Modern Marvels: Welding

Half science and half art, the ancient technology of welding is integral to modern life. It is the process of bonding, as simple as banging two metals together or as sophisticated as interlinking molecules with sound waves, and without it, the modern world around us from cars to buildings to pipes that deliver clean water would not exist. It was a science first conjured amid the fiery ovens of ancient blacksmiths, but from these simple roots it has become a vital part of contemporary life. Today, more than 50 percent of all U.S. products require welding, and overall, there are few processes more essential than welding. From high atop the emerging 60-story towers on the Las Vegas strip to oil platforms hundreds of feet below the ocean's surface, welders forge the backbone of civilization. Through electricity, fire, sonic waves, or raw explosive power, welding creates powerful bonds. MODERN MARVELS reveals the countless applications and breakthrough technologies of welding.

• documentary