From birdcages and bamboo to sand blasters and musical notes, there are some unusual and unexpected links made within the series. Which of the Engineering Connections did you find the most eccentric or surprising?Some really took my breath away. The link between a glass dress and the fuselage of the amazing Airbus A380 took some beating. But for simple science born out of a real ‘Eureka’ moment, I loved the link between a birdcage and the Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan. An architect plonked his heavy book down on top of a birdcage, realised that the cage was made of thin wire but had not bent, thanks to its reinforcing crossbars. And the concept behind the modern skyscraper was born.
You conducted some quirky experiments for the series. Which was your favourite and why?In Hawaii, we recreated the huge mirror supposedly built thousands of years ago to burn invading ships. I used a TV satellite dish covered in tin foil. And boy, did it work. And yes, I set fire to a boat.
You travelled down 300 metres to the bottom of the Troll-A’s legs as well as to the top of Taipei 101 – nearly half a kilometre into the sky – what fears did you have to confront when filming the series?I am not as good with heights as I used to be. When I was exploring how they made the massive legs of the Troll A gas platform, I visited a huge concrete chimney in the midlands. We travelled 180 metres up the side of it in a wire mesh lift. Up near the very top, I had to get out and talk about the way the concrete was formed. I climbed out, stood on top of the cage and tried to stop my knees wobbling. I said words; they must have made sense, because the director said ‘cut’ and we went down again. But I do not really remember it – too scared.
If you were going to build your own Megastructure, what would you build and what inventions would inspire your design?I think the idea of huge, floating cities out at sea has a definite sci-fi appeal. Obviously I would look to lily pads for inspiration. And those pond skater insects for ideas when it came to designing transport.
Has your attitude to filming certain stunts or high-action activities changed since your accident in 2006?No. Not really. We are always careful and make plans in case something goes wrong. It has saved me once before and would, I hope, do the same again.