Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections

Latest Episodes

• Season 3 Episode 6: Bullet Train

  The presenter reveals the surprising inspirations behind some of the design features of Japan's bullet train, the world's first high-speed locomotive. He discovers how techniques used by ancient chariot racers help the train travel faster around bends, finds out how engineers optimised its grip on the track, and learns how the technology behind the electric telegraph system was used to create an earthquake-detection system

• Season 3 Episode 5: Space Shuttle

  The presenter explores the ingenious design secrets of Nasa's space shuttle. He demonstrates the cooling system that keeps the shuttle's engines from exploding, uses a wall of water to guard against the destructive power of sound waves, and explains how features found in cannonballs, tram tracks and camera irises help the shuttle successfully complete its missions

• Season 3 Episode 4: The Earthquake-Proof Bridge

  The presenter discovers how engineers drew inspiration from unlikely sources to make a 3km bridge across the Gulf of Corinth in Greece earthquake-proof. Design features from ring-pulls, hammocks, toboggans and steel chimneys were employed to protect the structure from the natural hazards posed by its location, including high winds, unstable terrain and one of the most active seismic fault lines in Europe