They are a staple of the Western diet. They are also a great source of protein, a potential breeding ground of E. coli and a receptor of dangerous carcinogens. This episode looks at hamburger production, from cattle breeding and butchering methods, to cooking that succulent hunk of beef on the barbecue. Find out what happens as the meat is treated and heated.
Languages: English
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MegaWorld: Texas
They say everything is big in Texas and that makes it a perfect Megaworld destination. We’ll travel to Fort Bliss, the U.S. Army’s largest test facility and get an up close look as they put their latest weaponry to the test. One of the world’s largest swimming pools is in Texas, but it’s all serious business as NASA trains its astronauts for zero gravity. Other stories include the largest ranch in the world and great lengths a tire company goes to torture test their tires.
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The Science of Death
The Science of Death is an entertaining and enlightening look at what may be the last taboo. Death is a subject most people aren’t comfortable talking about. This program changes all that. Combining a unique style with startling information and events, The Science of Death reaches a greater audience than a program that relies on jus the simple clichés of horror films to keep an audience entertained. Often seen as an event, dying is actually a process which, in some cases, can be stopped, and even reversed. Even after someone is clinically ‘dead’, life in many parts of our bodies carries on – for hours, days, and even weeks. After ignoring death for most of its history, the medical and scientific communities have begun to focus their attention on how our bodies behave on the journey to eternity. So will we, in a fascinating hour which uses state-of-the-art 3D graphics, captivating cinematography, and the latest science.
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Ice Cream
Ice cream is so much more than a delectable delight. It’s a complex matrix of crystals, bubbles and globules that wants to fall completely apart. Fortunately, the delicate structure of ice cream is held together by a combination of chemical reinforcements and top-of-the-line freezing technology. This allows the perfect mix to be delivered to your tongue where the chemicals explode in a fantastic release of flavour and texture. The technology of ice cream production is explored, both small batch and large scale.
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Pizza
That slice of pizza you enjoy on Friday night is a tasty meal all right, but it’s also a cultural hodgepodge of different regional flavours and preferences. In fact, depending on what type of pizza you order, you could be devouring a healthy chemical blend of cleansing ingredients or a health-reducing fat bomb that sets your balanced diet back for days. This episode explores the combination of ingredients on your pizza, the evolution of this delicious food, and the technology involved in creating one of its most common ingredients – cheese.
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Tea
Take the most popular drink in the world – water – heat it up and add some dry leaves. Voila, you have the second most popular drink in the world – tea. The chemical process of drying, packaging and brewing tea pleases people from cultures all around the world. It also improves their health in a way no other liquid does. We look at the production of tea and the effect it has on our bodies.
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MegaWorld: Dubai
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.
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MegaWorld: Hawaii
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.
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MegaWorld: Argentina
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.
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MegaWorld: Austria
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.