The Re-Inventors
TV Show · Documentary · History

Forty million patents have been registered over the last 500 years, but only a fraction have impacted our lives. Join hosts Matt and Jeremy as they dig up history’s lost inventions to see how yesterday’s ideas hold up in today’s world.

2007 · 23m
Starring Matthew Hunter, Jeremy MacPherson

Season 1

  • EPISODE 1
    Firefighting
    As catastrophes like The Great Chicago Fire destroyed cities and claimed lives, the heat was on inventors in the 18th and 19th centuries to find safe and effective ways to fight fires. Matt and Jeremy uncover two old designs, a chemical pail and an exploding water bomb. See what happens when our hot shots crank up the heat on these two innovations to see if either idea actually works. It’s all in the name of science, but our hosts are playing with fire, and if they’re not careful, they just might get burned.
    22m
  • EPISODE 2
    Double-Barreled Cannon
    Gunfire, danger, and explosions are some of Matt and Jeremy’s favorite things, and they’re about to resurrect an invention that includes all of the above. Join the Re-Inventors as they build a U.S. Civil War-era double-barreled cannon, the most dangerous prototype they’ve ever constructed. With the help of explosives experts, medieval weapons enthusiasts, and a team of EMTs standing by, it’s time for blast-off. Let’s hope our hosts have better luck than the first people who tested it. They didn’t live long enough to see the results!
    22m
  • EPISODE 3
    Life At Sea
    Your ship is rapidly sinking, a storm is raging, it’s freezing outside, sharks are circling. That small open-top lifeboat does not look very appealing. What would you do? Try escaping via the Davis Life Pod.  Patented in 1913, on the heels of the Titanic disaster, it was designed to deal with all the problems listed above. But does it? Join Matt and Jeremy as they build one of these 400 pound sardine cans and see if Davis’ idea floats. Will the Re-Inventors be saved or perish in a watery grave, nicely preserved in a coffin-like container?
    22m
  • EPISODE 4
    Syrian Torpedo
    What looks like a giant egg, is full of gunpowder and is driven by rockets? It’s “The egg which moves itself and burns!” Designed towards the end of the Crusades, over 500 years before the modern torpedo, this revolutionary, self-propelled weapon was the brainchild of Hassan al-Rammah. If utilized, it could’ve sent the Crusaders fleet and their mission to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. Join the Re-Inventors as they construct their own Syrian missile, using period materials from the 13th Century, and take aim at approaching invaders.
    22m
  • EPISODE 5
    Bourne Submarine
    Around 1580, William Bourne of England published a book entitled “Inventions or Devises,” in which he outlined his idea for a ship that “may go under the water unto the bottom, and so to come up again at your pleasure.” The design featured oars, a snorkel, and a revolutionary concept…a submergible sea vessel. If successful, this would be the world’s first working design for a submarine. But how will Bourne’s blueprint fare in the blue sea? Matt and Jeremy are eager to find out, but they may literally have to hold their breath for the results.
    22m
  • EPISODE 6
    Hydraulic Saw
    Designed by Francesco di Giorgio in the 15th Century during the Renaissance, this saw is meant to harness the power of swift flowing streams and rivers and use this power to cut wood. But does it work and is it more efficient than the two-man pitsaw of its day? The Re-Inventors build their most ambitious prototype to date and then hold their own competition. Its machine vs. man to see if this ancient invention still has teeth. Will this machine, designed centuries before the first sawmill, make the cut, or will they turn it into sawdust?
    22m

Related

Cast & Crew

  • M‌H
    Matthew Hunter
    Host
  • J‌M
    Jeremy MacPherson
    Host

About

The Re-Inventors

Documentary

Forty million patents have been registered over the last 500 years, but only a fraction have impacted our lives. Join hosts Matt and Jeremy as they dig up history’s lost inventions to see how yesterday’s ideas hold up in today’s world.

Information

Studio
HISTC
Released
2007
Rated
TV-G
Region of Origin
Canada
© 2010 SNI/SI Networks L.L.C. All rights reserved. Smithsonian Channel is a trademark of Smithsonian Institution. SNI/SI Networks L.L.C. is an authorized user.

Languages

Original Audio
English (United States)
Subtitles

English (United States) (CC)

Accessibility

Closed captions (CC) refer to subtitles in the available language with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.
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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
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  • Slovenia
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  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

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  • Estados Unidos (Español México)