Cool Stuff: How It Works

Discover how fire fighters survive the fiercest infernos. How crime fighters nail their suspects with tell-tale heat signatures. And how state-of-the-art chemistry can stop you being scorched in a wildfire.

What drives the world's fastest electric car? How do you stop a bullet in its tracks? And how to capture the blink of an eye?

The Osprey is one of the most advanced and versatile aircraft in the American Defence Force. We find out how it works. We explore the mechanics of wingless human flight in a giant wind tunnel. Then for a completely different take on flight we take a look at the invisible air itself and how it behaves.

Welcome to the world of high security and how science keeps coming up with new ways to keep us safe; safe from personal attack, safe in high-risk jobs, and safer when we travel on airplanes.

See how 3D ultrasound has revolutionized heart surgery. How a tiny wire and controlled hypothermia can save a brain-injured patient's life. Witness the incredible sci-fi world of the bionic limb. And how the architecture of your veins can identify exactly who you are.

Big Bangs looks at new techniques for keeping explosions under control … And big bangs that entertain us.

We explain how the formidable computing power of Playstation 3 makes gaming so realistic. Ride the ultimate video game in the world's largest vertical flight simulator. And "surf's up", at San Diego's incredible Wave Machine.