Engineering By Catastrophe

Sunday 8pm

Engineering By Catastrophe - Show Trailer

Season 1
00:30

Next transmissions on tv

  1. Saturday 20 June 12am

    Rise of the Supertalls

  2. Sunday 21 June 8pm

    Atomic Power

  3. Monday 22 June 3pm

    Atomic Power

Synopsis

Across the globe, engineers are creating extraordinary modern masterpieces, structures that push beyond the limits of what came before. Each year, innovations grow more impressive as bridges, tunnels, skyscrapers and even spacecraft become bigger, bolder and more ambitious. Yet, every breakthrough brings new risks. To ensure the safest outcomes, engineers must study worst-case scenarios in which major structures are pushed to their limits and fatal flaws are exposed. Fires, explosions, floods and catastrophic collisions are difficult to confront but essential to understand. In this six-part series, we learn from the past to build a safer future.

Clips

Episodes

Season 1
  • Above and Beyond

    +

    Sending humans into space is perilous. Astronauts endure powerful launches, brutal reentry forces and an environment where small errors cause catastrophe. To prepare Orion for deep space, NASA studies past disasters to shape safer suits, escape systems and materials.

  • Into the Depths

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    Tunnels save time, money, and the environment by providing shortcuts through tough terrain. But they can also be dangerous, especially as today’s tunnels grow longer and deeper. Follow the Brenner Base Tunnel and Fehmarnbelt link to explore how engineers use past disasters to make construction and travel safer.

  • After the Flood

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    Flood risks are rising worldwide as storm surges and extreme rainfall overwhelm cities. Tokyo builds vast underground rivers to manage typhoons, while Spain’s Valencia floods highlight the need for early warnings. In New Orleans, storm surge barriers were reinvented after America’s worst flood disaster.

  • Rise of the Supertalls

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    The fall of the twin towers in 2001 reshaped skyscraper design, sparking global safety reforms rather than ending tall buildings. New standards and shared knowledge have fueled a boom in the supertalls rising in 71 cities. Icons like One World Trade Center and the Burj Khalifa stand on lessons learned from past failures.

    Next Showing
    Saturday 20 June 12am
    On National Geographic
  • Atomic Power

    +

    Nuclear energy can power cities while emitting no carbon, yet its risks loom large in public memory. Still, it is among the safest power sources, strengthened by lessons from Chernobyl, Fukushima and Three Mile Island. These failures guide engineers toward a safer future and the pursuit of nuclear fusion.

    Next Showing
    Sunday 21 June 8pm
    On National Geographic
    Next Showing
    Monday 22 June 3pm
    On National Geographic