All language subtitles for Incredible.Inventions.Series.1.05of10.Taxi.Cab

Narrator: AROUND THE WORLD,
THE RACE TO WIN WARS

AND EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE
HAS CREATED SOME OF THE MOST

INCREDIBLE PRODUCTS
EVER DESIGNED,

AND WE USE THEM EVERY DAY,

UNAWARE OF THEIR
AMAZING ORIGINS.

ON "INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS"...

THE TAXICAB --

THE ICONIC LONDON
TAXI'S HEROIC EXPLOITS

DURING THE BLITZ.

SATELLITE NAVIGATION --

HOW A U.S. MILITARY
TOOL POINTS US

IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

THE LAVA LAMP --

A PIECE OF ROCKET-INSPIRED CHIC

THAT LANDED IN YOUR LIVING ROOM.

WE REVEAL
THE AMAZING HISTORY

AND ENGINEERING BEHIND THESE

INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS.

-- Captions by VITAC --
www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THE BLACK TAXI OF LONDON RANKS

AS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC IMAGES

OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

GO BACK HALF A CENTURY
OR MORE, HOWEVER,

AND YOU WILL FIND
THAT THE BLACK CAB

HAD AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT JOB,

ONE THAT ISN'T
AS SIMPLE AS TODAY.

EVERY TAXI OPERATING
ON THE STREETS OF LONDON HAD

TO HAVE A 25-FOOT
TURNING RADIUS.

IT'S THIS AGILITY, ALONG WITH
THE SKILL OF THE DRIVERS

IN KNOWING THEIR WAY AROUND
EVERYTHING FROM BUSY TRAFFIC

TO BURNING BUILDINGS,

THAT GIVES THE TAXI ITS CHANCE

TO EARN A PLACE
IN WARTIME HISTORY.

EARLY IN WORLD WAR II,
LONDON ITSELF IS A TARGET.

AS THE GERMAN LUFTWAFFE
DROPS BOMBS OVER THE EAST END,

COUNTLESS FIRES BREAK OUT

THAT THREATEN TO JOIN TOGETHER

TO FORM THE DREADED FIRESTORM.

OVERWHELMED BY THE SHEER NUMBERS

OF SMALL FIRES
BREAKING OUT,

THE LONDON FIRE CREWS
HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL.

SO THEY MUST THINK CREATIVELY --

HOW TO GET A SMALL FIRE CREW

TO THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM
WITHOUT VEHICLES TO SPARE.

THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE -- A CAB.

IT WAS TO MAKE GOOD
WITH WHAT YOU'VE GOT.

SO TAXIS, BECAUSE FEWER
AND FEWER PEOPLE WERE,

YOU KNOW, IN CITIES USING THEM
FOR BUSINESS, FOR EXAMPLE,

TAXIS WERE A VERY USEFUL
WAY OF TAKING FIREMAN

BECAUSE THEY CAN TAKE FIVE
OR SIX FIREMEN

IN THE BACK OF THE TAXI.

AND THEY REALLY
DID HELP OUT

IN THE BIG FIRES
THAT WERE CREATED

IN THE EAST END OF LONDON
DURING THE BLITZ.

Narrator: TAXI DRIVERS HAD TO
HAVE AN ENCYCLOPEDIC

KNOWLEDGE OF THE ROUTES
AROUND LONDON.

EVERY BACKSTREET SHORTCUT COULD
SAVE LIVES OR PROPERTY

IN THE TAXI'S RACE
AGAINST TIME.

AND WITH A SMALL
WATER PUMP TOWED BEHIND

OR MANHANDLED
INTO THE TRUNK OF THE CAB,

THE FIRE CREW CAN FIGHT
THE FLAMES QUICKER

THAN A FULL-SIZED
PUMP BUSY ELSEWHERE.

SO, THE NEXT TIME YOU HAIL
A CAB IN LONDON,

JUST REMEMBER THE DARK PAST

THAT THEY'VE ENDURED
AND LEAVE A GENEROUS TIP.

THE LONDON TAXI COMPANY
HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED

FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS,

SUPPLYING CAR BODYWORK
TO MANY CAR MANUFACTURERS

AS WELL AS
THE QUEEN HERSELF.

TODAY'S LONDON TAXIS BEGIN LIFE

AS GRAY SHELLS OF BODIES
SENT OVER FROM SHANGHAI, CHINA.

ON ARRIVAL, THESE SHELLS
ARE PLACED UNDER A GREEN LIGHT

AND CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZED
TO CHECK

FOR ANY SMALL BUMPS OR SCRAPES

THEY MAY HAVE PICKED UP
ON THEIR LONG JOURNEY OVERSEAS.

ONCE THOROUGHLY INSPECTED,
IT'S TIME TO COAT THE BODIES

IN THEIR TRADEMARK BLACK PAINT,

AS WELL AS ANY ONE
OF THE MANY COLOR

OPTIONS AVAILABLE
TO CUSTOMERS.

THE BODIES ARE THEN DRIED
AND POLISHED TO A SLICK SHEEN.

THE FRESHLY POLISHED
AND PAINTED SHELL

IS THEN LIFTED ONTO
THE CONVEYOR BELT

TO BEGIN THE PRE-MOUNT PROCESS.

DURING THIS PRE-MOUNT STAGE,

THE ENGINEERS WILL FIT MANY

OF THE COMPLICATED
INTERNAL COMPONENTS,

INCLUDING THE DOOR-LOCKING
SYSTEM,

THE HEATER UNIT,
THE ELECTRONICS,

THE HIGH-MOUNTED
REAR BRAKE LIGHTS,

RADIO, AND MICROPHONES

BEFORE THE WINDOWS ARE FITTED.

LONDON'S TAXIS CAN SOMETIMES
BE ON THE ROAD

FOR 24 HOURS
AT A TIME,

SO ONE OF THE KEY REQUIREMENTS

IS THAT THEY'RE
STRONG AND DURABLE.

Johansen: WELL, WHAT WE CALL
THE TAXI DUTY CYCLE

IS THE MOST ARDUOUS
ONE OF ANY MOTOR VEHICLE.

IT'S HARDER THAN BUSES OR TRUCKS

OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT
BECAUSE TAXIS,

BY AND LARGE, WORK IN CONGESTED
URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

WITH A LOT OF STOP-START.

AND THAT PUTS A LOT OF WEAR
AND TEAR ON THE ENGINE

AND THE COMPONENTS THERE.

Narrator:
WHILE THE BODY OF THE CAR

IS BEING PREPARED ON
ONE PRODUCTION LINE,

THE CHASSIS IS ALSO
BEING PREPARED

SIMULTANEOUSLY ON ANOTHER.

THE CHASSIS LINE BEGINS

WITH THE REAR AXLE
DRESSING PROCESS.

THE REAR AXLE
AND FRONT SUSPENSION

OR BEAM ARE MADE IN CHINA
AND DELIVERED TRACKSIDE

BEFORE BEING FITTED
BY THE OPERATOR...

ALONG WITH
THE REAR WHEEL SENSORS,

BRAKE LINES,

POWER STEERING HOSES,
AND PIPEWORK.

THE CHASSIS FRAME
IS ALSO PREPARED BY

INSTALLING THE STEERING BOX,
ANTI-ROLL BARS,

THE HAND BRAKE CABLE,
AND THE STEERING RODS.

THE ENGINE IS MADE
IN ITALY BY VM MOTOR

BEFORE BEING SHIPPED TO
THE LONDON TAXI COMPANY

TO BE FITTED.

ALONG WITH THE SUSPENSION,
ENGINE, GEARBOX,

REAR AXLE, AND EXHAUST SYSTEM,

THESE ARE ALL COUPLED
AND ASSEMBLED

TO COMPLETE WHAT IS NOW
THE ROLLING CHASSIS OF THE TAXI,

BEFORE FINALLY
ADDING THE WHEELS.

EVERYTHING'S HAND-BUILT.
EVERYTHING'S HAND-PAINTED.

SO EVERYBODY'S TOUCHING,

FEELING THE VEHICLE ALL
THROUGH THE PROCESS,

RIGHT TILL THEY'RE
PASSED TO SALES.

MOST VEHICLES, YOU KNOW,
FROM START TO FINISH,

IF WE STARTED ON A MONDAY,

WE'D BE HAPPY IF THAT WAS
GOING ON ITS WAY

TO A CUSTOMER ON THE FRIDAY.

Narrator:
NOW THAT THE TAXI'S BODY

AND THE CHASSIS
HAVE BEEN PREPARED,

IT'S TIME TO BRING
THE TWO TOGETHER

IN WHAT IS AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN

AS THE MARRIAGE OF THE CARRIAGE.

THE BODY IS LIFTED AND CAREFULLY
CARRIED OVER TO THE CHASSIS.

IT IS THEN LOWERED ONTO IT,
ALL UNDER THE WATCHFUL

EYES OF THE EXPERT
MECHANICS AND ENGINEERS.

THE BODY IS GUIDED INTO POSITION
BY SIX LOCATION PINS,

WHICH ALIGN THE BODY WITH THE
CHASSIS FRAME OUTRIGGER POINTS.

THIS IS WHERE THE BODY
IS BOLTED DOWN TO THE FRAME

BY 12 FIXING POINTS.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS
FROM THE POWER TRAIN

TO THE VEHICLE MAIN HARNESS
CAN NOW BE MADE.

THE FUEL TANK
IS THEN CONNECTED

TO THE FUEL PIPE
AND FILLER NECK.

ENGINE HOSES AND PIPEWORK
ARE ALSO CONNECTED.

ONCE COMPLETED,
THE BODY AND CHASSIS

ARE PUSHED ONTO THE MOUNT LINE.

HERE, IT BEGINS TO
BECOME MORE RECOGNIZABLE

AS THE ICONIC LONDON TAXI.

ON THE MOUNT LINE, THE REAR
CENTER DIVISION IS FITTED.

THE SEATS AND SEAT BELTS
ARE ALSO FITTED HERE

AS PART OF THE FULL COMPLETION
OF THE INTERIOR OF THE CAB.

THE EXTERIOR SIDE
AND FRONT PANELS

OF THE CAB CAN NOW BE ADDED.

THESE ARE DESIGNED
TO BE EASILY REPLACEABLE

IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE
THE TIME THE CAB

IS OFF THE ROAD IN CASE
OF ACCIDENTS AND DAMAGE.

THE FINAL COMPONENTS
ARE FITTED TO THE ENGINE BAY.

AND AFTER ONE LAST INSPECTION,

THE CAB IS WASHED, WAXED,

POLISHED, AND READY
TO HIT THE STREETS.

TAXI DRIVERS MAY NOT
NEED HELP WITH DIRECTIONS,

BUT SOME OF US RELY
ON APPS AND DEVICES

TO GET US FROM
POINT "A" TO POINT "B."

FIND OUT HOW THEY WORK
WHEN WE COME BACK.

Narrator: GETTING LOST ON
A STRANGE ROAD

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
IS NOT ANYONE'S IDEA OF FUN.

BEING ABLE TO TELL WHERE
WE'RE GOING IS ESSENTIAL

AND NOT JUST FOR
THE EVERYDAY DRIVER.

IT IS PARTICULARLY
IMPORTANT FOR A SOLDIER

IN THE MIDDLE OF A HOSTILE LAND
WITH LOW VISIBILITY.

IN THOSE SITUATIONS, GETTING
LOST CAN BE A DEATH SENTENCE.

IT'S THE U.S. MILITARY
WHO DEVELOPED

AN EXTREMELY
EFFECTIVE LOCATION SYSTEM

THAT TODAY NOT ONLY ALLOWS
SOLDIERS TO EVADE THE ENEMY,

BUT ALSO ALLOWS US TO FIND
OUR FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP --

SATELLITE NAVIGATION.

THIS INCREDIBLE
TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS US

TO PINPOINT OUR EXACT LOCATION

ON OUR PORTABLE
ELECTRONIC DEVICES,

THEY ALLOW US TO PLAN A JOURNEY

TO FIND A PARTICULAR PLACE
OR BUSINESS,

AND EVEN TO BE ABLE
TO LOCATE FRIENDS

AND FAMILY MEMBERS.

NOT TOO LONG AGO,
THIS TECHNOLOGY

WAS THE STUFF OF SCIENCE FICTION
AND SPY MOVIES.

BUT TODAY, IT HAS BECOME

A COMMON PART
OF OUR EVERYDAY LIVES.

Halliday:
NOT JUST IN PHONE TECHNOLOGY,

BUT ALSO IT'S BECAUSE IT CAN
TRACK PEOPLE OR ANIMALS,

IT'S VERY USEFUL FOR A WHOLE
RANGE OF OTHER ACTIVITIES.

I MEAN, CERTAINLY THE ELECTRONIC
TAGS FOR CRIMINALS,

BUT ALSO,
IN THE CONSERVATION ERA,

PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW
WHERE ANIMALS ARE MIGRATING TO,

WHETHER IT'S POLAR BEARS --

I MEAN, A LOT OF RESEARCH HAS
HAPPENED RECENTLY ON POLAR BEARS

AND WHERE THEY'RE MOVING
AND THE FACT THAT THE ICE FLOES

ARE ALL REDUCING,
ET CETERA.

A LOT OF THAT IS DOWN
TO A GPS CHIP,

WHICH ARE FITTED, WHICH ARE
UPDATING THEIR POSITION

SO THEY DON'T GET LOST.

Narrator: BUT HOW DOES THIS
TECHNOLOGY ACTUALLY WORK?

SATNAV WORKS USING
A SYSTEM OF SATELLITES

THAT PROVIDE AUTONOMOUS
GEOSPATIAL POSITIONING

WITH A GLOBAL COVERAGE.

IT LITERALLY IS
SATELLITE NAVIGATION.

THE GLOBAL
POSITIONING SYSTEM, OR GPS,

IS THE MOST USED SPACE-BASED
SATELLITE NAVIGATION SYSTEM.

IT WAS DESIGNED INITIALLY
FOR MILITARY USE

AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COLD WAR

AND INSPIRED BY
THE SOVIET SPACECRAFT SPUTNIK.

GPS HAS GRADUALLY
GROWN IN SIZE,

WITH MORE SATELLITES BEING USED,

GIVING THE MILITARY EVEN MORE
ACCURATE GEOGRAPHICAL DATA

THAT ALLOWS THEM
TO PINPOINT BOTH THEIR OWN

AND ALSO AN ENEMY'S
EXACT POSITION.

THERE ARE THREE PARTS
TO THE NAVSTAR GPS SYSTEM --

THE NETWORK OF SATELLITES,

A CONTROL STATION ON EARTH
THAT MANAGES THE SATELLITES,

AND YOUR RECEIVING DEVICE.

THERE ARE 24 NAVSTAR SATELLITES,

AND EACH ONE IS
CONSTANTLY BEAMING OUT

A RADIO WAVE SIGNAL
TOWARDS EARTH.

AND YOUR RECEIVER LISTENS
OUT FOR THESE SIGNALS.

EACH SIGNAL TRAVELS
AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT

AND CONTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT
WHICH SATELLITE IT CAME FROM

AND THE PRECISE TIME
THAT IT WAS SENT.

BECAUSE THESE SIGNALS TRAVEL
AT THE SPEED OF THE LIGHT

AND THE SATELLITES ARE
IN KNOWN POSITIONS,

YOUR RECEIVER CAN USE
THIS INFORMATION

TO PINPOINT ITS POSITION.

SO, HOW DOES THE NETWORK

OF SATELLITES PLOT
YOUR EXACT LOCATION?

USUALLY, YOUR GPS DEVICE
WOULD NEED TO BE ABLE

TO PICK UP
FOUR SATELLITE SIGNALS

AS A MINIMUM TO GIVE YOU
AN ACCURATE POSITION.

LET'S COLOR-CODE OUR FOUR
SATELLITES IN RANGE --

RED, GREEN,
BLUE, AND YELLOW.

IF YOUR DEVICE
IS PICKING UP A SIGNAL

FROM THE RED SATELLITE,

THEN WE KNOW ROUGHLY
WHERE YOU ARE,

BUT WE DO MEAN ROUGHLY.

IF YOU ARE PICKING UP
THE GREEN SATELLITE SIGNAL,

THEN YOUR POSITION
CAN BE NARROWED DOWN,

BUT THERE IS STILL
A FAIR DEGREE OF ERROR.

ADD IN BLUE, AND WHERE
THESE SIGNALS INTERSECT

GIVES YOUR ACCURATE POSITION.

FINALLY, IF YOUR ELEVATION
IS NEEDED,

THE YELLOW SIGNAL
WILL TRIANGULATE

WITH THE OTHER SATELLITES
TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.

WITH SO MUCH WIDESPREAD USAGE
AND SUCH RELIABILITY,

THE SATNAV IS DEFINITELY
STAYING WITH US.

FOR THAT AND FOR ITS
VERY BRIGHT FUTURE,

THE SATNAV IS ONE
OF OUR FAVORITE

INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS.

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO
FIND YOUR WAY HOME

WITHOUT USING GPS TECHNOLOGY?
NO?

WELL, WE'LL SHOW YOU
HOW WHEN WE RETURN.

Narrator: WE'VE SEEN THAT MODERN
GPS TECHNOLOGY

IS SIMPLE TO USE,

POWERFUL, AND GETS US
WHERE WE WANT TO GO FAST.

BUT WHAT IF WE HAVEN'T
GOT OUR GPS ON HAND

AND WE'RE STUCK
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE,

THEN WHAT?
NEVER FEAR.

OUR INTREPID TESTER
IS GOING TO SHOW YOU

HOW TO NAVIGATE
THE OLD-SCHOOL WAY.

FIRST OFF, IF YOU'RE ORGANIZED,

THEN YOU WILL HAVE A MAP
AND COMPASS ON HAND.

FIND YOUR POSITION AND NAVIGATE
YOUR WAY OUT OF TROUBLE.

JUST MAKE SURE
YOU TAKE YOUR TIME

TO ACCURATELY WORK OUT
THE SURROUNDING FEATURES,

BECAUSE A MISTAKE WILL MEAN

YOU MIGHT HAVE
TO RETRACE YOUR STEPS.

BUT WHAT IF YOU HAVE
NO COMPASS AND NO MAP?

WHAT IF YOU FIND YOURSELF
IN A FEATURELESS TERRAIN?

DON'T PANIC.
LET'S FIND NORTH.

HAVE YOU GOT A WRISTWATCH?

FIRST OF ALL, DO WE KNOW
WHICH HEMISPHERE WE ARE IN?

THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, RIGHT.

THEN POINT THE HOUR
HAND AT THE SUN.

SOUTH WILL BE HALFWAY

BETWEEN THE HOUR HAND
AND 12 O'CLOCK.

SO IF WE FACE
THAT SOUTHERLY DIRECTION,

WE KNOW THAT NORTH
IS BEHIND US,

AND EAST IS TO OUR LEFT,
AND WEST IS TO OUR RIGHT.

ONCE WE HAVE ESTABLISHED
OUR COMPASS POINTS,

WE CAN THEN DECIDE
WHICH WAY WE NEED

TO WALK TO GET TO SAFETY.

AND IF YOU FIND YOURSELF
IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE,

THEN YOU CAN USE
THE EXACT SAME METHOD,

BUT YOU'LL BE FACING
NORTH RATHER THAN SOUTH.

BUT WHAT IF YOU HAVE
A DIGITAL WATCH OR NONE AT ALL?

FEAR NOT.

CAN YOU FIND A STICK OR A LONG,
THIN, STRAIGHT OBJECT?

PUSH THE STICK INTO THE GROUND

AND PLACE A ROCK OR OBJECT

AT THE TOP OF THE SHADOW
THAT IT CASTS.

WAIT 15 MINUTES,
THEN YOU WILL NOTICE

THAT THE SHADOW HAS MOVED.

NOW MARK THE NEW POSITION.

BECAUSE THE SUN RISES

IN THE EAST
AND SETS IN THE WEST,

THE FIRST POSITION
IS YOUR WEST POINT

AND THE SECOND IS YOUR EAST.

IF YOU DRAW A STRAIGHT LINE
BETWEEN THE TWO POINTS

AND ANOTHER LINE
THAT BISECTS THE FIRST,

THEN YOU'LL HAVE CREATED
A NORTH-SOUTH, EAST-WEST AXIS.

YOU CAN NOW START TO MOVE
IN THE DIRECTION YOU NEED.

THE 1960s, THE DECADE
THAT IMMEDIATELY

CONJURES UP IMAGES
OF BRIGHT COLOR,

FLOWER POWER,

FASHION INNOVATIONS,
AND FREEDOM.

IT'S ALSO A TIME
OF GREAT CONFLICTS

AND A TIME WHEN THE SUPERPOWERS
LOOKED TOWARDS THE STARS.

YES, THE SPACE RACE
IS IN FULL SWING

WITH THE SOVIET UNION
AND UNITED STATES

FOCUSING THEIR RESOURCES
INTO THE DREAM OF THE TIME,

TO LAND A MAN ON THE MOON.

TELEVISION SCREENS ARE FILLED
WITH IMAGES OF PLANETS,

SATELLITES, SPACE SUITS,
AND ROCKETS.

IT'S NO SURPRISE
THAT THE SPACE RACE

EVENTUALLY INFLUENCES DESIGN

AND FASHION ACROSS THE WORLD.

THE ROCKET SHIP HAD BECOME
AN ICON OF A GENERATION,

AND A WHOLE NEW
ONE WAS BORN WITH IT.

ENTER THE LAVA LAMP.

PICTURE ANY CLASSIC
1960s HOUSEHOLD,

AND THERE'S PROBABLY
A LAVA LAMP

SITTING THERE SOMEWHERE.

BUT WHO DREAMED UP THESE ICONIC
ORNAMENTS IN THE FIRST PLACE?

BRITISH INVENTOR AND ECCENTRIC
EDWARD CRAVEN WALKER

COMES UP WITH THE LAVA LAMP IDEA

WHILE SITTING IN HIS LOCAL PUB

WATCHING A NEWLY DESIGNED EGG
TIMER BUBBLE AWAY ON THE STOVE.

Granger: HE'D SPENT YEARS

FORMULATING
THIS EGG TIMER INTO A LAMP.

AND THEN, HE EVENTUALLY WORKED
OUT HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

HE LAUNCHED IT
IN 1963 HERE IN POOLE.

HE HAD A LITTLE
VAN CALLED SMOKEY

WITH A PICTURE
OF AN ASTRO ON THE SIDE,

AND THEY USED TO DRIVE AROUND
THE COUNTRY SELLING LAVA LAMPS

FROM THE BACK OF THIS VAN.
BUT THEY DID WELL.

THEY MANAGED TO GET THEM
INTO SELFRIDGES AND HABITAT

AND ALL SORTS OF PLACES,

SO IT MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE FUN
IN THOSE EARLY DAYS.

Narrator: HOW IS THE ICONIC
LAVA LAMP MADE?

A MANUFACTURER SHOWS US
WHEN WE RETURN.

Narrator: AFTER TRAVELING AROUND
ENGLAND IN HIS VAN NAMED SMOKEY,

EDWARD CRAVEN WALKER
FINDS GREAT SUCCESS

IN GETTING THE WORD OUT
ABOUT HIS GROOVY NEW IDEA.

IT'S THEN THAT THE MATHMOS LAMPS
IS FOUNDED

AND BEGINS PRODUCING
THE NOW WORLD-FAMOUS ASTRO LAMP.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THIS ICONIC
INVENTION IS QUITE SIMPLE,

BUT NO LESS AMAZING.

INSIDE THE LAMP
ARE BLOBS OF WAX WHICH,

WHEN HEATED BY
THE INCANDESCENT BULB,

CHANGES IN DENSITY,

MAKING THE WAX RISE
AND FALL IN THICK GLOBULES,

GIVING THE IMPRESSION OF LAVA.

FAST-FORWARD TO TODAY
AND THE LAVA LAMP

IS STILL AS POPULAR AS EVER.

AND ITS MANUFACTURE
PROCESS IS JUST AS GROOVY.

THE BASE AND CAP
FOR THE LAVA LAMP

ARE MADE FROM SPUN ALUMINUM

AT THE NEWTEC SPINNING
FACILITY IN DEVON, ENGLAND.

COMBINING CONTEMPORARY
TECHNOLOGY AND MANUFACTURING

TECHNIQUES WITH
TRADITIONAL METHODS,

THE FULLY-AUTOMATED
METAL-SPINNING ROBOTS

ARE ABLE TO PRODUCE THE BASE

AND CAPS FOR THE LAVA LAMPS
WITH SPEED AND PRECISION.

THIS MEANS THAT THEY WILL
BE EXACTLY THE RIGHT FIT

WHEN COMBINED WITH
THE GLASS BOTTLES

THAT GIVE THE LAVA LAMPS
THEIR FAMOUS ROCKET SHIP LOOK.

ONCE THE ALUMINUM IS SPUN
TO THE CORRECT SHAPE AND SIZE,

THEY'RE POLISHED
AND THEN SUB-ASSEMBLED

WITH A CORD SET AND BULB,

READY TO BE MATCHED UP
WITH THE GLASS BOTTLES.

THE CRYSTAL-CLEAR BOTTLES

ARE PRODUCED AT THE STOLZLE
FLACONNAGE GLASS FACTORY

IN WEST YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND.

WITH OVER A CENTURY
OF EXPERIENCE BEHIND IT,

THE FACTORY HAS
BECOME A STATE-OF-THE-ART

GLASS PRODUCTION FACILITY.

THE BOTTLES FOR THE LAVA LAMPS

ARE MADE ON A FULLY-AUTOMATED
PRODUCTION LINE.

GLASS IS MADE HERE BY HEATING

AND COMBINING SEVERAL NATURAL
RAW MATERIALS,

THE MAIN INGREDIENT
BEING SILICA SAND.

THESE ARE THEN
COMBINED AND HEATED

TO EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES
IN A FURNACE

THAT CAN REACH UPWARDS
OF 3,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

THE HUGE FURNACE
IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING

110 MILLION GLASS
CONTAINERS A YEAR.

THIS PRODUCES A GOOEY LIQUID
OF MOLTEN GLASS THAT POURS

OUT OF THE FURNACE
AND THROUGH SHEARS

THAT CUT THE GLASS
INTO CYLINDERS,

READY TO BE DROPPED
INTO THE MOLDS

OF THE BOTTOM-FORMING MACHINES.

THESE MACHINES
CAN SHAPE THE GLASS

IN A MATTER OF SECONDS.

AND THAT GIVES THEM
THE RECOGNIZABLE BOTTLE SHAPE.

THE BOTTLES ARE THEN COOLED
AT A CONTROLLED RATE IN A LAIR

TO ENSURE THEY DON'T CRACK
FROM TEMPERATURE SHOCK.

THE BOTTLES ARE INDIVIDUALLY
CHECKED BY HAND

THROUGHOUT PRODUCTION TO ENSURE

THEY'RE OF THE BEST
POSSIBLE QUALITY.

THEY ARE THEN TESTED TO ENSURE
THEY ARE EXACTLY THE RIGHT SIZE,

WEIGHT, AND STRENGTH.

AFTER ONE LAST VISUAL CHECK,

THEY ARE THEN BOXED UP
AND SENT ON THEIR WAY,

READY TO BE TURNED
INTO LAVA LAMPS.

UPON ARRIVAL AT THE MATHMOS
HEADQUARTERS IN DORSET,

THE RAW BOTTLES ARE
CAREFULLY INSPECTED BY HAND

AND QUALITY RECHECKED.

THE ACTUAL LAVA COMPONENT
OF THE LAMPS

IS MADE UP OF A WAX FORMULA,

THE EXACT INGREDIENTS
OF WHICH REMAIN

A CLOSELY GUARDED
SECRET TO THIS DAY.

THE NEXT STEP IS TO MIX
THE FORMULA IN A LARGE VAT.

THIS VAT CAN PRODUCE 300 LAMPS'
WORTH OF WAX PER BATCH.

THE BOTTLES ARE THEN TREATED
WITH A SOLUTION IN ORDER

TO PREVENT THE WAX
FROM CLINGING TO THE SIDES.

WHEN THIS IS COMPLETED,
THE RAW BOTTLES ARE INJECTED

WITH THE ALL-IMPORTANT
WARM WAX FROM THE VAT

BEFORE BEING WEIGHED TO ENSURE
EXACTLY THE PRECISE AMOUNT

OF WAX IS BEING USED.

NEXT UP IS A KEY ELEMENT
IN THE LAMP'S CREATION.

A METAL COIL OR SPRING

IS DROPPED INTO
EACH OF THE BOTTLES.

THIS SPRING IS VITAL TO
THE LAVA LAMP'S FUNCTIONALITY.

THE SPRING ACTS AS
A HEATING ELEMENT,

AND ALSO, IT BREAKS THE SURFACE
TENSION UP OF THE WAX.

IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE
THE SPRING IN,

THEN ALL YOU WOULD HAVE
IS JUST A BALL OF WAX

FLOATING IN THE MIDDLE,
NOT DOING ANYTHING.

Narrator: THE BOTTLES ARE NOW
FILLED WITH THE MASTER FLUID,

ANOTHER VERY CLOSELY
GUARDED SECRET,

ALTHOUGH WE ARE TOLD IT
IS WATER-BASED.

ONCE THE MASTER FLUID
HAS BEEN ADDED,

THE NEWLY FILLED BOTTLES
ARE SUBMERGED

INTO A TANK OF WARM WATER

AT A TEMPERATURE
OF 161 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

DOING THIS WARMS THE WAX,

MAKING IT SIT NEAT AND LEVEL
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE.

AS WELL AS ENSURING
THE WAX IS NEAT,

THIS TANKING PROCESS
ALSO SHOCK TESTS THE BOTTLES

AND ENSURES THE FINISHED LAMPS

WILL WITHSTAND BEING TAKEN
FROM COOL TO WARM TEMPERATURES.

THE BOTTLES ARE THEN
LEFT TO COOL OVERNIGHT.

NOW THAT THE BOTTLES
ARE AT THE CORRECT LIQUID LEVEL

TO ENSURE A SAFETY AIR GAP,
IT'S TIME TO SEAL THE CAPS.

HOT GLUE IS PUMPED
ONTO THE THREADS OF THE GLASS.

A COMPRESSION TOOL
THEN TIGHTENS THE CAPS.

AFTER ONE FINAL
QUALITY CONTROL TEST,

THE BOTTLES ARE CLEANED,
THEN FULLY ASSEMBLED

WITH THE METAL BASE AND CAP.

THEY'RE NOW READY TO BE PACKED

AND DISTRIBUTED
TO CUSTOMERS WORLDWIDE,

AS POPULAR NOW AS THEY WERE
OVER 50 YEARS AGO.

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT,

A GLANCE THROUGH
THE HIDDEN HISTORY

AND SUPER SCIENCE OF
SOME AMAZING PRODUCTS

THAT YOU USE EVERY DAY --

THE TAXICAB,
SATELLITE NAVIGATION,

AND THE LAVA LAMP.

THEY MAY SEEM
COMMON AND ORDINARY.

HOWEVER, THESE PRODUCTS
HELPED CHANGE THE WORLD

ONE INCREDIBLE INVENTION
AT A TIME.