ENGINEERING CONNECTIONS

TV's Richard Hammond travels the world to reveal the simple, yet effective secrets that make them tick and how they owe their existence to things as diverse as a birdcage and a bicycle pump.

From the bottom of the ocean to infinity and beyond, the sky's not the limit for this intrepid host as he gets under the skin of: the Airbus A380 in France, Taipei 101 in Taiwan, the Keck Observatory in Hawaii and the incredible Troll-A gas platform off the coast of Norway.

AIRBUS A380: BIG BIRD
Nicknamed the Superjumbo, the Airbus A380 passenger airliner is the largest in history. It's packed with cutting-edge technology but owes its very existence to the most unlikely connections – a Mongolian bow and a 19th century rocket.

TAIPEI 101: SIZE IS IMPORTANT
Heading to Taipei, Richard discovers the secrets of one of the world's tallest buildings, Taipei 101. How is this tower connected to a birdcage, bamboo, racing yachts, sports cars and seat belts? This journey of discovery takes him from the mines of 18th century England to almost half a kilometre into the sky at some 64 kilometres per hour (that's around a 37 second trip!)

KECK OBSERVATORY: LOOKING BEYOND THE FINAL FRONTIER
Next, Richard looks at the history embedded in the Keck Observatory. How could a sand-blaster, a Cold War spy gadget and the invention of refrigerators have led to the creation of this super telescope? And using just a satellite dish and some foil is it possible to set fire to a boat? Richard experiments.

TROLL-A PLATFORM: THE LONGEST LEGS IN THE BUSINESS?
Finally, Richard braves the stormy North Sea to visit the incredible Troll-A Platform
– the largest object ever moved across the earth's surface by man – and learns firsthand how a single musical note could have spelt catastrophe for the Troll-A.

These structures are jewels of high technology, but behind them lies an amazing array of unexpected inventions and ideas spanning right across history and originating from every corner of the globe.