All language subtitles for Impossible Engineering s03e01 Worlds Largest Radio Telescope.eng

Narrator: TODAY
ON "IMPOSSIBLE ENGINEERING,"

THE FAST TELESCOPE,

THE LARGEST RADIO TELESCOPE
ON THE PLANET.

Steele: THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE
PIECE OF ENGINEERING!

Narrator:
A RECORD-BREAKING TELESCOPE OF ASTRONOMICAL PROPORTIONS...

THOSE SENSORS CAN BE LOCATED
TO WITHIN 1 CENTIMETER

IN THIS 500-METER DISH.

Narrator: ...AND THE INNOVATIVE
PIONEERS OF THE PAST...

BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
THESE ARE SOUND MIRRORS.

Narrator: ...WHO MADE
THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE.

GUIZHOU PROVINCE,
SOUTHWEST CHINA --

SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME,

HUMANITY HAS SOUGHT TO UNRAVEL

THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE.

AND PHYSICIST ANDREW STEELE
IS HERE,

SEEMINGLY IN THE MIDDLE
OF NOWHERE,

TO SEE HOW WE JUST MIGHT
REVEAL THE CLUES OF THE COSMOS.

TUCKED INTO A NATURAL BASIN

SITS ONE OF THE WORLD'S NEWEST

AND MOST ADVANCED
SPACE EXPLORATION DEVICES.

THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE
PIECE OF ENGINEERING!

Narrator: THE 500-METER APERTURE
SPHERICAL RADIO TELESCOPE,

OR "FAST" FOR SHORT,

IS THE LARGEST
AND MOST SENSITIVE

SINGLE-DISH RADIO TELESCOPE
IN THE WORLD.

IT CAN PICK UP RADIO WAVES

FROM BILLIONS
OF LIGHT-YEARS AWAY

AND WILL HELP TO UNLOCK
THE SECRETS OF OUR UNIVERSE.

Narrator:
THE $180-MILLION FAST TELESCOPE

IS PROBING THE COSMOS
MORE DEEPLY

THAN ANY RADIO TELESCOPE
BEFORE IT.

COMPLETED IN 2016,

IT DETECTS THE RADIO WAVES

EMITTED BY OBJECTS
IN DEEP SPACE,

ALLOWING ASTRONOMERS
TO SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE

ON A TRULY EPIC SCALE.

THIS MASSIVE
1,600-FOOT DIAMETER ANTENNA

CONSISTS OF A SPIDER'S WEB
OF 10,000 STEEL CABLES

WEIGHING NEARLY 1,800 TONS.

THESE SUPPORT A SPRAWLING
4,450 TRIANGULAR PANELS

WHICH FORM THE DISH ITSELF.

AND AT THE CENTER, SUSPENDED

FROM SIX 330-FOOT-HIGH TOWERS,

HANGS A 33-TON RECEIVER CABIN.

THIS INCREDIBLE DEVICE
COLLECTS DATA

FROM BILLIONS
OF LIGHT-YEARS AWAY.

BUT FOR ASTRONOMER AND ONE
OF FAST'S CREATORS PENG BO,

BUILDING A PROJECT
ON SUCH AN ASTRONOMICAL SCALE

IS NO EASY TASK.

Steele:
THE FIRST PROBLEM ENGINEERS HAD WHEN CONSTRUCTING THIS THING

IS ITS SHEER SIZE.

FAST IS VAST.

AND TO PUT THAT INTO
SOME KIND OF CONTEXT,

THE PREVIOUS
WORLD'S LARGEST RADIO TELESCOPE

WAS 300 METERS ACROSS.

THIS THING IS 500 METERS.

THAT'S OVER TWICE THE AREA

FOR COLLECTING
THOSE FAINT RADIO WAVES

COMING DOWN FROM THE SKY.

Narrator:
SO HOW CAN FAST'S ENGINEERS

BUILD A RECEIVING DISH
OF SUCH EPIC PROPORTIONS?

THIS WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE

WITHOUT HISTORY'S
GREATEST INNOVATORS.

AH!

Narrator: SINCE HUMANITY
EMERGED FROM THE CAVES

AND BEGAN BUILDING HOMES...

OHH.

HURDY, GURDY, GURDY.

Narrator: ...MOST DESIGNS
HAVE HAD ONE THING IN COMMON...

-FANTASTISK.
-OH, I SAY, SIMPLY MARVELOUS.

Narrator:
...FOUR WALLS AND A ROOF.

HEY!

AAH!

[ GURGLING ]

OH, CRIKEY.

Narrator: BUT DURING AMERICA'S
POSTWAR HOUSING SHORTAGE,

ARCHITECT RICHARD
BUCKMINSTER FULLER

BUCKED THE TRADITIONAL HOUSE,

CREATING SOMETHING
REVOLUTIONARY.

TASKED IN THE 1940s
WITH CREATING A QUICK

AND COST-EFFECTIVE METHOD
FOR BUILDING HOMES,

HE DEVELOPED
THE GEODESIC DOME HOUSE.

IN CORNWALL, ENGLAND,

SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR
KATE MULCAHY

IS GETTING A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
OF THE GEODESIC CONCEPT.

BEHIND ME IS AN ICON
IN CONSERVATION

AND A FEAT
OF MODERN ENGINEERING.

THESE ARE THE BIOMES WHICH
ARE PART OF THE EDEN PROJECT.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY COVERED
IN A REALLY INTRICATE PATTERN

OF HEXAGONS AND PENTAGONS
WITH SHARP ANGLES AND CORNERS.

THIS GEOMETRIC FEAT IS NOT
JUST ABOUT LOOKING GOOD.

IT ACTUALLY HAS A REALLY
IMPORTANT PURPOSE.

Narrator:
ITS DESIGNERS NEEDED TO HOUSE

A VARIETY OF PLANTS
FROM DIFFERENT CLIMATES,

INCLUDING THE TROPICS.

Mulcahy:
MEASURING 55 METERS HIGH,

100 METERS WIDE,
AND 200 METERS LONG

SURROUNDING AN AREA THE SIZE
OF 34 FOOTBALL PITCHES,

THE RAINFOREST BIOME
IS ACTUALLY LARGE ENOUGH

TO HOUSE THE TOWER OF LONDON.

Narrator:
SO HOW CAN A GEODESIC DOME COVER SUCH A VAST AMOUNT OF SPACE?

A GEODESIC DOME
IS A SPHERICAL STRUCTURE

WHICH IS MADE
OF TRIANGULAR ELEMENTS

THAT FORM A NETWORK OF CIRCLES

TO CREATE
THE SURFACE OF THE SPHERE.

BUT THE REAL STRENGTH
OF FULLER'S DESIGN

WAS THAT IT WAS MADE
WITH A SERIES OF TRIANGLES.

NOW, THE TRIANGLE,
WITH ITS FIXED ANGLES,

IS ACTUALLY THE STRONGEST
TWO-DIMENSIONAL SHAPE.

NOW, I WANT TO SHOW YOU
EXACTLY HOW THIS WORKS

BY BUILDING ONE OF THESE

USING ONLY THESE.

AS I'M JOINING
THE TRIANGLES TOGETHER,

THEY BEGIN TO FORM
THE SHELL OF MY STRUCTURE.

AND THE RIGIDITY
OF EACH TRIANGLE

BEGINS TO FORM
A TREMENDOUS STRENGTH.

IT'S ONLY WHEN
THIS FINAL PIECE GETS ADDED

THAT THE STRENGTH
COMES TOGETHER.

NOW I HAVE
A SELF-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE.

AND WHATEVER STRESS I PUT ON IT

GETS DISTRIBUTED EVENLY
ACROSS THE WHOLE STRUCTURE.

Narrator: FULLER'S GENIUS
BECOMES CLEAR WHEN SCALING UP.

THE BIGGER THE DOME GETS,
THE STRONGER IT BECOMES,

THE ONLY HUMAN-MADE STRUCTURE
TO DO SUCH A THING.

BUT HOW STRONG IS IT?

IT'S CERTAINLY VERY LIGHT,
EASY TO PICK UP.

THE ONLY WAY TO ACTUALLY TEST
THIS IS FOR ME TO CLIMB ON TOP.

SO...

[ GRUNTS ]

YEAH. IT'S VERY STRONG.

SO WE SEE FULLER'S DESIGN
DEFINITELY WORKS,

JUST LIKE THE BIOMES BEHIND ME.

OH, AMAZING.

Narrator:
EVEN MORE INCREDIBLY,

WHEN A SPHERE'S
DIAMETER IS DOUBLED,

ITS SURFACE AREA QUADRUPLES,

CREATING EIGHT TIMES THE VOLUME

WITH VERY LITTLE SURFACE AREA.

THIS RESULTS IN LESS MATERIALS
AND LESS-EXPENSIVE HOMES.

Mulcahy: WOW.

IT'S AN AMAZING
PIECE OF ENGINEERING

IF YOU WANT TO BUILD SOMETHING
THAT'S VERY BIG,

THAT'S VERY LIGHT,
AND THAT'S VERY STRONG.

Narrator: TO CREATE THE WORLD'S
LARGEST UNINTERRUPTED DISH,

FAST'S ENGINEERS
ARE SUPER-SIZING

FULLER'S GEODESIC DOME CONCEPT

AND FLIPPING IT ON ITS HEAD.

TO TAKE ON THIS GARGANTUAN
CHALLENGE, WORKERS CONSTRUCT

A 1-MILE-LONG STEEL GIRDER RING,

FORMING THE OUTER
PERIMETER OF THE DISH.

SIX 300-FOOT-HIGH TOWERS
SURROUND IT

AND SUPPORT A 33-TON FEED CABIN.

THIS HOUSES
THE ALL-IMPORTANT RECEIVER

DESIGNED TO CAPTURE
EVEN THE FAINTEST

OF GALACTIC RADIO WAVES.

AFTER JUST FIVE YEARS
OF CONSTRUCTION,

ON JULY 3, 2016,
THE ENGINEERS LOWER

THE LAST ALUMINUM
TRIANGULAR PANEL INTO PLACE.

Steele: THIS IS JUST
AN ABSOLUTELY AWESOME STRUCTURE.

IT'S EPIC IN SCALE.

THOSE ALUMINUM PANELS
ARE PERFORATED

TO KEEP THEM,
FIRSTLY, LIGHTWEIGHT,

SECONDLY,
TO ALLOW THE RAIN THROUGH

AND, FINALLY,
TO ALLOW THE LIGHT THROUGH.

THAT MEANS THE PLANTS CAN GROW
ON THE SURFACE UNDERNEATH.

AND THEIR ROOTS CAN GET
DOWN INTO THE SOIL

AND PROVIDE A BIT OF SUPPORT FOR
THIS TRULY ENORMOUS STRUCTURE.

Narrator: BUT TO CREATE THE MOST
PRECISE TELESCOPE EVER BUILT,

FAST'S ENGINEERS MUST DRAW
ON THE PIONEERS FROM THE PAST...

SUDDENLY, THE BIGGEST THREAT
CAME FROM THE SKY.

DEFENDING AGAINST ENEMY AIRCRAFT
WAS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

Narrator: ...TO MAKE
THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE.

Narrator: THE FAST TELESCOPE --

HIDDEN IN THE MOUNTAINS
OF SOUTHWEST CHINA,

IT'S THE LARGEST RADIO
TELESCOPE ON THE PLANET.

Steele: FAST IS MASSIVE.

AND THAT'S IDEAL FOR COLLECTING
THOSE WEAK RADIO SIGNALS

FROM BILLIONS OF LIGHT-YEARS
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE.

BUT IT ALSO PRESENTS ENGINEERS
WITH A BIG PROBLEM.

FAST IS SO HUGE, IT HAS
TO BE FIXED TO THE GROUND.

Narrator: SMALLER RADIO
TELESCOPES HAVE A RECEIVER

FIXED AT THE CENTER
OF THE DISH

TO COLLECT
REFLECTED RADIO WAVES.

THE DISH ROTATES

TO POINT AT THE EXACT AREA
UNDER OBSERVATION.

BUT THE FAST DISH
IS TOO ENORMOUS TO DO THAT.

AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS
RATHER NIFTY LITTLE SCALE MODEL,

YOU CAN'T JUST TILT
THE WHOLE LANDSCAPE

TO POINT FAST
AT A PARTICULAR GALAXY

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED
IN STUDYING.

Narrator: SO HOW DO YOU MAKE
A TELESCOPE THE SIZE OF FAST

POINT AT DIFFERENT PLACES
IN THE SKY?

TO RESOLVE THIS CONUNDRUM,

THE TEAM MUST DRAW ON
HISTORY'S GREATEST INNOVATIONS.

SINCE CLASSICAL TIMES,
A SHAPE KNOWN AS A PARABOLOID

HAS BEEN TREASURED
FOR ITS REFLECTING QUALITIES.

BASHY, BASHY.

IN 3rd-CENTURY B.C.,

LEGEND HAS IT THAT GREEK
MATHEMATICIAN ARCHIMEDES

USED PARABOLIC MIRRORS

TO CONCENTRATE THE SUN'S RAYS

AND SET FIRE
TO INVADING ROMAN SHIPS.

-AAH!
-WE'LL CALL IT A RAY GUN.

UH, OKAY, BOSS.

17th-CENTURY ASTRONOMERS

SEARCHED THE SKY
WITH NEW CLARITY

BY ADDING PARABOLOID MIRRORS
TO THEIR OPTICAL TELESCOPES.

OH, BORING.

AND EARLY LIGHTHOUSES USED THEM

TO BEAM THEIR WARNINGS
OUT TO SEA.

[ CRUNCH ]
OY, TURN THE LIGHT ON.

HIGH ABOVE THE KENT COAST
IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND,

PHYSICIST SUZIE SHEEHY

IS INVESTIGATING
AN HISTORIC MOMENT

WHEN ENGINEERS BEGAN
USING PARABOLIC MIRRORS

ON A GIANT SCALE.

WORLD WAR I
WAS THE FIRST MAJOR CONFLICT

INVOLVING AIRCRAFT.

AND EVEN THOUGH
IT WAS A NEW TECHNOLOGY,

IT HAD A MAJOR IMPACT.

SUDDENLY, THE BIGGEST THREAT
TO SECURITY CAME FROM THE SKY.

DEFENDING AGAINST ENEMY AIRCRAFT
WAS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE,

AS IT RELIED PURELY ON SIGHT.

Narrator:
THAT'S BECAUSE BOTH NIGHT SKIES

AND CLOUDY DAYS OBSCURED
INCOMING ENEMY AIRCRAFT.

AND THE SOLUTION TO THAT PROBLEM

IS THESE INCREDIBLE STRUCTURES.

Narrator:
THESE MONOLITHIC STRUCTURES ONCE PEPPERED THE SHORELINE

OF GREAT BRITAIN.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
THESE ARE SOUND MIRRORS.

Narrator: PIONEERING ACOUSTIC
PHYSICIST WILLIAM SANSOME TUCKER

DESIGNED THESE SOUND MIRRORS
NOT TO SEE,

BUT TO HEAR APPROACHING
ENEMY AIRCRAFT.

HERE AT DENGE
ARE SOME OF THE FINEST

EXAMPLES OF TUCKER'S WORK.

AND THEY'RE EACH
A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SIZE

AND HAVE DIFFERENT STRUCTURES.

SO, THE SMALLEST
ONE POINTS STRAIGHT OUT.

AND IT COLLECTS SOUND WAVES
THAT ARE SLIGHTLY LOWER

AND SLIGHTLY NEARER.

THE MIDDLE-SIZE ONE IS POINTED
FURTHER UP TOWARDS THE SKY.

AND THEN FINALLY, OVER THERE
IS A 200-FOOT WALL.

THEY'RE ALL BASED ON A CURVED
SURFACE KNOWN AS A PARABOLOID.

AND WHEN THE SOUND WAVES COME IN

AND BOUNCE OFF
OF THE PARABOLOID,

THEY'RE ALL FOCUSED DOWN
TO ONE POINT AT THE CENTER

CALLED THE FOCAL POINT.

Narrator:
SOUND WAVES HIT A PARABOLIC REFLECTOR AT DIFFERENT PLACES.

WHEN THOSE REFLECTED WAVES
MEET AT THE FOCAL POINT,

THE SOUND AMPLIFIES.

I'M GOING TO ATTEMPT TO RECREATE
AN EARLY-WARNING SCENARIO.

SO I'M GOING TO PLACE THIS
MICROPHONE AT THE FOCAL POINT.

SO...ABOUT THERE.

ALL OF THIS AREA IS GOING
TO COLLECT SOUND WAVES

AND FOCUS THEM DOWN
TO THE CENTER

AND AMPLIFY THE SOUND.

SO, I'VE GOT THIS SETUP HERE

WITH A LAPTOP CONNECTED
TO THE MICROPHONE

AT THE CENTER
OF THE PARABOLIC REFLECTOR,

WHICH IS ABOUT 100 FEET AWAY.

AND ALL THE SOUND WAVES ARE
GONNA BOUNCE OFF THAT REFLECTOR

AND BE COLLECTED
BY THAT MICROPHONE.

AND THAT'S REPRESENTED
BY THE BLUE CURVE HERE.

AND THE RED TRACE
IS A CONTROL MICROPHONE.

AND IT'S PLACED OFF TO ONE SIDE.

SO I'M JUST GOING
TO HAVE A QUICK LISTEN.

YEAH, AT THE MOMENT,
NOTHING MUCH IS HAPPENING.

THE CURVES ARE THE SAME.

I CAN'T REALLY
SEE ANY DIFFERENCE.

Narrator: BUT AS AIRCRAFT
APPROACH FROM MANY MILES AWAY

AND FROM DIFFERENT POINTS
IN THE SKY,

THE PARABOLIC SOUND MIRRORS

LET SOUND TECHNICIANS
HEAR THE ENGINES

IN TIME TO ALERT AIR DEFENSES.

SO, I CAN START
TO HEAR SOMETHING.

CAN DEFINITELY HEAR
A PLANE PROPELLER.

SO, I CAN DEFINITELY
SEE THAT THE BLUE CURVE

IS ABOVE THE RED ONE
IN THIS MIDDLE REGION HERE.

[ ENGINES ROARING ]

AND HISTORICALLY, WE COULD USE
THESE SOUND MIRRORS

TO DETECT AIRPLANES
ABOUT 15 OR 20 MILES AWAY.

Narrator: TO DETECT RADIO WAVES
FROM DIFFERENT AREAS IN THE SKY

WITHOUT MOVING THE TELESCOPE,

FAST'S ENGINEERS
ARE REVOLUTIONIZING

THE CONCEPT OF MULTIPLE
PARABOLIC SOUND MIRRORS

WITH A SINGLE BUT DYNAMIC
1,600-FOOT-DIAMETER DISH.

THIS THING IS ENORMOUS.

DOWN HERE, YOU CAN SEE
JUST HOW AMBITIOUS

THIS PROJECT REALLY WAS.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS.

WE'RE DRIVING DOWN INTO
THE BOWELS OF THE TELESCOPE.

IT'S PRETTY UNBELIEVABLE
THAT ONCE,

IT WAS JUST A LITTLE FARM
IN THIS CAST DEPRESSION.

AND NOW IT'S THIS
INCREDIBLE STRUCTURE.

FROM DOWN HERE, YOU CAN REALLY
SEE WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT FAST.

IT USES THESE ACTUATORS
TO DISTORT THE DISH.

IT'S GOT WHAT'S CALLED
AN ACTIVE REFLECTOR.

AND THESE ARE USED
TO TUG THIS HUGE SURFACE

INTO THE EXACT RIGHT SHAPE
TO COLLECT RADIO WAVES.

THEY USE 2,000
OF THESE ACTUATORS

TO PULL THAT DISH DOWN

INTO THAT PERFECT
PARABOLIC SHAPE

TO GET THE SHARPEST POSSIBLE
IMAGES OF THE SKY.

Narrator:
THIS SYSTEM OF ACTUATORS

LETS ASTRONOMERS POINT
EACH INDIVIDUAL PANEL

AT ANY AREA OF THE SKY
THEY WISH,

TRANSFORMING THIS BIG,
APPARENTLY STATIC DISH

INTO A DYNAMIC MOVING REFLECTOR.

[ WHIRRING,
MUSICAL TONES PLAYING ]

THAT IS THE SOUND
OF THIS ACTUATOR STARTING UP.

AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
IT ACTUALLY IS MOVING

VERY, VERY SLOWLY,
ABOUT A MILLIMETER EVERY SECOND.

THESE ACTUATORS ALLOW ENGINEERS
TO MOVE 300 METERS

OF THE DISH
OUT OF THAT 500-METER TOTAL.

AND THAT GIVES YOU
A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY.

IT ALLOWS YOU TO LOOK
AT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE SKY.

SO RATHER THAN JUST
LOOKING STRAIGHT UP,

FAST CAN ACTUALLY SCAN
A REGION OF 40 DEGREES

EITHER SIDE
OF THAT SO-CALLED ZENITH.

THIS REALLY IS AN INCREDIBLY
INNOVATIVE SOLUTION

THAT THEY'VE COME UP
WITH HERE AT FAST.

Narrator: BUT DISTORTING
THE DISH INTO A PARABOLOID

IS JUST THE FIRST STEP

TOWARD UNVEILING THE MYSTERIES
OF THE UNIVERSE.

TO MAKE THE MOST POWERFUL
RADIO TELESCOPE ON EARTH,

ENGINEERS MUST LOOK
TO THE PAST...

OH, MY GOD.

[ GASPS ]

I JUST TOOK OFF AN AEROPLANE!
[ LAUGHS ]

Narrator: ...TO CREATE MORE
IMPOSSIBLE ENGINEERING.

Narrator: BUILT DEEP IN THE
MOUNTAINTOPS OF SOUTHWEST CHINA,

ENGINEERS HAVE CREATED THE MOST
POWERFUL TERRESTRIAL TOOL

IN SPACE EXPLORATION,

THE FAST TELESCOPE.

Steele:
SCIENTISTS WANTED TO CREATE THE WORLD'S LARGEST TELESCOPE

TO CARRY ON OUR GLOBAL QUEST

TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S OUT THERE
IN THE UNIVERSE.

AND THAT MEANT THEY NEEDED
TO CREATE A HUGE DISH.

Narrator:
EVEN THOUGH IT CAN'T TURN,

ENGINEERS CAN ALTER FAST'S
ENORMOUS PARABOLIC DISH SURFACE

TO COLLECT RADIO WAVES

FROM DIFFERENT AREAS
OF THE SKY.

BUT THIS DYNAMIC ELEMENT

ALSO POSES
A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM.

AS THE REFLECTORS
CHANGE ANGLES,

THE CENTRAL FOCAL POINT
ALSO CHANGES.

Steele:
THIS IS THE SENSOR CABIN,

AND IT'S RIGHT
AT THE HEART OF FAST.

ONCE THE RADIO WAVES HAVE BEEN
COLLECTED BY THIS GIANT DISH,

THEY'RE ALL BOUNCED INTO HERE.

NOW, IN ORDER TO TRACK A GALAXY
MOVING ACROSS THE SKY,

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE
TO KEEP MOVING THIS

TO KEEP IT IN EXACTLY
THE RIGHT SPOT

TO LOOK AT THE OBJECT
YOU'RE INTERESTED IN.

Narrator: SO HOW DO YOU MOVE
A 33-TON RECEIVER CABIN

DANGLING AROUND 300-FEET HIGH,

AND STILL CAPTURE RADIO WAVES

WITH PINPOINT ACCURACY?

TO ACCOMPLISH THE IMPOSSIBLE,

FAST'S ENGINEERS
MUST LOOK TO THE PAST.

THEY FIND INSPIRATION
IN AN INNOVATION FROM 1964,

WHEN AMERICAN ENGINEER
KLAUS CAPPEL WAS DEVELOPING

A REALISTIC FLIGHT SIMULATOR.

AND SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR
KATE MULCAHY

IS AT L3 SIMULATION
AND TRAINING IN LONDON, ENGLAND,

TO GET UNDERNEATH
CAPPEL'S INVENTION.

Mulcahy: WHAT FLIGHT SIMULATION
REALLY NEEDED

WAS TO RECREATE
THE TRUE EXPERIENCE

OF THE SENSATION OF FLIGHT.

AND HERE THEY ARE.

EACH OF THESE MACHINES
WEIGHS OVER 14 TONS

AND COSTS A WHOPPING
12 MILLION POUNDS.

THESE CUTTING-EDGE MACHINES

ARE SOME OF THE MOST
ADVANCED FLIGHT SIMS

AVAILABLE TODAY.

YOU CAN SEE HERE, THERE ARE SIX
HYDRAULIC JACKS OR ACTUATORS.

THEY'RE POSITIONED IN PAIRS

AND MOVE INDEPENDENTLY
FROM EACH OTHER.

AND THAT ALLOWS
THIS MOTION PLATFORM

SUCH VERSATILE MOVEMENT.

Narrator: BY EMPLOYING SIX
HYDRAULIC JACKS IN TANDEM,

CAPPEL CREATED WHAT'S CALLED
A MOTION PLATFORM,

THE FORERUNNER TO MODERN
FLIGHT SIMULATORS.

OH, MY GOD.

[ GASPS ]

I JUST TOOK OFF AN AEROPLANE!
[ LAUGHS ]

I CAN'T SEE. WHAT DO YOU DO?

Narrator:
JUST LIKE A REAL PLANE,

THESE JACKS ALLOW
THE MOTION PLATFORM

TO MOVE THE CABIN

IN WHAT'S KNOWN
AS SIX DEGREES OF FREEDOM.

THIS INCLUDES
THREE LINEAR MOVEMENTS,

SURGE, OR FORWARD
AND BACKWARDS,

HEAVE, OR UP AND DOWN,

AND SWAY,
OR LEFT AND RIGHT...

[ MULCAHY LAUGHS NERVOUSLY ]

OH, MY GOSH.

Narrator:
...AND THREE ROTATIONS,

PITCH, ROLL,

AND YAW.

THIS IS A CRASH,
SURELY, SURELY.

[ LAUGHING NERVOUSLY ]

IT'S AMAZING TO THINK

THAT THANKS TO THESE
SIX HYDRAULIC JACKS

SITTING UNDERNEATH
THIS CRAZY SIMULATOR,

COUNTLESS LIVES
HAVE PROBABLY BEEN SAVED.

WITH ITS DYNAMIC
RANGE OF MOVEMENT

AND ITS PINPOINT ACCURACY,

THESE MOTION PLATFORMS
HAVE OPENED UP

A WORLD OF POSSIBILITY

ACROSS A DIVERSE RANGE
OF APPLICATIONS.

Narrator: THE ENGINEERING TEAM
AT FAST

IS RAISING THIS INNOVATIVE
MOTION PLATFORM TECHNOLOGY

TO ASTRONOMICAL HEIGHTS

TO SEARCH THE SKIES
WITH UNBELIEVABLE PRECISION.

ENGINEERS CREATED THIS,

A LIGHTWEIGHT CABIN
THAT CAN BE MOVED ANYWHERE

ACROSS THE SURFACE OF
THE DISH -- A REAL INNOVATION.

IT'S 10 METERS ACROSS,
LOOKS LIKE A FLYING SAUCER,

AND IT'S KNOWN
AS THE APPLE OF THE EYE.

IN HERE, WE'VE GOT RECEIVERS
SUCKING ALL THAT DATA

AND SENDING IT BACK
TO THE CONTROL ROOM.

BUT IN ORDER TO KEEP THOSE
IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT SPOT,

WE'VE GOT TWO DIFFERENT
MECHANISMS AT PLAY.

FIRST, WE'VE GOT THOSE
SIX TOWERS OUT THERE,

WHICH TUG THIS CABIN TO
APPROXIMATELY THE RIGHT POSITION

USING THE SERVO MECHANISMS

AND THOSE SIX HUGE STEEL CABLES.

Narrator: NOT ONLY
DOES IT LOOK LIKE A UFO,

IT FLIES LIKE ONE, TOO.

COMPUTERS CONTROL EACH CABLE
AND POSITION THE CABIN

AS HIGH AS 450 FEET

AND ANYWHERE
ALONG A 675-FOOT TRAJECTORY.

AND LIKE CAPPEL'S
FLIGHT SIMULATOR,

THE CABIN PIVOTS
BY USING A MOTION PLATFORM.

FOR THAT FINAL BIT
OF PRECISION,

WE'VE GOT THOSE
SIX HYDRAULIC PISTONS

CONTROLLING THIS PLATFORM,

WHICH ALLOWS THE POSITION
TO BE CORRECTED

WITH INCREDIBLE PRECISION.

THOSE SENSORS CAN BE LOCATED
TO WITHIN 1 CENTIMETER

IN THIS 500-METER DISH.

Narrator: BUT THIS
BREAKTHROUGH ENGINEERING

ISN'T ALL THAT MAKES
THE FAST TELESCOPE

THE MOST SENSITIVE
RADIO TELESCOPE ON THE PLANET.

TRULY PRECISE ASTRONOMY

ALSO DEPENDS
ON THE LOCATION ITSELF.

TO AVOID ANY SUCH
RADIO INTERFERENCE,

ENGINEERS SCOPE OUT A QUIET,

REMOTE CORNER OF SOUTHWEST CHINA

IN THE GUIZHOU PROVINCE,

105 MILES
FROM ITS CAPITAL, GUIYANG.

Steele: FAST IS SITUATED

IN THIS NATURALLY OCCURRING
CAST DEPRESSION,

WHICH ARE A VERY COMMON FEATURE
OF THE LIMESTONE LANDSCAPE

DOWN HERE IN SOUTHERN CHINA.

IT'S A LONG WAY
FROM NEARBY TOWNS

WHICH MIGHT CAUSE
RADIO INTERFERENCE

WHICH WOULD DISTURB

THE VERY SENSITIVE
ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Narrator: BUT EVEN OUT HERE,

GATHERING HIGHLY SENSITIVE
ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS

WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE

WITHOUT ONE MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH
FROM THE PAST.

Narrator:
THE FAST TELESCOPE IN CHINA

IS THE MOST SENSITIVE
RADIO TELESCOPE ON EARTH.

BUT BUILDING IT
WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE

WITHOUT A KEY INNOVATION
FROM THE PAST.

ASTRONOMER RYAN LYNCH

IS AT GREEN BANK OBSERVATORY
IN WEST VIRGINIA

EXPLORING HOW
AN ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY

REVEALED A HIDDEN UNIVERSE.

FOR MOST OF THE HISTORY
OF ASTRONOMY,

EVERYTHING THAT WE LEARNED
ABOUT THE DISTANT COSMOS

CAME FROM STUDYING
OPTICAL LIGHT,

THE KIND OF THE LIGHT
THAT WE SEE WITH OUR EYES.

BUT IN THE 1930s, THE DEDICATION
OF ONE MAN CHANGED ALL OF THAT.

Narrator:
BELL TELEPHONE LABORATORIES ENGINEER KARL JANSKY

WAS TRYING TO ELIMINATE
STATIC INTERFERENCE

IN SHORT-WAVE
RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.

TO TRACE THIS INTERFERENCE,

JANSKY BUILT A LARGE ANTENNA.

Lynch:
THIS IS AN EXACT REPLICA

OF THE ANTENNA
THAT JANSKY BUILT,

AND IT IS A WORK
OF ENGINEERING GENIUS.

IT'S 110 FEET WIDE
BY 20 FEET TALL.

NOW, IT DOESN'T LOOK ANYTHING
LIKE TES

OF THE OTHER TELESCOPES
THLITTLE BIT MORE

LIKE THE WING
OF AN OLD BIPLANE.

BUT IT IS AN ANTENNA THAT CAN
DETECT RADIO WAVES FROM SPACE.

Narrator: THE ANTENNA
RECEIVED RADIO SIGNALS

THAT WERE AMPLIFIED
BY A RADIO RECEIVER

AND RECORDED BY PEN
ON A MOVING PAPER CHART.

THE ANTENNA WAS MOUNTED
ON A PLATFORM SITTING ON TIRES

THAT ALLOWED IT TO ROTATE,

TAKING A FULL 360-DEGREE SCAN
OF THE SKY

ONCE EVERY 20 MINUTES.

HIS INITIAL FINDINGS
REVEALED A FAINT

BUT PERSISTENT HISS
THAT WOULD RISE AND FALL

THROUGHOUT THE COURSE
OF THE DAY.

AS HE CONTINUED
TO ANALYZE THE DATA

THAT HE COLLECTED
OVER MANY MONTHS,

HE REALIZED SOMETHING
TRULY REMARKABLE.

THE SIGNAL WAS STRONGEST
IN THE DIRECTION

OF THE CENTER OF OUR GALAXY.

JANSKY CONCLUDED THAT
WHAT HE WAS ACTUALLY PICKING UP

WAS RADIATION FROM
THE MILKY WAY GALAXY ITSELF.

Narrator: JANSKY'S
EXTRAORDINARY BREAKTHROUGH

REVEALED A NEW CORRIDOR
TO THE COSMOS.

RADIO TELESCOPES SOON YIELDED
GROUNDBREAKING DISCOVERIES.

AND IN 1964,
ASTRONOMERS USED THEM

TO ACTUALLY RECORD
THE FAINT ECHOES

EMANATING FROM THE DISTANT
ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE,

THE BIG BANG.

[ WHOOSHING ]

Lynch: ALTHOUGH IT WOULD TAKE
THE WORK OF LATER ASTRONOMERS

TO REALLY KICK-START THE FIELD,

JANSKY'S WORK
OFFERED DEFINITIVE PROOF

THAT RADIO WAVES COULD BE
DETECTED COMING FROM THE COSMOS.

HIS DIRECTIONAL MOVABLE ANTENNA

AND WIDE-BAND RECEIVER
FORMED THE BASIS

OF ALL MODERN RADIO TELESCOPES.

JANSKY, WITH HIS
PLANE-WING CONTRAPTION,

IS CONSIDERED TO BE
ONE OF THE FATHERS

OF MODERN RADIO ASTRONOMY.

Narrator: ENGINEERS AT FAST

ARE TAKING THIS REVOLUTIONARY
RADIO TECHNOLOGY EVEN FURTHER

AND ARE ATTEMPTING
TO DETECT RADIO WAVES

EMITTED BY ADVANCED
EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE.

BUT HOW DO YOU ASSEMBLE
ALL THE SIGNALS FROM SPACE

AND TRANSFORM THEM
INTO USABLE DATA?

GOT TO TAKE THAT
PHENOMENAL AMOUNT OF DATA

AND TURN IT INTO A PICTURE.

Narrator:
TO DO THIS, THE TEAM MUST TURN

TO A GAME-CHANGING INNOVATION
FROM THE PAST...

THEY GAVE PROGRAMMERS
THE LICENSE TO DREAM BIG.

Narrator: ...TO MAKE
THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE.

Narrator:
THE FAST TELESCOPE IN CHINA

IS THE LARGEST AND MOST POWERFUL

SINGLE-DISH RADIO TELESCOPE
ON THE PLANET.

AND FAST ASTRONOMER PENG BO
IS AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL.

Bo:
IT WAS ONLY A DREAM.

BUT AFTER 20 YEARS' JOURNEY,

WE MADE IT.

Narrator: FAST CAN GENERATE
A HUGE AMOUNT OF DATA,

AND PHYSICIST ANDREW STEELE

IS EXPLORING THE GROUNDWORK

OF THIS ENORMOUS ACCOMPLISHMENT.

Steele: AND THIS IS WHERE
THE ACTION HAPPENS.

THIS HORN IS PART
OF A BEAM RECEIVER.

IT SLURPS UP
THOSE RADIO WAVES

AND DETECTS HOW STRONG THEY ARE.

THERE'S ONLY ONE
OF THESE HERE NOW.

BUT WHEN THIS THING IS FINISHED,
THERE ARE GOING TO BE 19.

THAT PUTS IT
HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE

ANY OTHER RADIO
TELESCOPE IN THE WORLD.

BUT THIS POSES A HUGE CHALLENGE

FOR THE ENGINEERS
AND SCIENTISTS HERE AT FAST.

YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE
THAT PHENOMENAL AMOUNT OF DATA

AND TURN IT INTO A PICTURE.

Narrator: SO HOW DO ASTRONOMERS
AND ENGINEERS

TRANSFORM RADIO WAVES
INTO IMAGES?

TO PULL OFF THE IMPOSSIBLE,

THE FAST TEAM
MUST LOOK TO THE PAST.

SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR
KATE MULCAHY

IS INVESTIGATING
AN HISTORIC SILK MILL

IN NORTHERN ENGLAND

TO UNCOVER THE UNLIKELY
ORIGINS OF BIG DATA PROCESSING.

IN THE 18th CENTURY,

GARMENTS MADE FROM
INTRICATELY WOVEN FABRICS

WERE THE HEIGHT OF FASHION
ALL ACROSS EUROPE.

THE LOOMS WORK BY INTERWEAVING
TWO SETS OF THREAD.

THE LONGITUDINAL THREADS
ARE CALLED THE WARP.

AND THE THREADS RUNNING ACROSS
ARE CALLED THE WEFT.

NOW, PRODUCING SUCH DETAILED
DESIGNS WAS NO EASY TASK,

AND PRODUCERS REALLY STRUGGLED
TO MEET DEMANDS.

Narrator:
TO QUICKEN PRODUCTION,

FRENCH WEAVER
JOSEPH MARIE JACQUARD

INVENTED A MACHINE

THAT REVOLUTIONIZED
THE INDUSTRY.

Mulcahy: AND THIS IS IT.

THIS IS THE JACQUARD LOOM.

AMAZINGLY, ALL OF THESE
COMPLEX MECHANISMS

ARE ACTUALLY GOVERNED
BY A FEW SIMPLE CARDS.

THIS IS A CARD CUTTER.

SKILLED WORKERS WOULD USE THIS

TO TRANSLATE COMPLEX PATTERNS

INTO A LANGUAGE
THAT THE LOOM COULD UNDERSTAND.

THE FIRST STEP WOULD BE
TO COPY THE PATTERN

ONTO SQUARED PAPER,
A BIT LIKE THIS.

THEN FOR EVERY PIECE
OF THE PATTERN

THAT'S IN A SQUARE,
A HOLE WOULD BE PUNCHED

IN A CORRESPONDING POSITION
ON MY CARD.

[ CLICKING, BANGING ]

EACH PUNCH CARD REPRESENTS
ONLY ONE LINE OF WEAVE,

WHICH IS PRETTY AMAZING.

THE NEXT THING WE NEED TO DO
IS TO TAKE MY CARD,

PUT IT INTO THE LOOM,

AND THAT'S WHEN
THE MAGIC REALLY HAPPENS.

Narrator: WHEN THE CARDS ENTER
THE HEAD OF THE MACHINE,

THE LOOM'S HORIZONTAL RODS
PRESS INTO THEM.

EACH ROD CONTROLS
AN INDIVIDUAL THREAD.

WHEN THERE IS A HOLE
IN THE CARD,

THE CORRESPONDING THREAD
LIFTS UP.

IN THIS WAY, THE CARDS DICTATE
THE PATTERN BEING WOVEN.

ONE PATTERN COULD TAKE
THOUSANDS OF CARDS.

BRILLIANTLY, IF YOU NEEDED
TO CHANGE OR MEND YOUR PATTERN,

YOU SIMPLY NEED
TO LOAD MORE CARDS.

WHILST A HAND-LOOM OPERATOR

COULD PRODUCE AROUND
2 INCHES OF FABRIC A DAY,

THE AMAZING JACQUARD LOOM
COULD PRODUCE 30 TIMES AS MUCH.

AND IT ONLY REQUIRED
ONE PERSON TO OPERATE IT.

Narrator: BUT JUST HOW WILL
THIS BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

HELP FAST ASTRONOMERS
TRANSFORM RADIO WAVES

INTO IMAGES OF THE UNIVERSE?

Narrator: THE FAST TELESCOPE
IS THE BIGGEST

AND MOST PRECISE
RADIO TELESCOPE ON THE PLANET.

AT OVER 1,600 FEET IN DIAMETER,

THE DISH CAN TRANSFORM
FAINT RADIO WAVES

BILLIONS OF LIGHT-YEARS AWAY

INTO STUNNING IMAGES
OF THE UNIVERSE.

BUT TO DO THIS,

FAST MUST PROCESS
AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF DATA,

WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE
WITHOUT A BREAKTHROUGH

IN 19th-CENTURY
TEXTILE MANUFACTURING,

THE JACQUARD LOOM.

ONE PATTERN COULD
TAKE THOUSANDS OF CARDS.

BRILLIANTLY, IF YOU NEEDED
TO CHANGE OR MEND YOUR PATTERN,

YOU SIMPLY NEED
TO LOAD MORE CARDS.

Narrator: THIS PUNCHED-CARD
SYSTEM WITH HOLES AND NO HOLES

IS ESSENTIALLY AN EARLY VERSION
OF BINARY CODE.

JACQUARD'S GENIUS BREAKTHROUGH

CHANGED DATA PROCESSING FOREVER.

INSPIRED BY THIS, AMERICAN
INVENTOR HERMAN HOLLERITH

DEVELOPED SIMILAR CARDS
FOR STORING INFORMATION

COLLECTED
FROM THE 1890 U.S. CENSUS.

HOLES DENOTED SPECIFIC
MEANINGS LIKE AGE, GENDER,

AND MARITAL STATUS

AND WERE READ BY HOLLERITH'S
TABULATION MACHINES,

WHICH ALLOWED CENSUS DATA
TO BE COLLATED

10 TIMES FASTER THAN PREVIOUSLY.

Mulcahy: IN THE 1960s,
COMPUTER PROGRAMMERS

WERE USING PUNCH CARDS
TO CREATE, EDIT,

AND STORE COMPUTER PROGRAMS.

INCREDIBLY, THIS IS ACTUALLY
A COMPUTER PROGRAM.

IT'S A SERIES OF INSTRUCTIONS
ENCODED IN HOLES

TELLING THE COMPUTER
EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.

NOW, JUST LIKE THE PUNCH CARDS
WE LOOKED AT EARLIER,

WHERE EACH CARD REPRESENTED
A SINGLE LINE OF THE PATTERN,

HERE, EACH CARD REPRESENTS

ONE SINGLE INSTRUCTION
FOR THE COMPUTER.

SO A COMPUTER PROGRAM
COULD END UP

BEING MADE UP
OF THOUSANDS OF CARDS.

Narrator: BY THE 1980s, PUNCH
CARDS REACHED THEIR LIMITS,

AND PROGRAMMERS BEGAN
USING MAGNETIC DISKS

THAT COULD STORE MORE DATA.

Mulcahy: PUNCH CARDS
WERE THE FIRST BIG STEP

TOWARDS BUILDING A COMPUTER
THAT COULD BE PROGRAMMED

TO DO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING
YOU CAN IMAGINE.

THEY GAVE PROGRAMMERS
THE LICENSE TO DREAM BIG.

SUDDENLY, THE POSSIBILITIES
WERE ENDLESS,

FROM CONNECTING THE PLANET

TO BETTER UNDERSTANDING
THE UNIVERSE.

Narrator: THROUGH THE PIONEERING
WORK OF JOSEPH JACQUARD,

BINARY CODE,

AND THE DRAMATIC ADVANCES
IN COMPUTER PROCESSING,

THE FAST TEAM CAN TRANSFORM
FAINT RADIO WAVE SIGNALS

INTO OTHERWORLDLY IMAGES.

HERE, THIS IS
THE SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEMS

WE ARE BUILDING FOR FAST.

Narrator:
AT FAST'S CENTRAL CONTROL,

ASTRONOMERS ACROSS THE WORLD

ARE USING THE VAST
AMOUNTS OF DATA

TO UNLOCK THE MYSTERIES
OF OUR UNIVERSE.

RADIO WAVES TRAVEL
THROUGH SPACE LIKE LIGHT

BUT ARE INVISIBLE
TO THE HUMAN EYE.

TO TURN THESE SIGNALS
INTO IMAGES,

ASTRONOMERS USE
COMPUTER SOFTWARE

TO LABEL EACH INDIVIDUAL WAVE
WITH A COLOR CODE.

THE BUILDUP OF COLOR FORMS
A RECOGNIZABLE VISUAL PATTERN.

BUT TO CREATE SUCH RADIO IMAGES,

ASTRONOMERS MUST PROCESS
A LOT OF DATA.

OFFICIALLY COMPLETED
IN SEPTEMBER 2016,

FAST IS NOW SEARCHING
THE SKIES FURTHER

AND DEEPER THAN EVER BEFORE.

FAST IS GOING TO REVOLUTIONIZE
RADIO ASTRONOMY

AND TRANSFORM THE WAY
THAT WE LOOK AT THE UNIVERSE.

WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW
IT WAS POSSIBLE

TO BUILD A DISH THIS BIG.

SO WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU COULD
MAKE A MACHINE THIS ACCURATE

AND THIS POWERFUL.

Narrator:
FOR ASTRONOMER PENG BO,

IT'S THE CULMINATION
OF A LIFELONG DREAM.

BY DRAWING INSPIRATION

FROM THE GREAT PIONEERS
OF THE PAST,

ADAPTING, SUPER-SIZING,

AND DEVELOPING INNOVATIONS
OF THEIR OWN,

THE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS,
AND WORKERS

AT THE FAST TELESCOPE

HAVE SUCCEEDED IN MAKING
THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE.

FAST IS GOING TO ALLOW US
TO SCAN MORE OF THE SKY

MORE QUICKLY
THAN WAS EVER POSSIBLE BEFORE.

IT'S GOING TO GIVE US
FRESH INSIGHT

INTO WHY THE UNIVERSE
LOOKS THE WAY IT LOOKS

AND WHERE IT CAME FROM.

AND EVEN MORE THAN THAT,
THIS HUGE GEODESIC BOWL

BURIED DEEP IN THE RUGGED
SOUTH CHINESE COUNTRYSIDE

IS JUST AN ENGINEERING MARVEL.

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