Original subtitles

>> male narrator: modern marvels

Is going big

And counting down.

No series has celebrated

Technology and ingenuity over as

Many episodes as we have.

And now get set to punch that

Time clock and report to work as

We count down america's top ten

Most amazing jobs.

From the wild blue yonder

To the depths of a secret

Underworld.

>> it's a dirty job, but

Somebody's got to do it.

>> narrator: from the daffy

To the dangerous to the

Downright creepy.

These nine-to-fivers

Are redefining

The outer limits of earning a

Living.

>> I'm a tailor for people.

I just work in metal.

>> narrator: join our nationwide

Trek to payday when we crown our

Number one pick.

Now amazing jobs on this edition

Of modern marvelsmega marvels

Countdown.

[dramatic music]

[dramatic music] ♪

♪

The variety of jobs in america

Is endless.

And more than a 135 million

Workers are the driving force

Behind our gross domestic

Behind our gross domestic Product of $15 trillion.

Product of $15 trillion.

But not all jobs are created

Equal, and a rare few are so

Incredible that they have to be

Seen to be believed.

The top ten contenders in our

Countdown show just how

Innovative and daring we are as

A nation.

Our pick at number ten qualifies

On both those counts.

Imagine a career that advances

Medical science by getting

Hands-on with deadly

Rattlesnakes.

That's the amazing job of the

Fearless crew we call the

Snake milkers.

The perilous task of extracting

Snake venom is all in a day's

Work for the scientists at

Texas a&m's natural toxins

Research center.

As dangerous as their job is,

It's worth it because the venom

They collect holds a surprising

Secret:

Although it can kill, it can

Also cure.

>> we work with investigators

All over the world and trying to

Discover molecules in snake

Venom that are useful in strokes

And heart attacks and cancer and

Other medical problems.

Venom is a very complex mixture

Of thousands of different

Molecules.

>> narrator: no machinery can

Extract the venom from each of

The center's 400 snakes.

This amazing job must be done

This amazing job must be done By hand.

By hand.

The procedure demands so much

Focus that the center's rules

Limit researchers to milk a

Maximum of 20 snakes per day.

>> okay, this is a mojave.

It's one of the most toxic

Venoms that we have in the

United states.

>> narrator: the snake milker's

Basic challenge is to force the

Snake under controlled

Conditions to do what it does

When threatened.

In the snakes they handle, the

Deadly fangs are folded back

Against the roof of the mouth.

When the mouth opens up to

Nearly 180 degrees, the fangs

Swing forward;

Glands in the back of the head

Pump venom through the hollow

Fangs into the prey.

[snake rattling]

This uncooperative subject is

The eastern diamondback

Rattlesnake.

>> okay, don't worry.

Don't worry.

Get him from the middle, doc.

>> narrator: the eastern

Diamondback is the largest of

All rattlesnakes and one of the

Most dangerous snakes in the

Most dangerous snakes in the United states.

United states.

>> this is a western diamond--

Er, a eastern diamondback.

And I'm gonna let it bite into

This diaphragm.

This one really gives a lot

Of venom.

>> narrator: when the snake's

Fangs puncture a paraffin

Barrier, they immediately pump

Venom into a cup.

Each snake has a barcode-like

Device, called a p.I.T. Tag,

Beneath its skin for

Identification.

Venom samples are easily traced

Back to the donor with a

Scanner.

>> so, basically, what we've

Collected is about 1/2 mil

Of venom, and this is quite a

Bit of venom that will do quite

A bit of damage if a person is

Bitten.

>> narrator: the risk of being

Bitten is a clear and present

Danger of our number ten

Amazing job.

The venom of the rattlesnakes at

The center is hemotoxic.

That means it contains proteins

And enzymes that damage tissue

And organs.

Surprisingly however, a

Rattlesnake's bite is rarely

Fatal.

Of the estimated 6,000 people

Bitten by rattlesnakes in the

U.S. Each year, only an average

Of six die.

Still, these snake milkers are

Hypercautious because the

Hemotoxic venom also inflicts

Excruciating pain.

>> if you want to know what a

Snakebite feels like,

Hit your finger with a

5-pound sledgehammer.

There's internal hemorrhage,

Swelling, and it's just very

Painful.

>> narrator: that's a hazard of

The job these scientists

Willingly accept.

Since the work they do here is

Pioneering new frontiers in the

Development of lifesaving drugs,

The venom they extract is frozen

For future research that may one

Day produce medical miracles,

A big reason this amazing job

Earned a spot in our countdown.

>> I think what we're doing here

And with other countries is

Laying groundwork for future

Generations to discover.

You know, some of these species

Will become extinct, and if we

Don't capture their chains in a

Bacteria, we will never be able

Bacteria, we will never be able To use 'em in drug discovery.

To use 'em in drug discovery.

>> narrator: if you think

Milking a snake pushes the

Limits of gainful employment,

How about riding a dragon?

That's what the military brass

Calls our number nine

Amazing job:

Piloting the army's leanest and

Meanest rotary-winged killing

Machine, the ah-64 apache

Machine, the ah-64 apache Longbow.

Longbow.

They call it riding the dragon

Because its complexity makes it

Extremely difficult to fly and

Because it's designed to operate

Above the most hostile enemy

Terrain imaginable.

>> in the eyes of the enemy, the

Apache's a very dangerous

Helicopter.

In the eyes of friendly forces,

It's also a very, very dangerous

Aircraft to learn how to fly.

Typically, an aviator will go

Through approximately anywhere

From a year and a half to two

Years of flight training, from

Start to finish, to become an

Apache pilot.

>> narrator: the apache longbow

Carries a crew of two.

[indistinct radio chatter]

And a pilot's job demands that

He be an adept backseat driver.

>> the design was, with the

Tandem seating, that the

Backseater, his primary focus is

Actually piloting or flying the

Aircraft while the frontseater

Is conducting a majority of the

Reconnaissance and attack

Operations.

>> and whenever you're ready,

You're clear.

[explosion]

>> narrator: an apache pilot's

Job is one of the most lethal in

The u.S. Military...

[gunfire and explosion]

Protect ground troops by

Launching devastating assaults.

>> the primary function of the

Apache is to deal death and

Destruction on the battlefield.

The apache has the distinct

Honor of being the most lethal

Attack helicopter in the united

States inventory.

We can carry more, go farther,

Go faster than any other

Go faster than any other Helicopter.

Helicopter.

>> narrator: only a handful of

Job seekers get the opportunity

To pilot this $20-million flying

Tank, which is why we're giving

This job a big salute in our

This job a big salute in our Countdown.

Countdown.

Apache longbow pilots soar as

Fast as 167 miles per hour and

As high as 15,000 feet.

They can also execute evasive

Maneuvers impossible for most

Helicopters, including barrel

Helicopters, including barrel Rolls and loops.

Rolls and loops.

One of the most difficult

Challenges of their job is

Having to constantly shift focus

From one eye to the other

Because their helmets are fitted

With a monocle that's fixed in

With a monocle that's fixed in Front of the pilot's right eye.

Front of the pilot's right eye.

12 different instrument readings

From the cockpit are projected

Onto the monocle's screen.

Other images can be superimposed

There, from those shot by the

Helicopter's cameras to radar

Information.

While the pilot's right eye is

Interpreting all that data, his

Left has to be free to scan

Outside the aircraft for

Threats.

All the while, sensors are

Detecting exactly where his

Monocled right eye is looking.

Just move the monocle's

Crosshairs on a target below,

And the weapons he selects will

Swivel and aim precisely where

He's looking.

>> I think the biggest thing

That everybody asks us about is

If the gun really does follow

The line of sight of where the

Pilot's looking, and it

Absolutely does.

>> narrator: the most powerful

Weapon at the apache pilot's

Disposal is the agm-114, aptly

Known as the hellfire missile.

>> this is a b.A.T. Missile

That'll penetrate any known

Armor on the battlefield.

And this thing will reach out

And touch you 5 miles plus,

Pinpoint accuracy.

>> narrator: in addition to all

The onboard firepower, an apache

Is equipped with armored

Elements that help protect the

Crew.

The windshield is made of

Reinforced glass that can

Withstand every type of small

Arms fire.

And the pilot's seat is covered

In a heavy-duty layer of kevlar.

In this amazing yet

Highly-dangerous occupation,

These safeguards give new

Meaning to the term

"Job security."

>> this aircraft withstood

Significant damage in both iraq

And afghanistan, a lot of small

Arms fire, r.P.G. Fire.

I think some of the newer

Features that are just--

That make this aircraft as

Amazing as it is, is its

Capability to stay in the fight

For long periods of time, its

Ability to take, you know, an

Excessive amount of enemy fire

And still stay in the fight and

Provide that capability to guys

Provide that capability to guys That desperately need it.

That desperately need it.

>> narrator: as this amazing job

Sends america's defenders

Skyward, the next entry in our

Countdown takes them to a

Perilous underworld.

And stick around for the moment

When we unveil our number one

Amazing job, which involves

Something deadly hidden in this

Something deadly hidden in this Murky pond.

Murky pond.

We're working overtime counting

Down the top ten most

Fascinating occupations we've

Ever chronicled.

And it's not quitting time

Until we count our

Way down to the most amazing job

Of all at number one.

We clocked in with our number

Ten choice:

The researchers who can never

Get enough venom, the snake

Milkers.

At number nine was one of the

Army's most complex and coveted

Careers:

The apache longbow pilot.

The amazing job in our number

Eight slot takes us underground

In the name of law and order

With the u.S. Border patrol's

Tunnel task force.

You can tell why this job made

Our countdown just by visiting

The work space.

This subterranean labyrinth

Beneath the u.S./mexico border

Is the elicit portal for some of

The world's most cunning drug

Smugglers.

The challenge of the tunnel task

Force is to thwart them at every

Turn.

To understand the battle they

Wage here, you have to start

With the battle going on up

With the battle going on up Above.

Above.

>> behind me here is the

San ysidro, california, port

Of entry, the busiest land

Border crossing in the world.

>> narrator: here, border agents

Search more than 800 vehicles in

A single day, seizing nearly

70,000 pounds of contraband

Every year.

Because the agents at san ysidro

And other border crossings are

So good at spotting suspicious

Activity, many smugglers have

Opted to sneak their drugs not

Across the border but under it.

>> we're putting such a hardcore

Press on the vehicles coming in,

Trailers coming in, the

Traditional means of smuggling

Are still being used, but they

Need to find another method,

Need to find another method, So they're going underground.

So they're going underground.

>> narrator: some smugglers,

Like the ones operating at a hot

Spot near nogales, arizona, have

Simply tapped into the extensive

Drainage systems that run

Drainage systems that run Between the two countries.

Between the two countries.

>> right under these vehicles is

An extremely large drainage

System that handles all the flow

Of storm runoff from these hills

In mexico.

And the water flows north into

The united states completely

Underground for approximately

Underground for approximately One mile.

One mile.

>> narrator: kevin hecht has 17

Years on the border patrol, much

Of it underground.

His job, and that of his

Three-man team, is to descend

Daily into the sewers and storm

Daily into the sewers and storm Drains that run beneath nogales.

Drains that run beneath nogales.

>> now we're in one of the two

Drainage systems.

This is one on the west side of

This is one on the west side of Downtown nogales.

Downtown nogales.

Might be in the far end there.

>> narrator: the sun is blazing

Above, but here in the darkness,

Above, but here in the darkness, It's always the night shift.

It's always the night shift.

To help stem the flow of illegal

Drugs here, the tunnel task

Force has installed steel gates

Throughout the drainage system.

>> part of our inspection down

Here is to inspect these gates'

Integrity to make sure they're

Not tampered with.

We inspect all the bolts where

It anchors into the wall.

The two agents behind me are

Providing cover for us as we're

Here just to protect us as we're

Down here inspecting the gates.

>> narrator: m16s are just

Part of the basic equipment

Of this job.

Kevin's team also carries night

Vision goggles, radios, and

Detailed maps of the nogales

Underground.

>> we'll stagger ourselves,

Have one cover the rear, and

Hug the walls for the most part,

Lights out, night vision.

The only problem with technology

Nowadays is, we have night

Vision looking at us.

The bad guys have unlimited cash

Flow, so they're buying night

Vision, and they're looking for

Vision, and they're looking for Us at the same time.

Us at the same time.

>> narrator: another challenge

Kevin and his team face is the

Makeshift tunnels smugglers

Create inside the existing

Drainage system,

Tunnels that lead to safe houses

Where they store their

Contraband.

>> they'll dig an illicit tunnel

To a residence, or they'll just

Load out right into a cart.

A drainage pipe this small,

Obviously, you would use a

Teenager or a very skinny adult

To be able to crawl up in there.

It's difficult for us.

For us to patrol this, we would

Have to send a robot up there

And check something that small.

>> narrator: this robotic border

Agent, the versatrack 1500,

Performs a job as amazing as

Kevin's.

It patrols areas of the

Underground that would otherwise

Be impossible to search.

>> it helps us to look in there.

For safety purposes,

We'll lead it.

We usually drop it in.

For us, it has not only the

Camera, it's got various lights

That you can see on it.

The cable runs up to 500 feet,

And then it leads up to a

Monitor that allows the agents

To not only drive it but see

To not only drive it but see What it has in front of it.

What it has in front of it.

>> narrator: patrolling these

Sewers and storm drains as part

Of america's war on drugs

Certainly qualifies our number

Eight job as amazing.

But it's also a very dirty one.

Still it's not half as dirty as

The next job in our countdown.

It's one of the oddest and most

Obscure occupations on earth.

But every single pitch in major

League baseball depends on it.

Our amazing job at number seven:

Our amazing job at number seven: The secret mud collector.

The secret mud collector.

Ever hear of lena blackburne

Rubbing mud?

Every single baseball put into

Play at all major and minor

League games must first be

Rubbed with it.

>> we get issued our mud at the

League meetings every year.

I just know that it comes from a

Secret spot in a river in

New jersey.

>> narrator: the man behind the

Mud is jim bintliff of southern

New jersey.

>> we're off to the secret

Location to get this year's

Rubbing mud.

>> narrator: jim's job is the

Only one in our countdown that's

Part-time.

He works the night shift

Operating a printing press,

Leaving his days free to collect

The mud pro baseball relies on.

>> in the late-1930s, the

Umpires were looking for a way

To take the gloss off a new

Baseball to make it easier for

The pitcher to grip, give them

More control.

Lena blackburne, being a major

League player and manager, knew

Of this mud, gave it to the

Umpires, and found that it was

Perfect for what they were

Looking for.

Lena was a good friend of my

Grandfather.

So when he passed away, he left

The mud to my grandfather who

Left it to my father who left it

To me.

There's only a handful of people

That know the location of the

Mud, and that's why you're gonna

Mud, and that's why you're gonna Turn the camera off right now.

Turn the camera off right now.

>> narrator: the tools of this

Amazing job are pretty basic:

5-gallon plastic buckets,

A shovel, and some

Soon-to-be-worthless shoes.

>> I've been collecting mud for

30 years plus.

I collect three to six buckets a

Trip, and I provide about

900 pounds of mud every year.

All right, the tide's got to be

Low, and tide's perfect.

Now it's time to get dirty.

>> narrator: since this part of

The river is near the ocean,

It's affected by tides.

When the tide goes out, the

Secret mud hole is revealed.

A job with a secret location

Just had to make our countdown.

>> the thing that makes this mud

So special is the mineral

Content is different than most

Other areas.

Have a high content of feldspar,

Which is part of the quartz

Family.

>> narrator: it's the feldspar

That gives the mud a gritty

Quality.

It scuffs the leather on the

Baseballs.

>> reason I use the top layer of

Mud is, it's a much cleaner mud.

If I go too deep, the mud tends

To get dark, and it gets a nasty

To get dark, and it gets a nasty Smell.

Smell.

>> narrator: jim processes the

>> narrator: jim processes the Mud in his backyard.

Mud in his backyard.

Once he has a finished batch, he

Hand packs it, then prepares it

For shipment in his den.

>> right now I'm shipping

Approximately 400 containers

A year.

It's a dirty job,

But somebody's got to do it.

>> narrator: as jim's dirty job

Helps baseball pitchers get a

Grip, you'd better hang on too,

Because more amazing jobs on our

Countdown are headed your way.

Our job at hand is counting down

The most intriguing occupations

This series has ever presented.

And the amazing jobs we've shown

You so far have combined the

Ultimate in both high-tech and

Human resources.

The tunnel task force burrowed

Its way to our number eight

Position.

And the secret mud collector got

Down and dirty enough to earn

His spot at number seven.

Now let's get fitted for a suit

Of armor by a tailor who's a

Blast from the past:

The medieval metalsmith.

>> the suits of armor you see

Here are from the european

Continent and the great isle of

Britain and scotland from the

Britain and scotland from the 15th century.

15th century.

>> narrator: bart remling's job

Is truly unique:

Handcrafting historically

Accurate, custom-made armor

Like this.

[swords clanging]

>> I'm a tailor for people.

I just work in metal.

That's my medium, my material.

>> narrator: one of bart's suits

Will set you back about $4,500

Or more, depending on the amount

Of detail desired.

But they're a relative bargain

When compared to the medieval

Originals.

>> back in the old days, it

Would have been the equivalent

Of buying a modern maserati for

The knights of old, so it was

Quite cost prohibitive.

>> narrator: bart gets a

Jump-start on

The medieval-armor-making

Process by starting with

14-gauge sheets of steel.

>> I'm gonna build a shoulder

Assembly today known as a

Spaulder.

I have my steel clamped to the

Table.

We have our own patterns that we

Design ourselves.

We trace around the pattern, and

Now it's ready to be cut out.

The old armorsmiths used a

Shear.

Shear. We use the modern jigsaw.

We use the modern jigsaw.

>> narrator: next, bart goes

Medieval with his technique

With the help of variety of

Anvils.

Shaping the armor marks the

Steel with coin-like

Impressions.

Bart's challenge now is to

Smooth the surface.

>> nowadays, I have a little

Trick that I use called a

Trick that I use called a Planishing hammer.

Planishing hammer.

And that's how I'll go ahead and

Do it.

Do it. It speeds up the process.

It speeds up the process.

What used to take me two days

What used to take me two days Now takes me about two minutes.

Now takes me about two minutes.

[rock music]

♪

>> narrator: after bart shapes

>> narrator: after bart shapes Each piece, he polishes it.

Each piece, he polishes it.

♪

At this point, bart's medieval

Ancestors would have heated the

Molded pieces in a forge to

Temper, or strengthen,

The steel.

Bart's blowtorch achieves the

Same result:

Heating it to 525 degrees

Fahrenheit.

Once bart finishes making the

Hundreds of individual pieces

Needed for one suit, his next

Challenge is to carefully

Assemble them.

>> so the piece of armor you saw

Me making goes to this shoulder

Assembly.

It's quite precise, quite fluid

In movement.

As you can see, it works

Quite well.

What a lot of people don't

Realize is how the armor's put

Together with leather.

And that is so we can move

And that is so we can move Fluidly and with ease.

Fluidly and with ease.

>> narrator: bart remling's

Amazing job helps preserve a

Medieval manufacturing process

That might otherwise be a

Lost art...

[swords clanging]

Which is why we knighted it as

The number six occupation on our

Countdown.

Countdown. >> ah! Huzzah!

>> ah! Huzzah!

>> narrator: our next entry also

Resurrects a profession from the

Past.

Let's try to strike it rich in

America's last frontier with our

Choice at number five:

Choice at number five: The alaska gold miners.

The alaska gold miners.

Most modern gold mining is done

By large corporations.

But hardy independents like

John manz are reviving the

Spirit of alaska's gold rush of

1898.

He and his prospecting partner

Target gold deposits in the

Shallows offshore.

>> this is about where I first

Started last year, my first time

Out here in this ocean.

Okay, let's just set anchor

Right here and see what that

Right here and see what that Does.

Does.

>> narrator: john's mining

Method is dredging, the process

Of sucking up material from the

Ocean floor.

The simple tools of his trade

Are a powerful engine and an

8-inch hose.

>> these hoses are 40, 45, 50

Foot long, and when they're full

Of water and gravel, it's like

Slaying a dragon.

You're pretty much on the losing

You're pretty much on the losing End if it takes control of you.

End if it takes control of you.

>> narrator: as sand, dirt, and

Rocks are sucked up, they're

Sent through a series of

Compartments and filters below

The boat.

There, the gold settles out from

The rest of the material and is

Filtered down into its pure

Form.

In recent years, gold's value

Has been as high as around

$1,800 an ounce, making john's

Amazing job a potentially

Lucrative business.

>> my best days in gold mining

Was 38 ounces, and I made that

Was 38 ounces, and I made that In, like, 15 minutes.

In, like, 15 minutes.

>> narrator: on the beaches of

Nome, buddy is a more literal

Throwback to the alaska gold

Rush.

Like his pioneering

Predecessors, he uses a

Contraption invented in the

19th century called a

Rocker box.

Two modern tweaks to the system,

A generator and a pump hose,

Enable buddy to do his job much

More efficiently.

Before picking a spot, buddy

Checks for sand that shows a

Visible sign of gold.

>> yeah, I'm just trying to peel

Back the layer.

See the red?

That's the pay streak right

There.

That's what you're looking for.

You go--when you prospect, you

Pan it and see how much gold is

In it, and if it's good enough,

You--then you do like I'm doing

Right now:

Shovel it into the beach box and

Shovel it into the beach box and Recover the gold from it.

Recover the gold from it.

>> narrator: buddy's rocker box

Uses a series of grates and

Flowing water to help separate

The gold from the dirt and sand.

He then carefully pans through

The remaining material to

Extract it.

He's still in search of that

Huge payday, but for him, the

Job itself is half the fun.

>> the peace of mind that comes

Along with being here, looking

At the ocean, hearing the waves,

It's just been awesome.

>> narrator: buddy's love for

His wilderness work space is one

Of the many reasons his job

Meets the gold standard that's

Our countdown.

As he tries to find the most

Elusive of treasures, our number

Four amazing jobholder makes his

Living off of money people

Simply toss away.

Meet the texan who might end up

With the next dime you drop in a

Wishing well:

Wishing well: The coin launderer.

The coin launderer.

According to some estimates,

Nearly $5 million is thrown into

Fountains around the world

Every year, most of which goes

To charity.

But a lot of the coins are so

Corroded and gross that banks

Won't accept them.

Walt mckay has created a

Thriving business out of making

Those coins bankable again with

Those coins bankable again with His company fountaincoins.Com.

His company fountaincoins.Com.

>> well, when we get the coins,

Usually they've been sitting

Around for a while.

By the time we dump it out and

Get a nice whiff of it, it's

Pretty ripe.

>> narrator: walt has been

Cleaning fountain coins since

Cleaning fountain coins since 2003.

2003.

His simple process depends on a

Small cement mixer and an

Assortment of chemicals.

Every batch has its little share

Of surprises.

>> it's just a world of treasure

In here.

Oh, there's my lunchtime

Toothpick.

Marbles.

Broken jewelry pieces.

Little bit of caulking from the

Fountain there.

Fountain there. Ooh.

Ooh.

Ooh. That would be juicy fruit.

That would be juicy fruit.

>> narrator: after a dash of

Detergent...

>> looks like my hot tub at home

After a big party.

>> narrator: comes one of the

Most crucial chemical additives:

An abrasive.

>> the reason we need the

Abrasive is some of these have

So much scale or calcification

That they won't even fit through

A commercial coin counter.

Our mission here is to make this

Our mission here is to make this Penny worth a penny.

Penny worth a penny.

>> narrator: it takes the

Abrasive about two hours to do

Abrasive about two hours to do Its job.

Its job.

>> you can see how much cleaner

The coins are at this point.

There's no scale.

There's nothing to stop it from

Going through the shoot at the

Bank.

>> narrator: after walt and his

Staff sort and count the coins,

They're sent to the bank for a

They're sent to the bank for a Recount.

Recount.

Walt takes a percentage of the

Total, and a check for the rest

Is sent to the client.

>> I have a form that I send

Every customer.

It gives a precise count of

Every penny, every nickel, dime,

Quarter, whatever.

>> narrator: walt's job is odd,

Resourceful, unique, and unknown

To pretty much everyone,

A combination that cashes it in

As the number four finalist in

Our countdown.

Let's keep working our way

Along because the most amazing

Jobs on our countdown are yet to

Come.

Next up is our creepiest

Finalist, but also one of the

Most compelling,

Most compelling, No bones about it.

No bones about it.

No time for a coffee break now.

We're rolling up our sleeves as

We continue to count down the

Top ten most astonishing jobs

We've ever featured.

And our job's not done until we

Reveal our most impressive

Profession at number one.

We began with the snake milkers

At number ten

And worked our way to the

Resourceful coin launderer at

Number four.

Now let's see how some make a

Living by working with the dead.

Our choice at number three:

Our choice at number three: The body farmers.

The body farmers.

This unique 3-acre facility

At the university of tennessee

Is the work space of forensics

Experts striving to answer

Experts striving to answer Questions few dare to ask.

Questions few dare to ask.

The property is populated by

More than 150 decomposing

Corpses under plastic tarps,

Exposed,

In cars,

And underground.

Each body has been donated so

That researchers can study the

Dynamics of human decomposition

And how a corpse can help catch

A killer.

>> I know that we have helped

Solve several cases by the

Research we have performed here.

One of the major things that

People ask for is, "How long has

Someone been dead?"

What is that postmortem

What is that postmortem Interval, as we we call it.

Interval, as we we call it.

>> time since death is very

Important because perpetrators

Typically have an alibi.

If you can determine that they

Don't have alibi at the time

When the--the time since death

Has been determined for an

Individual, you could possibly

Pin the perpetrator to the

Crime.

>> narrator: a chief aim of this

Amazing job is to provide law

Enforcement experts real-world

Examples of bodies in varying

Examples of bodies in varying Stages of decay.

Stages of decay.

>> this donation is what we

Consider advanced decomposition

Or initial skeletonization.

One of the first things that

Becomes skeletal is the skull.

And a lot of that has to do with

The fact that you have more

Openings in your head and you

Have less tissue on your head.

And then one of the last things

That tends kind of go away is

The torso area, which is right

Here, and a lot of that's

Because if you think about how

Much muscle and how much tissue

You have in those regions.

>> this particular one appears

To be an end of active decay.

And one of the interesting

Things about this particular

Individual is the formation of

What we call adipocere or

Grave wax.

It's very cheesy and kind of,

You know, gooey material.

By looking at the composition

And structure of the adipocere,

Determined whether it was a very

Rapid decompositional process

Or if it was very slow.

A rapid decomposition ends up

With very crumbly type of

Adipocere.

A slow decomposition is much

A slow decomposition is much More paste-like.

More paste-like.

>> narrator: our number three

Amazing job involves more than

Teaching criminal investigators

How to determine when a person

Died.

Some bodies they tend here can

Help law enforcement officials

Locate a murder victim's secret

Burial site.

>> here we see an example of a

Clandestine grave.

A fresh grave, which is usually

Just a couple months old, will

Have a nice mound of dirt where

The perpetrator refilled the

Grave after putting a body in

There.

As the decomposition process

Continues, the soft tissue

Liquefies, and the ground sinks

And subsides.

But as time progresses and this

Thing fills back in with leaf

Debris and sticks and limbs,

Like we see here, it becomes

Very, very difficult.

And that's part of my research

Efforts here, is trying to

Determine how to locate these

Graves to make the

Investigator's job much easier.

>> narrator: that's a deadly

Serious reason the body farmers

Earn the number three spot on

Our countdown.

As they continue to advance

Criminology by partnering with

The dead, our next amazing

Jobholders are masters of

Bringing the inanimate to life.

Now pulling the strings in our

Coveted number two position:

The puppet makers.

At their burbank, california,

Studio, charlie, stephen, and

Edward chiodo create hollywood

Special effects the

Old-fashioned way:

Not with computers, but by hand.

They've contributed to films

Ranging from dinner with

Schmucksand elfto the cult

Favorite they wrote and

Directed, killer klowns from

Outer space.

>> at chiodo brothers here,

We do men in suits.

We do animatronic puppets.

Sometimes we go back to

The basics, and we

Do hand puppets.

My hand is up in this guy,

And this is my friend saddam.

>> yes, this is my pre-spider

Hole days.

>> and we also do marionettes

Operated by hand.

The fun this is, after you build

'em by hand, then you get to

Actually operate them.

Now, this guy, he's manipulated

By string, so our performance

Gets translated down through

These lines.

And this guy is similar to the

Puppets we used in matt stone

Puppets we used in matt stone And trey parker's team america.

And trey parker's team america.

>> the other way we bring our

Characters to life is through

Stop-motion animation.

Now, this technique has been

Around since they invented film

And is, in my mind, the most

Handmade way you could make a

Film.

See, what the animator does is,

He moves the puppet one frame at

A time.

And then he'll go back and move

The puppet again, take another

Frame of film and when these

Individual frames are run at

24 frames a second, you get

24 frames a second, you get The simulated live motion.

The simulated live motion.

>> narrator: the main reason the

Chiodos are in the runner-up

Spot in our countdown is that

Their handmade effects

Possess a quirky charm

No computer-generated imagery

No computer-generated imagery Can reproduce.

Can reproduce.

>> when c.G. Came in vogue,

You know, as new things do,

Everybody tends to gravitate

Towards that.

So there was a huge swing in our

Industry towards c.G., and you

Couldn't give puppets away,

Couldn't give stop-motion away.

>> narrator: but the brothers

Never lost faith in their

Hands-on methods and are proving

Their value to a new generation

Of moviegoers.

>> there's something about it.

It's intangible.

It's something that the audience

Is feeling.

There's a connection that they

Feel with things that are

Handcrafted.

>> that was one of the losers--

>> it is all real.

I mean, no matter how real c.G.

Is, it's always fake.

And no matter how fake

Stop-motion might look, it's

Always real.

And I think the audiences

Get that.

>> narrator: making movie magic

By hand is a painstaking

Process.

>> right now I'm working on a

Project with cassandra peterson.

We're gonna make an animation

Puppet for elvira, mistress of

The dark.

I'm trained old-school.

What I do is, I use this

Advanced tool here, a pencil.

I got some paper.

I'm just working out the shapes

Here.

It's quick and easy for me.

I've been doing it my whole

Life.

>> once I get charlie's

Drawings, now I start building

My sculpting armature.

In this case, I've got this

Pumpkin that I've got to sculpt.

So I have a tinfoil armature

Here, and I go into my clay oven

That I built by my own hands,

And I then take out this heated

Clay and I start laying it up

Over the armature.

I've been making these kind of

Sculpts, or we call them

Marquettes,for years.

So this is pretty close to being

Finished now.

The next step is to make a mold,

Cast it out of urethane, and

Then it'll be ready to animate

As a puppet.

>> narrator: combine handmade

Sets with handmade puppets moved

Deftly between frames by hand

And the result is the magic of

And the result is the magic of Our number two amazing job.

Our number two amazing job.

We've been talking shop,

Counting down america's most

Remarkable occupations.

And now it's finally time to

Call it a day by revealing the

Jaw-dropping job that tops

Them all.

But, first, let's take inventory

Of the awesome jobs already on

This show's resume.

Number ten:

The snake milkers.

[tools clattering]

Number nine:

The apache longbow pilot.

[explosion]

Number eight:

The tunnel task force.

>> the two agents behind me are

Providing cover for us

As we're here.

>> narrator: number seven:

The secret mud collector.

>> I've been collecting mud for

30 years.

>> narrator: number six:

The medieval metalsmith.

>> I'm a tailor for people.

I just work in metal.

>> narrator: number five:

The alaska gold miners.

>> that's the pay streak right

There.

>> narrator: number four:

The coin launderer.

>> our mission here is to make

This penny worth a penny.

>> narrator: number three:

The body farmers.

>> we have helped solve

Several cases.

>> narrator: number two:

The puppet makers.

>> [roars]

>> narrator: and now the amazing

Job that'll literally eat you

Alive.

Our number one choice from the

Swamps of florida:

The gator wranglers.

[driving rock music]

♪

In the florida everglades and

Its outskirts, at least

One million alligators roam

Free.

This keeps licensed alligator

Trappers paul bedard and

Jimmy riffle busy removing them

Jimmy riffle busy removing them From residential areas.

From residential areas.

There are about three dozen

Other licensed trappers also in

The business who arm themselves

With shark hooks and rifles.

The gators they trap are

Destined for the processing

Plant where they're turned into

Meat and hides.

But paul and jimmy prefer a more

Hands-on approach.

>> what do you want to do?

You want to jump him here,

Or you want to drag him up

There?

>> narrator: no hooks,

No bullets,

No bullets, Just muscle and man power.

Just muscle and man power.

>> the way that paul and I catch

These alligators is very unique.

You won't see many people doing

This.

>> I know a lot of trappers.

They all think we're nuts.

But I'd rather take the risk of

Getting hurt than have the

Gator, you know, needlessly get

A hook stuck in him or,

You know, god forbid, use a

Baited shark hook.

>> narrator: it may seem like

These guys are just showing off,

But they actually have a loftier

Goal...

[laughter]

To trap humanely and keep a few

To trap humanely and keep a few More gators a year alive.

More gators a year alive.

>> everyone wants to save the

Cute fuzzies, but nobody's out

Trying to help these guys out,

And they're really incredible

Animals.

>> narrator: our number one

Amazing job requires removing

Alligators from places they're

Not wanted,

Like backyard swimming pools,

To places they are.

Small gators are taken to a

Preserve where they'll live out

Their lives.

But the big ones, like this

9-foot male, accompany paul and

Jimmy to their other amazing

Job:

Alligator wrestling.

>> don't you know we're saving

>> don't you know we're saving Your life?

Your life?

>> narrator: it's a showcase of

Trapping techniques that

Originated with florida's

Originated with florida's Seminole indians.

Seminole indians.

This pit is where paul and jimmy

Sharpen up their trapping

Skills.

[heavy metal music]

[heavy metal music] ♪

♪

[alligator hissing]

But nobody's perfect.

>> I've been bit 19 times where

A gator has actually locked on

Or bit and released or got a

Couple of teeth in me.

I've had a 12-foot gator lock

Onto my hand.

I've been grazed probably

Another 10 or 15 times.

Put one tooth and rip a hole in

My arm about that big.

But, I mean, that's not that

But, I mean, that's not that Bad.

Bad.

>> narrator: despite the risks,

Paul and jimmy use their

Unconventional gator wrestling

Skills in their trapping work.

That's the principle reason we

Chose them as our crowning

Jobholders.

>> there's a certain dance you

Can do with 'em where you get on

Kind of his perimeter and you

Kind of get a feel for him.

You try to levitate him by

Picking up his jaw, and he'll

Back away.

And do it again, he'll back

Away.

But if you're gonna pull him out

Of a pool or something, you want

To get him in a position where--

What I like to do is get him

Over my head and get my head

Underneath his front leg.

And then once I get him there,

I got to grab him and lock up.

But you got to go quick because

In that little bit of time where

You're sliding your hands over,

If he decides to come back,

He can spin and bite your head

Off.

>> narrator: that sobering

Possibility may be our best

Reason why these mavericks merit

The ultimate spot on our

Countdown.

Their job and all the amazing

Jobs we've presented over the

Past hour showcase the

Incredible spectrum of talent

And ingenuity of america's

Workforce.

These working stiffs show how

It's deep within us to push the

Limits and how earning a living

Says a lot about who we are

And what we're made of.