Just The Facts: Inventions That Changed Our Lives

"Communications And Transportation": How many of us take for granted the ease of split-second communication? Not so long ago, daily mail (now dubbed "snail mail") was delivered by carriers and phone calls were revolutionary. And it wasn't so long ago that automobiles were a newfangled phenomenon. Thanks to visionaries like Alexander Graham Bell and Henry Ford, the areas of communication and travel have journeyed great distances in a short time. In a fascinating segment that's as fast-paced as society's demand for even quicker, more efficient communication and travel, "Communications & Transportation" explores the immeasurable impact the inventions of these two men and countless others before them have had on our lives. "Inventions and Innovations": "Eureka!" To Greek inventor Archimedes, this word symbolized the ultimate expression of invention. Without his and others' inventing spirit, their quest for answers and their desire to question what is known, the world would be a much different place. It would be a world void of "Eureka!" and the life-enhancing advances that come with it. Narrated by Tom Baker, Inventions and Innovations features rare footage of pioneering inventors Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Henry Ford. Spend time with these remarkable men who were not afraid to ask, "Why?" Learn how these inventors turned their theories into tangible proof. "Medicine": Inventions that preserve life are the most vital of all! Medicine presents an astonishing review of man's struggles against simple infections and deadly diseases until miracle medical inventions were discovered to fight back. Medicine views historic films and actual video of medical procedures from childbirth to major surgery. "Plastic Planet": Plastic is the 20th Century's magical, miracle material. "Plastic Planet" highlights the progress of this artificial medium and how it imitates "Mother Nature." From action figures to the credit card, plastic has flexibly, cheaply and colorfully impacted and improved nearly every aspect of life on Earth. "The Technology of Warfare": When words are ineffective in resolving conflicts between nations, war is often the result. Merely surviving is not the goal, winning is. To do so, nations rely on the latest technologically advanced weapons. They also rely on their soldiers. "The Technology of Warfare" explores instruments of combat and the equipment used by soldiers. "The Wonder Of Electricity": The modern world never sleeps, but it still dreams. It's these nighttime visions that electrify our lives when they become a reality. These everyday electrical products bring the world's best entertainers into the room and help lighten workloads, yet they're often overlooked unless they break. Then these workhorses - such as the radio, washing machine and refrigerator - get their due respect.