How Did These Inventions Turn Ordinary Homes Into Death Traps? | Hidden Killers | Progress

When I was 10 yo my mother gave me a “Gilbert Erector Set.” The set came in a large red steel case to carry and store the contents. The set weighed about 10+ pounds and contained steel girders, small screws, nuts, bolts, many different sized gears and chains and a electric motor which ran on 110-120 volts AC. The girders were plated and had sharp edges. The assembly tools had extra parts along with an assembly guide to make many mechanical projects. You could buy upgrades and replacement parts for bigger and better projects. It was the Lego’s of the early 1950’s. I must of spent hundreds of hours making the projects and inventing new ones. The most dangerous part was the electric motor which had no strain relief to prevent the cord from separating from the motor. The many small parts were a hazard to toddlers and small children. Dangerous or not it was an incredible toy to experiment with. eBay had one for sale brand new still in the wrapper for $800.00. It sold in hour of being posted. Your presentation is extremely well done, informative amd educational. One question, when was the series first produced?

We can all sit in our modern homes, with all our modern conveniences and feel comfortably smug, shaking our heads in disgust about all "... the terrible injuries that were inflicted in the name of progress." in Victorian times, but I guarantee that future generations will watch the same sort of documentaries about the countless wildly dangerous and irresponsible things that we consider perfectly acceptable today. I have no doubt that the insane numbers of deaths and horrific injuries resulting from our transportation systems alone will, 100+ years in the future, provide more than enough shock value for a documentary similar to this one.

I wrote a paper in college about women being blinded and poisoned by cosmetics. This documentary would be good for people who think we need less government and regulations to watch.

I can attest to the danger of non-uniform stairs. Our house was built in the 70s and one staircase has three steps that are slightly different heights than the others. You wouldn't know it from looking at them but so many people were falling or almost falling that I eventually decided to measure them. It's shocking what a huge difference a couple of centimeters can make.

0:15: 🏠 The Victorian home was a sanctuary from the outside world, but advancements in science brought dangerous products and services into the home. 18:21: 💀 Stairs in Victorian times were dangerous due to high population density, narrow house styles, and steep and narrow staircases. 37:01: 👶 The dangers of using a mangle on wash day could cause horrific and sometimes fatal injuries, especially to children's hands and arms. 54:16: 🔥 Celluloid, a highly flammable material, replaced ivory and bone in clothing items and accessories, leading to dangerous incidents and accidents. 1:13:07: ⚡ Electricity can be dangerous, especially when the human factor is involved. 1:31:40: 💡 The early commercial fridges in the early 20th century were expensive and only affordable to the rich until much later when they became more accessible to the masses. 1:49:57: 💀 Radium is absorbed into the bones and damages the bone marrow, leading to aplastic anemia. 2:07:40: 😄 Sugar affects the brain's chemicals, making us feel happy and content. Bad teeth can be deadly due to tooth decay and abscesses. Tea can also be harmful to teeth due to its acidity. 2:26:18: ❄ The sudden intake of air when our body hits cold water is involuntary and can cause suffocation due to the larynx going into spasm. 2:43:52: 🦠 The Tudors linked the horrific symptoms of a disease to sex, which we now know as syphilis caused by a bacterial infection. 3:01:43: 🔥 The dangers of chemistry sets and the importance of safety measures. 3:20:37: 🏠 A professional DIY expert caused big problems by making radical changes to houses, changing their appearance. 3:37:35: 🌫 The thick, yellowy brown smog in London in 1952 caused thousands of deaths and illnesses. Recap

RARELY do I ever watch a 4-hour long video... But this was SO captivating, and held my interest thru 4-5 sittings... I'd pause it, do something else, then watch more X 5... GREAT video...

In my former simplicity, I harbored the belief that I would derive great pleasure from returning to a more tranquil era, unburdened by the omnipresence of technology and the frenetic pace of modern existence. Yet, upon perusing a certain video, my dear, I must exclaim with astonishment that such a regression is utterly unthinkable. While I previously held reservations about the perils of navigating bustling freeways, the homes of Victorian England, I must confess, proved to be veritable deathtraps! I entertain serious doubts about my own ability to endure even half a year in such an environment, dare I say, with a lighthearted chuckle. Thus, I shall contentedly remain in this contemporary epoch, expressing heartfelt gratitude for the technological marvels bestowed upon us

I love this video for so many reasons. It's so informative and has so many interesting segments. Very well put together and narrated. I love Dr Lipscomb's voice in this. She has a voice like silk, and it draws you in and makes you sit up and take notice.

That lady had such a disbelief about people being afraid of each other cause of germs,this had to be made before 2020

As lethal as the post-war period seems to have been, it's a miracle how I survived my childhood. 😎

Just began watching this. Short of it beginning with ad breaks, this is going to be an interesting three and a half hours indeed! Thank you ~~~ Yikes! From the Victorians: “I should stand well clear when you light the blue touchpaper.” Indeed.

This video is scary...well researched

So these ppl believed these products and procedures were safe and effective until they found out they weren't? Interesting. See you in 75 years

I would like to see this continue up to modern day homes.

Excellent program and many even better comments! I live in a very old apartment building with a wooden semi-spiral, low head room, highly uneven and “unpredictable” steps, into the basement laundry area. I had the wonderful Erector Set and the smelly home “plastic molding” kit. Fifty-five(?) years later I still have one molded “shrunken head” which is flexible and intact. WHAT WAS IT MADE OF?? HOW MUCH TOXIC VAPOR DID MY NEIGHBOR KID FRIEND AND I INHALE??!! (Sorry, I just recall even then wondering if this was “safe.” It was quite fun though!) Yes, great stories from the program and viewers!!

With all of the toxins that baby "formula" had in it, maybe that's why all of the babies in the photos in those times always looked miserable and never smiled. The biggest reason for the high amount of infant deaths were due to the side effects and diseases that were toxins in all of the many "milk formulas."

i think hes scottish but that guy who talks here and there is so awesome..idk what it is about him but i like him hahha his voice is so calm and relaxing

Sad how things haven't changed in some things. Most flour today has Aluminum. Sad...Some people drink small amounts of Borax for detox. It's still in a lot of teeth whitening even at some office cleaning.

This may be a particularly useful program for those who yearn for the alleged halcyon days of any period in the past. This is not to say that some aspects may have been better, of course, but in the details and tools and instruments of daily living, the hazards were abundant. There are certainly many even now, but over the years we ought to have learned some safety basics. One such example is not mixing chlorine bleach with ammonia (which produces chloramine gas (deadly)). I will say, though, that even in the mid 1970s, my friends and I still were given chemistry sets as gifts, and would go to local hobby shops to purchase chemicals and laboratory equipment. The toxicity, flammability, reactivity, corrosiveness or potential explosiveness of some these is amazing, in view of their availability to us at the time, without much fuss at all. One actually contained uranium in small amounts, which, I believe was mentioned in this video. Oh well, at least they didn't contain fluoroantimonic acid, azidoazide azide or chlorine trifluoride, or most of us would have "an-heroed" ourselves. We were nuts back then. 😅🤣😂

My nana in the 1920’s stabbed a molester on the bus with her huge hat pin.