 00:10:01,750 - [Dan] For an outside-the-box idea, 263 00:10:01,750 --> 00:10:03,875 the military turns to a mechanical engineer 264 00:10:03,875 --> 00:10:06,708 from GE named Ralph Mosher. 265 00:10:06,708 --> 00:10:09,708 - Mosher's work centered on building robots 266 00:10:09,708 --> 00:10:12,583 that humans could operate from the inside, 267 00:10:12,583 --> 00:10:15,333 so they amplified the human strength 268 00:10:15,333 --> 00:10:19,208 while still being able to perform fine motor movements. 269 00:10:19,208 --> 00:10:22,375 - Mosher is a pioneer in hydraulic technology. 270 00:10:22,375 --> 00:10:24,208 He develops these things 271 00:10:24,208 --> 00:10:26,250 that give the human operator 272 00:10:26,250 --> 00:10:28,667 an extension of their own body. 273 00:10:28,667 --> 00:10:29,958 - Since the late 1950s, 274 00:10:29,958 --> 00:10:33,083 Mosher has built a number of robotic arms. 275 00:10:33,083 --> 00:10:35,708 Like there's one that can help a woman put her coat on, 276 00:10:35,708 --> 00:10:38,542 which you can see in this unsettling photo. 277 00:10:38,542 --> 00:10:39,875 [light dramatic music] 278 00:10:39,875 --> 00:10:41,083 - [Dan] Working with the Department of Defense, 279 00:10:41,083 --> 00:10:43,042 Mosher begins applying his concepts 280 00:10:43,042 --> 00:10:45,792 to create his most ambitious project yet. 281 00:10:45,792 --> 00:10:47,625 [light dramatic music] 282 00:10:47,625 --> 00:10:50,625 - So he builds something called the CAM, 283 00:10:50,625 --> 00:10:54,708 the Cybernetic Anthropomorphous Machine, 284 00:10:54,708 --> 00:10:57,667 and everybody else calls this 11-foot behemoth 285 00:10:57,667 --> 00:10:59,917 "The Walking Truck." 286 00:10:59,917 --> 00:11:01,292 - In the field of robotics, 287 00:11:01,292 --> 00:11:04,167 this is one of the earliest legitimate attempts 288 00:11:04,167 --> 00:11:08,292 to mimic the walking motions of a four-legged animal. 289 00:11:08,292 --> 00:11:09,667 [dramatic music] 290 00:11:09,667 --> 00:11:11,375 - Mosher's idea was to more seamlessly connect 291 00:11:11,375 --> 00:11:14,042 the operator with the machines they were driving. 292 00:11:14,042 --> 00:11:16,125 So the robot and the driver 293 00:11:16,125 --> 00:11:19,542 were really linked together physically in the cockpit. 294 00:11:19,542 --> 00:11:20,917 [dramatic music] 295 00:11:20,917 --> 00:11:22,958 - So not only does it have the ability 296 00:11:22,958 --> 00:11:25,958 to carry a ton of cargo or troops, 297 00:11:25,958 --> 00:11:27,583 it also has this sort of feeling 298 00:11:27,583 --> 00:11:29,167 of like a super soldier. 299 00:11:29,167 --> 00:11:30,333 [dramatic music] 300 00:11:30,333 --> 00:11:32,708 - It can deadlift 500 pounds. 301 00:11:32,708 --> 00:11:34,083 It can flip a car over. 302 00:11:34,083 --> 00:11:37,000 It can carry around knocked down tree trunks 303 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,875 like they're matchsticks, 304 00:11:38,875 --> 00:11:41,292 so it's capable of lifting and moving 305 00:11:41,292 --> 00:11:44,125 in ways that the human body just is not. 306 00:11:44,125 --> 00:11:46,583 - Unfortunately, the Walking Truck 307 00:11:46,583 --> 00:11:49,083 can't seem to walk out of the lab. 308 00:11:49,083 --> 00:11:52,167 It's designed to go as fast as 35 miles an hour, 309 00:11:52,167 --> 00:11:54,708 but it can only get up to about five, 310 00:11:54,708 --> 00:11:57,208 and it is a resource hog. 311 00:11:57,208 --> 00:12:01,833 It guzzles 50 gallons of hydraulic fluid every minute. 312 00:12:01,833 --> 00:12:04,750 You would almost have to design a whole other vehicle 313 00:12:04,750 --> 00:12:07,167 that just carries its needs alongside it. 314 00:12:07,167 --> 00:12:08,750 [suspenseful music] 315 00:12:08,750 --> 00:12:11,042 - [Dan] While the Walking Truck is officially shelved, 316 00:12:11,042 --> 00:12:13,542 its menacing spirit lives on 317 00:12:13,542 --> 00:12:16,375 in a galaxy far, far away. 318 00:12:16,375 --> 00:12:17,208 [tense dramatic music] 319 00:12:17,208 --> 00:12:18,542 - In the late 1970s, 320 00:12:18,542 --> 00:12:21,917 the production team working on the "Star Wars" sequel 321 00:12:21,917 --> 00:12:26,583 "Empire Strikes Back" want some sort of Imperial super vehicle 322 00:12:26,583 --> 00:12:28,750 that can attack the rebel stronghold 323 00:12:28,750 --> 00:12:30,375 on the ice planet Hoth. 324 00:12:30,375 --> 00:12:31,958 They turn to conventional tanks 325 00:12:31,958 --> 00:12:32,958 that are being used at the time, 326 00:12:32,958 --> 00:12:34,875 but they just don't seem right. 327 00:12:34,875 --> 00:12:37,875 They're a little bit dull, drab, and mundane. 328 00:12:37,875 --> 00:12:40,542 - And then they come across an artist's rendering 329 00:12:40,542 --> 00:12:43,208 of this four-legged Walking Truck, 330 00:12:43,208 --> 00:12:45,792 and they decide that a similar robot monster 331 00:12:45,792 --> 00:12:47,708 would be a lot cooler. 332 00:12:47,708 --> 00:12:51,875 - It's arguably the coolest scene in "Star Wars" history. 333 00:12:51,875 --> 00:12:56,125 - And really that Imperial Walker is essentially 334 00:12:56,125 --> 00:12:58,500 what the Walking Truck started out as. 335 00:12:58,500 --> 00:12:59,958 [dramatic cinematic music] 336 00:12:59,958 --> 00:13:01,625 - A giant Walking Truck 337 00:13:01,625 --> 00:13:04,333 that stomps over anything in its way... 338 00:13:04,333 --> 00:13:05,708 impressive. 339 00:13:05,708 --> 00:13:07,792 But what if you need to cross rugged terrain 340 00:13:07,792 --> 00:13:10,250 without leaving destruction in your wake? 341 00:13:10,250 --> 00:13:13,375 Well, engineers have that covered, too. 342 00:13:13,375 --> 00:13:15,333 [tense dramatic music] 343 00:13:15,333 --> 00:13:17,375 - This engineer named William Albee 344 00:13:17,375 --> 00:13:20,167 is lying face down on the ground in the sand, 345 00:13:20,167 --> 00:13:25,167 and here comes this 10,000 pound truck headed right for him. 346 00:13:25,958 --> 00:13:27,458 - William Albee doesn't move, 347 00:13:27,458 --> 00:13:28,542 and before you know it, 348 00:13:28,542 --> 00:13:30,875 [suspenseful theatrical music] 349 00:13:30,875 --> 00:13:33,875 it drives right over him. 350 00:13:33,875 --> 00:13:35,333 [bright theatrical music] 351 00:13:35,333 --> 00:13:38,458 - After he's had five tons on his back, 352 00:13:38,458 --> 00:13:40,375 he just gets up smiling. 353 00:13:40,375 --> 00:13:42,833 - [Dan] It may look like some kind of crazy carnival trick, 354 00:13:42,833 --> 00:13:44,750 but Albee is actually demonstrating 355 00:13:44,750 --> 00:13:47,333 his strange new machine, the Rolligon. 356 00:13:48,333 --> 00:13:51,208 - He has outfitted this truck with these massive 357 00:13:51,208 --> 00:13:54,333 low-pressure tires that he has invented himself, 358 00:13:54,333 --> 00:13:57,042 and they make it possible for the vehicle to roll over 359 00:13:57,042 --> 00:14:00,167 almost anything without hurting it. 360 00:14:00,167 --> 00:14:02,708 - [Dan] Surprisingly, the idea for these innovative tires 361 00:14:02,708 --> 00:14:04,667 takes shape during Albee's honeymoon 362 00:14:04,667 --> 00:14:05,542 [dramatic bass music] 363 00:14:05,542 --> 00:14:07,375 23 years earlier. 364 00:14:07,375 --> 00:14:09,333 [light gentle music] [waves splashing softly] 365 00:14:09,333 --> 00:14:11,417 - It's 1930, and he has 366 00:14:11,417 --> 00:14:13,042 just married his wife Ruth, 367 00:14:13,042 --> 00:14:15,833 and he decides that what they're going to do is 368 00:14:15,833 --> 00:14:18,292 take this 2,200-mile hike 369 00:14:18,292 --> 00:14:21,458 across the very harsh Alaskan tundra. 370 00:14:21,458 --> 00:14:22,958 - [Dan] As Albee and Ruth make their way 371 00:14:22,958 --> 00:14:24,917 across the rugged landscape, 372 00:14:24,917 --> 00:14:27,167 they spot something that catches their attention. 373 00:14:27,167 --> 00:14:30,375 - William actually sees a group of Inuit fishermen 374 00:14:30,375 --> 00:14:34,083 in a boat that is packed with tons of fish. 375 00:14:34,083 --> 00:14:35,625 - And instead of stopping 376 00:14:35,625 --> 00:14:37,208 at the shore and unloading the boat, 377 00:14:37,208 --> 00:14:40,000 they do something he doesn't expect. 378 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,583 They actually take out these bladders 379 00:14:42,583 --> 00:14:45,292 sort of balloons made of seal hide, 380 00:14:45,292 --> 00:14:47,042 and they start attaching them 381 00:14:47,042 --> 00:14:48,458 to the underside of the boat. 382 00:14:48,458 --> 00:14:50,542 And once they have them all attached, 383 00:14:50,542 --> 00:14:51,708 they just pull the boat, 384 00:14:51,708 --> 00:14:54,917 and it kind of glides across the snow. 385 00:14:54,917 --> 00:14:58,458 - He's watching them move with no machinery 386 00:14:58,458 --> 00:15:02,000 what weighs over a ton over rough terrain 387 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:03,667 using these bladders, 388 00:15:03,667 --> 00:15:07,375 and he is hit with inspiration. 389 00:15:07,375 --> 00:15:10,167 - [Dan] The Albees eventually return to California, 390 00:15:10,167 --> 00:15:11,917 and it takes William another two decades 391 00:15:11,917 --> 00:15:13,875 to perfect his radical concept 392 00:15:13,875 --> 00:15:15,333 and build a prototype. 393 00:15:16,375 --> 00:15:19,042 - Finally, he comes up with the design. 394 00:15:19,042 --> 00:15:21,333 It's a low-pressure bladder 395 00:15:21,333 --> 00:15:23,417 similar to what the Inuit were using, 396 00:15:23,417 --> 00:15:25,333 but instead of making it out of seal skin, 397 00:15:25,333 --> 00:15:27,542 it's made out of rubber and fabric. 398 00:15:27,542 --> 00:15:28,208 [gentle music] 399 00:15:28,208 --> 00:15:29,917 - He decides that the move 400 00:15:29,917 --> 00:15:33,125 is going to be to create one huge tire 401 00:15:33,125 --> 00:15:35,958 that actually would span the whole width of the vehicle 402 00:15:35,958 --> 00:15:37,917 rather than one at each corner. 403 00:15:37,917 --> 00:15:38,958 I mean, you can almost think of it 404 00:15:38,958 --> 00:15:41,958 like a big, soft steamroller. 405 00:15:41,958 --> 00:15:43,458 So he finds a fabricator 406 00:15:43,458 --> 00:15:46,208 to help him create this gigantic tire, 407 00:15:46,208 --> 00:15:49,625 and he mounts all of these to a Dodge Power Wagon, 408 00:15:49,625 --> 00:15:52,833 and thus the Rolligon is born. 409 00:15:52,833 --> 00:15:54,333 [dramatic music] 410 00:15:54,333 --> 00:15:56,375 - [Dan] The Rolligon turns heads everywhere it goes, 411 00:15:56,375 --> 00:15:58,583 even catching the eye of the U.S. Army. 412 00:16:00,042 --> 00:16:02,333 - William demos this thing for the army, 413 00:16:02,333 --> 00:16:04,375 and they pretty quickly realize that 414 00:16:04,375 --> 00:16:06,708 it can go on any type of terrain. 415 00:16:06,708 --> 00:16:09,708 This thing can even climb walls. 416 00:16:09,708 --> 00:16:11,083 - The key to the technology 417 00:16:11,083 --> 00:16:13,458 is these large, low- pressure wheels. 418 00:16:13,458 --> 00:16:16,958 They're filled to only about five pounds per square inch. 419 00:16:16,958 --> 00:16:18,708 Compare that to the tires on your car. 420 00:16:18,708 --> 00:16:21,750 They're typically 30 to 40 pounds per square inch. 421 00:16:21,750 --> 00:16:25,208 - Because the tires are so big and so low pressure, 422 00:16:25,208 --> 00:16:27,667 they really just adjust to the contour 423 00:16:27,667 --> 00:16:30,375 of whatever the surface is that it's driving on, 424 00:16:30,375 --> 00:16:33,250 which also means it's less likely to be punctured 425 00:16:33,250 --> 00:16:35,167 because the air pressure is so low. 426 00:16:35,167 --> 00:16:36,625 [eerie dramatic music] 427 00:16:36,625 --> 00:16:39,208 - [Dan] It looks like the Rolligon could be a game changer 428 00:16:39,208 --> 00:16:43,500 until a few major flaws bring it to a screeching halt. 429 00:16:43,500 --> 00:16:46,125 - The tires are very expensive to produce. 430 00:16:46,125 --> 00:16:47,333 In addition to that, 431 00:16:47,333 --> 00:16:49,208 because of the size of those tires, 432 00:16:49,208 --> 00:16:50,792 the vehicle moves slowly. 433 00:16:50,792 --> 00:16:54,042 It can achieve a maximum speed of only 10 miles per hour, 434 00:16:54,042 --> 00:16:56,625 and that's what kills it as a military vehicle. 435 00:16:58,583 --> 00:17:01,542 - While the Rolligon didn't revolutionize military vehicles, 436 00:17:01,542 --> 00:17:03,583 it did find a second life. 437 00:17:03,583 --> 00:17:06,875 Today it's still used in oil and gas exploration, 438 00:17:06,875 --> 00:17:09,542 able to roll over fragile tundra terrain 439 00:17:09,542 --> 00:17:11,125 and the occasional crew member on a dare. 440 00:17:15,917 --> 00:17:17,167 - Ralph Waldo Emerson famously wrote, 441 00:17:17,167 --> 00:17:18,375 "Build a better mousetrap, 442 00:17:18,375 --> 00:17:20,375 and the world will beat a path to your door." 443 00:17:20,375 --> 00:17:22,667 One man creates a version that instead 444 00:17:22,667 --> 00:17:24,875 has everyone running for cover. 445 00:17:24,875 --> 00:17:26,917 [dramatic music] 446 00:17:26,917 --> 00:17:28,708 - It's August 1882, 447 00:17:28,708 --> 00:17:31,792 and a very interesting patent hits the desk 448 00:17:31,792 --> 00:17:33,792 of a Washington D.C. patent clerk. 449 00:17:33,792 --> 00:17:38,542 It's from a James A. Williams of Fredonia, Texas. 450 00:17:38,542 --> 00:17:39,917 It's billed as, 451 00:17:39,917 --> 00:17:43,708 "Certain new and useful improvements in pest control." 452 00:17:43,708 --> 00:17:46,417 - [Dan] The new and unusual improvementS? 453 00:17:46,417 --> 00:17:49,000 A powerful Smith & Wesson pistol cocked 454 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,542 and ready to blast its unsuspecting victim. 455 00:17:51,542 --> 00:17:53,875 [suspenseful music] 456 00:17:53,875 --> 00:17:56,167 - There's an elaborate explanation 457 00:17:56,167 --> 00:17:58,833 of this trap in the patent application, 458 00:17:58,833 --> 00:18:02,208 which has a spring that's baited 459 00:18:02,208 --> 00:18:04,458 set against a gun's trigger. 460 00:18:04,458 --> 00:18:06,375 [gun clicking] [suspenseful music] 461 00:18:06,375 --> 00:18:09,542 - So when the rodent eats the cheese, 462 00:18:09,542 --> 00:18:11,250 it trips the spring, 463 00:18:11,250 --> 00:18:13,125 which triggers the gun, 464 00:18:13,125 --> 00:18:16,292 and then the gun shoots the mouse. 465 00:18:16,292 --> 00:18:18,375 [gunfire blasting] 466 00:18:18,375 --> 00:18:21,125 - You might think it's overkill, 467 00:18:21,125 --> 00:18:23,958 but the inventor is thinking a little bit further. 468 00:18:23,958 --> 00:18:29,208 He also notes that you can apply it to a door or a window, 469 00:18:30,333 --> 00:18:32,792 so this could trigger an automatic firing device 470 00:18:32,792 --> 00:18:35,708 that might get a raccoon, a bear, 471 00:18:35,708 --> 00:18:38,583 or perhaps a nosy person. 472 00:18:38,583 --> 00:18:41,125 - Burglar alarms at the time are just designed 473 00:18:41,125 --> 00:18:44,292 to trigger a noise whenever somebody trips it. 474 00:18:44,292 --> 00:18:46,917 Williams points out that he's the only inventor 475 00:18:46,917 --> 00:18:49,375 that has invented both a mouse trap 476 00:18:49,375 --> 00:18:52,375 and a security system that involves a gun. 477 00:18:54,208 --> 00:18:55,667 - [Dan] The U.S. Patent Office agrees 478 00:18:55,667 --> 00:18:58,000 that Williams design is, in fact, unique, 479 00:18:58,000 --> 00:18:59,500 [light eerie music] 480 00:18:59,500 --> 00:19:02,042 and approves his strange mouse trap later that year, 481 00:19:02,042 --> 00:19:03,958 just one day after Christmas. 482 00:19:03,958 --> 00:19:05,375 [light eerie music] 483 00:19:05,375 --> 00:19:06,875 - There's no record of this device 484 00:19:06,875 --> 00:19:09,208 actually being produced or marketed. 485 00:19:09,208 --> 00:19:12,417 However, this does actually beg the question, 486 00:19:12,417 --> 00:19:14,875 does his design actually work? 487 00:19:14,875 --> 00:19:17,083 [eerie dramatic music] 488 00:19:17,083 --> 00:19:18,833 - Flash forward 140 years 489 00:19:18,833 --> 00:19:22,042 and YouTuber Shawn Woods decides 490 00:19:22,042 --> 00:19:25,750 to remake Williams' 1882 mouse trap. 491 00:19:25,750 --> 00:19:28,542 - [Shawn] Here I have my Smith & Wesson .22 six shooter, 492 00:19:28,542 --> 00:19:30,292 so I'm going to use a blank cartridge. 493 00:19:30,292 --> 00:19:32,500 They're designed for driving nails into concrete, 494 00:19:32,500 --> 00:19:34,417 so they provide quite a shock blast. 495 00:19:34,417 --> 00:19:36,833 - To avoid a gruesome demonstration, 496 00:19:36,833 --> 00:19:41,083 Williams sets his sights on a orange not a rodent, 497 00:19:41,083 --> 00:19:43,000 and the results are impressive. 498 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:43,875 [suspenseful music] 499 00:19:43,875 --> 00:19:45,083 [gunfire blasting] 500 00:19:45,083 --> 00:19:46,667 - [Shawn] And look at right there. 501 00:19:46,667 --> 00:19:48,958 That's going to do more than enough damage to kill a rodent. 502 00:19:48,958 --> 00:19:51,042 - I'm sure there's some landlords of New York City 503 00:19:51,042 --> 00:19:52,875 that want to give this method a try, 504 00:19:52,875 --> 00:19:56,667 but for now I think just stick with the bodega cats. 505 00:19:56,667 --> 00:19:59,375 [dramatic music] 506 00:20:00,542 --> 00:20:02,500 - Clearly defending one's home against pests 507 00:20:02,500 --> 00:20:04,917 can drive us to extreme measures, 508 00:20:04,917 --> 00:20:08,250 but defending one's homeland against an invading force 509 00:20:08,250 --> 00:20:12,000 can inspire even more unbelievable creations. 510 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,833 [ground rumbling] [suspenseful music] 511 00:20:14,833 --> 00:20:16,667 - It's the fall of 1916. 512 00:20:16,667 --> 00:20:19,625 World War I has been raging for two years, 513 00:20:19,625 --> 00:20:22,500 but now they are dealing with a new type of warfare 514 00:20:22,500 --> 00:20:25,208 where bombs are dropped on you from above. 515 00:20:25,208 --> 00:20:26,250 [suspenseful music] 516 00:20:26,250 --> 00:20:28,000 - [Dan] Not just by airplanes, 517 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,042 but by another terrifying new aircraft, zeppelins. 518 00:20:32,042 --> 00:20:33,375 And they're a big problem 519 00:20:33,375 --> 00:20:35,458 for British Colonel Alfred Rawlinson. 520 00:20:36,583 --> 00:20:38,542 - Rawlinson commands an anti-aircraft unit 521 00:20:38,542 --> 00:20:40,208 that's based on the coast, 522 00:20:40,208 --> 00:20:42,542 and the men under his command 523 00:20:42,542 --> 00:20:44,375 they live under constant fear 524 00:20:44,375 --> 00:20:46,125 that German zeppelin bombers 525 00:20:46,125 --> 00:20:48,167 can appear at any time. 526 00:20:48,167 --> 00:20:49,792 [dramatic music] 527 00:20:49,792 --> 00:20:52,542 - Keep in mind that this is long before radar was invented. 528 00:20:52,542 --> 00:20:55,458 You can be surprised by anything that you can't pick up 529 00:20:55,458 --> 00:20:57,625 with your eyes or your ears. 530 00:20:57,625 --> 00:20:58,708 [dramatic music] 531 00:20:58,708 --> 00:21:00,042 - The problem with the zeppelin bombers 532 00:21:00,042 --> 00:21:02,000 is that they are stealthy. 533 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,125 The small motors that propel them 534 00:21:04,125 --> 00:21:05,542 don't create a lot of noise. 535 00:21:05,542 --> 00:21:07,708 They also blend into the natural environment. 536 00:21:07,708 --> 00:21:09,667 They can disappear into the haze, 537 00:21:09,667 --> 00:21:12,125 and then if they pass over your position at night, 538 00:21:12,125 --> 00:21:15,333 by the time you hear them, it's too late to fire on them. 539 00:21:15,333 --> 00:21:16,417 [suspenseful music] 540 00:21:16,417 --> 00:21:17,875 [explosion booming] 541 00:21:17,875 --> 00:21:18,958 [flames crackling] 542 00:21:18,958 --> 00:21:21,625 - [Dan] To combat this terrifying new threat, 543 00:21:22,875 --> 00:21:24,708 Rawlinson draws inspiration 544 00:21:24,708 --> 00:21:27,375 from another relatively new invention. 545 00:21:27,375 --> 00:21:28,583 [tense dramatic music] 546 00:21:28,583 --> 00:21:30,333 - The phonograph or record player, 547 00:21:30,333 --> 00:21:31,917 or the gramophone at the time, 548 00:21:31,917 --> 00:21:33,792 was really starting to take off. 549 00:21:33,792 --> 00:21:35,292 [tense dramatic music] 550 00:21:35,292 --> 00:21:38,042 - And sound is projected through the old phonograph 551 00:21:38,042 --> 00:21:41,667 with physical amplification using a flared horn. 552 00:21:41,667 --> 00:21:44,375 The form of that horn does indeed have the effect 553 00:21:44,375 --> 00:21:46,458 of amplifying sound. 554 00:21:46,458 --> 00:21:49,375 - [Dan] Not only does it amplify sound coming out, 555 00:21:49,375 --> 00:21:51,792 it can also amplify sound going in. 556 00:21:52,875 --> 00:21:54,083 - He comes up with the idea 557 00:21:54,083 --> 00:21:56,417 of taking two gramophone horns 558 00:21:56,417 --> 00:21:58,667 and mounting those to poles. 559 00:21:58,667 --> 00:22:00,000 - It kind of makes them look like 560 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:01,792 a really bizarre Mickey Mouse, 561 00:22:03,083 --> 00:22:05,583 but the hope is you're going to amplify the sound, 562 00:22:05,583 --> 00:22:08,542 so you could pick up the approach of these zeppelins 563 00:22:08,542 --> 00:22:11,458 miles further than you normally could. 564 00:22:11,458 --> 00:22:13,375 - The system looks absolutely ridiculous. 565 00:22:13,375 --> 00:22:14,375 [tense music] 566 00:22:14,375 --> 00:22:16,208 But guess what? It works. 567 00:22:16,208 --> 00:22:17,625 [dramatic music] 568 00:22:17,625 --> 00:22:20,375 - [Dan] Soon the idea catches on around the globe 569 00:22:20,375 --> 00:22:22,333 as each nation creates its own version. 570 00:22:22,333 --> 00:22:23,542 [dramatic music] 571 00:22:23,542 --> 00:22:25,542 - The Czechs develop a semi-mobile, 572 00:22:25,542 --> 00:22:28,750 a one-man unit that uses two large bowls, 573 00:22:28,750 --> 00:22:31,167 attached to two tubes for sound, 574 00:22:31,167 --> 00:22:34,375 but it's still not agile or practical. 575 00:22:34,375 --> 00:22:35,958 - [Dan] Japanese and German soldiers 576 00:22:35,958 --> 00:22:39,208 add a handy twist to their bionic ears. 577 00:22:39,208 --> 00:22:41,583 - There are these giant ear tubas, 578 00:22:41,583 --> 00:22:43,708 and they're connected to a set of goggles. 579 00:22:43,708 --> 00:22:47,167 - The idea is that you'll turn your head toward the sound, 580 00:22:47,167 --> 00:22:48,542 and you'll not only be able to hear 581 00:22:48,542 --> 00:22:50,917 but see the oncoming threat. 582 00:22:50,917 --> 00:22:53,458 - The prize for the largest portable system 583 00:22:53,458 --> 00:22:54,708 goes to the Dutch, 584 00:22:54,708 --> 00:22:57,333 who develop these massive earphones 585 00:22:57,333 --> 00:22:59,708 that attach to the head of the operator. 586 00:22:59,708 --> 00:23:02,375 To us today it looks completely absurd 587 00:23:02,375 --> 00:23:05,542 and ridiculous, but to people at the time, 588 00:23:05,542 --> 00:23:07,333 it's the cutting edge of technology. 589 00:23:08,583 --> 00:23:10,417 - [Dan] No matter how big the ear tubas are, 590 00:23:10,417 --> 00:23:12,583 there's still one key issue in all of them. 591 00:23:12,583 --> 00:23:15,292 They depend on the soldier's hearing. 592 00:23:15,292 --> 00:23:18,500 That's when Rawlinson has an unexpected idea. 593 00:23:18,500 --> 00:23:19,917 - Rawlinson puts in 594 00:23:19,917 --> 00:23:22,750 a rather unusual request in the military. 595 00:23:22,750 --> 00:23:26,417 He says, "Can you find me some blind men?" 596 00:23:26,417 --> 00:23:28,542 Rawlinson explains that he wants 597 00:23:28,542 --> 00:23:30,833 to put them on listening stations, 598 00:23:30,833 --> 00:23:35,042 and he wants to cash in on the keen sense of hearing 599 00:23:35,042 --> 00:23:38,500 that most blind people will eventually develop. 600 00:23:38,500 --> 00:23:40,875 - But Rawlinson's request is even more specific. 601 00:23:40,875 --> 00:23:43,958 He wants men that have been blind since birth, 602 00:23:43,958 --> 00:23:45,875 because he believes that this will have 603 00:23:45,875 --> 00:23:48,667 heightened their listening abilities even further. 604 00:23:48,667 --> 00:23:51,875 - Rawlinson's request is approved by his superiors. 605 00:23:51,875 --> 00:23:52,708 [dramatic music] 606 00:23:52,708 --> 00:23:54,708 And it's kind of ironic that 607 00:23:54,708 --> 00:23:59,667 they're utilizing blind people to spot the enemy. 608 00:24:00,208 --> 00:24:01,500 [gunfire blasting] 609 00:24:01,500 --> 00:24:02,417 - The results are mediocre at best, 610 00:24:02,417 --> 00:24:04,583 but nevertheless, blind people 611 00:24:04,583 --> 00:24:06,583 became an important military asset 612 00:24:06,583 --> 00:24:08,708 toward the end of the First World War. 613 00:24:08,708 --> 00:24:11,125 - All this is essentially put aside in the late 1930s 614 00:24:11,125 --> 00:24:12,917 with the invention of radar, 615 00:24:12,917 --> 00:24:15,333 which makes this whole operation moot, 616 00:24:15,333 --> 00:24:17,083 but, of course, it does leave us 617 00:24:17,083 --> 00:24:19,208 with some fantastic photographs. 618 00:24:19,208 --> 00:24:21,500 [dramatic music] 619 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:23,500 - The war tuba may hold the record 620 00:24:23,500 --> 00:24:26,000 for the largest hearing aid ever made, 621 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,542 but it's still not the strangest machine out there. 622 00:24:33,042 --> 00:24:34,750 - These days the strength of our machines 623 00:24:34,750 --> 00:24:36,750 is often measured in horsepower. 624 00:24:36,750 --> 00:24:38,375 Back in 16th century England, 625 00:24:38,375 --> 00:24:40,375 it was all about pup power. 626 00:24:40,375 --> 00:24:42,458 [dramatic music] 627 00:24:42,458 --> 00:24:44,375 - England during the 1500s, 628 00:24:44,375 --> 00:24:47,000 people really loved their roasts, 629 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,542 and, of course, true Brits want their meat cooked 630 00:24:49,542 --> 00:24:52,750 on an open flame on a spit, which rotates the meat, 631 00:24:52,750 --> 00:24:54,792 so that it's cooked evenly. 632 00:24:54,792 --> 00:24:58,167 - But someone has to do the turning. 633 00:24:58,167 --> 00:25:01,542 It's mostly been young boys assigned to the task 634 00:25:01,542 --> 00:25:04,542 as they sweat profusely and try not to overheat, 635 00:25:04,542 --> 00:25:06,875 turning for hours and hours. 636 00:25:07,750 --> 00:25:09,167 - It sounds like a terrible job. 637 00:25:09,167 --> 00:25:10,292 [tense music] 638 00:25:10,292 --> 00:25:12,375 It is a terrible job. 639 00:25:12,375 --> 00:25:15,333 So they search for a new solution. 640 00:25:15,333 --> 00:25:18,292 - [Dan] While the job proves to be too grueling for people, 641 00:25:18,292 --> 00:25:20,708 kitchen workers think it may not be 642 00:25:20,708 --> 00:25:22,875 for a certain four-legged companion. 643 00:25:22,875 --> 00:25:24,167 [dramatic music] 644 00:25:24,167 --> 00:25:25,500 - There are dogs who are bred 645 00:25:25,500 --> 00:25:27,583 to do a ton of different tasks, 646 00:25:27,583 --> 00:25:29,042 whether it's herding sheep 647 00:25:29,042 --> 00:25:32,208 or tracking game or warming up your lap. 648 00:25:32,208 --> 00:25:33,542 So someone figures, 649 00:25:33,542 --> 00:25:36,625 "Why not train a dog to run a spit?" 650 00:25:36,625 --> 00:25:38,375 - They develop an apparatus. 651 00:25:38,375 --> 00:25:41,542 It's a wheel next to the spit 652 00:25:41,542 --> 00:25:44,792 that turns it via a chain pulley, 653 00:25:44,792 --> 00:25:47,542 and the dog runs or walks in the wheel. 654 00:25:47,542 --> 00:25:49,875 It's a hamster wheel for a dog 655 00:25:49,875 --> 00:25:52,750 to make sure that your meat is cooked. 656 00:25:52,750 --> 00:25:54,833 - [Dan] Eventually, a special type of canine 657 00:25:54,833 --> 00:25:56,917 is bred specifically for the job. 658 00:25:56,917 --> 00:25:59,625 It's called the Turnspit dog. 659 00:25:59,625 --> 00:26:01,333 - It's a long dog with short 660 00:26:01,333 --> 00:26:03,542 stubby legs and a cropped tail, 661 00:26:03,542 --> 00:26:05,875 so the tail won't get stuck in the wheel. 662 00:26:05,875 --> 00:26:07,708 But the breed's most important traits 663 00:26:07,708 --> 00:26:11,583 are great endurance and extreme obedience. 664 00:26:11,583 --> 00:26:13,667 - As the Turnspit dog tradition 665 00:26:13,667 --> 00:26:15,917 develops throughout the 1500s, 666 00:26:15,917 --> 00:26:19,125 it becomes an indispensable kitchen device. 667 00:26:19,125 --> 00:26:21,667 They're called the kitchen dog, the cooking dog, 668 00:26:21,667 --> 00:26:24,417 or the "vernepator cur" Latin for 669 00:26:24,417 --> 00:26:26,792 "the dog that turns the wheel." 670 00:26:26,792 --> 00:26:28,625 - [Dan] For centuries Turnspit dogs 671 00:26:28,625 --> 00:26:31,042 are a fixture in kitchens across Britain, 672 00:26:31,042 --> 00:26:32,208 [dramatic music] 673 00:26:32,208 --> 00:26:35,875 until a new technology puts these pups out of work. 674 00:26:35,875 --> 00:26:39,792 - By the 1850s, fancy automatic spit crankers 675 00:26:39,792 --> 00:26:43,542 become a new status symbol for those who can afford it. 676 00:26:43,542 --> 00:26:45,500 Soon having a Turnspit dog 677 00:26:45,500 --> 00:26:48,917 is seen as a sign of being lower class. 678 00:26:48,917 --> 00:26:51,875 - Eventually, the Turnspit dog breed becomes extinct, 679 00:26:51,875 --> 00:26:55,000 and the last Turnspit dog named Whiskey was stuffed 680 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,625 and put on display in a museum in Wales. 681 00:26:57,625 --> 00:26:59,042 [light upbeat music] 682 00:26:59,042 --> 00:27:01,833 - It's not just dogs that should watch their backs. 683 00:27:01,833 --> 00:27:04,667 Law enforcement should also take note. 684 00:27:04,667 --> 00:27:08,208 Strange machines may be coming for their jobs. 685 00:27:08,208 --> 00:27:09,083 [siren wailing] 686 00:27:09,083 --> 00:27:10,583 [light guitar music] 687 00:27:10,583 --> 00:27:11,792 [faint muffled chattering] 688 00:27:11,792 --> 00:27:14,042 - It's 2024, and the police in Lubbock 689 00:27:14,042 --> 00:27:17,000 are looking for a man that's out on parole. 690 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:19,708 They find out he's staying at a motel, 691 00:27:19,708 --> 00:27:21,417 so they send officers there, 692 00:27:21,417 --> 00:27:23,625 but upon arrival to the door, 693 00:27:23,625 --> 00:27:24,917 a gunshot rings out. 694 00:27:24,917 --> 00:27:26,125 [gun fires] [siren wailing] 695 00:27:26,125 --> 00:27:27,250 They decide to retreat, 696 00:27:27,250 --> 00:27:28,375 call in a SWAT team, 697 00:27:28,375 --> 00:27:29,542 SWAT team arrives, 698 00:27:29,542 --> 00:27:31,083 more shots break out. 699 00:27:31,083 --> 00:27:32,542 [gunfire blasting] 700 00:27:32,542 --> 00:27:33,583 - They don't want to just go through 701 00:27:33,583 --> 00:27:34,958 the door of the hotel room, 702 00:27:34,958 --> 00:27:37,833 because of the high likelihood of drawing fire 703 00:27:37,833 --> 00:27:39,542 from the fugitive that's inside. 704 00:27:39,542 --> 00:27:40,875 [siren wailing] 705 00:27:40,875 --> 00:27:42,833 - [Dan] So they deploy a different kind of cop, 706 00:27:42,833 --> 00:27:45,708 the Lubbock Regional Bomb Squad Robot. 707 00:27:45,708 --> 00:27:47,500 [light dramatic music] 708 00:27:47,500 --> 00:27:48,708 - Now most people are used 709 00:27:48,708 --> 00:27:51,833 to seeing a bomb disarming machine, 710 00:27:51,833 --> 00:27:55,375 but the Lubbock robot can do a lot more than that. 711 00:27:55,375 --> 00:27:56,542 [suspenseful music] 712 00:27:56,542 --> 00:27:57,833 - The robot confronts the suspect 713 00:27:57,833 --> 00:27:59,625 who immediately decides to throw 714 00:27:59,625 --> 00:28:02,458 a sheet from the motel over the robot, 715 00:28:02,458 --> 00:28:04,667 and then he takes a shot at it. 716 00:28:04,667 --> 00:28:05,792 [gun fires] 717 00:28:05,792 --> 00:28:06,750 - But the robot is undeterred. 718 00:28:06,750 --> 00:28:08,750 It just removes the sheet, 719 00:28:08,750 --> 00:28:10,833 and then deploys tear gas. 720 00:28:10,833 --> 00:28:11,667 [tear gas can hissing] 721 00:28:11,667 --> 00:28:12,875 When the victim comes out 722 00:28:12,875 --> 00:28:14,333 coughing and hacking up his lungs, 723 00:28:14,333 --> 00:28:16,208 the robot pins the suspect down 724 00:28:16,208 --> 00:28:19,833 until he can be subdued by the robot's human partners. 725 00:28:19,833 --> 00:28:22,542 - [Dan] This type of encounter is just the beginning. 726 00:28:22,542 --> 00:28:23,708 While it may seem like something 727 00:28:23,708 --> 00:28:25,708 out of a dystopian sci-fi movie, 728 00:28:25,708 --> 00:28:26,708 [dramatic music] 729 00:28:26,708 --> 00:28:28,667 real life robocops are starting 730 00:28:28,667 --> 00:28:31,292 to take the streets all over the world. 731 00:28:31,292 --> 00:28:32,375 [upbeat midtempo music] 732 00:28:32,375 --> 00:28:33,708 - So in Dubai, 733 00:28:33,708 --> 00:28:35,542 they actually have a five-foot tall 734 00:28:35,542 --> 00:28:38,583 humanoid robocop that can actually like 735 00:28:38,583 --> 00:28:41,875 look for suspects using facial recognition. 736 00:28:41,875 --> 00:28:44,875 It can observe a crime taking place, 737 00:28:44,875 --> 00:28:47,167 and then it can actually call in for backup. 738 00:28:47,167 --> 00:28:49,833 - The robot's also capable of assessing 739 00:28:49,833 --> 00:28:51,708 an individual's emotional state 740 00:28:51,708 --> 00:28:53,708 based on facial expressions. 741 00:28:53,708 --> 00:28:54,875 So the robot can look at you 742 00:28:54,875 --> 00:28:57,000 and see your angry, confused, 743 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,958 or frantic face and respond accordingly. 744 00:28:59,958 --> 00:29:03,750 - Ideally, these robots would be able to respond 745 00:29:03,750 --> 00:29:07,375 to situations without the emotional impact 746 00:29:07,375 --> 00:29:08,917 that police officers may have. 747 00:29:08,917 --> 00:29:10,708 They're not fearing for their lives, 748 00:29:10,708 --> 00:29:13,917 so this is a safer way of policing. 749 00:29:13,917 --> 00:29:15,292 [dramatic rock music] 750 00:29:15,292 --> 00:29:16,875 - Now Dubai actually wants to roll out 751 00:29:16,875 --> 00:29:18,042 a lot more of these. 752 00:29:18,042 --> 00:29:20,708 They're hoping that by 2030, 753 00:29:20,708 --> 00:29:25,083 25% of their police force would be robocops. 754 00:29:25,083 --> 00:29:27,375 - Dubai authorities are quick to point out 755 00:29:27,375 --> 00:29:31,542 that their future robocops will be friendly 756 00:29:31,542 --> 00:29:34,875 and will patrol unarmed, which takes away the whole 757 00:29:34,875 --> 00:29:37,292 glamour and grittiness of the actual "Robocop" movies. 758 00:29:37,750 --> 00:29:40,375 [dramatic music] [machine humming] 759 00:29:40,375 --> 00:29:43,167 - They might be unarmed, polite, even helpful, 760 00:29:43,167 --> 00:29:45,708 but good luck sweet talking a robot cop 761 00:29:45,708 --> 00:29:46,750 out of a speeding ticket. 762 00:29:50,917 --> 00:29:53,417 - James Bond's cars are legendary, 763 00:29:53,417 --> 00:29:54,583 from deflecting bullets, 764 00:29:54,583 --> 00:29:55,875 to firing cannons, 765 00:29:55,875 --> 00:29:57,708 and even driving underwater, 766 00:29:57,708 --> 00:29:59,625 but could any of these movie-worthy machines 767 00:29:59,625 --> 00:30:01,375 ever hit the road for real? 768 00:30:01,375 --> 00:30:02,833 [dramatic music] 769 00:30:02,833 --> 00:30:05,917 - In 1977, the James Bond film 770 00:30:05,917 --> 00:30:08,208 "The Spy Who Loved Me", is a huge hit, 771 00:30:08,208 --> 00:30:10,250 and one of the reasons is because of 772 00:30:10,250 --> 00:30:14,167 the submarine car in the movie, the Lotus Esprit S1. 773 00:30:14,167 --> 00:30:15,417 [dramatic music] 774 00:30:15,417 --> 00:30:16,833 But that's all movie magic, 775 00:30:16,833 --> 00:30:18,458 because no one actually had a car 776 00:30:18,458 --> 00:30:19,542 that could drive on land 777 00:30:19,542 --> 00:30:21,458 and then become a submarine. 778 00:30:21,458 --> 00:30:22,792 - [Dan] That unforgettable car 779 00:30:22,792 --> 00:30:24,208 may have been a special effect, 780 00:30:24,208 --> 00:30:26,833 but for Swiss engineer Frank Rinderknecht 781 00:30:26,833 --> 00:30:28,250 it was something more. 782 00:30:28,250 --> 00:30:30,708 - Frank starts his company, Rinspeed, 783 00:30:30,708 --> 00:30:33,292 two years after the movie in 1979. 784 00:30:33,292 --> 00:30:34,083 [suspenseful music] 785 00:30:34,083 --> 00:30:35,583 He spends the next few decades 786 00:30:35,583 --> 00:30:37,167 building concept cars, 787 00:30:37,167 --> 00:30:39,292 but he just can't get his mind off of this 788 00:30:39,292 --> 00:30:42,333 submarine car that he saw in the Bond movie. 789 00:30:42,333 --> 00:30:43,250 - By the 2000s, 790 00:30:43,250 --> 00:30:46,083 Frank's company is quite successful, 791 00:30:46,083 --> 00:30:47,708 and he feels he has both the money 792 00:30:47,708 --> 00:30:50,208 and the proper expertise to finally 793 00:30:50,208 --> 00:30:53,708 tackle and build the submarine car. 794 00:30:53,708 --> 00:30:55,292 [dramatic music] 795 00:30:55,292 --> 00:30:57,042 - If you think about how a car operates on the road, 796 00:30:57,042 --> 00:30:59,958 it would be totally opposite of that in the water. 797 00:30:59,958 --> 00:31:02,875 You can't have a normal engine that has an air intake, 798 00:31:02,875 --> 00:31:04,625 because then you'd get water in the engine 799 00:31:04,625 --> 00:31:06,208 and the engine would stop working. 800 00:31:06,208 --> 00:31:09,542 - So he switches to an electric motor. 801 00:31:09,542 --> 00:31:12,583 Therefore, he can encase it in a waterproof housing, 802 00:31:12,583 --> 00:31:16,000 and the electric motor can power the two propellers 803 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:19,167 and the jets needed to maneuver the car underwater. 804 00:31:19,167 --> 00:31:21,125 - [Dan] But generating power underwater 805 00:31:21,125 --> 00:31:22,875 isn't Frank's only challenge. 806 00:31:22,875 --> 00:31:24,375 [dramatic music] 807 00:31:24,375 --> 00:31:26,875 - The Bond car is portrayed as a closed vehicle, 808 00:31:26,875 --> 00:31:28,250 which takes a lot of weight 809 00:31:28,250 --> 00:31:29,833 and a lot of strength to make 810 00:31:29,833 --> 00:31:31,208 to keep the water out. 811 00:31:31,208 --> 00:31:32,208 [engine revving] 812 00:31:32,208 --> 00:31:33,750 - So to circumvent these problems, 813 00:31:33,750 --> 00:31:36,000 Frank decides that his car 814 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:38,208 has to be a convertible. 815 00:31:38,208 --> 00:31:39,625 - Now you would think a convertible 816 00:31:39,625 --> 00:31:42,167 and a submarine would be a terrible idea together, 817 00:31:42,167 --> 00:31:43,042 but Frank thought of that. 818 00:31:43,042 --> 00:31:44,917 That's why it's got a scuba mask 819 00:31:44,917 --> 00:31:48,042 and an oxygen tank to keep your breathing. 820 00:31:48,042 --> 00:31:50,250 - [Dan] Finally, in 2008, 821 00:31:50,250 --> 00:31:54,208 30 years and 1.5 million in development expenses later, 822 00:31:54,208 --> 00:31:58,542 Frank is able to unveil his masterpiece, the sQuba. 823 00:31:58,542 --> 00:32:00,167 [dramatic music] 824 00:32:00,167 --> 00:32:04,083 - The sQuba when finished can go 75 miles an hour on land, 825 00:32:04,083 --> 00:32:05,875 and, yes, [dramatic bass music] 826 00:32:05,875 --> 00:32:08,542 you can drive it right into the water. 827 00:32:08,542 --> 00:32:09,542 [dramatic music] 828 00:32:09,542 --> 00:32:10,833 When he introduces the sQuba, 829 00:32:10,833 --> 00:32:12,500 he's got rich people all around 830 00:32:12,500 --> 00:32:15,042 the world clamoring saying, "I want one," 831 00:32:15,042 --> 00:32:18,125 but scaling up production for a vehicle, 832 00:32:18,125 --> 00:32:20,667 that cost him one and a half million dollars 833 00:32:20,667 --> 00:32:22,042 to make just one 834 00:32:22,042 --> 00:32:24,583 is a massive financial undertaking 835 00:32:24,583 --> 00:32:26,625 that he's just not ready for. 836 00:32:26,625 --> 00:32:28,875 - In the end, his company gets a lot more notoriety, 837 00:32:28,875 --> 00:32:32,667 because the sQuba car, there's only the one. 838 00:32:32,667 --> 00:32:35,292 [dramatic bass music] 839 00:32:35,292 --> 00:32:37,542 - A slow-moving, underwater convertible 840 00:32:37,542 --> 00:32:38,958 may have its functions, 841 00:32:38,958 --> 00:32:41,208 but winning a war isn't one of them. 842 00:32:41,208 --> 00:32:43,708 For that you need something a little more nimble, 843 00:32:43,708 --> 00:32:46,542 like this lethal bit of Soviet tech 844 00:32:46,542 --> 00:32:48,208 used to ice out the enemy. 845 00:32:48,208 --> 00:32:50,292 [gunfire blasting] [tense dramatic music] 846 00:32:50,292 --> 00:32:53,875 - When the Nazis invade Russia in June of 1941, 847 00:32:53,875 --> 00:32:55,792 what becomes known as Operation Barbarossa, 848 00:32:55,792 --> 00:32:57,208 [gunfire blasting] 849 00:32:57,208 --> 00:32:59,708 they're not expecting to be there for a long time, 850 00:32:59,708 --> 00:33:02,833 but famously they get bogged down in the Russian winter 851 00:33:02,833 --> 00:33:04,083 and they're not prepared. 852 00:33:04,875 --> 00:33:07,083 - The Germans lack the supplies. 853 00:33:07,083 --> 00:33:10,167 They lack the extreme cold weather gear that they need 854 00:33:10,167 --> 00:33:12,625 to fight a winter war in the Soviet Union. 855 00:33:12,625 --> 00:33:15,542 Then the Soviets launch a counteroffensive against them. 856 00:33:15,542 --> 00:33:16,375 [bomb blasting] 857 00:33:16,375 --> 00:33:17,833 - [MJ] And famously they end up 858 00:33:17,833 --> 00:33:19,417 losing this war of attrition. 859 00:33:19,417 --> 00:33:22,500 - [Reporter] Here 27,000 Nazi soldiers died. 860 00:33:22,500 --> 00:33:24,042 - [Dan] That victory is not just thanks 861 00:33:24,042 --> 00:33:25,583 to the home field advantage, 862 00:33:25,583 --> 00:33:27,417 but to a strange machine 863 00:33:27,417 --> 00:33:30,125 from the innovative mind of Igor Sikorsky. 864 00:33:30,125 --> 00:33:31,083 [dramatic drum music] 865 00:33:31,083 --> 00:33:32,458 - Many know Igor Sikorsky 866 00:33:32,458 --> 00:33:34,708 as the Ukrainian-born inventor of the helicopter, 867 00:33:34,708 --> 00:33:35,875 [helicopter blades rumbling] 868 00:33:35,875 --> 00:33:38,208 but back in 1909, 869 00:33:38,208 --> 00:33:40,333 Sikorsky is a young 20-year-old kid 870 00:33:40,333 --> 00:33:43,042 basically tinkering with toys in his garage. 871 00:33:43,042 --> 00:33:45,458 He's fascinated by the propeller. 872 00:33:45,458 --> 00:33:48,125 - [Reporter] The motors sputter and catch, weights drop. 873 00:33:48,125 --> 00:33:49,667 - [MJ] Which was developed by the Wright Brothers 874 00:33:49,667 --> 00:33:50,750 only a few years earlier. 875 00:33:52,167 --> 00:33:54,542 - [Reporter] The Wright Brothers won immortality. 876 00:33:54,542 --> 00:33:57,042 - He starts thinking about what other kinds of vehicles 877 00:33:57,042 --> 00:33:58,875 he can strap these propellers to. 878 00:33:58,875 --> 00:34:02,042 - [Dan] In no time, Sikorsky's terrorizing pedestrians 879 00:34:02,042 --> 00:34:04,333 on the snowy streets of his hometown, Kyiv, 880 00:34:04,333 --> 00:34:07,542 in the world's first motorized sleigh. 881 00:34:08,708 --> 00:34:10,667 - It works really well, but motorized sleighs 882 00:34:10,667 --> 00:34:12,708 aren't really a necessity in World War I, 883 00:34:12,708 --> 00:34:15,917 considering that the majority of the war is trench warfare. 884 00:34:15,917 --> 00:34:18,375 However, as we get into the 1930s, 885 00:34:18,375 --> 00:34:21,625 the Soviets realize, "We could have use of this tech." 886 00:34:21,625 --> 00:34:22,917 [gunfire blasting] 887 00:34:22,917 --> 00:34:24,833 - [Dan] Inspired by years of frozen combat, 888 00:34:24,833 --> 00:34:26,083 [dramatic music] 889 00:34:26,083 --> 00:34:29,208 the Soviets create the NKL-26, 890 00:34:29,208 --> 00:34:31,208 better known as the Combat Sleigh. 891 00:34:32,583 --> 00:34:36,000 - This thing is covered in a 10-millimeter armor plating, 892 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,208 not to mention it's got an airplane engine 893 00:34:38,208 --> 00:34:39,583 attached to the back of it. 894 00:34:39,583 --> 00:34:43,875 - It can travel at 45 miles an hour across the snow. 895 00:34:43,875 --> 00:34:46,750 Compare that to a typical German tank that would've 896 00:34:46,750 --> 00:34:50,208 plodded through the snow at about 15 miles an hour. 897 00:34:50,208 --> 00:34:53,042 That is a massive advantage in a mobile war. 898 00:34:53,042 --> 00:34:54,000 [gunfire blasting] [tense dramatic music] 899 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:55,375 - And it's also muscular, 900 00:34:55,375 --> 00:34:57,208 because it has that rotating turret on top of it, 901 00:34:57,208 --> 00:35:00,792 and inside the rotating turret, you have a 902 00:35:00,792 --> 00:35:03,542 7.62-by-54-millimeter rimmed automatic weapon capable 903 00:35:03,542 --> 00:35:06,000 of putting down very effective machine gunfire. 904 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:07,458 [tense dramatic music] 905 00:35:07,458 --> 00:35:11,000 - When the Nazis invade the Soviet Union in 1941, 906 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:12,833 the Red Army brass commissioned a building 907 00:35:12,833 --> 00:35:15,667 of 4,000 of the NKL-26 units. 908 00:35:15,667 --> 00:35:17,083 - And they're trying to just deliver them 909 00:35:17,083 --> 00:35:18,792 as fast as possible, so much so, 910 00:35:18,792 --> 00:35:21,375 that they're even putting children in factories 911 00:35:21,375 --> 00:35:24,250 to manufacture these sleighs at breakneck speed. 912 00:35:24,250 --> 00:35:27,958 - [Dan] The NKL-26 may be built by kids and look funny, 913 00:35:27,958 --> 00:35:29,708 but the Nazis aren't laughing. 914 00:35:29,708 --> 00:35:32,958 Their forces are repeatedly hit with surprise attacks 915 00:35:32,958 --> 00:35:34,792 by the Santa sleighs from Hell. 916 00:35:34,792 --> 00:35:36,042 [suspenseful music] 917 00:35:36,042 --> 00:35:37,292 - The combat sleigh really proves 918 00:35:37,292 --> 00:35:40,000 its effectiveness in the Battle of Moscow 919 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:41,875 where everything is mired 920 00:35:41,875 --> 00:35:43,750 in the wintery conditions. 921 00:35:43,750 --> 00:35:45,167 The key with the combat sleigh 922 00:35:45,167 --> 00:35:47,208 is that it doesn't require roads. 923 00:35:47,208 --> 00:35:50,208 So the Soviets can now swarm their victims, 924 00:35:50,208 --> 00:35:52,583 coming in from all different directions. 925 00:35:52,583 --> 00:35:54,583 It is a nightmare for the Germans. 926 00:35:54,583 --> 00:35:56,375 [gunfire blasting] [suspenseful music] 927 00:35:56,375 --> 00:35:59,000 - The Soviets just dominate and decimate. 928 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:00,542 [suspenseful music] 929 00:36:00,542 --> 00:36:03,500 - It's got to be a bizarre scene to be sitting there 930 00:36:03,500 --> 00:36:06,875 and watch these things come in from all directions 931 00:36:06,875 --> 00:36:08,333 and not just the sleighs, 932 00:36:08,333 --> 00:36:11,500 but they're towing ski-borne commandos, 933 00:36:11,500 --> 00:36:14,208 who then break off and assault your positions. 934 00:36:14,208 --> 00:36:15,583 [engine humming] 935 00:36:15,583 --> 00:36:17,167 - I think it's safe to say that these Nazis 936 00:36:17,167 --> 00:36:19,458 probably hoped that they never ever saw 937 00:36:19,458 --> 00:36:22,375 another combat sleigh for the rest of their life. 938 00:36:22,375 --> 00:36:24,292 [gentle music] [engine rumbling] 939 00:36:24,292 --> 00:36:26,458 - The combat sleighs live on 940 00:36:26,458 --> 00:36:28,875 in a much less terrifying way. 941 00:36:28,875 --> 00:36:30,750 They're used in Siberia, 942 00:36:30,750 --> 00:36:32,125 not to deliver lead, 943 00:36:32,125 --> 00:36:33,167 but to deliver mail. 944 00:36:37,500 --> 00:36:38,625 - Most inventors who've gotten rich creating 945 00:36:38,625 --> 00:36:40,458 new machines follow a basic principle: 946 00:36:40,458 --> 00:36:42,625 Identify a consumer need and fill it. 947 00:36:42,625 --> 00:36:44,708 Now what about the brave vanguards 948 00:36:44,708 --> 00:36:45,875 who ignored that advice 949 00:36:45,875 --> 00:36:49,375 and dared to invent machines nobody ever asked for? 950 00:36:49,375 --> 00:36:51,458 [dramatic music] [crowd cheering] 951 00:36:51,458 --> 00:36:53,500 - Running a marathon is 952 00:36:53,500 --> 00:36:55,208 one of the most grueling things you can do, 953 00:36:55,208 --> 00:36:59,083 because marathoners are facing extreme fatigue, 954 00:36:59,083 --> 00:37:02,125 dehydration, muscle cramp, injury 955 00:37:02,125 --> 00:37:05,250 across a 26.2 mile race course. 956 00:37:05,250 --> 00:37:06,667 - Over the course of a marathon, 957 00:37:06,667 --> 00:37:09,917 a runner can burn as much as 4,000 calories. 958 00:37:09,917 --> 00:37:12,000 That's why you often see runners 959 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,042 eating those energy gels, those Gu's, 960 00:37:14,042 --> 00:37:15,208 or something like a banana 961 00:37:15,208 --> 00:37:17,042 or an orange on the course. 962 00:37:17,042 --> 00:37:18,208 [dramatic music] [crowd cheering] 963 00:37:18,208 --> 00:37:20,875 [crowd applauding] 964 00:37:20,875 --> 00:37:22,292 - [Dan] Yet, in 2015, 965 00:37:22,292 --> 00:37:24,792 a Japanese company invents a bizarre machine 966 00:37:24,792 --> 00:37:27,375 to supply a different kind of fruit on the run. 967 00:37:27,375 --> 00:37:28,833 [eerie dramatic music] 968 00:37:28,833 --> 00:37:31,750 - Tomatan is a robotic running apparatus created 969 00:37:31,750 --> 00:37:34,875 by Japanese fruit and vegetable company Kagome. 970 00:37:34,875 --> 00:37:37,542 - The goal of this machine is as the marathon runner 971 00:37:37,542 --> 00:37:41,000 is running their race, it will feed them tomatoes. 972 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:42,500 [eerie dramatic music] 973 00:37:42,500 --> 00:37:45,917 - The machine holds six fresh tomatoes in its magazine, 974 00:37:45,917 --> 00:37:49,458 and with the push of a button delivers the tomato 975 00:37:49,458 --> 00:37:52,417 straight into the runner's eating position. 976 00:37:52,417 --> 00:37:55,292 - [Dan] The question is why tomatoes? 977 00:37:55,292 --> 00:37:56,708 [light dramatic music] 978 00:37:56,708 --> 00:37:59,875 - Kagome is Japan's largest supplier 979 00:37:59,875 --> 00:38:03,417 of tomato products, tomato juice and ketchup, 980 00:38:03,417 --> 00:38:07,417 and they attest that the tomato is a really 981 00:38:07,417 --> 00:38:11,208 efficient way to provide energy for runners. 982 00:38:11,208 --> 00:38:14,167 - [Dan] So are tomatoes actually a super food? 983 00:38:14,167 --> 00:38:15,917 Maybe more so than you think. 984 00:38:15,917 --> 00:38:17,833 - They do have vitamin K. 985 00:38:17,833 --> 00:38:19,208 They have potassium, 986 00:38:19,208 --> 00:38:20,750 which will help with muscle fatigue. 987 00:38:20,750 --> 00:38:24,042 They also give an amazing hydration boost. 988 00:38:24,042 --> 00:38:25,375 [light dramatic music] 989 00:38:25,375 --> 00:38:27,833 - So maybe the Tomatan is onto something. 990 00:38:27,833 --> 00:38:30,083 It's an opportunity for marathon runners 991 00:38:30,083 --> 00:38:32,208 to consume a super food, 992 00:38:32,208 --> 00:38:33,667 keeping them energized while 993 00:38:33,667 --> 00:38:35,292 having it fed to them by robot. 994 00:38:35,292 --> 00:38:37,042 But here's the problem. 995 00:38:37,042 --> 00:38:40,375 Tomatan weighs 18 pounds. 996 00:38:40,375 --> 00:38:43,417 - I know a lot of runners who will go for anything 997 00:38:43,417 --> 00:38:46,750 to shave an ounce off of weight with carbon fiber shoes, 998 00:38:46,750 --> 00:38:51,542 so I highly doubt an 18- pound, tomato-feeding robot 999 00:38:51,542 --> 00:38:53,917 is going to be in their running regimen. 1000 00:38:53,917 --> 00:38:55,583 [light dramatic music] 1001 00:38:55,583 --> 00:38:57,625 - Is this the most efficient way to eat a tomato on the go? 1002 00:38:57,625 --> 00:39:01,458 No. However, until somebody comes up with a more efficient, 1003 00:39:01,458 --> 00:39:04,250 smaller robot that can feed you bananas while on the go, 1004 00:39:04,250 --> 00:39:06,583 the Tomatan has no competition. 1005 00:39:06,583 --> 00:39:08,667 [dramatic bass music] 1006 00:39:08,667 --> 00:39:11,542 - If running's not your thing, why not try a ride 1007 00:39:11,542 --> 00:39:14,125 where your feet don't even have to touch the ground? 1008 00:39:14,125 --> 00:39:15,333 [engine humming] [dramatic music] 1009 00:39:15,333 --> 00:39:17,667 - It's 1960 in London 1010 00:39:17,667 --> 00:39:20,125 at the Cycle and Motorcycle Show, 1011 00:39:20,125 --> 00:39:21,208 and as trade shows go, 1012 00:39:21,208 --> 00:39:22,625 this one's kind of a dud 1013 00:39:22,625 --> 00:39:25,792 until the Americans show up. 1014 00:39:25,792 --> 00:39:26,833 [dramatic music] 1015 00:39:26,833 --> 00:39:29,167 - This American company, Rhoades Incorporated 1016 00:39:29,167 --> 00:39:32,958 is showing off this new space-age looking vehicle. 1017 00:39:32,958 --> 00:39:35,875 It has a bicycle seat and it has handlebars, 1018 00:39:35,875 --> 00:39:39,083 but other than that, it doesn't look cycley at all. 1019 00:39:39,083 --> 00:39:39,917 [eerie dramatic music] 1020 00:39:39,917 --> 00:39:40,625 - They start it up, 1021 00:39:40,625 --> 00:39:42,792 and things get even weirder. 1022 00:39:42,792 --> 00:39:44,917 [engine rumbling] 1023 00:39:44,917 --> 00:39:46,417 - [Dan] To the amazement of the crowd, 1024 00:39:46,417 --> 00:39:47,917 the bizarre contraption is able 1025 00:39:47,917 --> 00:39:50,750 to float several inches off the ground. 1026 00:39:50,750 --> 00:39:53,208 It's called the Hover Scooter. 1027 00:39:53,208 --> 00:39:55,375 [dramatic music] 1028 00:39:55,375 --> 00:39:57,750 - Rhoades builds it as a hybrid 1029 00:39:57,750 --> 00:40:00,458 of a scooter and a hovercraft, 1030 00:40:00,458 --> 00:40:03,125 and he builds it just a few years 1031 00:40:03,125 --> 00:40:05,375 after the very first hovercraft 1032 00:40:05,375 --> 00:40:07,000 was demonstrated in England. 1033 00:40:08,292 --> 00:40:10,250 But they're big military vehicles. 1034 00:40:10,250 --> 00:40:12,375 This is a small vehicle 1035 00:40:12,375 --> 00:40:13,958 that you could have at home. 1036 00:40:13,958 --> 00:40:14,958 [light dramatic music] 1037 00:40:14,958 --> 00:40:16,125 - It's a cool idea. 1038 00:40:16,125 --> 00:40:17,750 It's got a motorcycle engine 1039 00:40:17,750 --> 00:40:21,917 that actually turns the fan that fills up the airbag, 1040 00:40:21,917 --> 00:40:24,875 and then it's basically riding on this cushion of air. 1041 00:40:24,875 --> 00:40:26,292 [engine buzzing] 1042 00:40:26,292 --> 00:40:27,667 - But unfortunately, 1043 00:40:27,667 --> 00:40:30,833 the overwhelming impression of everybody there 1044 00:40:30,833 --> 00:40:33,208 is that this thing is just loud as hell. 1045 00:40:33,208 --> 00:40:34,750 [engine buzzing] 1046 00:40:34,750 --> 00:40:37,708 It takes so much power to achieve that air cushion, 1047 00:40:37,708 --> 00:40:40,167 that the noise level basically rivals 1048 00:40:40,167 --> 00:40:42,958 an airplane engine or a helicopter. 1049 00:40:42,958 --> 00:40:45,875 - Now there's no way that anyone would miss you riding this, 1050 00:40:45,875 --> 00:40:47,333 especially when you hit the water, 1051 00:40:47,333 --> 00:40:49,292 because the noise that this thing makes 1052 00:40:49,292 --> 00:40:51,583 would scare every fish to death. 1053 00:40:51,583 --> 00:40:53,542 - The Hover Scooter is at one time slated 1054 00:40:53,542 --> 00:40:56,167 to be manufactured by a UK company, 1055 00:40:56,167 --> 00:40:58,333 but that deal falls apart. 1056 00:40:58,333 --> 00:41:01,542 - And sadly, we never get the chance to see a bunch of Brits 1057 00:41:01,542 --> 00:41:03,708 terrorizing people in their local parks 1058 00:41:03,708 --> 00:41:05,167 on the Hover Scooter. 1059 00:41:05,167 --> 00:41:07,125 [engine buzzing] 1060 00:41:07,125 --> 00:41:08,375 [dramatic music] 1061 00:41:08,375 --> 00:41:09,542 - Whether it's an earthquake machine 1062 00:41:09,542 --> 00:41:12,125 that caused a tremor in Mark Twain's trousers, 1063 00:41:12,125 --> 00:41:15,417 a six-shooter mousetrap that said, "Make my day," 1064 00:41:15,417 --> 00:41:17,375 or a Soviet death sleigh, 1065 00:41:17,375 --> 00:41:19,083 these are the machines so strange 1066 00:41:19,083 --> 00:41:21,083 they are truly "Unbelievable."