How Do They Do It?

2006•5 series•Entertainment / Factual
Available on Disc.Science
Disc.Science

After watching this series you may never look at ordinary objects in the same way again. A tube of toothpaste? Car tires? Tea bags? A lot of technology goes into even the simplest of consumer goods, and this program offers viewers a glimpse at just what that entails.

Peppermint, Tennis Racquets: Episode Image
Episode 1Peppermint, Tennis Racquets

How does one family in America make three quarters of the world's peppermint oil? Plus, how are performance-enhancing tennis racquets made?(S16,E01)

Trombone, Spanish Bota: Episode Image
Episode 2Trombone, Spanish Bota

How do they make a trombone? How do they make traditional Spanish wineskins? Plus, how do they turn smelly muddy peat into rejuvenating face cream?(S16,E02)

Surfboards, Satchels, Butter: Episode Image
Episode 3Surfboards, Satchels, Butter

How do they make the perfect surfboard for catching waves? Plus, how do they turn Danish cream into one of the world's favourite butters?(S16,E03)

Flying Horses, Chess Sets: Episode Image
Episode 4Flying Horses, Chess Sets

How are million-dollar racehorses transported across the world to their new owners? Plus, what creative methods are used to photograph food?(S16,E04)

Stainless Steel, Safe Locks: Episode Image
Episode 5Stainless Steel, Safe Locks

How do they produce a million tonnes of stainless steel? How do they keep cash safe with an uncrackable lock? How do they make traditional Indian sugar?(S16,E05)

Stainless Steel, Safe Locks: Episode Image
Episode 5Stainless Steel, Safe Locks

How do they produce a million tonnes of stainless steel? How do they keep cash safe with an uncrackable lock? How do they make traditional Indian sugar? S16, Ep5

Geoduck, Steam Trains: Episode Image
Episode 6Geoduck, Steam Trains

Many items that make up the modern world are the result of sophisticated engineering and production processes. How do they do it?(S16,E06)

How Do They Do It?: Episode Image
Episode 6How Do They Do It?

How do they harvest three thousand tonnes a year of the world's weirdest seafood delicacy? Plus, how do they protect water polo players from injury? S16, Ep6

Bufori Cars, Sports Whistles: Episode Image
Episode 7Bufori Cars, Sports Whistles

How do they build one of the world's most exclusive luxury cars? How do they make a referee's whistle that can be heard above 50,000 screaming fans?(S16,E07)

Bufori Cars, Sports Whistles, Paprika: Episode Image
Episode 7Bufori Cars, Sports Whistles, Paprika

How do they build one of the world's most exclusive luxury cars? How do they make a referee's whistle that can be heard above 50,000 screaming fans? S16, Ep7

Pile Drivers, Cricket Bats: Episode Image
Episode 8Pile Drivers, Cricket Bats

How do they turn English willow into cricket bats for India's finest cricketers? And, how do they construct the foundations for tall buildings?(S16,E08)

Pile Drivers, Cricket Bats, Spanish Fans: Episode Image
Episode 8Pile Drivers, Cricket Bats, Spanish Fans

How do they turn English willow into cricket bats for India's finest cricketers? And, how do they construct the foundations for tall buildings? S16, Ep8

Tractors, Cowbells: Episode Image
Episode 9Tractors, Cowbells

How do they build a tractor every three minutes to power Indian agriculture? How do they cast the bronze bells that help Swiss farmers keep track of their cows?(S16,E09)

Bird's Nest Soup; Rowing Oars: Episode Image
Episode 10Bird's Nest Soup; Rowing Oars

How do they collect millions of real birds' nests to make birds' nest soup? Plus, how do they use aerospace technology to make rowers go faster?(S16,E10)

Turbochargers, Plastic Roads: Episode Image
Episode 11Turbochargers, Plastic Roads

How do they quadruple the power of the world's biggest engines with the most powerful turbochargers? How do they build new roads from old waste plastic?(S16,E11)

Sails, Ceremonial Swords: Episode Image
Episode 12Sails, Ceremonial Swords

How do they harness the wind to power a racing yacht to Olympic gold? How do they make a sword fit for an officer at the world's largest sword factory?(S16,E12)

Guitar Amplifier, Clay Pots: Episode Image
Episode 13Guitar Amplifier, Clay Pots

How do they make the amplifier used by rock legends, the famous Marshall amp? Plus, how do they turn wet clay into frost-proof garden pots?(S16,E13)

Window Cleaners: Episode Image
Episode 14Window Cleaners

How do they clean the world's tallest twin towers? How do they make a jigsaw where every piece is unique? How do they craft Olympic level hockey sticks?(S16,E14)

RVs, Chupa Chups: Episode Image
Episode 15RVs, Chupa Chups

How do they fit all the features of a luxury apartment into a motorhome? And, how do they make a ballet shoe that can take the weight of a dancer on tiptoes?(S16,E15)

Mushrooms, Maps: Episode Image
Episode 16Mushrooms, Maps

How do they grow nearly 200,000 tonnes of mushrooms a year in the mushroom capital of the world? And, how do they make billions of life-saving gloves?(S16,E16)

Fertiliser, Maple Syrup: Episode Image
Episode 17Fertiliser, Maple Syrup

How do they mine a million tonnes of fertiliser from below the sea? How do they hand print millions of colourful clothes using the art of batik?(S16,E17)

Basmati Rice, Mechanical Birds: Episode Image
Episode 18Basmati Rice, Mechanical Birds

How do they turn thousands of tonnes of basmati rice into millions of microwaveable meals? How do they craft beautiful mechanical singing birds?(S16,E18)

Hearing Aids, Trains: Episode Image
Episode 19Hearing Aids, Trains

How do they make an almost invisible hearing aid that connects wirelessly to a phone? How do they build the carriages for London's new underground railway?(S16,E19)

Remotely Operated Vehicles: Episode Image
Episode 20Remotely Operated Vehicles

How do they build remote-controlled underwater robots to do jobs too dangerous for human divers? How do they make the world's most cuddly teddy bears?(S16,E20)

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