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0:55 "Snow Skates" 4:54 White skivvies! 7:04 "Car of the Future" Porsche 959 14:37 "The Solar Cyclops"Solar Receiving Tower in the Pyrenees 20:35 State of the art graphics! 20:45 "The Phoenix Suit" Flame Retardant Clothing (23:49 and a flaming Iain Finlay! ) 26:04 Satellite TV Explained (bonus: a pink suit jacket paired with beige slacks) 31:05 A very involved, deeply fascinating story from Jeff about elevators in the Eiffel Tower. 38:06 Plastic Car Engines. 44:44 On next week's show, brought to you by Carmel's hair.
1:05 "Indoor Skydiving" Iain Finlay visits a unique attraction in Las Vegas. 1:28 Never knew that Abba were into this sport… 1:47 Vegas in the 80s! 7:48 "Giant Clam Conservation" Chris Ardell-Guiness presents a story about endangered giant clams and their unique physiognomy. 14:40 "Robot Chess Player" Jeff Watson demonstrates a robot chess player that seems unnecessarily creepy. 17:09 "Hotel Passkeys" Iain cannot contain his wonder in Norway, when he discovers that he doesn't need a key to enter his room, just a card. Which is acting as a key. Which makes it a key? 20:10 "Electrostatic Crimesolving" Jeff Watson reports from Essex on some amazing innovations in criminal detection work. Word of warning - this story contains some of the most pregnant pauses in TV history. 21:30 Nothing but fun times in the Watson household! 23:30 White Reeboks, white slacks. No, Chris, no! 23:39 "Body Spares" Carmel Travis reports on artificial joint implants. 32:54 "Halley's Comet" Jeff Watson walks us through a potted history of what was quite possibly the biggest disappointment of the 1980s, and then takes us to see the Japanese "Planet A" spacecraft, designed to do explore Halley's comet. If you are still awake at this point in the episode, have yourself a lollipop. 39:16 "DIY Aircraft" Chris reports from the Californian desert on some fascinating light aircraft designs that never seem to have *ahem* taken off. 45:37 Next week…
0:43 Introduction from Chris in a delightful puce shirt and green tie ensemble. 1:04 "Pay As You Go" Geoff Watson reports on a new traffic management model in Hong Kong "The Electronic Road Pricing Scheme" 4:40 High tech computing! 6:35 (Totally non racist scene. Look away children.) 7:09 "Deep Rover" Chris Ardell-Guiness reports from Vancouver about a one-man deep water submarine. 11:36 Chris goes down! 14:16 Iain Finlay. Amazing digital watch. Top two shirt buttons undone. Something for the ladies! 15:47 "Wine University" Carmel Travis brings us some marvellous pronunciation and deliciously fruity drops from Suze La Rousse, France. 19:27 Wine always tastes better when drunk from a beaker and pipette. 23:19 Fun Champagne cork factoid! 23:32 "Carbon Fibre Ligament" Iain reports from Newark, New Jersey on a groundbreaking synthetic ligament technology. 24:25 Needlessly graphic knee surgery. Ewwww! 29:08 Carmel's outfit here is so fashion forward it's probably cool again. 29:21 "Unsinkable Life Raft" Carmel risks life and limb on rainy Sydney Harbour to demonstrate some state of the art lifeboat technology. Special points to the sound editor for the story introduction! 32:11 Finally, we discover how high the Beyond 2000 studio ceiling is. Turns out, it's pretty high. 34:56 "Air Force Survival Suit" Chris just loves hanging around! Really working that studio height this episode. Watch this and realise what's missing in your regular, boring clothes. 39:21 "Technology in South Korea" A fascinating early report on the growth of electronics giant Samsung from Carmel. Note the absolutely correct pronunciation of 'Ginseng', and 'Samsung'. 45:30 Iain teases episode 5. Then he's off to the yacht club. Bye!
"The High Frontier". Iain Finlay writes, directs and presents "a very special episode" about the future of human space exploration. Featuring Arthur C. Clarke, Eric Jones, Loiue Freedman, Prof. Gerard O'Neill, Dr. Peter Glaser, Dr. Wendell Mendell, Ronald Reagan, Sen. Spark Metsunaga and others. 00:22 Introduction by Carmel Travis 01:04 Preamble from Astrophysicist Eric Jones 01:50 "ARECIBO/SETI" 04:52 Arthur C. Clarke 05:19 The Formula! 05:53 Louis Freedman, Pres. The Planetary Society 07:00 Prof. Gerard O'Neill 08:24 "Limitless Power From Space" 11:35 Dr. Peter Glaser, Vice Pres. Arthur D. Little Inc. 14:14 "Return to the Moon" 16:24 Dr Wendell Mendell. 18:40 Fantastically wrong predictions. 21:14 "Colonising Space" 25:44 Ronald Reagan announces ISS. 28:12 Space Shuttle Launch. 32:19 "To Mars and the Planets" 34:40 Spacecraft Galileo under construction. 36:20 Sen. Spark Matsunaga 42:54 "Life in the Universe"
In this episode: 0:22 This Week… 0:40 Introduction by Carmel Travis 1:03 "Wave Power" Iain Finlay reports from Oslo, Norway on renewable wave energy generators. 7:39 "The Smart Card" Carmel Travis reports from Blois, France on intelligent credit cards and the imminent death of the cash society. 11:55 "Waterhog" Jeff Watson reports from Dorking, UK on a new method for mopping up cricket pitches. WARNING: This story features some extremely questionable pantomime. 19:06 Not at all awkward. Not. At. All. 19:53 "The Leesailer" Iain reports from Nottingham, UK on a new type of small sailing dinghy. 24:00 "New York Future Skyline" Chris Ardell-Guiness reports on very tall buildings that never actually ended up being built. 32:50 "Hydroponics" Jeff Watson brings us a story from Japan on a way of growing vegetables (and other plants) without soil. 38:40 "Printing Your TV pictures" Chris Ardell-Guiness presents a way to get a so called "hard copy" from any video source. It's complicated, but essentially you just push a button. These things will be huge, invest now! Also, more evidence that Chris may in fact be colourblind. (Fuscia tie, Teal shirt? C'mon!) 41:22 "Fruit Picking Robot EVE" In Orange, France Carmel reports on a terrifying vision of the future where all your apples are picked by incredibly inefficient automatons.
In This Episode: 1:02 "Home Escort" Chris Ardell-Guiness reports from Santa Fe on home detention developments in the USA. 8:07 "Compact Discs" Jeff Watson shows us an amazingly small portable compact disc player. At only around the size of two novels by Tolstoy, you probably don't want to jog with it. 10:28 "GEOSTAR" Iain Finally tells us about an incredible system for finding things, without the use of telephones! Today we call this GPS. 16:45 "Driverless Trains" Jeff Watson reports from Lyon, France on a driverless computerised light rail system. 23:36 "Oriental Medicine" Carmel Travis brings us a story from Seoul, Korea about a university teaching only traditional asian medicine such as acupuncture. 32:30 "Finnish Icebreakers" Like ships? Like ice? Has Chris Ardell-Guiness got a story for you! 39:00 "Swan Lager Blimp" Alan Bond's dirigible receives more attention than it really should have. Jeff Watson reports. 45:35 Next week…
In This Episode: 1:17 "Scottish Kelp" "Seaweed. Most people are aware of the fact that seaweed is full of vitamins and minerals." So begins a story from Iain Finlay on the curative powers of brown kelp. Mmmmm…. 07:49 "ECG biofeedback" Carmel reports on using electro-encephalographs to help people to de-stress, unwind, and kick back. Involves brain powered slot car racing! Iain is an alpha wave ninja, while Chris needs to get different kinds of massages. 12:30 "Hi tech horse racing" Jeff blows his dough at the track in Japan. 17:32 "Hi Tech TV production" Like a snake eating its own tail, Iain brings us a story about bringing us a story. Involving high powered portable "lap" computers, mo-dems, international phone calls and LCD screens. 22:37 "Voyager long distance flier" This amazing light powered glider was the first plane to fly around the world on a single tank of fuel. 31:28 "Digital Television" Carmel reports from Japan on a new technology - digital television. Can't see that taking off somehow. 35:00 "Stereo TV" Jeff Watson lets us in on the secrets of bi-aural sound. 40:10 "As you probably know…" 41:36 "Nuclear Bees" Jeff Watson cures bees by exposing them to radiation. Story contains terrifying footage from inside Australia's only nuclear reactor, Lucas Heights. 45:00 Next week...
In This Episode: 0:59 "Ejection seats" Jeff Watson walks us through the history of the ejector seat, and where it's at today (today being 1985). 8:57 "Seaweed harvesting" Carmel brings us a story from South Korea, and lets us know that in the 21st century all our food needs will be met by the Soylent Corporation. 16:34 "Kurzweil 250 sampler" Iain Finlay teams up with session musician Dave Kimber to demonstrate the Kurzweil's sampling ability. A bargain at only $28,000! 21:52 "Wind Power" Jeff Watson reports from Medicine Bow, Wyoming on a promising renewable wind energy project that was, of course, ground into the earth by Big Oil. 29:11 "Aurora Borealis" Chris Ardell-Guinness reports from Finland on one of nature's most spectacular displays. Features spectacular Aurora facts! 38:20 "Japanese Aviation C1-QSTOL" Iain presents the ugliest plane ever built. 44:56 Next week...
In This Episode: 1:08 "Airbags and pyrotechnic seatbelt tensioners" Chris Ardell-Guiness travels to Germany to test out the latest safety developments from Mercedes-Benz, risking his sternum in the process. 8:19 Carmel is having a bad hair day. Must be those jet engines. 9:03 "Cedric the Eye Gaze Communicator" Carmel Travis presents a high tech device for tracking eyes, making that pesky keyboard obsolete. 12:23 "Taiwanese Aquaculture" Iain talks us through fish growing in Taiwan. Features the longest lens piece to camera in history at 13:57. WARNING: Prawn torture at 17:45. 20:54 "Preventing Air Disasters" Jeff Watson presents a story about air safety. Great footage of a plane being deliberately crashed. 26:40 "Patrol Boat Test Drive" Iain travels to Key West Florida to look at the US Navy's new hydrofoil patrol boats. 34:19 "Breast Prosthesis" Carmel Travis reports from Betheseda NY on new techniques of custom breast prothesis creation for post mastectomy patients. 39:41 "The Back To Front Fighter Jet" Chris visits Edwards Air Force Base to report on the funkiest looking jet ever made, the Grumman X-29A.
"ACCELERATIONS" a special written and produced by Chris Ardell-Guiness 0:22 This week… 0:45 Introduction by Jeff Watson. 1:35 80s speed montage! 2:34 Speed Skiing 4:29 Montage time again. 5:35 Land and water speed records 7:45 Sprinting science 16:58 Bicycles 23:10 old school tape break :) 23:38 Motorcycles 30:45 F1 race cars 33:58 Daimler-Benz advanced driving simulator. 36:00 Concept cars for the 90s. 38:24 X-15 test flight. 39:27 SR-71 Blackbird. This information would be classified today. 43:19 Fuel economy for passenger jets 44:20 Prediction time! 45:00 and off into space again
In This Episode: 1:03 "Holographic Dentistry" Chris Ardell-Guiness shows us one the 80s favourite technologies, dentistry. 8:15 "Fuel Efficiency" Iain Finlay reports on some super fuel efficient, super uncomfortable car designs. 15:30 "Solar Powered Radio Station" Carmel Travis reports from Brian, Ohio on a radio station powered by the sun. Apparently they didn't have a graveyard shift. WARNING: This story contains some questionable synthetic country music. 22:03 "Rockwell B1-B" Jeff Watson reports from Palmdale, California on the successor to the B-52 bomber. 29:15 "Home Banking" Iain and Chris explain how to use a personal computer and a mo-dem to allow criminals to access your bank accounts. Bonus for the ladies: Iain's lemon slacks. 34:32 "Hyundai Ship Modelling" Carmel brings us a story from Korea about shipping giant Hyundai and their unique design modelling facility. And you thought they made cars! 40:45 "Bio-treatment septic tanks" Iain allows us to glimpse a futuristic septic tank in Sydney Australia. Not sure why these didn't take off - perhaps too many valves?
In This Episode: 1:05 "Armchair Astronomy" Chris reports from Japan on an amazing $25 million planetarium. BONUS AMAZING PLANETARIUM FACT: The plural of planetarium is planetaria. 7:53 "Digital Whiteboard" Iain Finlay brings us a whiteboard from Japan that can print up to 99 copies of what's written on it. 99! 12:07 "Dragon Proof Buildings" Jeff Watson reports from Hong Kong on the construction of a new skyscraper, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation building. Steel gleams, concrete pours, capitalism is unstoppable. 18:44 "Synthetic Growth Hormone" Carmel Travers reports from France on the burgeoning field of biotechnology, and how we can look forward to a future without dwarfism. 28:31 "Computerised Check-in" Chris brings us another report from Tokyo on the future of hotels. Basically, the future involves computers taking people's jobs, and sterile beige rooms with windows that can't be opened. 35:34 "LCD Arc Welding Visor" Jeff demonstrated some new Swedish technology that can help save the eyes of welders. In the process he cements his reputation as "the funny one". 37:50 "Tokyo Radio Astronomy" Iain reports from Japan again on a large array radio telescope blah blah blah. (fashion bonus at 38:57 - black skivvy, white pants. An eyepatch would really complete this ensemble.) 44:10 "Computerphone" Carmel shows us a $4000 future doorstop/boat anchor.
In This Episode: 1:10 "Space Junk Tracking" Jeff Watson reports from Norad in Colarado on the tracking of the growing space junk problem. Contains a vignette into the Australian space industry that never was. 5:09 "Next Generation Video Games" Iain Finlay looks at developments in computer games. 11:37 "Artificial Eyes" Chris Ardell-Guiness demonstrates the use of LCD technology to make more realistic prosthetic eyeballs, and the possibilities of technology to help the blind to see. 14:40 "Neolithic Take-away" Carmel Travers reports from Germany on how science is uncovering the diet of prehistoric man. Turns out it wasn't brontosaurus burgers after all. 20:45 "Optical Storage" Jeff shows us an optical storage medium that can hold a whole lot of encyclopaedias. 21:48 "Self Navigating Car" Chris Ardell-Guiness travels to Stuttgart Germany and drives a Mercedes that uses the earth's magnetic fields (and a handy booklet full of codes) to navigate. Navman it ain't. 27:25 "Tidal Power Station" Jeff travels to Nova Scotia to examine a renewable power station the relies on tidal shifts to generate energy. 34:38 "Giving Anglers the Edge" Chris demonstrates the latest technology for killing fish as a hobby. 36:50 "Jimmy's Cookies" Carmel travels to New Jersey to see a bakery with only hearing impaired workers. 41:44 "Acrylic Foam Adhesive" Iain and Chris demonstrate a new type of tape from 3M that is super super strong.
In This Episode: 1:00 "The Islander surf ski canoe hybrid" Iain gets wet test driving a new type of water craft. 06:55 "Energy Minded Architects" Chris Ardell-Guiness looks at energy efficient buildings in Japan. 14:46 "Learning from our mistakes" Carmel Travers reports on a California based company that reverse engineers structural disasters. 21:06 "Hand Held Photocopier" Jeff Watson plays industrial spy to demonstrate a nifty hand held photocopying device. 23:03 "8mm Video" Chris shows us the latest video tape format, that stands to revolutionise the home video industry. Contains an interesting short history of video camera technology. 28:51 "Luma Camera Crane" Jeff Watson tells you more then you ever wanted to know about studio remote crane technology. 32:17 "Tunnel Tech" Iain travels to Seattle, Washington and looks at the contraction of one of the largest tunnels in the world. 39:19 "Palm activated locks" Chris demonstrates a new technology that uses palm prints for security. 41:10 "Spare Body Parts" Jeff Watson travels to Washington DC and shows us the latest developments in human organ replacement. 44:00 Next week…
In this special, Carmel looks at the ethical, scientific and emotional ramifications of reproductive technology and the possible future of making babies in the 21st century.
1:10 "Robotic Watch Factory" Chris Ardell-Guiness reports from Sewa, Japan on new developments in robotic factory assembly. 7:00 "Electro Rheological Fluid" Iain Finlay brings us a story from Sheffield, England on a liquid that can be turned into a solid with electricity. 13:43 "Holographic Art" Carmel Travers meets an artist from Melbourne Australia who works on holographic landscapes. 19:50 "Computerised Storyboarding" Chris demonstrates just how easy it is to make a movie storyboard using the power of modern computing. Be amazed by his pronunciation of "Monty Py-thon". 22:05 "Shallow Water Diving" Jeff Watson takes on a journey that begins with some topless boating and ends with a truly silly underwater breathing apparatus. 22:51 "Wireless Home Alarm" Carmel Travers shows us a new kind of home alarm system, using both VHF and UHF signals. Remember those? 28:15 "High Precision Bone Scanning" Iain travels to Glasgow, Scotland to report on a new method for scanning bone to detect osteoporosis and other diseases. 33:41 "Passac Electric strings" Jeff introduces the story with some exceptional double bass work, and then brings in a couple of violinists dressed like cult members to demonstrate some futuristic fiddle designs. 38:51 "Space Telescope" Carmel brings us a story from California about a new space telescope called "Hubble". Silly name. No way that will last. 45:00 Next week...
"The 5th Generation" Written and produced by Carmel Travers, this special episode looks at the future of computing, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
0:50 "Helistat" Jeff Watson reports on the largest flying vessel ever made - a bizarre combination of an airship and a helicopter. In stunning hubris, it was actually built and tested at the same field where the Hindenburg crashed. And guess what? Yep, crashed and burned, tragically killing one test pilot. 6:10 "Spanish Power" Iain Watson takes us to Madrid, Spain to show us a power plant that generates power through nothing but hot air. Actually seems pretty clever. 11:56 "Scanning the human brain" Chris Ardell-Guiness examines the latest technology to examine the brain, the PET scan. 18:04 "Computer Bicycle" Carmel travels to Japan to report on a new kind of exercise bike. 20:35 "Latex Bandage" While these didn't really take off in medicine, they are quite popular in certain adult stores. 21:35 "The Best Stories of 1985" The team bring us a montage of their favourite stories from the first series of Beyond 2000. 43:45 Music medley montage by Murray Burns and Colin Bailey (Twilight).
"After the Holocaust" A very special episode written and produced by Jeff Watson that examines the technology of nuclear warfare, and the potential aftermath of all out nuclear war. This episode traumatised an entire generation of school children for ever.
