"Mysteries at the Museum" Unbelievable Inventions

1 00:00:01,903 --> 00:00:04,136 An electric new sound rocks America. 2 00:00:04,272 --> 00:00:07,072 CAVATORTA: There was a forgotten device that gave birth 3 00:00:07,108 --> 00:00:09,275 to an entirely new field of music. 4 00:00:09,277 --> 00:00:12,311 A revolution on the open road. 5 00:00:12,413 --> 00:00:15,548 This invention changed road navigation 6 00:00:15,617 --> 00:00:18,017 in the U.S. forever. 7 00:00:18,152 --> 00:00:22,287 And a fashionable solution for a Space Age problem. 8 00:00:22,323 --> 00:00:24,890 They could stick them to the walls, 9 00:00:24,959 --> 00:00:26,692 they could stick them to the control panel. 10 00:00:26,728 --> 00:00:28,961 That way, they weren't floating all around. 11 00:00:29,096 --> 00:00:31,964 These are the mysteries at the museum. 12 00:00:37,538 --> 00:00:39,972 The coastal city of Tacoma, Washington, 13 00:00:39,974 --> 00:00:43,241 is one of the busiest ports in the nation. 14 00:00:43,278 --> 00:00:45,243 This bustling hub processes 15 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,681 over 13 million tons of cargo every year. 16 00:00:49,951 --> 00:00:52,251 And celebrating the region's nautical history 17 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:54,987 is the Working Waterfront Maritime Museum. 18 00:00:59,260 --> 00:01:03,195 On display are early 20th-century canoes, 19 00:01:03,197 --> 00:01:07,133 a replica of a British naval ship from the 1780s, 20 00:01:07,268 --> 00:01:11,470 and a model of the Tacoma, a 1913 steamship that was once 21 00:01:11,539 --> 00:01:15,107 the fastest single-propeller passenger ship in the world. 22 00:01:18,112 --> 00:01:20,279 But among these items depicting travel 23 00:01:20,348 --> 00:01:23,482 on the ocean's surface is an object designed 24 00:01:23,484 --> 00:01:26,085 for exploring the world beneath it. 25 00:01:26,220 --> 00:01:28,954 SPENCE: It's made from steel, brass, and rubber. 26 00:01:29,023 --> 00:01:30,823 It has three air cylinders, 27 00:01:30,892 --> 00:01:33,692 a pressure regulator, breathing hoses, 28 00:01:33,728 --> 00:01:36,128 and it's well-worn from use. 29 00:01:39,067 --> 00:01:41,166 WILDMAN: This breathing apparatus was invented 30 00:01:41,202 --> 00:01:44,036 by the world's most famous deep-sea explorer -- 31 00:01:44,038 --> 00:01:46,305 Jacques Cousteau. 32 00:01:46,374 --> 00:01:50,242 But few know the amazing story behind its creation. 33 00:01:50,278 --> 00:01:54,647 A seemingly simple dive quickly became an underwater disaster. 34 00:02:02,857 --> 00:02:05,190 WILDMAN: It's the 1940s in the ancient city 35 00:02:05,226 --> 00:02:07,326 of Avignon, France. 36 00:02:07,461 --> 00:02:10,396 Jacques Cousteau is an officer in the French Navy. 37 00:02:10,531 --> 00:02:13,132 But his passion lies beneath the waves 38 00:02:13,134 --> 00:02:15,600 as a deep-sea explorer. 39 00:02:15,637 --> 00:02:18,403 SPENCE: Cousteau was always looking for fun and adventure. 40 00:02:18,439 --> 00:02:20,272 He became obsessed with being able 41 00:02:20,308 --> 00:02:23,542 to stay underwater longer, go deeper, 42 00:02:23,544 --> 00:02:26,078 and travel farther to explore. 43 00:02:29,417 --> 00:02:30,683 WILDMAN: But the technology available 44 00:02:30,818 --> 00:02:33,753 to divers at the time is very basic. 45 00:02:33,888 --> 00:02:36,756 SPENCE: During the 1940s, diving equipment required 46 00:02:36,758 --> 00:02:38,824 an air supply from the surface. 47 00:02:38,959 --> 00:02:41,560 WILDMAN: In order to breathe, divers use an air hose 48 00:02:41,562 --> 00:02:44,229 that's tethered to a boat, which limits the distance 49 00:02:44,299 --> 00:02:47,132 and depths to which they can explore. 50 00:02:47,168 --> 00:02:50,569 The tube makes it difficult to swim naturally. 51 00:02:50,705 --> 00:02:55,040 And it could get tangled or even snagged on underwater obstacles. 52 00:02:55,109 --> 00:02:56,909 But Cousteau is undeterred. 53 00:02:56,978 --> 00:03:00,379 SPENCE: His quest to swim untethered 54 00:03:00,381 --> 00:03:02,114 inspired him to create a breathing device 55 00:03:02,183 --> 00:03:06,118 that would allow him to stay underwater. 56 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,187 WILDMAN: So Cousteau comes up with a simple, 57 00:03:08,322 --> 00:03:10,456 yet elegant, new design. 58 00:03:10,591 --> 00:03:13,792 It's a tank of oxygen that is worn on the diver's back. 59 00:03:13,828 --> 00:03:17,129 For years, he works to perfect his device. 60 00:03:17,264 --> 00:03:20,733 And in 1946, he thinks he's finally ready. 61 00:03:22,470 --> 00:03:25,070 The apparatus is made up of three canisters 62 00:03:25,139 --> 00:03:26,471 of compressed air 63 00:03:26,507 --> 00:03:30,142 and a hose which goes directly into the diver's mouth. 64 00:03:30,144 --> 00:03:32,545 The key to making it work is a regulator 65 00:03:32,547 --> 00:03:35,614 that allows the diver to inhale the compressed air 66 00:03:35,616 --> 00:03:37,717 and then exhale into the water. 67 00:03:40,354 --> 00:03:42,955 Cousteau calls his invention the aqualung, 68 00:03:43,024 --> 00:03:44,890 one of which is on display 69 00:03:45,025 --> 00:03:48,227 at the Working Waterfront Museum in Tacoma. 70 00:03:48,362 --> 00:03:51,764 SPENCE: With the aqualung, the diver had more flexibility, 71 00:03:51,766 --> 00:03:53,298 they could travel more freely, 72 00:03:53,301 --> 00:03:54,967 and they could explore areas 73 00:03:55,036 --> 00:03:58,437 that were inaccessible before. 74 00:03:58,439 --> 00:04:01,439 WILDMAN: Cousteau sets out to test the device. 75 00:04:01,476 --> 00:04:04,577 So in August, he and his colleague, Frédéric Dumas, 76 00:04:04,579 --> 00:04:06,044 along with a safety team, 77 00:04:06,114 --> 00:04:08,580 travel to a cave in the South of France 78 00:04:08,649 --> 00:04:11,250 called the Fountain of Vaucluse. 79 00:04:11,252 --> 00:04:14,987 Inside the cave is a deep lake. 80 00:04:14,989 --> 00:04:18,790 There, they plan to dive to a depth of 300 feet. 81 00:04:18,826 --> 00:04:22,194 In case something goes wrong, they tether themselves to a rope 82 00:04:22,230 --> 00:04:25,197 that leads back to the team on the surface. 83 00:04:25,233 --> 00:04:27,600 Cousteau and Dumas don their aqualungs 84 00:04:27,735 --> 00:04:30,402 and embark on their dive. 85 00:04:30,538 --> 00:04:33,806 [ Water splashes ] 86 00:04:33,808 --> 00:04:36,942 At first, everything seems to be going well. 87 00:04:36,978 --> 00:04:38,744 SPENCE: The dive started out 88 00:04:38,813 --> 00:04:41,881 much like the dives Cousteau and Dumas had done before. 89 00:04:42,016 --> 00:04:44,282 Everything was running smoothly. 90 00:04:44,318 --> 00:04:47,686 WILDMAN: But when they reach a depth of 150 feet, 91 00:04:47,755 --> 00:04:49,822 something goes terribly wrong. 92 00:04:49,891 --> 00:04:52,891 SPENCE: He started to experience a dull headache and confusion 93 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:54,360 that was far beyond 94 00:04:54,362 --> 00:04:55,828 what he normally would have experienced 95 00:04:55,897 --> 00:04:58,564 at a similar depth in the open ocean. 96 00:05:00,168 --> 00:05:02,101 WILDMAN: He looks over to his diving companion 97 00:05:02,103 --> 00:05:04,636 and sees that Dumas is unconscious. 98 00:05:04,705 --> 00:05:06,638 He was practically motionless. 99 00:05:06,707 --> 00:05:09,041 Things were not looking good. 100 00:05:09,043 --> 00:05:11,043 WILDMAN: Cousteau frantically pulls on the rope 101 00:05:11,112 --> 00:05:15,113 to let the team on the surface know there's an emergency. 102 00:05:15,149 --> 00:05:18,551 But the team misinterprets the signal. 103 00:05:19,686 --> 00:05:21,987 Rather than pulling the divers back up, 104 00:05:21,989 --> 00:05:24,189 they give them more slack. 105 00:05:24,225 --> 00:05:25,658 This is exactly the opposite 106 00:05:25,793 --> 00:05:27,760 of what Cousteau and Dumas needed. 107 00:05:30,064 --> 00:05:32,464 WILDMAN: For Cousteau and his passed-out diving partner, 108 00:05:32,500 --> 00:05:35,267 time is running out. 109 00:05:39,406 --> 00:05:41,273 As the seconds tick by, 110 00:05:41,408 --> 00:05:44,476 Cousteau starts slipping in and out of consciousness. 111 00:05:44,612 --> 00:05:48,213 If Cousteau stayed underwater much longer, they would die. 112 00:05:50,017 --> 00:05:53,552 WILDMAN: But then, he feels the safety rope tighten. 113 00:05:53,687 --> 00:05:55,354 The rescue team on the surface 114 00:05:55,423 --> 00:05:58,423 has finally realized something is amiss. 115 00:05:58,492 --> 00:06:00,826 The divers are pulled up to the boat, 116 00:06:00,895 --> 00:06:02,961 where Dumas is revived. 117 00:06:03,030 --> 00:06:04,363 SPENCE: Cousteau is relieved 118 00:06:04,498 --> 00:06:06,165 that both he and his friend, Dumas, 119 00:06:06,167 --> 00:06:08,067 have returned safely to the surface. 120 00:06:12,273 --> 00:06:14,506 WILDMAN: But what went wrong? 121 00:06:14,542 --> 00:06:17,376 Cousteau carefully inspects his aqualung 122 00:06:17,378 --> 00:06:20,713 and soon finds the source of the problem. 123 00:06:20,715 --> 00:06:22,114 A faulty air compressor 124 00:06:22,249 --> 00:06:24,583 had caused their oxygen tanks to fill 125 00:06:24,585 --> 00:06:28,520 with lethal levels of the deadly gas carbon monoxide. 126 00:06:28,556 --> 00:06:31,724 The two divers had been moments away from death. 127 00:06:31,859 --> 00:06:34,793 SPENCE: The near-fatal events would have a lasting impact on Cousteau 128 00:06:34,829 --> 00:06:36,394 and his diving adventures. 129 00:06:36,430 --> 00:06:38,797 The lesson learned is a diver is only as safe 130 00:06:38,833 --> 00:06:41,333 as the air on his back. 131 00:06:43,905 --> 00:06:46,605 WILDMAN: To ensure the incident doesn't happen again, 132 00:06:46,607 --> 00:06:49,141 Cousteau drafts a strict set of guidelines 133 00:06:49,143 --> 00:06:53,878 for how tanks should be handled and checked before a dive. 134 00:06:53,915 --> 00:06:58,216 He finally puts the aqualung on sale in 1946. 135 00:06:58,286 --> 00:07:00,886 His invention eventually goes on to become known 136 00:07:00,888 --> 00:07:02,821 by another name -- 137 00:07:02,857 --> 00:07:07,625 the self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, or SCUBA. 138 00:07:07,662 --> 00:07:09,495 Aqualung was a revolutionary device 139 00:07:09,630 --> 00:07:12,131 that really brought diving to the masses. 140 00:07:15,302 --> 00:07:18,169 WILDMAN: Today, the Working Waterfront Maritime Museum 141 00:07:18,205 --> 00:07:19,571 in Tacoma, Washington, 142 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:23,308 displays an early version of Cousteau's aqualung. 143 00:07:23,311 --> 00:07:25,510 It recalls the man who risked his life 144 00:07:25,546 --> 00:07:28,914 to explore the uncharted depths of the ocean. 145 00:07:33,187 --> 00:07:35,988 Every year, at least nine million visitors 146 00:07:36,057 --> 00:07:37,656 flock to Houston, Texas, 147 00:07:37,791 --> 00:07:40,192 to enjoy the city's creative scene. 148 00:07:40,327 --> 00:07:42,394 This vibrant metropolis is home 149 00:07:42,396 --> 00:07:47,799 to more than 500 cultural and arts institutions. 150 00:07:47,835 --> 00:07:50,936 Among them is a museum that transports its guests 151 00:07:50,938 --> 00:07:53,071 to the final frontier -- 152 00:07:53,140 --> 00:07:55,540 Space Center Houston. 153 00:07:55,576 --> 00:07:58,276 Its collection includes a model 154 00:07:58,345 --> 00:08:00,345 of the International Space Center, 155 00:08:00,381 --> 00:08:05,150 a 1963 Mercury capsule, 156 00:08:05,285 --> 00:08:08,486 and the most powerful rocket ever built -- 157 00:08:08,522 --> 00:08:10,221 the Saturn V. 158 00:08:10,257 --> 00:08:13,158 Amid these massive machines is an object 159 00:08:13,293 --> 00:08:16,762 that, although smaller, is just as iconic. 160 00:08:16,897 --> 00:08:20,165 SPANA: It's about 6 feet tall, it's mostly white, 161 00:08:20,167 --> 00:08:21,966 it has red and blue valves, 162 00:08:22,002 --> 00:08:24,770 and there's an American flag on it. 163 00:08:24,905 --> 00:08:27,706 WILDMAN: This space suit is the ultimate symbol 164 00:08:27,841 --> 00:08:29,974 of progress and exploration. 165 00:08:30,010 --> 00:08:33,779 But few realize this cutting-edge outfit is actually equipped 166 00:08:33,781 --> 00:08:37,315 with an item found in almost every home. 167 00:08:37,351 --> 00:08:40,185 SPANA: It was a material that changed the aerospace industry 168 00:08:40,254 --> 00:08:42,320 and everyday fashion. 169 00:08:42,390 --> 00:08:44,723 WILDMAN: What ingenious invention 170 00:08:44,725 --> 00:08:47,226 does this space suit conceal? 171 00:08:50,831 --> 00:08:53,932 1941 -- Lausanne, Switzerland. 172 00:08:54,001 --> 00:08:57,469 33-year-old engineer George de Mestral 173 00:08:57,505 --> 00:09:01,273 enjoys tinkering with gadgets in his spare time. 174 00:09:01,342 --> 00:09:03,208 SPANA: George de Mestral was passionate 175 00:09:03,244 --> 00:09:04,943 about inventing things. 176 00:09:05,078 --> 00:09:09,080 In his mind, he was always thinking about how things work. 177 00:09:09,116 --> 00:09:10,348 WILDMAN: To his dismay, 178 00:09:10,417 --> 00:09:13,885 de Mestral has never produced anything worthy of note. 179 00:09:13,921 --> 00:09:18,390 But the inventor's luck is about to change. 180 00:09:20,694 --> 00:09:22,895 One day, while walking through the woods, 181 00:09:22,897 --> 00:09:27,199 de Mestral notices something clinging to his clothes. 182 00:09:27,268 --> 00:09:31,236 The cuffs of his pants are covered with prickly burrs. 183 00:09:31,371 --> 00:09:33,705 The burrs stick really well to fabric, 184 00:09:33,774 --> 00:09:36,308 and they're real tenacious. 185 00:09:36,443 --> 00:09:38,710 WILDMAN: The inventor is intrigued. 186 00:09:38,846 --> 00:09:41,179 He wondered, what is it about these burrs 187 00:09:41,182 --> 00:09:44,183 that makes these things so good at sticking to the fabric? 188 00:09:47,821 --> 00:09:49,054 WILDMAN: De Mestral takes home 189 00:09:49,056 --> 00:09:52,056 a handful of the spiny pods. 190 00:09:52,092 --> 00:09:54,593 He found that the casing of the burr 191 00:09:54,728 --> 00:09:58,997 was covered with hundreds of tiny, little hooks. 192 00:09:59,033 --> 00:10:02,267 WILDMAN: These minute hooks latch onto an animal's fur, 193 00:10:02,336 --> 00:10:07,806 ensuring that the seeds are spread far and wide. 194 00:10:07,941 --> 00:10:11,809 The inventor then comes up with a revolutionary idea. 195 00:10:11,846 --> 00:10:14,746 He could replicate this hook-and-loop structure 196 00:10:14,882 --> 00:10:18,016 and create a new kind of fastener for clothes, 197 00:10:18,085 --> 00:10:19,217 one that is faster 198 00:10:19,220 --> 00:10:22,221 and more convenient than zippers or buttons. 199 00:10:22,356 --> 00:10:26,892 George's new fastener would be more reliable and easy to use. 200 00:10:27,027 --> 00:10:29,194 He knew he was onto something good. 201 00:10:33,433 --> 00:10:35,300 WILDMAN: De Mestral works with a weaver, 202 00:10:35,336 --> 00:10:38,103 and after nearly a decade of trial and error, 203 00:10:38,238 --> 00:10:40,973 perfects his creation. 204 00:10:40,975 --> 00:10:44,243 His fastener consists of two nylon strips, 205 00:10:44,378 --> 00:10:47,579 one of which is lined with thousands of tiny hooks, 206 00:10:47,615 --> 00:10:49,581 the other with tiny loops. 207 00:10:49,716 --> 00:10:51,650 And when you bring the two together, 208 00:10:51,719 --> 00:10:55,787 all of those hooks grab and attach to those threads. 209 00:10:55,856 --> 00:11:01,126 WILDMAN: In 1955, De Mestral patents his product. 210 00:11:02,930 --> 00:11:04,729 Combining the word "velvet" 211 00:11:04,798 --> 00:11:07,466 with "crochet," the French word for hook, 212 00:11:07,601 --> 00:11:10,735 he calls it a Velcro fastener. 213 00:11:10,804 --> 00:11:13,805 His hope was to revolutionize the fashion industry. 214 00:11:16,977 --> 00:11:19,611 WILDMAN: But when the inventor meets with fashion designers, 215 00:11:19,746 --> 00:11:22,413 he's stunned by their reaction. 216 00:11:22,449 --> 00:11:27,019 They declare the black nylon strips to be unsightly 217 00:11:27,021 --> 00:11:31,756 and refused to use them in their designs. 218 00:11:31,792 --> 00:11:34,025 George's great plans for the fashion industry 219 00:11:34,061 --> 00:11:36,361 were a big flop. 220 00:11:36,397 --> 00:11:38,963 WILDMAN: But what the plucky inventor doesn't know 221 00:11:38,999 --> 00:11:43,068 is that the solution to his woes will be out of this world. 222 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:51,074 223 00:11:54,356 --> 00:11:57,723 It's 1954 in Alamogordo, New Mexico. 224 00:11:57,792 --> 00:12:01,393 In an attempt to understand the impact of high-speed forces 225 00:12:01,429 --> 00:12:03,529 on the human body, 226 00:12:03,565 --> 00:12:06,666 John Stapp is about to attempt the unthinkable -- 227 00:12:06,735 --> 00:12:09,201 he'll take off in a rocket-powered sled 228 00:12:09,271 --> 00:12:11,004 at unprecedented speeds, 229 00:12:11,139 --> 00:12:13,672 and then come to a screeching halt. 230 00:12:13,708 --> 00:12:16,809 So, will this human crash-test dummy survive 231 00:12:16,811 --> 00:12:18,878 this dangerous experiment? 232 00:12:21,082 --> 00:12:23,683 On the afternoon of December 10th, 233 00:12:23,818 --> 00:12:26,152 the countdown begins. 234 00:12:26,221 --> 00:12:30,890 When it reaches zero, the sled's nine rockets ignite. 235 00:12:31,025 --> 00:12:33,559 Stapp zooms down the track 236 00:12:33,595 --> 00:12:37,029 at a record-breaking 632 miles an hour. 237 00:12:37,065 --> 00:12:39,032 He was accelerated to a speed 238 00:12:39,167 --> 00:12:42,034 that exceeds that of a bullet coming out of a gun. 239 00:12:42,103 --> 00:12:45,971 WILDMAN: Just a moment later, the hydraulic brakes engage, 240 00:12:46,007 --> 00:12:50,076 and the sled instantly screams to a halt. 241 00:12:51,713 --> 00:12:53,646 When the smoke finally clears, 242 00:12:53,648 --> 00:12:56,649 colleagues race to the human crash-test dummy. 243 00:12:56,784 --> 00:12:59,719 The medics expected that there might be some grave injuries 244 00:12:59,854 --> 00:13:01,254 coming out of this sled run. 245 00:13:01,256 --> 00:13:05,058 WILDMAN: Yet it seems Stapp and the restraint system 246 00:13:05,159 --> 00:13:07,060 were indeed up to the test. 247 00:13:07,195 --> 00:13:09,662 Scientists later determine 248 00:13:09,664 --> 00:13:13,999 that he endured a staggering 40 Gs of force. 249 00:13:14,035 --> 00:13:15,868 The forces were so tremendous 250 00:13:15,904 --> 00:13:18,604 that he had to keep his eyes closed very tightly 251 00:13:18,673 --> 00:13:20,873 to keep his eyeballs essentially in his head. 252 00:13:20,875 --> 00:13:23,275 WILDMAN: Stapp's remarkable test 253 00:13:23,345 --> 00:13:28,280 proves supersonic jet pilots can eject safely. 254 00:13:28,316 --> 00:13:31,017 And soon, his team's restraint designs 255 00:13:31,086 --> 00:13:34,553 are implemented in military and civilian aircraft. 256 00:13:34,589 --> 00:13:36,355 It's not long 257 00:13:36,424 --> 00:13:39,892 before his research crosses over to the auto industry. 258 00:13:39,928 --> 00:13:41,961 In the 1960s, 259 00:13:42,030 --> 00:13:44,963 he helps perfect the three-point passenger safety belt 260 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,166 and successfully leads the charge 261 00:13:47,235 --> 00:13:51,103 to make them mandatory in all U.S. cars. 262 00:13:51,139 --> 00:13:55,842 For anyone who gets around on planes, trains, and automobiles, 263 00:13:55,844 --> 00:13:58,845 the work of John Paul Stapp continues to resonate, 264 00:13:58,980 --> 00:14:01,114 and this rocket-powered sled 265 00:14:01,249 --> 00:14:04,517 at the New Mexico Museum of Space History 266 00:14:04,519 --> 00:14:06,519 reflects the courage of a researcher 267 00:14:06,588 --> 00:14:09,656 always willing to take the driver's seat. 268 00:14:11,259 --> 00:14:13,059 From a musical revolution 269 00:14:13,061 --> 00:14:15,595 to an electric tricycle. 270 00:14:15,597 --> 00:14:17,796 A human crash test dummy 271 00:14:17,832 --> 00:14:20,065 to Space Age fashions. 272 00:14:20,101 --> 00:14:22,601 I'm Don Wildman, and these are 273 00:14:22,637 --> 00:14:23,970 the mysteries at the museum. 274 00:14:39,087 --> 00:14:41,154 It's the 1960s. 275 00:14:41,289 --> 00:14:43,623 Inventor George de Mestral 276 00:14:43,625 --> 00:14:45,958 has created a substitute for zippers 277 00:14:46,094 --> 00:14:48,361 called Velcro fasteners. 278 00:14:48,496 --> 00:14:50,963 The problem is, fashion designers 279 00:14:50,965 --> 00:14:54,033 want nothing to do with this newfangled device. 280 00:14:54,035 --> 00:14:57,737 So what will it take for Velcro to stick? 281 00:15:00,175 --> 00:15:02,842 The early 1960s -- Cape Canaveral. 282 00:15:02,911 --> 00:15:04,911 NASA is preparing for America's 283 00:15:05,046 --> 00:15:07,580 first orbital mission into space. 284 00:15:07,715 --> 00:15:10,850 But the astronauts have a problem. 285 00:15:10,852 --> 00:15:12,384 In the weightless surroundings, 286 00:15:12,420 --> 00:15:14,987 they keep losing their equipment. 287 00:15:14,989 --> 00:15:16,322 The astronauts had a lot of equipment 288 00:15:16,391 --> 00:15:17,589 inside their capsule, 289 00:15:17,625 --> 00:15:19,191 like binoculars and cameras 290 00:15:19,227 --> 00:15:21,127 and camera accessories, 291 00:15:21,196 --> 00:15:23,262 and they needed those to be close at hand. 292 00:15:23,331 --> 00:15:24,697 But in a weightless environment, 293 00:15:24,799 --> 00:15:27,133 all of that was floating around. 294 00:15:27,202 --> 00:15:29,469 WILDMAN: NASA engineers need something 295 00:15:29,604 --> 00:15:31,671 that can hold their gadgets in place 296 00:15:31,673 --> 00:15:34,474 but also release them quickly, 297 00:15:34,476 --> 00:15:36,141 and that's when it hits them. 298 00:15:36,177 --> 00:15:39,879 They could use de Mestral's little-known Velcro fasteners. 299 00:15:40,014 --> 00:15:41,347 They can stick them to the walls, 300 00:15:41,482 --> 00:15:43,949 they can stick them to the control panel, 301 00:15:44,018 --> 00:15:46,519 that way, they weren't floating all around. 302 00:15:48,223 --> 00:15:49,822 WILDMAN: Since the hassle-free strips 303 00:15:49,891 --> 00:15:52,425 are more convenient than buttons or zippers, 304 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:54,826 de Mestral's product is also used 305 00:15:54,863 --> 00:15:56,962 in the construction of their space suits, 306 00:15:56,998 --> 00:16:00,766 just like the Apollo 12 model at Space Center Houston. 307 00:16:03,838 --> 00:16:05,671 When the public sees the astronauts 308 00:16:05,773 --> 00:16:07,640 using de Mestral's invention, 309 00:16:07,775 --> 00:16:11,511 demand for the sticky strips hits the stratosphere. 310 00:16:16,451 --> 00:16:20,052 NASA put him in front of the eyes of the whole world. 311 00:16:20,088 --> 00:16:22,922 WILDMAN: Over the years, de Mestral rakes in millions 312 00:16:22,924 --> 00:16:25,591 as Velcro fasteners are used in everything 313 00:16:25,660 --> 00:16:30,029 from strapping athletic shoes to wrapping cables and cords. 314 00:16:33,268 --> 00:16:36,736 And today, the suit on display at Space Center Houston 315 00:16:36,871 --> 00:16:39,238 endures as a testament to the inventor 316 00:16:39,274 --> 00:16:41,006 whose space-age creation 317 00:16:41,042 --> 00:16:45,811 proves inspiration can be found in the most unlikely of places. 318 00:16:48,616 --> 00:16:50,616 A 1920s horn machine, 319 00:16:50,751 --> 00:16:54,954 a phonograph designed by Thomas Edison, 320 00:16:54,956 --> 00:16:57,756 and a coin-operated miniature orchestra 321 00:16:57,826 --> 00:17:01,227 are just a few of the musical gadgets on display 322 00:17:01,296 --> 00:17:03,962 at the DeBence Antique Music World museum 323 00:17:03,998 --> 00:17:06,265 in Franklin, Pennsylvania. 324 00:17:09,170 --> 00:17:11,436 And amidst these little-known oddities 325 00:17:11,472 --> 00:17:14,507 is one instrument that every music fan will recognize. 326 00:17:14,642 --> 00:17:19,378 CAVATORTA: The artifact is 48 inches wide and 29 inches deep. 327 00:17:19,414 --> 00:17:22,314 It's made out of beautifully crafted wood. 328 00:17:22,317 --> 00:17:26,118 It has two keyboards and a row of buttons. 329 00:17:26,154 --> 00:17:28,454 It is almost 80 years old, 330 00:17:28,456 --> 00:17:30,522 but it is in perfect working condition 331 00:17:30,558 --> 00:17:31,924 and it sounds beautiful. 332 00:17:31,926 --> 00:17:36,462 WILDMAN: This is a 1935 Hammond organ. 333 00:17:36,464 --> 00:17:39,732 Its unique sound can be heard on countless hit songs. 334 00:17:39,834 --> 00:17:42,868 [ Electric organ music plays ] 335 00:17:44,706 --> 00:17:46,538 But what few realize 336 00:17:46,574 --> 00:17:48,874 is that this celebrated instrument 337 00:17:48,876 --> 00:17:52,077 owes its existence to an outlandish scheme 338 00:17:52,180 --> 00:17:55,815 that almost got the whole world dancing to the same tune. 339 00:17:55,817 --> 00:17:57,950 CAVATORTA: This is a story about one man 340 00:17:57,952 --> 00:18:00,419 who had an idea that changed the entire future of music. 341 00:18:04,492 --> 00:18:06,024 WILDMAN: The early 1900s -- 342 00:18:06,060 --> 00:18:08,660 It's an era of great innovation. 343 00:18:08,696 --> 00:18:11,697 Americans enjoy an array of new technologies 344 00:18:11,766 --> 00:18:15,834 like escalators, typewriters, and dishwashers. 345 00:18:15,903 --> 00:18:17,436 But in Washington, D.C., 346 00:18:17,505 --> 00:18:19,105 there's one man who thinks 347 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,108 he has the most unique idea of all -- 348 00:18:22,110 --> 00:18:26,846 26-year-old inventor Thaddeus Cahill. 349 00:18:26,981 --> 00:18:28,914 CAVATORTA: Cahill's idea was to create 350 00:18:29,016 --> 00:18:31,584 the world's first electronic streaming music service. 351 00:18:31,586 --> 00:18:35,054 WILDMAN: Cahill's concept is to give people 352 00:18:35,123 --> 00:18:37,322 the ability to listen to live music 353 00:18:37,392 --> 00:18:38,591 in their living rooms... [ Telephone rings ] 354 00:18:38,726 --> 00:18:41,526 ...just by making a telephone call. 355 00:18:41,562 --> 00:18:43,729 This would be a subscription service. 356 00:18:43,731 --> 00:18:45,664 You'd go to your telephone and ask to be connected, 357 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:49,401 and the room would be filled with music. 358 00:18:49,437 --> 00:18:50,869 And the subscribers in their homes 359 00:18:50,905 --> 00:18:54,206 could turn the music on and off just like water in a tap. 360 00:18:55,409 --> 00:18:56,409 WILDMAN: If it works, 361 00:18:56,411 --> 00:18:58,077 the service would be like nothing 362 00:18:58,212 --> 00:18:59,879 the world has ever heard before. 363 00:19:01,082 --> 00:19:02,347 In 1901, 364 00:19:02,383 --> 00:19:04,283 Cahill builds a prototype instrument 365 00:19:04,285 --> 00:19:06,352 that uses magnets and electric currents 366 00:19:06,487 --> 00:19:07,753 to create music 367 00:19:07,822 --> 00:19:10,956 that can then be broadcast through the telephone lines. 368 00:19:11,025 --> 00:19:15,027 The revolutionary device weighs 14,000 pounds. 369 00:19:15,162 --> 00:19:18,764 He calls his creation... 370 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:20,632 the Telharmonium. 371 00:19:20,668 --> 00:19:24,703 The Telharmonium was full-scale Frankenstein-style endeavor. 372 00:19:24,706 --> 00:19:27,973 He made it a gigantic hive of little electrical switches 373 00:19:28,109 --> 00:19:30,209 and big electric keyboards. 374 00:19:33,047 --> 00:19:35,648 WILDMAN: To demonstrate his grand creation, 375 00:19:35,650 --> 00:19:39,051 Cahill organizes a party of moneyed businessmen and bankers. 376 00:19:40,788 --> 00:19:43,856 The guests gather around a table where a telephone is set up... 377 00:19:45,059 --> 00:19:49,261 ...and as they lean in, a strange sound fills the room. 378 00:19:49,330 --> 00:19:53,866 [ Electronic music plays ] 379 00:19:54,001 --> 00:19:56,468 CAVATORTA: Out poured this loud electronic music 380 00:19:56,471 --> 00:19:58,137 like they'd never heard before. 381 00:19:58,272 --> 00:20:00,339 [ Electronic music plays ] 382 00:20:00,341 --> 00:20:03,676 Beeps and strange sine waves and odd harmonies. 383 00:20:07,482 --> 00:20:09,949 WILDMAN: The audience is stunned. 384 00:20:09,951 --> 00:20:12,151 Cahill explains that the song 385 00:20:12,286 --> 00:20:14,286 is being played on an electric keyboard 386 00:20:14,422 --> 00:20:16,355 located 30 miles away, 387 00:20:16,424 --> 00:20:19,358 and if they want to hear more of this unique sound, 388 00:20:19,493 --> 00:20:20,559 all they have to do 389 00:20:20,695 --> 00:20:22,762 is pay a nominal subscription fee. 390 00:20:22,764 --> 00:20:23,795 They were blown away, 391 00:20:23,798 --> 00:20:25,363 and they lined up to hand him money. 392 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,968 [ Applause ] 393 00:20:29,103 --> 00:20:34,173 WILDMAN: Word of Cahill's unparalleled music service spreads, 394 00:20:34,308 --> 00:20:38,577 and in 1906, the Telharmonium goes live. 395 00:20:38,613 --> 00:20:42,247 Thousands of people rush to subscribe to the service. 396 00:20:42,316 --> 00:20:44,917 It appeared to be a gigantic success. 397 00:20:44,919 --> 00:20:47,186 Everybody loved the Telharmonium. 398 00:20:49,991 --> 00:20:52,124 But the growing popularity of his device 399 00:20:52,126 --> 00:20:54,060 is about to cause the young entrepreneur 400 00:20:54,195 --> 00:20:55,861 an unexpected problem -- 401 00:20:55,930 --> 00:21:00,199 One that threatens to silence the Telharmonium for good. 402 00:21:00,334 --> 00:21:01,399 CAVATORTA: Cahill did not anticipate 403 00:21:01,436 --> 00:21:04,136 how difficult this venture would really be. 404 00:21:04,138 --> 00:21:08,207 WILDMAN: So, what will become of Cahill's incredible invention? 405 00:21:08,342 --> 00:21:10,910 [ Indistinct conversations ] 406 00:21:21,422 --> 00:21:23,489 It's 1906 in New York. 407 00:21:23,558 --> 00:21:27,626 Inventor Thaddeus Cahill has taken the country by storm 408 00:21:27,695 --> 00:21:30,963 with his invention, the Telharmonium. 409 00:21:30,965 --> 00:21:33,499 It is a brand new electric instrument 410 00:21:33,501 --> 00:21:35,968 that streams live music into people's homes 411 00:21:36,103 --> 00:21:37,903 through the telephone lines. 412 00:21:37,905 --> 00:21:39,705 But little does Cahill realize 413 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:42,708 his runaway hit is about to go off-key. 414 00:21:45,313 --> 00:21:48,514 One day, Cahill gets an unwelcome call 415 00:21:48,649 --> 00:21:50,916 from the phone company. 416 00:21:51,051 --> 00:21:53,185 They say that Cahill's music service 417 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,987 is wreaking havoc on the telephone system. 418 00:21:56,023 --> 00:21:58,324 People having normal conversations 419 00:21:58,326 --> 00:22:00,993 are being interrupted by the Telharmonium. 420 00:22:00,995 --> 00:22:03,662 [ Indistinct conversations, Telharmonium plays ] 421 00:22:03,664 --> 00:22:07,266 CAVATORTA: An ongoing problem throughout the Telharmonium's run 422 00:22:07,268 --> 00:22:09,268 was cross talk on the lines. 423 00:22:09,270 --> 00:22:10,569 So, you'd be talking 424 00:22:10,605 --> 00:22:12,270 and trying to understand one another, 425 00:22:12,306 --> 00:22:14,073 and this loud music would come over the line 426 00:22:14,075 --> 00:22:14,940 and it would stay there. 427 00:22:15,075 --> 00:22:17,276 [ Music plays ] Is that music? 428 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,748 WILDMAN: The telephone company says it has no choice 429 00:22:22,750 --> 00:22:26,085 but to cut off Cahill's access to their phone lines. 430 00:22:26,087 --> 00:22:28,287 The entrepreneur is devastated. 431 00:22:28,422 --> 00:22:31,757 Thaddeus Cahill was at the mercy of the telephone company. 432 00:22:31,892 --> 00:22:34,626 Without them, his Telharmonium was 433 00:22:34,629 --> 00:22:36,829 completely dead in the water. 434 00:22:36,964 --> 00:22:40,766 WILDMAN: In 1908, the Telharmonium plays its last tune. 435 00:22:40,835 --> 00:22:43,302 Cahill is forced to shut down his operation 436 00:22:43,371 --> 00:22:45,371 and declare bankruptcy. 437 00:22:45,506 --> 00:22:46,972 He put everything he had into this. 438 00:22:47,107 --> 00:22:49,041 This was a failure. 439 00:22:49,110 --> 00:22:51,710 WILDMAN: But this isn't the end of the Telharmonium. 440 00:22:54,181 --> 00:22:56,916 The ideas and the vision in the instrument lived on. 441 00:22:56,918 --> 00:22:59,051 A surprisingly rich 442 00:22:59,053 --> 00:23:02,187 kind of amazing legacy of musical technology 443 00:23:02,223 --> 00:23:04,590 and musical ideas get started there. 444 00:23:04,725 --> 00:23:07,326 WILDMAN: In the 1930s, 445 00:23:07,395 --> 00:23:09,328 another inventor named Lawrence Hammond 446 00:23:09,397 --> 00:23:11,130 applies Cahill's design 447 00:23:11,265 --> 00:23:13,598 to build a new type of instrument -- 448 00:23:13,668 --> 00:23:15,600 the Hammond organ. 449 00:23:15,670 --> 00:23:17,736 Similar to the Telharmonium, 450 00:23:17,738 --> 00:23:20,406 the Hammond generates sound by creating current 451 00:23:20,408 --> 00:23:23,875 from a rotating metal reel and an electromagnet. 452 00:23:23,945 --> 00:23:26,679 In its concepts and in its technology, 453 00:23:26,681 --> 00:23:29,214 it was really like a tiny Telharmonium, 454 00:23:29,217 --> 00:23:32,551 with the tiny spinning tone wheels, the additive synthesis, 455 00:23:32,620 --> 00:23:35,087 all of the harmonics, and a lot of the same 456 00:23:35,156 --> 00:23:37,356 mathematics for how it calculated pitches. 457 00:23:37,425 --> 00:23:39,491 WILDMAN: Its unique sound 458 00:23:39,493 --> 00:23:43,095 is used in a slew of new American musical genres. 459 00:23:43,097 --> 00:23:44,830 It's used in all kinds of hits, 460 00:23:44,899 --> 00:23:47,099 including the Grateful Dead's "Bertha," 461 00:23:47,168 --> 00:23:49,435 Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," 462 00:23:49,570 --> 00:23:52,705 and Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry." 463 00:23:52,707 --> 00:23:56,775 So much popular music today is possible and inspired by 464 00:23:56,910 --> 00:24:00,079 Thaddeus Cahill's invention and the Hammond organ. 465 00:24:03,217 --> 00:24:04,850 [ Electric organ music plays ] 466 00:24:04,852 --> 00:24:06,452 WILDMAN: This Hammond electric organ 467 00:24:06,454 --> 00:24:09,354 at the DeBence Antique Music World museum 468 00:24:09,390 --> 00:24:11,190 recalls the brilliant invention 469 00:24:11,325 --> 00:24:14,259 that struck a major chord in music history. 470 00:24:19,367 --> 00:24:20,665 Chicago, Illinois -- 471 00:24:20,701 --> 00:24:22,934 the Windy City's Chicago River 472 00:24:22,970 --> 00:24:25,638 boasts a unique and unusual feature -- 473 00:24:25,740 --> 00:24:28,273 To prevent sewage from running into Lake Michigan, 474 00:24:28,409 --> 00:24:30,408 which supplies the city with water, 475 00:24:30,444 --> 00:24:33,545 it was engineered to flow backwards. 476 00:24:33,614 --> 00:24:36,548 And just a stone's throw away from the famous waterway 477 00:24:36,584 --> 00:24:40,486 is an institution showcasing other feats of innovation -- 478 00:24:40,488 --> 00:24:43,955 The Museum of Science and Industry. 479 00:24:44,025 --> 00:24:48,493 Its exhibits include a Boeing 727 airplane, 480 00:24:48,562 --> 00:24:50,496 a German submarine that was captured off 481 00:24:50,498 --> 00:24:53,899 the cost of Africa during World War II, 482 00:24:54,034 --> 00:24:57,836 and a steam locomotive that broke the land speed record. 483 00:24:59,974 --> 00:25:02,107 But among these oversized exhibits 484 00:25:02,109 --> 00:25:05,244 is a small and seemingly simple gadget. 485 00:25:05,379 --> 00:25:06,645 McCARTHY: It's a circular device, 486 00:25:06,714 --> 00:25:09,381 about 9 1/2 inches in diameter. 487 00:25:09,516 --> 00:25:10,716 It has paper inserts 488 00:25:10,851 --> 00:25:13,252 that are filled with written information. 489 00:25:13,387 --> 00:25:14,720 It's over a century old, 490 00:25:14,855 --> 00:25:17,189 and it was a really invaluable device 491 00:25:17,258 --> 00:25:19,058 for those who used it. 492 00:25:21,295 --> 00:25:25,063 WILDMAN: This tiny tool paved the way for a trail-blazing technology 493 00:25:25,132 --> 00:25:27,932 that drivers today would be lost without. 494 00:25:27,969 --> 00:25:29,468 This is the story 495 00:25:29,470 --> 00:25:32,804 of one of the most ubiquitous inventions of the 20th century. 496 00:25:32,873 --> 00:25:34,673 G.P.S.: Turn left at the fork. 497 00:25:36,811 --> 00:25:38,744 WILDMAN: It's the early 1900s. 498 00:25:38,879 --> 00:25:41,413 In just a few short years, cars have become 499 00:25:41,449 --> 00:25:44,416 the country's fastest-growing mode of transportation. 500 00:25:44,485 --> 00:25:47,286 People could go to places they had never been to before. 501 00:25:47,421 --> 00:25:48,487 It was quite an adventure 502 00:25:48,622 --> 00:25:51,289 to venture out in your automobile. 503 00:25:51,325 --> 00:25:53,559 WILDMAN: But there's a problem that has motorists 504 00:25:53,694 --> 00:25:55,026 spinning their wheels... 505 00:25:55,062 --> 00:25:58,363 [ Tires screeching ] 506 00:25:58,399 --> 00:26:01,900 ...barely any roads are marked with street signs. 507 00:26:01,969 --> 00:26:03,168 As a result, drivers 508 00:26:03,204 --> 00:26:05,837 often find themselves hopelessly lost. 509 00:26:05,873 --> 00:26:07,306 McCARTHY: In the early 1900s, 510 00:26:07,441 --> 00:26:08,640 the roads were dangerous 511 00:26:08,676 --> 00:26:11,309 and there was no reliable navigation. 512 00:26:14,448 --> 00:26:15,914 WILDMAN: But in New York City, 513 00:26:15,916 --> 00:26:18,316 one man is determined to point drivers 514 00:26:18,386 --> 00:26:20,052 in the right direction -- 515 00:26:20,121 --> 00:26:23,588 engineer and inventor J.W. Jones. 516 00:26:23,624 --> 00:26:26,191 J.W. Jones was creative, industrious, 517 00:26:26,260 --> 00:26:29,595 and entrepreneurial. 518 00:26:29,730 --> 00:26:31,396 WILDMAN: Jones has invented a device 519 00:26:31,398 --> 00:26:34,066 that he thinks can change motoring forever -- 520 00:26:34,068 --> 00:26:37,469 a turn-by-turn navigation system. 521 00:26:37,604 --> 00:26:40,239 He calls it the Jones Live Map. 522 00:26:42,810 --> 00:26:44,877 The small, circular contraption 523 00:26:44,912 --> 00:26:46,945 sits on the car's dashboard 524 00:26:46,981 --> 00:26:49,681 and is connected to the car's odometer. 525 00:26:49,683 --> 00:26:52,217 The driver places a paper disc 526 00:26:52,286 --> 00:26:54,019 with step-by-step directions 527 00:26:54,154 --> 00:26:56,621 from one pre-determined point to another 528 00:26:56,690 --> 00:26:58,424 on to the device. 529 00:26:58,559 --> 00:27:00,759 At the start of the journey, the driver reads 530 00:27:00,828 --> 00:27:03,762 the first set of directions from the disc. 531 00:27:03,897 --> 00:27:07,900 As the car motors along, the disc slowly rotates. 532 00:27:08,035 --> 00:27:10,769 At a certain point, after a specific number of miles 533 00:27:10,771 --> 00:27:11,904 have been completed, 534 00:27:12,039 --> 00:27:13,639 an arrow on the device lines 535 00:27:13,774 --> 00:27:15,574 up with a new set of instructions 536 00:27:15,576 --> 00:27:17,642 that are printed on the disc. 537 00:27:17,678 --> 00:27:19,911 The driver then follows those directions, 538 00:27:19,947 --> 00:27:23,381 and so on, until he reaches his destination. 539 00:27:23,417 --> 00:27:25,584 Each disc is able to provide directions 540 00:27:25,653 --> 00:27:27,986 for a trip up to 100 miles. 541 00:27:27,988 --> 00:27:30,388 For longer journeys, the driver simply pops 542 00:27:30,458 --> 00:27:33,191 in another paper disc. 543 00:27:33,260 --> 00:27:35,393 Jones thinks it's foolproof. 544 00:27:35,429 --> 00:27:37,196 Jones must have some inkling 545 00:27:37,198 --> 00:27:40,632 that he's really about to transform navigation. 546 00:27:44,138 --> 00:27:47,139 WILDMAN: In 1912, Jones puts his device on the market 547 00:27:47,274 --> 00:27:50,341 for a whopping $75. 548 00:27:50,377 --> 00:27:54,813 Despite the high cost, drivers love it. 549 00:27:54,882 --> 00:27:58,683 For the first time, drivers had reliable navigation. 550 00:27:58,752 --> 00:28:01,219 WILDMAN: With no other device like it on the market, 551 00:28:01,288 --> 00:28:03,889 it seems that Jones will dominate navigation 552 00:28:03,891 --> 00:28:06,225 on America's roads for years to come. 553 00:28:06,360 --> 00:28:08,360 Jones was ecstatic that his map 554 00:28:08,495 --> 00:28:10,162 was such a huge success. 555 00:28:12,500 --> 00:28:14,366 WILDMAN: But little does the inventor know, 556 00:28:14,501 --> 00:28:17,569 his device is about to lose its way. 557 00:28:28,812 --> 00:28:31,212 It's 1912 in New York. 558 00:28:31,248 --> 00:28:33,081 Inventor J.W. Jones 559 00:28:33,117 --> 00:28:37,018 has created something that will change automobiles forever -- 560 00:28:37,087 --> 00:28:39,621 a turn-by-turn navigation device 561 00:28:39,756 --> 00:28:43,425 that he calls the Jones Live Map. 562 00:28:43,494 --> 00:28:45,560 But Jones is about to hit a bump in the road 563 00:28:45,629 --> 00:28:47,629 that he never saw coming. 564 00:28:49,667 --> 00:28:52,700 In the 1920s, city governments across the nation 565 00:28:52,736 --> 00:28:56,705 start to install road signs at intersections. 566 00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:00,775 In 1926, the federal government organizes America's roadways 567 00:29:00,845 --> 00:29:03,845 even further with a system of numbers. 568 00:29:03,914 --> 00:29:07,382 For drivers, these developments are a godsend, 569 00:29:07,418 --> 00:29:11,586 but for Jones and his live map, they're a disaster. 570 00:29:11,589 --> 00:29:14,256 Companies across the nation produce printed maps 571 00:29:14,325 --> 00:29:17,192 of the nation's highways and byways, 572 00:29:17,194 --> 00:29:18,927 and instead of paying top dollar 573 00:29:18,929 --> 00:29:21,396 for a complicated navigation device, 574 00:29:21,432 --> 00:29:25,934 motorists prefer the convenience and cheap price of paper maps. 575 00:29:26,069 --> 00:29:29,204 The Jones Live Map eventually became obsolete. 576 00:29:32,009 --> 00:29:35,543 WILDMAN: Jones has no choice but to shut down his business. 577 00:29:35,579 --> 00:29:37,345 But this is not the end of the road 578 00:29:37,414 --> 00:29:41,082 for the Jones Live Map. 579 00:29:41,151 --> 00:29:42,550 In the early 2000s, 580 00:29:42,620 --> 00:29:46,888 turn-by-turn navigation systems make an epic comeback. 581 00:29:47,024 --> 00:29:49,691 Using an array of 24 satellites known 582 00:29:49,727 --> 00:29:51,560 as the global positioning system, 583 00:29:51,695 --> 00:29:53,161 or G.P.S., 584 00:29:53,297 --> 00:29:56,497 a slew of digital devices hits the market, 585 00:29:56,533 --> 00:30:00,101 making paper maps virtually obsolete. 586 00:30:00,137 --> 00:30:03,571 The Jones Live Map was the precursor to the G.P.S. 587 00:30:03,607 --> 00:30:05,974 that we couldn't live without today. 588 00:30:06,010 --> 00:30:09,711 G.P.S.: Stay on route 76. 589 00:30:09,846 --> 00:30:11,479 WILDMAN: And this Jones Live Map 590 00:30:11,482 --> 00:30:14,382 on display at The Museum of Science and Industry 591 00:30:14,418 --> 00:30:15,717 allows a glimpse 592 00:30:15,753 --> 00:30:17,386 into the ingenious invention 593 00:30:17,388 --> 00:30:20,756 that was almost 100 years ahead of its time. 594 00:30:25,929 --> 00:30:28,130 Nashville, Tennessee. 595 00:30:28,265 --> 00:30:29,798 This Southern metropolis 596 00:30:29,867 --> 00:30:33,668 is home to a full-scale replica of the ancient Greek Parthenon, 597 00:30:33,737 --> 00:30:35,937 so it's only fitting that the city 598 00:30:35,939 --> 00:30:39,340 is nicknamed "the Athens of the South." 599 00:30:39,376 --> 00:30:41,877 And near the outskirts of town is an institution 600 00:30:42,012 --> 00:30:46,748 that celebrates a more modern slice of history -- 601 00:30:46,750 --> 00:30:48,550 the Lane Motor Museum. 602 00:30:50,087 --> 00:30:53,421 Dedicated to the history of European sports vehicles, 603 00:30:53,490 --> 00:30:55,757 the museum's collection includes 604 00:30:55,892 --> 00:31:00,628 a coal-powered French Citroen from 1938... 605 00:31:00,697 --> 00:31:03,498 a 1932 propeller-driven automobile 606 00:31:03,633 --> 00:31:05,901 called the Helicron... 607 00:31:06,036 --> 00:31:07,302 and the Autocanoe, 608 00:31:07,371 --> 00:31:10,772 a pedal-powered amphibious vehicle from 2005. 609 00:31:13,911 --> 00:31:17,846 And parked among these unusual vehicles, 610 00:31:17,915 --> 00:31:20,315 one machine stands out. 611 00:31:20,450 --> 00:31:24,052 GRUNDHAUSER: It's about 70 inches long, stands about 30 inches high, 612 00:31:24,187 --> 00:31:26,388 and is only 30 inches wide. 613 00:31:26,390 --> 00:31:29,324 It's a sleek, clean white, and it has three wheels. 614 00:31:32,262 --> 00:31:34,929 WILDMAN: This trike recalls the tumultuous tale 615 00:31:34,999 --> 00:31:36,731 of a little-known inventor 616 00:31:36,767 --> 00:31:39,401 whose vision was way ahead of its time. 617 00:31:39,536 --> 00:31:42,604 GRUNDHAUSER: This vehicle tells the story of a man who was willing 618 00:31:42,739 --> 00:31:44,473 to put his reputation on the line 619 00:31:44,608 --> 00:31:46,875 to improve the lives of thousands. 620 00:31:53,150 --> 00:31:55,684 WILDMAN: It's the 1970s. 621 00:31:55,819 --> 00:31:58,353 The world is in the grip of a gas crisis. 622 00:31:58,488 --> 00:32:00,422 Political turmoil in the Middle East 623 00:32:00,491 --> 00:32:03,291 combined with increasing demand 624 00:32:03,327 --> 00:32:06,695 have caused prices at the pump to skyrocket. 625 00:32:06,764 --> 00:32:09,230 As a result, the heavy, gas-guzzling vehicles 626 00:32:09,299 --> 00:32:11,033 produced by the motor industry 627 00:32:11,168 --> 00:32:13,335 are becoming too expensive to operate, 628 00:32:13,337 --> 00:32:16,571 and the public is looking for an automotive answer. 629 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,574 Something had to be done. 630 00:32:19,610 --> 00:32:23,111 WILDMAN: One man steps forward who thinks he can help -- 631 00:32:23,113 --> 00:32:25,981 a 40-year-old British inventor and entrepreneur 632 00:32:26,116 --> 00:32:28,449 named Sir Clive Sinclair. 633 00:32:28,519 --> 00:32:31,920 Sinclair was a pioneer, a genius. 634 00:32:31,989 --> 00:32:35,190 He'd been inventing from a very young age. 635 00:32:35,325 --> 00:32:36,791 WILDMAN: After making a name for himself 636 00:32:36,827 --> 00:32:38,727 in the consumer-electronics industry, 637 00:32:38,729 --> 00:32:41,796 Sinclair believes he can use his expertise 638 00:32:41,799 --> 00:32:44,599 to wean the country off oil for good. 639 00:32:47,471 --> 00:32:51,239 One of Sinclair's passions was to make things smaller. 640 00:32:51,275 --> 00:32:53,275 He'd created a smaller calculator. 641 00:32:53,277 --> 00:32:55,243 He'd created a smaller television. 642 00:32:55,345 --> 00:32:58,346 The next logical step was a smaller vehicle. 643 00:32:58,415 --> 00:33:00,348 What Sinclair wanted was no less 644 00:33:00,417 --> 00:33:03,285 than a transportation revolution. 645 00:33:03,287 --> 00:33:07,088 WILDMAN: For years, Sinclair pours himself into the project. 646 00:33:07,224 --> 00:33:11,092 Then, in 1985, he makes a big announcement. 647 00:33:11,128 --> 00:33:14,229 He has created a three-wheeled vehicle that runs 648 00:33:14,298 --> 00:33:17,966 on a combination of pedal power and electricity. 649 00:33:17,968 --> 00:33:21,369 Its name -- the Sinclair C5, 650 00:33:21,505 --> 00:33:23,972 the same vehicle that is now on display 651 00:33:23,974 --> 00:33:25,707 at the Lane Motor Museum. 652 00:33:25,709 --> 00:33:27,976 GRUNDHAUSER: Sinclair's final design ended up being a mash-up 653 00:33:28,078 --> 00:33:29,978 of all sorts of different influences. 654 00:33:30,047 --> 00:33:33,448 Over here, it's part bicycle. Over here, it's part car. 655 00:33:33,517 --> 00:33:37,519 All around, it's sort of a new, futuristic transportation pod. 656 00:33:40,324 --> 00:33:43,257 WILDMAN: It seems that the C5 will solve the problems 657 00:33:43,293 --> 00:33:47,395 posed by high gas prices in one fell swoop. 658 00:33:47,531 --> 00:33:50,665 Sinclair explains the key is the vehicle's battery, 659 00:33:50,734 --> 00:33:52,934 which can be charged at home. 660 00:33:53,003 --> 00:33:55,870 At the time, this was a hugely novel idea. 661 00:33:55,873 --> 00:33:59,341 You could just bring the C5 home and plug in the battery. 662 00:33:59,343 --> 00:34:00,876 You're ready to go. 663 00:34:03,313 --> 00:34:05,279 WILDMAN: In January 1985, 664 00:34:05,315 --> 00:34:07,883 Sinclair arranges for a public demonstration 665 00:34:07,885 --> 00:34:10,085 of the C5 in London. 666 00:34:10,220 --> 00:34:11,686 GRUNDHAUSER: Sinclair very much believed 667 00:34:11,822 --> 00:34:14,355 that the public would just be immediately on board 668 00:34:14,391 --> 00:34:15,690 the minute it was unveiled. 669 00:34:15,825 --> 00:34:18,226 WILDMAN: But the ingenious inventor has forgotten 670 00:34:18,361 --> 00:34:19,961 one important detail 671 00:34:20,096 --> 00:34:22,764 that will doom his novel vehicle. 672 00:34:22,899 --> 00:34:25,967 What fatal flaw will hit the brakes on the C5? 673 00:34:27,704 --> 00:34:28,904 [ Crowd gasps ] 674 00:34:38,582 --> 00:34:42,384 It's January 1985 in England. 675 00:34:42,519 --> 00:34:45,253 An eccentric inventor named Clive Sinclair 676 00:34:45,255 --> 00:34:48,323 has come up with a groundbreaking electric vehicle 677 00:34:48,392 --> 00:34:51,726 that he claims will transform the way people travel. 678 00:34:51,762 --> 00:34:54,595 But this British entrepreneur has forgotten 679 00:34:54,665 --> 00:34:56,331 one important thing. 680 00:34:58,935 --> 00:35:01,002 On a frigid January morning, 681 00:35:01,004 --> 00:35:05,674 Sinclair brings several C5s to London's Alexandra Park 682 00:35:05,676 --> 00:35:08,943 and lets members of the press take them for a drive. 683 00:35:08,979 --> 00:35:12,413 He's sure he has a hit on his hands. 684 00:35:12,449 --> 00:35:14,949 But as soon as the demonstration begins, 685 00:35:14,985 --> 00:35:18,486 it's clear Sinclair has miscalculated. 686 00:35:18,555 --> 00:35:22,090 He's forgotten to factor in the notorious British weather. 687 00:35:24,728 --> 00:35:26,894 Not only does the car's open design 688 00:35:26,964 --> 00:35:30,832 expose its passengers to freezing temperatures, 689 00:35:30,967 --> 00:35:34,068 the batteries run down quickly in the cold. 690 00:35:34,104 --> 00:35:36,070 GRUNDHAUSER: The experience for the assembled press 691 00:35:36,205 --> 00:35:38,773 was almost uniformly negative. 692 00:35:38,842 --> 00:35:42,844 They looked at Sinclair's invention as a titanic folly. 693 00:35:45,916 --> 00:35:48,249 WILDMAN: Despite the tumultuous debut, 694 00:35:48,318 --> 00:35:51,920 Sinclair puts the C5s on the open market. 695 00:35:52,055 --> 00:35:53,855 He racks up a few sales, 696 00:35:53,924 --> 00:35:57,926 but the negative reviews continue to pour in. 697 00:35:58,061 --> 00:36:01,395 People complain that it leaves them exposed to the weather, 698 00:36:01,431 --> 00:36:03,931 and it also feels unsafe. 699 00:36:03,967 --> 00:36:06,801 The C5 was a lot of fun to drive, 700 00:36:06,903 --> 00:36:11,806 but the thought of taking it into traffic was pretty scary. 701 00:36:11,842 --> 00:36:14,075 WILDMAN: Others report that the open canopy 702 00:36:14,111 --> 00:36:17,145 lets in foul-smelling exhaust fumes. 703 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:19,280 It put their faces directly level 704 00:36:19,316 --> 00:36:23,351 with the exhaust pipes of any standard-size vehicle. 705 00:36:23,420 --> 00:36:27,755 WILDMAN: Sinclair's venture is a total failure. 706 00:36:27,824 --> 00:36:30,625 Tragically, Sinclair had turned from a visionary 707 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:32,427 into a laughingstock. 708 00:36:32,429 --> 00:36:34,362 Among the reviews, some described it 709 00:36:34,398 --> 00:36:36,831 as an aerodynamic bathtub 710 00:36:36,833 --> 00:36:40,301 and an oversized electric skateboard. 711 00:36:40,304 --> 00:36:42,704 It must have been devastating. 712 00:36:42,773 --> 00:36:47,108 WILDMAN: Sinclair's company is forced to file for bankruptcy. 713 00:36:47,177 --> 00:36:50,244 But while the C5 was a flop, his vision 714 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:53,381 for clean, electric-powered automobiles lives on, 715 00:36:53,450 --> 00:36:57,785 from the Tesla Model S to the Chevy Volt. 716 00:36:57,788 --> 00:37:00,188 There are now more than 1 million electric cars 717 00:37:00,257 --> 00:37:01,389 on the road. 718 00:37:01,458 --> 00:37:03,791 Transportation is naturally growing towards 719 00:37:03,860 --> 00:37:05,593 Sinclair's vision. 720 00:37:05,729 --> 00:37:08,262 WILDMAN: As for Sinclair, he continues to develop 721 00:37:08,298 --> 00:37:10,198 other energy-saving vehicles. 722 00:37:12,536 --> 00:37:15,670 Today, this Sinclair C5 is on display 723 00:37:15,739 --> 00:37:19,407 at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. 724 00:37:19,409 --> 00:37:21,476 It recalls the forward-thinking inventor 725 00:37:21,611 --> 00:37:23,778 who charged ahead of his time. 726 00:37:27,951 --> 00:37:30,551 Alamogordo, New Mexico. 727 00:37:30,587 --> 00:37:34,756 This remote desert community is home to the other-worldly dunes 728 00:37:34,758 --> 00:37:37,092 of White Sands National Monument. 729 00:37:37,227 --> 00:37:40,361 But on the edge of town stands an institution 730 00:37:40,363 --> 00:37:44,499 documenting man's quest to reach another alien landscape -- 731 00:37:44,568 --> 00:37:47,135 the New Mexico Museum of Space History. 732 00:37:48,972 --> 00:37:52,840 Here visitors can see an AJ10 Delta rocket engine, 733 00:37:52,876 --> 00:37:56,578 an astronaut's portable life-support system, 734 00:37:56,713 --> 00:38:00,515 and a meteor-detecting satellite. 735 00:38:00,517 --> 00:38:02,517 But one device 736 00:38:02,519 --> 00:38:05,120 was intended to never leave the ground. 737 00:38:05,255 --> 00:38:08,323 The artifact is about 30 feet long, 738 00:38:08,458 --> 00:38:11,659 about 10 feet wide, and about 7 feet tall. 739 00:38:11,695 --> 00:38:13,327 It's red, it's white, it's black. 740 00:38:13,396 --> 00:38:16,264 WILDMAN: The person who piloted this apparatus 741 00:38:16,266 --> 00:38:18,533 led some of the most groundbreaking 742 00:38:18,602 --> 00:38:21,736 and life-threatening experiments of the 20th Century. 743 00:38:21,805 --> 00:38:24,539 This is a man who repeatedly put his life on the line 744 00:38:24,608 --> 00:38:26,474 to help save the lives of others. 745 00:38:26,510 --> 00:38:30,278 WILDMAN: So, who drove this dangerous contraption, 746 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:34,249 and how did it revolutionize the way Americans travel? 747 00:38:36,386 --> 00:38:41,890 December 1947 -- Muroc Army Airfield, California. 748 00:38:41,892 --> 00:38:46,360 Medical officer and biophysicist John Paul Stapp 749 00:38:46,396 --> 00:38:49,296 is staring down a high-octane challenge -- 750 00:38:49,332 --> 00:38:52,099 saving the lives of American jet pilots. 751 00:38:52,135 --> 00:38:55,637 New cutting-edge military aircraft 752 00:38:55,639 --> 00:38:59,841 are capable of traveling at upwards of 650 miles per hour, 753 00:38:59,976 --> 00:39:03,978 but if a pilot is forced to eject midair at that speed, 754 00:39:04,014 --> 00:39:07,715 the rapid force of deceleration ravages their body. 755 00:39:07,851 --> 00:39:09,650 ORWOLL: The common belief at the time 756 00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:12,987 was that the human body could not endure more than 18 Gs of force 757 00:39:13,056 --> 00:39:15,656 and that ejections at speeds above 600 miles an hour 758 00:39:15,725 --> 00:39:17,125 would be fatal. 759 00:39:17,127 --> 00:39:20,728 WILDMAN: Stapp suspects that with the proper equipment, 760 00:39:20,730 --> 00:39:24,198 pilots actually can withstand this force, 761 00:39:24,267 --> 00:39:26,401 so he and his team set about developing 762 00:39:26,536 --> 00:39:28,136 cutting-edge harnesses 763 00:39:28,271 --> 00:39:31,472 that will better brace pilots during ejection. 764 00:39:31,508 --> 00:39:36,344 To put their design to the test, they build a rocket-powered sled 765 00:39:36,413 --> 00:39:40,014 equipped with hydraulic brakes designed to run along a track. 766 00:39:40,149 --> 00:39:42,350 The rocket sled is a large metal structure that is 767 00:39:42,419 --> 00:39:45,753 attached via rails to a set of railroad ties, 768 00:39:45,889 --> 00:39:48,489 and then you're gonna attach rockets to the back of it, 769 00:39:48,491 --> 00:39:50,558 and you're gonna shoot it down those standard 770 00:39:50,693 --> 00:39:53,027 railway rails, so it can accelerate 771 00:39:53,029 --> 00:39:55,563 and then decelerate at very high speed. 772 00:39:55,632 --> 00:39:57,898 WILDMAN: After months of preparation, 773 00:39:57,934 --> 00:40:01,969 the team employs a dummy in initial trials. 774 00:40:02,038 --> 00:40:04,171 While results seem promising, 775 00:40:04,207 --> 00:40:06,507 the test conditions are less than ideal. 776 00:40:06,576 --> 00:40:09,110 ORWOLL: They needed to show what the results were 777 00:40:09,245 --> 00:40:11,045 of testing on the human body. 778 00:40:11,047 --> 00:40:13,781 WILDMAN: So, later that year, 779 00:40:13,916 --> 00:40:17,185 Stapp makes a stunning announcement. 780 00:40:17,187 --> 00:40:18,786 He was gonna be putting himself on the sled 781 00:40:18,788 --> 00:40:20,054 to be the test dummy. 782 00:40:20,090 --> 00:40:22,856 WILDMAN: While colleagues try to convince their leader 783 00:40:22,893 --> 00:40:25,727 to let someone else play human guinea pig, 784 00:40:25,729 --> 00:40:27,595 Stapp is steadfast. 785 00:40:27,597 --> 00:40:30,131 ORWOLL: Dr. Stapp knew that he needed a human 786 00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:33,067 test subject -- he also was the kind of individual 787 00:40:33,136 --> 00:40:35,470 who knew that he wanted to ride it first 788 00:40:35,472 --> 00:40:37,805 before he asked somebody else to do it. 789 00:40:37,841 --> 00:40:42,209 If anything went wrong, the results could be fatal. 790 00:40:42,245 --> 00:40:44,812 WILDMAN: Stapp dons the protective harness, 791 00:40:44,814 --> 00:40:47,482 and his team watches anxiously. 792 00:40:48,918 --> 00:40:50,218 They ignite the rocket engines, 793 00:40:50,353 --> 00:40:53,021 sending their leader zooming down the track. 794 00:40:53,156 --> 00:40:55,156 The dead silence of the desert 795 00:40:55,291 --> 00:40:57,425 was broken by a pretty loud roar 796 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:00,428 as that rocket engine lit off on the back of the sled 797 00:41:00,430 --> 00:41:02,563 with Colonel Stapp sitting on it. 798 00:41:02,632 --> 00:41:06,100 WILDMAN: Then, they abruptly engage the brakes. 799 00:41:06,235 --> 00:41:08,703 To the team's great relief, 800 00:41:08,772 --> 00:41:11,305 Stapp has survived the sudden impact. 801 00:41:11,341 --> 00:41:14,642 ORWOLL: And he climbed off the sled unscathed 802 00:41:14,777 --> 00:41:15,776 and ready to do it again. 803 00:41:15,845 --> 00:41:17,512 WILDMAN: Tests reveal 804 00:41:17,514 --> 00:41:21,382 that Stapp endured a stunning 18 Gs of force, 805 00:41:21,451 --> 00:41:24,051 once thought to be the lethal limit. 806 00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:26,654 But the daredevil is not satisfied. 807 00:41:26,789 --> 00:41:28,789 To truly replicate the conditions 808 00:41:28,825 --> 00:41:30,657 of ejecting from a jet, 809 00:41:30,694 --> 00:41:34,996 he must subject himself to even greater speeds and risks, 810 00:41:34,998 --> 00:41:38,533 and he'll need a more powerful vehicle to do it. 811 00:41:38,668 --> 00:41:42,003 For Dr. Stapp to be able to develop harnesses 812 00:41:42,138 --> 00:41:44,939 and cockpits that would be able to withstand the high G forces 813 00:41:45,074 --> 00:41:47,208 that might be experienced by a pilot traveling 814 00:41:47,343 --> 00:41:49,209 at 600 miles an hour, he was gonna need 815 00:41:49,245 --> 00:41:52,213 a whole new sled that could go a lot faster. 816 00:41:52,282 --> 00:41:55,550 WILDMAN: So, engineers at New Mexico's Holloman Air Force Base 817 00:41:55,552 --> 00:41:58,886 set about constructing a more powerful sled. 818 00:41:58,955 --> 00:42:00,221 The new model, 819 00:42:00,223 --> 00:42:03,624 on display at the New Mexico Museum of Space History, 820 00:42:03,660 --> 00:42:06,427 is dubbed Sonic Wind Number 1. 821 00:42:06,562 --> 00:42:11,432 It can reach the unprecedented speed of 650 miles an hour 822 00:42:11,501 --> 00:42:16,036 and decelerate to a dead stop in just over a second. 823 00:42:16,072 --> 00:42:18,105 Even if the harnesses hold up, 824 00:42:18,108 --> 00:42:21,775 no one knows whether the human body can withstand 825 00:42:21,811 --> 00:42:25,112 this potentially organ-crushing force. 826 00:42:25,148 --> 00:42:27,048 They thought that they might have a casualty, 827 00:42:27,050 --> 00:42:29,183 a potential death on the test track. 828 00:42:29,252 --> 00:42:33,154 WILDMAN: Can John Paul Stapp survive this terrifying run? 828 00:42:34,305 --> 00:43:34,869 Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE www.osdb.link/lm