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.