Vacuums

S13, E30: Think vacuums are just for sweeping floors? Think again. On this episode of Modern Marvels we'll see giant-sized vacuums that clean up after disasters like 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina. Beneath the blue Hawaiian sea we'll meet The Super Sucker, an underwater vacuum that saves coral reefs by suctioning up invasive alien algae. We'll discover how pneumatic vacuum tubes in the 19th century functioned like an early internet, delivering mail speedily via miles of tubes - and how this lead to the creation of vacuum powered railways, including New York's first subway. A visit to The Hoover Vacuum Museum and Testing Facility reveals how the household sweeper was invented and popularized. And we can't ignore the "big vacuum" - space. A trip to the world's largest vacuum chamber at NASA's Plum Brook Research Center reveals how NASA tests vehicles and equipment. Finally, we'll meet a 12 year old vacuum collector who knows more about the ubiquitous household necessity than the pros.