Disasters Engineered

Watch Disasters Engineered

  • PG
  • 2019
  • 2 Seasons
  • 7.4  (78)

Disasters Engineered is a thrilling television show broadcasted on Discovery - Science that explores some of the world's greatest engineering disasters. The show is presented by three hosts, including Charley Speed, Kate Bellingham, and Dave Unwin, who are renowned experts in their respective fields. The show stops short of overly emphasizing scientific and technical jargon to appeal to a broad audience.

Throughout the series, the hosts examine some of the most significant engineering projects that have gone wrong, leading to catastrophic disasters. They delve into the details of these megastructures, including how they were built, the materials used, and the design concepts. However, the show does not only focus on the disasters but also highlights the lessons that we as humans can learn from these mistakes and how future design and construction projects can be improved.

One episode of the show, for instance, looks at the Chernobyl disaster, one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. The episode explores in-depth how a design flaw in a reactor's control rods led to an explosion and subsequent meltdown that contaminated the surrounding environment with radioactive material. The hosts go into the specifics of how the reactor was designed and how the radiation leak occurred. They also examine the aftermath, including the impact on the local ecosystem and human health.

Another episode concentrates on the 1998 Eschede train disaster that occurred in Germany. The hosts investigate how a component failure in a high-speed train was responsible for the derailment of the train, which led to multiple fatalities and injuries. The episode highlights how human error played a part in the disaster and how modern technology can help prevent such accidents in the future.

The show doesn't just focus on technology and engineering disasters. Another episode looks at the 1981 Hyatt Regency hotel walkway collapse in Kansas City, which claimed many lives. The hosts explore how poor decision making and communication channels had led to the disaster, as well as what measures have been put in place to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Throughout the series, Disasters Engineered provides an opportunity for its audience to learn more about the importance of engineering design, safety, and decision making. The show reiterates how crucial these aspects are in ensuring infrastructure structures and projects are constructed in the most efficient and secure way possible. It also emphasizes how engineering projects, as well as infrastructure development, is very complex, and that any errors, no matter how small, can have devastating consequences.

In conclusion, Disasters Engineered is an excellent educational program for anyone wanting to learn more about engineering and the risks involved in megaprojects with a prime focus on disasters. The show features well-presented and informative content, with the charismatic and knowledgeable hosts making it an easy watch. It offers a great look at how engineering projects - from buildings to bridges and nuclear power - can impact our lives and the importance of ensuring they're designed, built and maintained to the highest standard.

Disasters Engineered is a series that ran for 2 seasons (14 episodes) between October 9, 2019 and on Discovery - Science

Disasters Engineered
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Seasons
Day of the Death Quake
4. Day of the Death Quake
December 2, 2020
The devastating Northridge earthquake struck Los Angeles in 1994 killing 57 people and causing $20 billion in damage in less than 20 seconds; expert scientists and engineers investigate why these structures were not prepared for the violent disaster.
NASA's Columbia Disaster
3. NASA's Columbia Disaster
November 25, 2020
After a groundbreaking NASA mission, the space shuttle Columbia meets catastrophe as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere; expert engineers and scientists investigate the cause of this tragic disaster.
Exxon Valdez Declassified
2. Exxon Valdez Declassified
November 18, 2020
When the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spills millions of gallons of crude oil at sea, it contaminates Alaska's pristine coastline and creates an apocalyptic environmental catastrophe; experts investigate what caused this horrific disaster.
Calamity in Space
1. Calamity in Space
November 11, 2020
Visionary feats of engineering lead to the development of the first civilian spacecraft with hopes of placing space travel within easy reach, but catastrophic design flaws send this multi-million dollar endeavor on crash course of tragedy.
Description
Where to Watch Disasters Engineered
Disasters Engineered is available for streaming on the Discovery - Science website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Disasters Engineered on demand at Prime Video and Apple TV Store.
  • Premiere Date
    October 9, 2019
  • IMDB Rating
    7.4  (78)