Countries: CA

The United Arab Emirates is a place of contradictions where traditional Bedouins live next to glittering cities with the tallest and most expensive buildings in the world. Dubai is the world’s fastest growing city. Anything is possible here from camel-riding robots to downhill skiing indoors on real snow. Futuristic skyscrapers rise at breakneck speed on land that was desert only a few years ago. “MegaWorld: Dubai” will take you inside the newest and most innovative projects in this architectural and engineering wonderland.

Megaworld Hawaii exposes the amazing technology and science of one of the world’s most popular vacation destinations. We catch up with Japanese extreme-sailor, Kenichi Horie, as he attempts a Guinness world record trip from Hawaii to Japan aboard the world’s most advanced wave-powered boat. Then we burn our feet mapping flowing lava from the world’s most active volcano, in the accompaniment of Jim K, Hawaii’s foremost expert on volcanoes. We watch the world’s most powerful underwater vacuum, Hawaii’s “Super Sucker”, as it sucks alien algae off the ocean floor, and then travel even deeper underwater in a high-tech manned submersible. And that’s just a start – from sand to surf, we’ll expose Hawaii like you’ve never seen it before.

Argentina makes some of the finest wines in the world, but it’s also quickly establishing itself as a technological giant in South America. The MegaWorld team will visit CONAE a civilian agency that builds and launches communication satellites for clients all over the world. We’ll get a rare, up close look at one of these huge communication devices and find out exactly what goes into manufacturing them. We’ll visit the world’s only factory that makes vintage aircraft from scratch and another firm that specializes in the manufacture and installation of artificial turf for South America’s largest football stadiums. We’ll feature the Syncrolift, a gigantic ship raising platform that can hoist a 55,000 ton ship off the ground for construction and maintenance, update the construction of new subway lines in Buenos Aires, and get up close with the world’s largest olive harvester….the Colossus.

There’s a lot more to Austria than Mozart and the Von Trapp singers. Travel to the top of the Austrian Alps to see how a ski resort protects itself from deadly avalanches, watch World Champion air racer Hannes Arch pull 12 Gs in his aircraft as he trains for the upcoming season, and witness armoured vehicles survive the most violent explosions. Other stories include the world’s most unique automobile assembly line, the largest and most powerful airport rescue vehicle, and a factory that makes the longest train rails in the world.

The Czech Republic has a long history of innovative engineering. See how they are meeting the challenges of building Europe’s longest automobile tunnel right underneath the historic city of Prague. Go behind the scenes for exclusive access to the world’s largest castle in downtown Prague. Watch European Truck Racing champion David Vršecký attempt to break the 300 km/h barrier and set a new world speed record. Other stories include a Czech company that makes the best plastic explosives, the largest earth-moving excavator in Europe, and the biggest beer spa in the world.

Denmark may be a small country, but it’s definitely big when it comes to engineering and technology. See how the Danes are harnessing the power of nature by building the largest offshore wind farms in the world. Find out how Copenhagen is experimenting with a revolutionary new underground parking technology and visit the famous LEGO toy company which produces 20 billion LEGO bricks per year or 600 pieces per second. Other stories include the Bang & Olufsen torture chamber for consumer electronics, maintaining the longest road and rail bridge in Europe, and an $850,000 super car that’s sure to turn heads.

Mexico may be known for Tequila and Tacos, but it’s also home to the largest open air salt mine in the world, extracting 7.5 million tons of salt each year. We’ll visit this giant above ground mine that’s been created by tidal sea water coming onto the land and being evaporated into the sun. Huge dykes are used to create “salt pans” that trap the sea water. These man-made salt pans cover over 180 sq km. MegaWorld will go to new heights as the world’s tallest cable bridge is being built as part of a $1.2 billion, 230 km construction project that runs from the Mexican interior to the pacific coast. At 390 m (1280 feet), the Baluarte Bridge will be the highest bridge in North America and the highest cable stayed bridge in the world. And we’ll find out how a 62-kilometer tunnel might be the key to preventing Mexico City from sinking.

There’s more to Norway than fresh seafood and majestic fjords. A leader in shipbuilding, we’ll go behind the scenes to witness how the Norwegian company is changing the way ocean vessels are made. Ulstein X-Bow has developed a revolutionary new hull that’s designed to provide a smoother ride for cargo and a safer journey for the crew. Ski flying takes ski jumping to a whole new level, and construction crews are hard at work building the world’s highest, and most dangerous ski flying jump. The world championships are coming to Norway so the race is on to complete construction in time. Other stories include a test lab that destroys products to make them better, and an ammunitions plant that is one of the largest in the world.

Poland’s long, tumultuous history makes it a fascinating country to visit. Follow a team of detectives in the Sowie Mountains as they try to crack the mystery of a huge underground maze of tunnels built by the Nazis. See bomb disposal experts find and detonate WWII explosives that are still littered throughout the country. Other stories include Poland’s rush to complete six new stadiums in time for the Euro 2012 soccer tournament, a company that makes the world’s largest luxury catamarans, a trip to Poland’s own Hollywood stunt school, and an amazing journey down into a 900 year-old salt mine – home to the largest underground cathedral in the world.

South Korea is currently ranked as the most innovative country in the world. Our mega journey begins at one of the most technologically advanced LED monitor factories on the planet. We then take to the seas to see how the world’s largest shipbuilder has developed an amazing new method for constructing ships. Discover one of the busiest subway systems in the world, and the high-tech command centre that’s designed to keep everything on the rails. We’ll also visit the largest auto assembly plant in the world.