Original subtitles

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.