1 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,914 We live in an exciting time in human history, 2 00:00:20,914 --> 00:00:23,223 a time when the world has never been smaller, 3 00:00:25,632 --> 00:00:26,890 a time when we can drive 4 00:00:29,510 --> 00:00:30,343 sail 5 00:00:31,500 --> 00:00:32,350 and fly 6 00:00:33,300 --> 00:00:34,683 to almost anywhere. 7 00:00:36,430 --> 00:00:38,283 We can even leave our planet. 8 00:00:45,700 --> 00:00:46,893 How did this happen? 9 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:49,350 This is the incredible story 10 00:00:50,210 --> 00:00:53,803 of our civilization's ceaseless desire to move. 11 00:00:59,820 --> 00:01:01,130 I'm Sean Riley. 12 00:01:01,130 --> 00:01:03,303 I've always been fascinated by speed. 13 00:01:05,510 --> 00:01:06,910 Come with me on a journey 14 00:01:09,010 --> 00:01:10,300 to better understand 15 00:01:10,300 --> 00:01:11,983 the game-changing engineering, 16 00:01:13,270 --> 00:01:14,551 courageous innovators. 17 00:01:14,551 --> 00:01:16,720 Oh God, it really fights ya. 18 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:18,710 And the machines that take us further 19 00:01:20,470 --> 00:01:23,040 higher and above all 20 00:01:24,106 --> 00:01:24,939 faster. 21 00:01:38,060 --> 00:01:40,780 Speeding over the earth's vast oceans 22 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:45,223 has shaped humanity. 23 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,733 It's led us to discover new lands, 24 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,110 interconnect cultures 25 00:01:56,810 --> 00:01:58,883 and globalize our planet. 26 00:02:04,010 --> 00:02:06,653 Our civilization developed on land. 27 00:02:08,630 --> 00:02:10,340 But in terms of speed 28 00:02:10,340 --> 00:02:12,090 we learned to conquer the oceans 29 00:02:12,090 --> 00:02:14,903 long before we spread across the continents. 30 00:02:20,416 --> 00:02:21,510 Whoo! 31 00:02:21,510 --> 00:02:22,360 Now we're movin'. 32 00:02:24,260 --> 00:02:25,770 Thanks to the ingenuity 33 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:27,690 and bravery 34 00:02:30,030 --> 00:02:31,883 of intrepid pioneers. 35 00:02:34,820 --> 00:02:38,573 This is exploration at it's greatest, 36 00:02:42,420 --> 00:02:47,420 the epic story of traveling ever faster over the waves. 37 00:02:56,110 --> 00:02:59,923 The journey begins at the dawn of humanity. 38 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,800 You stand on the beach and look out over the water 39 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,650 and it is impossible not to feel something in your heart, 40 00:03:13,490 --> 00:03:16,630 awe, excitement, fear. 41 00:03:16,630 --> 00:03:18,700 Now, imagine how our ancestors must have felt 42 00:03:18,700 --> 00:03:22,040 not knowing what or if anything was out there. 43 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:24,253 Must have been pretty scary. 44 00:03:25,220 --> 00:03:27,840 Some people say space is the final frontier today. 45 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,763 But back then this was the ultimate frontier. 46 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:35,430 And leaving the safety of land 47 00:03:35,430 --> 00:03:37,260 heading out into the unknown 48 00:03:37,260 --> 00:03:38,580 it had to have been terrifying. 49 00:03:38,580 --> 00:03:42,053 It must have felt like any journey could be your last. 50 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,823 But brave the oceans they did. 51 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,610 Archeological evidence suggests our ancestors 52 00:03:59,610 --> 00:04:04,143 were capable of building boats up to 800,000 years ago. 53 00:04:06,010 --> 00:04:09,497 The wheel was invented less than 6,000 years ago. 54 00:04:15,570 --> 00:04:20,020 Not surprisingly, the first boats are relatively simple. 55 00:04:20,020 --> 00:04:22,743 They're just logs lashed together to make a raft. 56 00:04:26,630 --> 00:04:28,890 But venturing out onto the ocean 57 00:04:28,890 --> 00:04:30,390 with no idea what's out there, 58 00:04:31,350 --> 00:04:34,323 that required humans to develop something more complex. 59 00:04:38,050 --> 00:04:39,540 And a great example of one of those 60 00:04:39,540 --> 00:04:42,743 early ocean going vessels is right here in Hawai'i. 61 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,143 Over 1,500 years ago humans first reach Hawai'i. 62 00:04:54,050 --> 00:04:57,160 How they did it it is one of the greatest stories 63 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:58,653 of maritime exploration. 64 00:05:02,170 --> 00:05:04,410 The volcanic chain of Hawai'ian islands 65 00:05:04,410 --> 00:05:06,883 is one of the most remote places on earth. 66 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,680 But it's here in the Marquesas Islands 67 00:05:13,650 --> 00:05:16,010 that the Polynesians are said to have begun 68 00:05:16,010 --> 00:05:19,400 their incredible 2,000 mile journey to Hawai'i 69 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:26,433 a voyage as epic as it is courageous. 70 00:05:37,580 --> 00:05:40,870 Why they set sail is still a mystery. 71 00:05:40,870 --> 00:05:42,943 Maybe their islands are overpopulated, 72 00:05:44,090 --> 00:05:46,373 maybe it's just out of curiosity. 73 00:06:04,711 --> 00:06:07,940 Being out here, sailing with no motor on board 74 00:06:07,940 --> 00:06:10,067 you just have the sound of the waves 75 00:06:10,067 --> 00:06:12,683 and the wind in the sails, it's lovely. 76 00:06:18,090 --> 00:06:19,810 But I know that standing here on deck 77 00:06:19,810 --> 00:06:23,070 I'm just getting a taste of what it must have been like 78 00:06:23,070 --> 00:06:24,700 to stand on a canoe and watch 79 00:06:24,700 --> 00:06:27,750 your home island sink over the horizon 80 00:06:27,750 --> 00:06:29,850 knowing that you might never see it again. 81 00:06:31,852 --> 00:06:34,685 (upbeat drumming) 82 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:47,213 Building a fast boat is critical for the Polynesians. 83 00:06:49,340 --> 00:06:52,880 With no idea if they'll find any land 84 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:54,970 and with limited supplies 85 00:06:54,970 --> 00:06:57,190 these early sailors know 86 00:06:57,190 --> 00:06:59,090 traveling quickly will give them 87 00:06:59,090 --> 00:07:00,803 the best chance of survival. 88 00:07:06,190 --> 00:07:07,970 To achieve the speeds they need 89 00:07:10,250 --> 00:07:11,670 the Polynesian boat builders 90 00:07:11,670 --> 00:07:14,110 develop a vessel with two hulls 91 00:07:19,410 --> 00:07:21,173 known as a catamaran. 92 00:07:24,020 --> 00:07:26,490 Catamarans are fast. 93 00:07:26,490 --> 00:07:30,653 They sit high in the water radically reducing drag. 94 00:07:33,060 --> 00:07:37,033 Working together the two hulls also increase stability. 95 00:07:39,370 --> 00:07:42,550 So the Polynesians can push their boats to the edge 96 00:07:42,550 --> 00:07:44,323 even in the roughest of seas. 97 00:07:51,010 --> 00:07:52,410 The vessel's very different. 98 00:07:52,410 --> 00:07:54,360 She sails really nicely. 99 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,055 You're open to the elements all the time. 100 00:07:57,055 --> 00:07:57,888 Yeah. 101 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:01,410 We love her, ya know. 102 00:08:03,804 --> 00:08:05,140 We're going pretty good. 103 00:08:05,140 --> 00:08:06,360 How fast are we going? 104 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,640 Earlier we were going like 6 1/2 knots. 105 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:10,520 But know that we're going off the wind 106 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,703 we're going about four knots. Yeah. 107 00:08:15,370 --> 00:08:16,820 Turned around, came about 108 00:08:16,820 --> 00:08:19,160 and the wind filled the sails from the other direction 109 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,360 and we just started sailing off beautifully. 110 00:08:23,700 --> 00:08:26,640 It's a dry boat, it handles really well and it's fast. 111 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:28,870 It's a testament to the original builders. 112 00:08:28,870 --> 00:08:30,200 I mean, they knew what they were doing. 113 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:31,236 Oh they knew what they were doing. 114 00:08:31,236 --> 00:08:32,403 Yeah. Yeah. 115 00:08:37,230 --> 00:08:39,560 With limited island resources 116 00:08:39,560 --> 00:08:42,350 the Polynesians come up with an inventive way 117 00:08:42,350 --> 00:08:45,253 of constructing their extraordinary vessels. 118 00:08:46,500 --> 00:08:48,860 With no nails or screws 119 00:08:48,860 --> 00:08:52,073 they use only rope to hold their boats together. 120 00:08:52,940 --> 00:08:57,163 The word catamaran actually means, tied wood. 121 00:08:59,510 --> 00:09:00,860 So there's no nails, there's no fasteners. 122 00:09:00,860 --> 00:09:02,780 There's no nails. On the whole canoe. 123 00:09:02,780 --> 00:09:04,190 There's over six miles of lashing 124 00:09:04,190 --> 00:09:06,300 holding all these pieces together. 125 00:09:06,300 --> 00:09:08,220 And if you went with a knife and you started cutting it 126 00:09:08,220 --> 00:09:09,670 it would just all fall apart. 127 00:09:10,550 --> 00:09:13,693 I won't do that. (Bruce laughing) 128 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,880 Drawing on the Polynesian's inspired boat design 129 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:21,700 modern day catamarans 130 00:09:21,700 --> 00:09:24,793 are capable of reaching astonishing speeds. 131 00:09:28,990 --> 00:09:31,160 Sailing at over 50 miles per hour 132 00:09:32,020 --> 00:09:33,930 these hyper-tuned multi-hulls 133 00:09:33,930 --> 00:09:36,873 are traveling almost three times the wind speed, 134 00:09:39,770 --> 00:09:42,513 a feat made possible by high tech sails, 135 00:09:43,700 --> 00:09:46,023 engineered to optimize the force of the wind. 136 00:09:54,870 --> 00:09:57,570 With hulls honed to keep drag to a minimum 137 00:09:58,410 --> 00:10:02,410 these technological marvels literally fly over the water 138 00:10:04,180 --> 00:10:06,220 accelerating far faster 139 00:10:06,220 --> 00:10:08,130 than the wind that's propelling them. 140 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:27,530 The Polynesian's breakthrough in catamaran design 141 00:10:27,530 --> 00:10:31,873 opens up the vast Pacific to their intrepid sailors. 142 00:10:38,550 --> 00:10:41,430 They stock their fast, stable craft 143 00:10:41,430 --> 00:10:45,040 with sweet potatoes, nuts and livestock. 144 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:47,230 And around the third century 145 00:10:47,230 --> 00:10:50,063 the Polynesian migration begins. 146 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:54,280 Over a period of 800 years 147 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:55,859 Polynesian sailors explore 148 00:10:55,859 --> 00:10:59,570 over 10 million square miles of ocean 149 00:11:01,470 --> 00:11:05,163 and settle on every habitable island in the Pacific. 150 00:11:07,660 --> 00:11:10,300 On land, settling a comparable area 151 00:11:10,300 --> 00:11:13,453 takes humanity tens of thousands of years. 152 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:17,640 Going on a journey like that seems terrifying to us 153 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,810 because it is the unknown to us, it's a scary place. 154 00:11:20,810 --> 00:11:24,160 But for these people they lived on the ocean. 155 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:25,820 That's right, they were oceanic people. 156 00:11:25,820 --> 00:11:28,930 They had the skill and the knowledge and the courage 157 00:11:28,930 --> 00:11:31,283 to keep going over the horizon. 158 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:34,760 The speed with which the Polynesians 159 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:36,980 traversed the open water 160 00:11:36,980 --> 00:11:40,753 allows them to peacefully migrate across the Pacific. 161 00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:50,340 But for other seafarers 162 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,110 swift moving vessels 163 00:11:54,110 --> 00:11:56,973 are used for another reason entirely, 164 00:11:59,210 --> 00:12:00,043 war. 165 00:12:04,820 --> 00:12:08,180 The sight of a Viking ship approaching your coastline, 166 00:12:08,180 --> 00:12:09,380 that'd be enough to strike terror 167 00:12:09,380 --> 00:12:11,530 into the heart of even the bravest warrior. 168 00:12:13,700 --> 00:12:16,720 In popular culture, the Vikings of Europe 169 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:19,243 are branded as Barbarian raiders. 170 00:12:20,470 --> 00:12:21,750 But they're also arguably 171 00:12:21,750 --> 00:12:23,870 one of the greatest seafaring civilizations 172 00:12:23,870 --> 00:12:25,020 the world has ever seen 173 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:30,790 whose ships set a new benchmark 174 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:32,553 for speed. 175 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,400 I've come aboard the Saga Oseberg 176 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:45,803 an exact copy of a Viking ship. 177 00:12:48,817 --> 00:12:51,560 That's over 300 pounds of sail going up right there. 178 00:12:51,560 --> 00:12:52,810 Putting it up with the wind blowing 179 00:12:52,810 --> 00:12:54,180 takes the entire crew. 180 00:13:01,410 --> 00:13:04,430 The innovative design of these huge sails 181 00:13:06,060 --> 00:13:09,773 makes Viking ships the fastest vessels of their time. 182 00:13:10,970 --> 00:13:12,780 So this is a square sail. It's a square sail. 183 00:13:12,780 --> 00:13:14,780 It's set in front of the mast, right. 184 00:13:14,780 --> 00:13:17,340 So the wind needs to come more or less from behind. 185 00:13:17,340 --> 00:13:19,040 It actually goes faster when we have 186 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:20,217 the wind from the side. Right. 187 00:13:20,217 --> 00:13:21,767 Due to the shape of the sail. 188 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,090 Curved sails force air to move faster 189 00:13:28,090 --> 00:13:30,150 over their front than their rear side 190 00:13:32,070 --> 00:13:34,460 causing a difference in pressure, 191 00:13:34,460 --> 00:13:36,543 pulling sail ships forward. 192 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:42,500 By supersizing sails the Vikings take full advantage 193 00:13:42,500 --> 00:13:43,700 of the power of the wind 194 00:13:45,810 --> 00:13:50,083 resulting in unprecedented speeds over water. 195 00:13:51,090 --> 00:13:52,490 It's made for power. 196 00:13:52,490 --> 00:13:55,536 It's built to cope with the heavy wind. 197 00:13:55,536 --> 00:13:57,700 So with a huge sail like this it's kind of overpowered. 198 00:13:57,700 --> 00:13:59,580 It's sort of like the sports car of its day, right. 199 00:13:59,580 --> 00:14:00,830 There's a lot of power there. 200 00:14:00,830 --> 00:14:01,850 You don't use it all the time 201 00:14:01,850 --> 00:14:03,610 but if you need to put the pedal to the metal 202 00:14:03,610 --> 00:14:04,633 you could really go. 203 00:14:06,460 --> 00:14:08,670 So they start to reach out using these boats 204 00:14:08,670 --> 00:14:09,840 and these big sails. 205 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:11,130 How far out do they go? 206 00:14:11,130 --> 00:14:15,500 We know it went to Greenland, Iceland, England. 207 00:14:15,500 --> 00:14:18,820 They traded to further, out into Asia. 208 00:14:18,820 --> 00:14:21,620 They went to Istanbul, most of Europe 209 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:24,150 all over the place. Wow. 210 00:14:27,870 --> 00:14:29,500 By the ninth century 211 00:14:29,500 --> 00:14:32,160 the Vikings fast ships established them 212 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:34,503 as a dominant force in the Western world. 213 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:46,860 They also allow one Viking 214 00:14:46,860 --> 00:14:49,453 to voyage far into the unknown. 215 00:14:56,220 --> 00:14:57,960 Leif Erikson is the son 216 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:00,657 of the famous Norse explorer Erik the Red. 217 00:15:10,370 --> 00:15:13,140 Intrigued by tales of mythical lands to the west 218 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,203 Erikson sets off on a bold mission to find them. 219 00:15:21,820 --> 00:15:24,250 He knows the faster he travels 220 00:15:24,250 --> 00:15:26,550 the greater the chances of achieving his goal. 221 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:38,263 Even a lack of wind isn't allowed to slow his progress. 222 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,580 Because Viking ships are so long and thin 223 00:15:55,580 --> 00:15:57,963 they are incredibly hydrodynamic. 224 00:15:59,130 --> 00:16:02,943 Muscle power alone is enough to propel them forward. 225 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:07,400 Rowing on a Viking ship 226 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:12,240 the rhythm has this lovely little pause in it, right there. 227 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:13,660 It's like a mini vacation. 228 00:16:13,660 --> 00:16:15,210 And you take that every stroke. 229 00:16:17,450 --> 00:16:20,170 And that's because these guys have no time to waste. 230 00:16:20,170 --> 00:16:23,150 The wind doesn't work, they gotta go where they gotta go. 231 00:16:23,150 --> 00:16:24,317 And that means they could be rowing all day 232 00:16:24,317 --> 00:16:26,080 and all night for days on end. 233 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:29,513 If you're gonna do that you gotta have mini vacations. 234 00:16:29,513 --> 00:16:33,430 (mid-tempo energetic drumming) 235 00:16:44,590 --> 00:16:49,590 Erikson makes it to what we now know as North America 236 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:54,550 500 years before 237 00:16:54,550 --> 00:16:57,593 Columbus makes his first transatlantic crossing. 238 00:17:05,175 --> 00:17:07,325 What's always intrigued me about Erikson's journey 239 00:17:07,325 --> 00:17:10,570 is how his ship maintains it's speed 240 00:17:11,660 --> 00:17:15,203 while surviving the worst the Atlantic can throw at it. 241 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,330 How do the hulls withstand what can be 242 00:17:21,330 --> 00:17:23,260 a very rough North Atlantic? 243 00:17:23,260 --> 00:17:26,992 It's different kind of techniques used to set the hull. 244 00:17:26,992 --> 00:17:29,570 The planks are connected to the inner part of the ship 245 00:17:29,570 --> 00:17:31,720 using a bale from the whales. 246 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:32,920 Whale baleen. Yeah. 247 00:17:34,630 --> 00:17:37,180 Inside the mouths of some whales 248 00:17:37,180 --> 00:17:39,773 are thousands of long strands of baleen. 249 00:17:43,270 --> 00:17:44,530 Made of keratin 250 00:17:44,530 --> 00:17:47,863 it's the same substance as our outer skin and hair. 251 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:52,083 Whales use it to filter food from seawater. 252 00:17:56,270 --> 00:17:59,360 To see how baleen can hold a ship together 253 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:04,870 I need to get into the guts of the Saga Oseberg. 254 00:18:04,870 --> 00:18:06,617 Can I take these planks out? 255 00:18:06,617 --> 00:18:08,513 Yeah, let's get some light in here. 256 00:18:09,430 --> 00:18:11,433 So down here I'm looking at the rib. 257 00:18:12,710 --> 00:18:14,810 Now this rib is tied to the outer planking 258 00:18:14,810 --> 00:18:16,100 with whale baleen. 259 00:18:16,100 --> 00:18:19,683 That's the only connection is just that baleen, that tie. 260 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:26,510 The Vikings heat up the whale baleen 261 00:18:26,510 --> 00:18:28,700 allowing it to be stretched 262 00:18:28,700 --> 00:18:31,773 into a length of strong springy cord. 263 00:18:33,230 --> 00:18:36,520 These cords are then used to lash 264 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:38,633 each plank to the ship's skeleton. 265 00:18:39,630 --> 00:18:41,880 The result is a vessel whose hull 266 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,493 can adapt to the movements of the water. 267 00:18:46,470 --> 00:18:47,480 This is one of the aspects 268 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:49,690 that makes the Viking ships so successful, right. 269 00:18:49,690 --> 00:18:52,780 Apart from the sail it's the flexibility of the hull. 270 00:18:52,780 --> 00:18:54,480 Instead of banging into the waves 271 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,270 it can swim through the ocean. 272 00:18:56,270 --> 00:18:59,503 That's what allows them to go so far and so fast. 273 00:19:11,670 --> 00:19:15,853 When this boat starts to accelerate it really comes alive. 274 00:19:17,930 --> 00:19:19,490 Look Sean, you see it. 275 00:19:19,490 --> 00:19:20,800 The spiral of bubbles. Yeah. 276 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,242 We call it the green heel. Green heel. 277 00:19:23,242 --> 00:19:24,880 Yeah. 278 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:26,550 We're moving fast. 279 00:19:26,550 --> 00:19:29,210 The water's pushed under the heel of the ship 280 00:19:29,210 --> 00:19:31,080 creating a turbulence. 281 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:34,540 And catching all the air that has been sucked under the hull 282 00:19:34,540 --> 00:19:36,963 and it creates this heel radial. 283 00:19:40,410 --> 00:19:43,640 It's a measurement for how good we are sailing the ship. 284 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:44,690 And are we doing well? 285 00:19:44,690 --> 00:19:46,440 Right now, really good. Great. 286 00:19:53,783 --> 00:19:54,970 Whoo! 287 00:19:54,970 --> 00:19:55,907 Now we're movin'. 288 00:19:59,370 --> 00:20:03,483 The ingenuity of the Vikings makes them master mariners. 289 00:20:05,750 --> 00:20:08,400 And their iconic craft 290 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:12,563 will inspire almost a thousand years of sail ship design. 291 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,220 Flexible and streamlined Viking craft 292 00:20:28,220 --> 00:20:30,690 rule the waves for centuries 293 00:20:30,690 --> 00:20:33,713 until other ship builders improve on the design. 294 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:41,220 By adding more masts the 15th century carrack 295 00:20:41,220 --> 00:20:43,093 can carry six sails. 296 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:49,560 Large fast and stable, the carrack sets a new benchmark 297 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:54,640 for long distance voyaging, ushering in global exploration 298 00:20:56,060 --> 00:20:58,863 but also the trans-Atlantic slave trade. 299 00:21:04,500 --> 00:21:08,080 With decks bristling with heavy iron weapons 300 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:12,700 the longer, lower and narrower 16th century galleons 301 00:21:14,610 --> 00:21:18,420 are swift, maneuverable and deadly. 302 00:21:18,420 --> 00:21:20,880 These purpose-built battle ships 303 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:24,023 dominate war at sea for over a century. 304 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:30,233 Sail ship design culminates in the clipper. 305 00:21:32,150 --> 00:21:35,360 They are slim, lengthy, multi-masted 306 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:40,623 with an impressive spread of canvas. 307 00:21:41,830 --> 00:21:43,740 Sailing all over the globe, 308 00:21:43,740 --> 00:21:48,740 these rapid trade ships cover a remarkable 400 miles a day, 309 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:53,353 their sheer velocity shrinking the world below their prow. 310 00:22:10,510 --> 00:22:13,660 By the 17th century the race is well and truly on 311 00:22:13,660 --> 00:22:15,570 for the maritime powers of Europe. 312 00:22:15,570 --> 00:22:18,390 England, France, Holland, Spain, Portugal 313 00:22:18,390 --> 00:22:20,090 they're all duking it out on the waves 314 00:22:20,090 --> 00:22:24,083 because they know whoever owns the ocean owns the world. 315 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:29,660 Traveling swiftly and safely across the oceans 316 00:22:31,250 --> 00:22:34,253 now holds the key to a nation's prosperity. 317 00:22:36,310 --> 00:22:39,423 Unlocking a bounty of riches beyond belief. 318 00:22:41,550 --> 00:22:44,100 Riches fueled not my money 319 00:22:44,100 --> 00:22:47,823 but by new commodities like sugar and spices. 320 00:22:48,710 --> 00:22:52,300 Even today if you travel along the River Thames in London 321 00:22:53,830 --> 00:22:55,769 it's easy to see the influence 322 00:22:55,769 --> 00:22:58,353 that ocean trading has had on the city. 323 00:23:01,410 --> 00:23:05,250 Now it's great to have these big stores of raw materials 324 00:23:05,250 --> 00:23:07,010 but the only way to cash in on that 325 00:23:07,010 --> 00:23:09,410 is to get them to market back in Europe. 326 00:23:09,410 --> 00:23:12,800 And the best way to do that is to have your fastest ships 327 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:14,483 sailing the fastest routes. 328 00:23:17,060 --> 00:23:19,850 But having the latest in fast ship design 329 00:23:19,850 --> 00:23:23,063 doesn't amount to much if you get lost. 330 00:23:25,860 --> 00:23:29,010 At the time, a ships position is calculated 331 00:23:29,010 --> 00:23:31,163 using little more than guesswork, 332 00:23:35,030 --> 00:23:38,283 a situation that can spell disaster. 333 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:43,833 So losing your way at sea, how bad can it get? 334 00:23:44,810 --> 00:23:48,940 It could get as bad as it's possible to get really. 335 00:23:48,940 --> 00:23:53,130 There's a case in 1707 when the British fleet, 336 00:23:53,130 --> 00:23:56,110 the British Navy was coming up from Gibraltar 337 00:23:56,110 --> 00:23:57,510 towards the English Channel. 338 00:23:58,490 --> 00:24:01,320 After leaving Gibraltar the British fleets 339 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:04,693 sail north up the coast of Portugal and France. 340 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,740 But after weeks of being battered by storms 341 00:24:09,860 --> 00:24:12,883 the ships are pushed off their planned course. 342 00:24:14,070 --> 00:24:18,890 The navigators believe they are safe here in open water 343 00:24:18,890 --> 00:24:21,713 when in fact they are really here, 344 00:24:29,220 --> 00:24:32,330 hurdling towards a small group of islands 345 00:24:32,330 --> 00:24:34,013 known as the Scilly's. 346 00:24:38,875 --> 00:24:40,960 This is the most terrible place. 347 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:45,363 To this day it is a maelstrom of rocks and sharp reefs. 348 00:24:46,370 --> 00:24:48,500 To be in amongst it is an unthinkable 349 00:24:48,500 --> 00:24:49,843 well, a nightmare really. 350 00:24:52,660 --> 00:24:56,440 Four of the British Navy's biggest warships 351 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:58,833 strike the rocks and sink. 352 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,083 Over 1,300 sailors lose their lives. 353 00:25:08,570 --> 00:25:12,243 It's one of the worst disasters in British naval history. 354 00:25:17,630 --> 00:25:22,200 It created such a stir in the establishment of Britain 355 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,400 that finally it was decided 356 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,000 that something had to be done about this navigation. 357 00:25:28,710 --> 00:25:30,820 The catastrophe is blamed on the navigator's 358 00:25:30,820 --> 00:25:34,700 having no way of calculating how far east or west they are 359 00:25:34,700 --> 00:25:36,423 that is, their longitude. 360 00:25:37,653 --> 00:25:40,790 So a board of longitude was formed 361 00:25:40,790 --> 00:25:43,117 with a 20,000 pound prize, 362 00:25:43,117 --> 00:25:45,423 $5 million dollars in today's money. 363 00:25:46,830 --> 00:25:49,810 In the 17th century the theory of longitude 364 00:25:49,810 --> 00:25:50,933 is well understood. 365 00:25:54,550 --> 00:25:57,160 Navigators from this time imagined the sun 366 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:01,463 going 360 degrees around the earth in 24 hours. 367 00:26:03,550 --> 00:26:06,510 From this they know that every hour difference 368 00:26:06,510 --> 00:26:09,440 between where they set off and their current location 369 00:26:11,670 --> 00:26:14,653 they've traveled 15 degrees east or west. 370 00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:21,740 Out at sea sailors can determine their local time 371 00:26:21,740 --> 00:26:24,070 by observing the sun at it's highest point 372 00:26:26,330 --> 00:26:27,693 telling you it's noon. 373 00:26:29,010 --> 00:26:32,690 But they have no idea what time it is back home. 374 00:26:32,690 --> 00:26:34,890 They have no way of knowing the time difference 375 00:26:34,890 --> 00:26:36,920 between their local position at sea 376 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:39,380 and the location that they set sail from. 377 00:26:39,380 --> 00:26:40,770 So they can't calculate 378 00:26:40,770 --> 00:26:43,393 how many degrees they've sailed east or west, 379 00:26:45,890 --> 00:26:46,813 their longitude. 380 00:26:50,063 --> 00:26:53,340 What the mariners needed was a chronometer 381 00:26:53,340 --> 00:26:56,620 that would tell them the time accurately to the second 382 00:26:56,620 --> 00:26:58,730 when they were out on the far reaches of the deep. 383 00:26:58,730 --> 00:27:00,870 And if they have that they would know that longitude. 384 00:27:00,870 --> 00:27:03,370 If they knew their longitude they had cracked 385 00:27:03,370 --> 00:27:04,813 the problem of navigation. 386 00:27:06,380 --> 00:27:09,120 Back then the most accurate time pieces 387 00:27:09,120 --> 00:27:13,803 are pendulum clocks which prove useless on a rolling deck. 388 00:27:16,390 --> 00:27:18,640 To solve the problem of longitude 389 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:21,823 sailors need an entirely new type of clock. 390 00:27:24,180 --> 00:27:25,460 Everybody was tryin' for the prize. 391 00:27:25,460 --> 00:27:27,610 Yeah but a man called Harrison 392 00:27:27,610 --> 00:27:30,380 he was not a scientist he was an artisan. 393 00:27:30,380 --> 00:27:31,213 Yeah. 394 00:27:31,213 --> 00:27:32,580 Of the highest quality. 395 00:27:32,580 --> 00:27:34,713 And he started working on clocks. 396 00:27:38,060 --> 00:27:39,910 But creating a timepiece 397 00:27:39,910 --> 00:27:44,260 that's not affected by temperature, humidity, corrosion 398 00:27:44,260 --> 00:27:48,403 and a constantly moving ship doesn't prove easy. 399 00:27:50,900 --> 00:27:53,203 Years become decades. 400 00:27:55,510 --> 00:27:58,910 And still John Harrison can't build a clock 401 00:27:58,910 --> 00:28:00,303 that's up to the task. 402 00:28:02,070 --> 00:28:06,910 Finally in 1761, 30 years after he started 403 00:28:07,860 --> 00:28:10,360 Harrison presents a working chronometer 404 00:28:10,360 --> 00:28:11,660 to the British government. 405 00:28:14,550 --> 00:28:18,850 This is a late example of a ship's chronometer 406 00:28:18,850 --> 00:28:21,100 based on Harrison's work. 407 00:28:21,100 --> 00:28:22,870 It's sitting here in it's little box. 408 00:28:22,870 --> 00:28:24,200 It's all gimbaled, look. 409 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,483 So it can move with the movement of the ship. 410 00:28:28,030 --> 00:28:32,120 He put proper bearings in so that things could move nicely. 411 00:28:32,120 --> 00:28:34,910 In the springs he might put two metals together 412 00:28:34,910 --> 00:28:37,690 so that they would expand and contract at different rates 413 00:28:37,690 --> 00:28:39,140 and cancel each other out 414 00:28:39,140 --> 00:28:42,163 so that the thing remained exactly as it should have been. 415 00:28:44,190 --> 00:28:46,180 Harrison's accurate chronometer 416 00:28:46,180 --> 00:28:48,543 revolutionizes naval navigation. 417 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:55,520 Sailors can finally pinpoint how far east or west they are. 418 00:28:55,740 --> 00:28:59,150 Ships can now take quicker, safer routes 419 00:28:59,150 --> 00:29:00,837 across the world's oceans. 420 00:29:10,140 --> 00:29:12,300 This is what it's all about, right here. 421 00:29:12,300 --> 00:29:13,720 This line in Greenwich, England 422 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,380 is the historic prime meridian. 423 00:29:16,380 --> 00:29:17,913 This is longitude zero. 424 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:20,030 Every point on the planet 425 00:29:20,030 --> 00:29:21,550 is measured in terms of distance 426 00:29:21,550 --> 00:29:24,810 either to the east or the west of this line. 427 00:29:24,810 --> 00:29:27,140 So if you have one of Harrison's chronometer's 428 00:29:27,140 --> 00:29:29,190 set accurately to the time here 429 00:29:29,190 --> 00:29:31,180 you know that for every hour of difference 430 00:29:31,180 --> 00:29:34,153 you've moved 15 degrees around the surface of the planet. 431 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:40,410 The importance of Harrison's marine chronometer 432 00:29:40,410 --> 00:29:41,583 can't be over stated. 433 00:29:43,581 --> 00:29:45,920 Armed with his clocks ships crossed the ocean 434 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:47,610 faster than ever before. 435 00:29:47,610 --> 00:29:50,110 His invention becomes a fundamental key 436 00:29:50,110 --> 00:29:51,973 in opening up the modern age. 437 00:29:56,250 --> 00:29:57,690 By the 19th century 438 00:29:59,070 --> 00:30:02,380 seafaring voyages once considered too dangerous 439 00:30:02,380 --> 00:30:05,213 or too ambitious are now commonplace. 440 00:30:07,910 --> 00:30:10,180 The swiftest clippers can now cross 441 00:30:10,180 --> 00:30:14,243 from the Americas to Europe in weeks rather than months. 442 00:30:18,210 --> 00:30:20,840 But humanity's need for speed 443 00:30:23,570 --> 00:30:25,963 demands we look beyond the sail. 444 00:30:48,610 --> 00:30:50,720 Look at that, that's what I'm talkin' about. 445 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:54,200 300 tons of ship being pulled up out of the water. 446 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:56,660 Big projects, big engineering, big rigging. 447 00:30:56,660 --> 00:30:57,743 This is my world. 448 00:31:00,570 --> 00:31:02,410 By the early 1800s 449 00:31:02,410 --> 00:31:04,580 the time has come for the next generation 450 00:31:04,580 --> 00:31:07,433 of fast ships to hit the high seas. 451 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:19,110 It's thanks to an extraordinary technological explosion 452 00:31:19,110 --> 00:31:21,170 that's happening on both sides of the Atlantic 453 00:31:21,170 --> 00:31:22,980 that finally allows ships to break away 454 00:31:22,980 --> 00:31:24,590 from their reliance on wind. 455 00:31:31,890 --> 00:31:33,740 For those of us who love engineering 456 00:31:33,740 --> 00:31:35,500 the industrial revolution is one of those 457 00:31:35,500 --> 00:31:38,300 moments in time that captures the imagination, 458 00:31:38,300 --> 00:31:39,500 at least it does for me. 459 00:31:42,550 --> 00:31:45,070 That move to using machines, 460 00:31:45,070 --> 00:31:46,300 well, it's one of the most important 461 00:31:46,300 --> 00:31:47,900 turning points in human history. 462 00:31:50,220 --> 00:31:52,080 The industrial revolution 463 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:54,663 is sparked by a miracle substance, 464 00:31:56,940 --> 00:31:57,773 coal. 465 00:31:59,190 --> 00:32:03,750 Out go horses, oxen, wood and waterwheels. 466 00:32:03,750 --> 00:32:06,550 In come fast spinning machines 467 00:32:06,550 --> 00:32:09,070 fed by hydrocarbon fuels. 468 00:32:09,070 --> 00:32:12,773 Ships are now powered by steam and not wind. 469 00:32:14,100 --> 00:32:16,370 With global domination of the seas at stake 470 00:32:16,370 --> 00:32:19,410 the race is on to build the ultimate marine engine, 471 00:32:19,410 --> 00:32:21,760 one that's smaller, lighter, 472 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:24,680 more efficient and above all faster. 473 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:26,950 And it's one of engineering's unsung heroes 474 00:32:26,950 --> 00:32:29,060 and a personal favorite of mine 475 00:32:29,060 --> 00:32:30,760 who ends up building the power unit 476 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:34,183 that will kickstart the age of the truly fast ship. 477 00:32:36,910 --> 00:32:40,660 From an early age Charles A. Parsons 478 00:32:40,660 --> 00:32:44,450 is fascinated by the idea of harnessing steam 479 00:32:44,450 --> 00:32:46,513 as a way of powering engines. 480 00:32:48,350 --> 00:32:51,830 In 1884 at the age of 30 481 00:32:51,830 --> 00:32:54,520 Parsons designs a new type of fast, 482 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:56,363 spinning steam-driven motor. 483 00:32:58,020 --> 00:33:00,920 Capable of generating huge amounts of energy 484 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:02,783 it's known as a turbine. 485 00:33:05,690 --> 00:33:09,680 Parson's turbines immediately find use in power stations 486 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:13,960 making cheap and plentiful electricity a reality. 487 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:18,770 But it's the challenge of using his turbines to propel boats 488 00:33:18,770 --> 00:33:22,013 that really captures his technological imagination. 489 00:33:24,710 --> 00:33:26,830 Parsons builds what he believes 490 00:33:26,830 --> 00:33:28,713 is the ultimate marine motor. 491 00:33:31,790 --> 00:33:32,890 But there's a problem. 492 00:33:34,870 --> 00:33:37,510 When Parsons uses his turbine engines 493 00:33:37,510 --> 00:33:39,830 to spin a boat propellor 494 00:33:39,830 --> 00:33:44,830 the blades spin so fast that vapor bubbles form around them. 495 00:33:47,110 --> 00:33:49,770 It's an effect called cavitation 496 00:33:49,770 --> 00:33:52,353 that drastically reduces the thrust. 497 00:33:54,050 --> 00:33:56,470 Parsons tries again and again and again 498 00:33:56,470 --> 00:33:58,370 to come up with a new screw propellor. 499 00:33:59,930 --> 00:34:03,713 But he can't get around the problem of cavitation. 500 00:34:04,940 --> 00:34:06,793 And then he has this idea: 501 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:11,870 to make the surface of the propellor blades larger. 502 00:34:11,870 --> 00:34:14,520 Even a small increase in surface area 503 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:18,030 drastically improves the thrust that the prop generates 504 00:34:18,030 --> 00:34:20,940 meaning the blades don't need to spin as quickly 505 00:34:20,940 --> 00:34:24,990 so the adverse effects of cavitation are reduced. 506 00:34:24,990 --> 00:34:26,693 It's a game changer. 507 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:30,523 Parsons names his boat the Turbinia. 508 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:33,940 With it's state of the art propulsion system 509 00:34:35,660 --> 00:34:38,773 it hits a top speed close to 40 miles an hour, 510 00:34:41,330 --> 00:34:43,430 the fastest boat ever seen. 511 00:34:53,510 --> 00:34:55,200 Within a few years 512 00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:56,840 thanks to Parson's innovations 513 00:35:00,370 --> 00:35:04,433 power boats start to hit speeds previously unimaginable. 514 00:35:10,845 --> 00:35:15,095 (dramatic lively orchestral music) 515 00:35:46,130 --> 00:35:50,040 Today, Charles Parson's innovations 516 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:53,080 are embodied by H1 Unlimited hydroplanes 517 00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:00,137 the fastest racing boats in the world. 518 00:36:07,150 --> 00:36:08,610 These boats are so cool, right. 519 00:36:08,610 --> 00:36:10,660 They are lean, mean machines. 520 00:36:10,660 --> 00:36:12,437 There's not an ounce of fat on 'em. 521 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:15,760 It's all designed to do one thing and one thing only 522 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:18,943 and that is go really, really fast. 523 00:36:29,110 --> 00:36:30,170 How fast have you gone? 524 00:36:30,170 --> 00:36:34,652 The fastest I've been in this hull is 209 miles per hour. 525 00:36:34,652 --> 00:36:37,070 209 miles an hour over the water. 526 00:36:37,070 --> 00:36:37,963 Over the water. 527 00:36:39,820 --> 00:36:42,343 We have a Chinook helicopter engine in the back. 528 00:36:43,257 --> 00:36:46,173 And that is turning a 16 inch diameter prop. 529 00:36:47,130 --> 00:36:49,450 It's just basically a giant engine 530 00:36:49,450 --> 00:36:52,290 strapped to a tiny gas tank strapped to a seat, right. 531 00:36:52,290 --> 00:36:53,283 Absolutely, yeah. 532 00:36:55,010 --> 00:36:59,850 The drive unit pushes the H1's hydrodynamic hull so fast 533 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:03,980 that air is pulled underneath it 534 00:37:04,850 --> 00:37:09,563 creating lift, reducing drag to almost zero. 535 00:37:11,010 --> 00:37:15,640 The result, a race boat that skips 536 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:18,993 at phenomenal speed over the water's surface. 537 00:37:20,220 --> 00:37:22,450 We designed the boats to get 'em up out of the water 538 00:37:22,450 --> 00:37:23,920 and fly 'em above the water. 539 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:27,470 So we're actually flying six to 12 inches above the water 540 00:37:27,470 --> 00:37:29,570 and we're controlling it like an airplane. 541 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:33,510 It's kinda half boat and half plane 542 00:37:33,510 --> 00:37:35,710 and that's where we get our name hydroplane. 543 00:37:37,190 --> 00:37:39,963 Charles Parsons would have definitely approved. 544 00:37:41,910 --> 00:37:43,660 Being here, this close to the race course 545 00:37:43,660 --> 00:37:45,050 is a visceral experience. 546 00:37:45,050 --> 00:37:47,634 I mean, you can hear the slap of the boat on the water. 547 00:37:47,634 --> 00:37:49,534 You can hear the whine of the turbine. 548 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:52,860 Look how fast they're going. 549 00:37:52,860 --> 00:37:54,743 Those are some incredible machines. 550 00:38:11,130 --> 00:38:15,800 By the 1900s turbines and propellors are firmly established 551 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:19,250 as the best way of powering ships. 552 00:38:19,250 --> 00:38:21,690 But in their quest to dominate the waves 553 00:38:21,690 --> 00:38:23,520 the engineers of that era 554 00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:28,013 need their ships to not only be fast but massive. 555 00:38:30,794 --> 00:38:34,993 To achieve that goal will take a revolutionary ingredient. 556 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:37,148 For the engineers of the time 557 00:38:37,148 --> 00:38:39,193 iron is a dream come true. 558 00:38:40,550 --> 00:38:43,160 It's strong in both tension and compression. 559 00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:44,700 You can melt it, it's malleable. 560 00:38:44,700 --> 00:38:46,520 You can form it into all sorts of great shapes. 561 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:48,360 It's kind of a magic material. 562 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:49,900 And when the industrial revolution 563 00:38:49,900 --> 00:38:52,410 suddenly makes it available on a massive scale 564 00:38:52,410 --> 00:38:55,213 well, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities. 565 00:39:07,323 --> 00:39:10,140 Armed with iron, shipwrights are able to build vessels 566 00:39:10,140 --> 00:39:12,650 bigger and stronger than ever before. 567 00:39:12,650 --> 00:39:15,930 And a bold new period of ocean pioneering begins. 568 00:39:15,930 --> 00:39:19,100 It's an era that's dominated by the ocean liner. 569 00:39:19,100 --> 00:39:20,620 And for me just hearing those words 570 00:39:20,620 --> 00:39:22,710 conjures up these images of these grand, 571 00:39:22,710 --> 00:39:25,913 sleek, tall powerful ships, 572 00:39:28,410 --> 00:39:32,053 vessels like the opulent RMS Lusitania. 573 00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:38,310 At almost 800 feet in length 574 00:39:38,310 --> 00:39:41,513 the Lusitania is the largest ship of it's time. 575 00:39:43,230 --> 00:39:46,683 Driven by four Charles Parson designed turbines, 576 00:39:47,610 --> 00:39:50,980 generating 76,000 horsepower 577 00:39:50,980 --> 00:39:54,740 and with a hull made of lightweight high tensile steel 578 00:39:56,620 --> 00:39:59,240 the Lusitania sets new records in speed 579 00:39:59,240 --> 00:40:00,843 for such an enormous vessel, 580 00:40:02,780 --> 00:40:05,703 topping out at around 30 miles per hour. 581 00:40:08,660 --> 00:40:13,660 These huge, fast vessels make global mass transit a reality. 582 00:40:14,780 --> 00:40:18,670 In America, between 1880 and 1930 583 00:40:18,670 --> 00:40:22,633 more than 27 million immigrants arrive by ship. 584 00:40:23,980 --> 00:40:27,640 And New York is transformed into one of the largest, 585 00:40:27,640 --> 00:40:30,003 most multicultural cities on the planet. 586 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:41,453 And it's not just people. 587 00:40:43,330 --> 00:40:47,690 Swift merchant ships transform the world 588 00:40:47,690 --> 00:40:50,490 into one massive marketplace 589 00:40:50,490 --> 00:40:53,453 signaling a new dawn of globalization. 590 00:40:56,100 --> 00:40:58,659 Nowadays shipping accounts for a staggering 591 00:40:58,659 --> 00:41:00,920 90% of world trade 592 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:05,450 with over 50,000 cargo ships 593 00:41:05,450 --> 00:41:07,513 speeding across the oceans daily. 594 00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:16,010 To keep these super sized cargo ships 595 00:41:16,010 --> 00:41:19,920 running at full velocity without risk of collision 596 00:41:21,180 --> 00:41:24,817 will take one more incredible spark of ingenuity. 597 00:41:30,251 --> 00:41:34,334 (ominous slow synthesizer music) 598 00:41:41,540 --> 00:41:45,030 Remarkably, the ability to know 599 00:41:45,030 --> 00:41:50,030 where a ship is to within inches only happens by accident. 600 00:41:54,090 --> 00:41:59,090 October, 1957 the Soviet union launches Sputnik 1. 601 00:42:01,530 --> 00:42:05,390 Little more than a small beacon inside a tin can 602 00:42:05,390 --> 00:42:08,370 Sputnik is the first artificial satellite 603 00:42:08,370 --> 00:42:09,593 to orbit the earth. 604 00:42:13,150 --> 00:42:16,340 In the U.S. two young scientists 605 00:42:16,340 --> 00:42:18,170 set up a listening station 606 00:42:18,170 --> 00:42:20,553 to try and pick up Sputnik's signal. 607 00:42:28,010 --> 00:42:30,680 The men are research physicists 608 00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:33,353 William Guier and George Weiffenbach. 609 00:42:34,700 --> 00:42:36,740 When they listened to Sputnik's signal 610 00:42:36,740 --> 00:42:39,343 they noticed tiny changes in its frequency. 611 00:42:47,180 --> 00:42:50,550 By analyzing the shift Guier and Weiffenbach 612 00:42:50,550 --> 00:42:53,400 realized they can calculate Sputnik's position 613 00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:54,730 relative to their receiver 614 00:42:56,380 --> 00:42:58,763 and so predict the satellite's path. 615 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:09,690 In a moment of inspiration 616 00:43:09,690 --> 00:43:11,600 the physicists realize 617 00:43:11,600 --> 00:43:14,070 that if they can work out where Sputnik is 618 00:43:14,070 --> 00:43:17,230 they can also work out where they are on earth 619 00:43:17,230 --> 00:43:19,463 with an incredible degree of precision. 620 00:43:20,660 --> 00:43:23,383 In that moment GPS is born. 621 00:43:27,180 --> 00:43:31,000 Today a constellation of over 30 navigational satellites 622 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:31,943 circle the earth. 623 00:43:34,570 --> 00:43:36,990 By knowing the position and time 624 00:43:36,990 --> 00:43:38,940 of at least three satellites 625 00:43:40,380 --> 00:43:43,590 a GPS receiver can accurately pinpoint 626 00:43:43,590 --> 00:43:46,793 a ship's location anywhere on the ocean waves. 627 00:43:50,120 --> 00:43:54,340 Today, using GPS as part of a collision avoidance system 628 00:43:56,300 --> 00:43:59,280 drastically reduces the chances of ships crashing 629 00:44:02,310 --> 00:44:05,833 allowing the biggest ships to maintain maximum speed. 630 00:44:14,530 --> 00:44:15,670 A thousand years on 631 00:44:15,670 --> 00:44:18,230 from Polynesian's lashing their boats together 632 00:44:22,930 --> 00:44:26,913 our desire to speed over water is as great as ever. 633 00:44:32,900 --> 00:44:35,790 It's a desire that continues to push the limits 634 00:44:35,790 --> 00:44:40,543 of what we can do on, over and under it, 635 00:44:46,320 --> 00:44:48,860 to create futuristic vessels that one day 636 00:44:49,910 --> 00:44:53,623 could give us all the opportunity to speed over the oceans. 637 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:12,190 What is this thing? 638 00:45:12,190 --> 00:45:16,360 I mean, it's part speedboat, part dolphin, part submarine. 639 00:45:16,360 --> 00:45:18,860 It's hard to categorize but it is very, very cool. 640 00:45:20,330 --> 00:45:23,280 The Seabreacher is the latest development 641 00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:26,320 in personal high speed aquatic craft. 642 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:28,270 Drawing inspiration from both 643 00:45:28,270 --> 00:45:31,073 technological know-how and marine life. 644 00:45:32,590 --> 00:45:34,323 Time to take one for a ride. 645 00:45:36,290 --> 00:45:38,003 Okay, red button to stop. 646 00:45:38,891 --> 00:45:41,120 To the right pedal, right pedal. 647 00:45:41,120 --> 00:45:43,293 Little bit a throttle. This is awesome. 648 00:45:45,330 --> 00:45:46,163 Punch it. 649 00:45:49,264 --> 00:45:50,951 Got it, got it, got it, got it, got it, got it, got it 650 00:45:50,951 --> 00:45:53,090 more faster, faster, faster. 651 00:45:53,090 --> 00:45:55,010 Craft like the Seabreacher 652 00:45:55,010 --> 00:45:58,363 represent a dramatic breakthrough in boating technology. 653 00:46:05,270 --> 00:46:07,502 Now I want you to go full circle. 654 00:46:07,502 --> 00:46:11,502 (upbeat electronic dance music) 655 00:46:14,740 --> 00:46:17,120 The Seabreacher's radical design 656 00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:20,533 is based on the hydrodynamic shape of a dolphin. 657 00:46:26,017 --> 00:46:26,850 Are you gettin' the hang of it? 658 00:46:26,850 --> 00:46:28,517 Now I can do that. 659 00:46:41,692 --> 00:46:43,025 This is awesome. 660 00:46:44,217 --> 00:46:46,367 That is incredibly loud and there's so much going on. 661 00:46:46,367 --> 00:46:48,002 I can't be afraid to use the gas 662 00:46:48,002 --> 00:46:52,470 'cause you really have no control unless you're moving. 663 00:46:53,810 --> 00:46:56,870 On the surface the Seabreacher can hit speeds 664 00:46:56,870 --> 00:46:58,943 of over 50 miles an hour. 665 00:47:03,570 --> 00:47:07,210 And below the waves this incredible machine 666 00:47:07,210 --> 00:47:09,743 can speed at around 25 miles an hour. 667 00:47:13,770 --> 00:47:15,053 And there's more. 668 00:47:18,270 --> 00:47:20,270 That was funny. Whoo! 669 00:47:22,810 --> 00:47:26,900 Currently the Seabreacher is only for recreation purposes 670 00:47:26,900 --> 00:47:29,570 but it's speed and maneuverability 671 00:47:29,570 --> 00:47:32,083 opens up its use to untold potential. 672 00:47:35,210 --> 00:47:36,230 It's possible to see the future 673 00:47:36,230 --> 00:47:37,700 in which we can all be zipping around 674 00:47:37,700 --> 00:47:39,433 in our own personal watercrafts. 675 00:47:49,890 --> 00:47:52,450 With so much of our planet submerged 676 00:47:52,450 --> 00:47:55,080 our destiny will always be linked 677 00:47:56,080 --> 00:47:58,733 to its vast expanses of water. 678 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:02,830 I've always loved the ocean. 679 00:48:02,830 --> 00:48:04,620 Today I live on the edge of the Pacific 680 00:48:04,620 --> 00:48:06,790 and I kayak on it and I sail on it 681 00:48:06,790 --> 00:48:08,560 and I watch the sunset on it. 682 00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:11,990 And when I do, I feel the same deep pull to the open ocean 683 00:48:11,990 --> 00:48:14,403 that humans before me have felt for centuries. 684 00:48:17,770 --> 00:48:21,430 My voyage over the waves has made me realize 685 00:48:21,430 --> 00:48:25,580 that this elemental pull fuels humanity's need 686 00:48:25,580 --> 00:48:28,050 to race ever faster over water 687 00:48:30,200 --> 00:48:33,823 giving us survival, exploration, 688 00:48:34,820 --> 00:48:35,833 technology, 689 00:48:38,150 --> 00:48:39,113 prosperity. 690 00:48:42,230 --> 00:48:45,568 This is our story of speed. 691 00:48:45,568 --> 00:48:49,818 (dramatic lively orchestral music)