02: What is the World Made Of? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

Duration: 58'35''

Synopsis

Michael Mosley explores how history shaped science. Here, he looks at how atomic theories and the strange concepts of quantum physics came into being.

Further Information

More clips from The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

01: What Is Out There? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

01: What Is Out There? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

BBC Two | 2010 | 59'10''

Michael Mosley explores how history has shaped science. He looks at how we came to understand that ou...

03: How Did We Get Here? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

03: How Did We Get Here? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

BBC Two | 2010 | 59'19''

Michael Mosley reveals how the history of all life on earth, including us, is connected to the long...

04: Can We Have Unlimited Power? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

04: Can We Have Unlimited Power? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

BBC Two | 2010 | 59'02''

Michael Mosley shows how the most power-hungry generation that has ever lived has harnessed...

05: What Is the Secret of Life? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

05: What Is the Secret of Life? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

BBC Two | 2010 | 58'49''

How the secret of life has been examined through the prism of the most complex organism know...

06: Who Are We? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

06: Who Are We? | The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion

BBC Two | 2010 | 59'18''

The twin sciences of brain anatomy and psychology have offered different visions of who we are. Now these sc...

More resources about Atomic Structure

Chernobyl disaster | Inside Chernobyl's Mega Tomb

Chernobyl disaster | Inside Chernobyl's Mega Tomb

BBC Four | 2016 | 3'25''

Introduction to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the temporary construction that was built to contain the radiation.

History of the Atom: From Rutherfor to Bohr | Chemistry: A Volatile History

History of the Atom: From Rutherfor to Bohr | Chemistry: A Volatile History

BBC Four | 2010 | 3'00''

Spec references J248: C1.2a J250: C1.2a. Professor Jim Al-Khalili explains the history of the ato...

02: Out of Sight | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

02: Out of Sight | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

BBC HD | 2010 | 58'22''

Richard Hammond uses groundbreaking imaging technology to take the viewer on a journey of discovery beyond the visible ...

The big bang and the creation of hydrogen and helium | Atom

The big bang and the creation of hydrogen and helium | Atom

BBC Four | 2007 | 3'01''

George Gamow believed that helium existed in the universe before the sun and the stars were formed.

02: Marie Curie's Radium | The Six Experiments That Changed The World

02: Marie Curie's Radium | The Six Experiments That Changed The World

Channel 4 | 2000 | 24'26''

From Galileo to Einstein, from Faraday to Mendel: modern scientists try to recreate the seminal experim...

03: Off the Scale | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

03: Off the Scale | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

BBC HD | 2010 | 59'21''

Richard Hammond explores the miniature universe around us, from microscopic changes to ice crystals that can trigger a...

Radioactive particle clean up mission | Bang Goes the Theory

Radioactive particle clean up mission | Bang Goes the Theory

BBC One | 2011 | 3'24''

Following a leak of thousands of radioactive particles in the 60's, a team at Dounreay are attempting to find an...

Radioactivity | Curriculum Bites

Radioactivity | Curriculum Bites

CBBC | 2003 | 6'33''

Schools science programme where topics in the double science curriculum are broken down into small chunks.

The discovery of nuclear fission | Atom

The discovery of nuclear fission | Atom

BBC Four | 2007 | 5'05''

Scientists in the 1930's toyed with neutrons colliding with nucleai and were excited at the thought that such experiments could creat...

The strong nuclear force | Atom

The strong nuclear force | Atom

BBC Four | 2007 | 2'57''

Like a magnet, protons will repel each other, however, as soon as they are close enough they will stick together.

Types of nuclear radiation | Short Circuit

Types of nuclear radiation | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 2008 | 1'26''

An explanation of alpha, beta and gamma radiation.

Albert Einstein | Icons

Albert Einstein | Icons

BBC Two | 2019 | 12'45''

Einstein was a physicist who rewrote the rules of the universe. Hounded from his native Germany by the Nazis and fearful of what they were capable of...

Alpha particles | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Alpha particles | Chemistry: A Volatile History

BBC Four | 2010 | 3'55''

Rutherford stated the fact that most alpha particles go straight through foil is evidence for the atom being mostly empty spa...

An Alpha, Beta and Gamma of Radioactivity | Short Circuit

An Alpha, Beta and Gamma of Radioactivity | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 1998 | 24'14''

Bringing chemistry, physics and biology to life using real-life examples, 3D graphics and practical experiments.

Chemical weapons | Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

Chemical weapons | Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

BBC Four | 2016 | 1'53''

Introducing the idea of chemical and biological weapons, leading onto pathogens.

Discovery of the Neutron | Atom

Discovery of the Neutron | Atom

BBC Four | 2007 | 1'50''

Spec references J248: C1.2d, C1.2e J250: C1.2d, C1.2e. Professor Jim Al-Khalili explains how James Chadwick discovered the neutron. This solv...

Electricity and the Atomic scale | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Electricity and the Atomic scale | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

BBC Four | 2011 | 3'09''

Jim Al-Khalili explores how Ernest Rutherford's work on the atom revealed what electricity was on ...

Half-life | Short Circuit

Half-life | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 2009 | 58''

Spec references J249: P6.1j, P6.2b J250: P4.3j. Explanation and animation - Nuclear decay is random. Half-life.

Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

BBC Four | 2016 | 59'00''

Michael Mosley investigates Porton Down, Britain's most secretive and controversial military research base. He...

Lab demonstration of alpha beta gamma penetration properties. | Short Circuit

Lab demonstration of alpha beta gamma penetration properties. | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 2009 | 56''

Spec references J249: P6.1l J250: P4.3l. Laboratory demonstration of the penetration propertie...

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04: Fixing Faces | Blood and Guts: A History of Surgery

04: Fixing Faces | Blood and Guts: A History of Surgery

BBC Four | 2008 | 59'00''

Series about the history of surgery continues with a look at the development of plastic surgery, which started over 4...

Impact of nature on physical and mental health | Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley

Impact of nature on physical and mental health | Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley

BBC Radio 4 | 2021 | 6'08''

Michael Mosley discusses the importance of spending time in nature and how this can imp...

Lombroso's Theories of Crime | The Mystery Of Murder: A Horizon Guide

Lombroso's Theories of Crime | The Mystery Of Murder: A Horizon Guide

BBC Four | 2021 | 2'12''

When looking at the reasons why people offend, Lombroso, a scientist in the 19th century, believed he h...

The complexity of brain surgery | Inside the Human Body

The complexity of brain surgery | Inside the Human Body

BBC Two | 2021 | 5'31''

A little girl, Angelina, requires complex brain surgery in order to alleviate the systoms she is suffering as a resul...

Treating diabetes with an artificial pancreas | Trust Me, I'm a Doctor

Treating diabetes with an artificial pancreas | Trust Me, I'm a Doctor

BBC Two | 2018 | 5'05''

In this clip we discover what diabetes is and a new way of treating the condition compared to the trad...

The rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria | Michael Mosley vs The Superbugs

The rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria | Michael Mosley vs The Superbugs

BBC Four | 2017 | 1'12''

Michael Mosley introduces the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and Superbugs.

03: Food on the Brain | The Secrets of Your Food

03: Food on the Brain | The Secrets of Your Food

BBC Two | 2017 | 58'23''

Michael Mosley and James Wong explore the effect that our food has on our most important and, in terms of energy consumption...

Sleep | The Truth About...

Sleep | The Truth About...

BBC One | 2017 | 58'00

We are one of the most sleep-deprived countries in the world. In The Truth About Sleep, insomniac Michael Mosley finds out what happens if we don'...

Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

BBC Four | 2016 | 59'00''

Michael Mosley investigates Porton Down, Britain's most secretive and controversial military research base. He...

The Wonderful World of Blood - with Michael Mosley

The Wonderful World of Blood - with Michael Mosley

BBC Four | 2016 | 58'46''

Michael Mosley gives up a fifth of his own blood to perform six bold experiments. From starving it of oxygen to injecting ...

The 1860s | The Victorian Slum

The 1860s | The Victorian Slum

BBC Two | 2016 | 58'57''

A group of 21st-century people move into a recreated Victorian slum. In this episode, the slum dwellers move into the 1860s, when London was t...

01: The First 8 Weeks | Countdown to Life: The Extraordinary Making of You

01: The First 8 Weeks | Countdown to Life: The Extraordinary Making of You

BBC Two | 2015 | 58'30''

Michael Mosley presents the story of how you were made, in a series produced in partnership with T...

Is Your Brain Male or Female? | Horizon

Is Your Brain Male or Female? | Horizon

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Dr Michael Mosley and Professor Alice Roberts investigate whether male and female brains really are wired differently.

Infested! Living with Parasites

Infested! Living with Parasites

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Dr Michael Mosley explores the bizarre and fascinating world of parasites by turning his body into a living laboratory and deliberately infes...

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During the most demanding Ramadan for over 30 years, Dr Saleyha Ahsan meets prominent British Muslims undertaking 16 hour fasting days throughout July and talks t...

01: Pain | Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicines

01: Pain | Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicines

BBC Four | 2013 | 59'23''

Michael Mosley discovers what pain is and how we were able to control it with the discovery of morphine at t...

Discovery of penicillin | Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicine

Discovery of penicillin | Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicine

BBC Four | 2013 | 5'55''

Fleming initially discovered the antibacterial properties of mould that would lead to the disc...

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BBC Two | 2013 | 1'27''

An explanation of how respiratory viruses can spread by causing us to cough and sneeze.

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Digestive powers | Guts: The Strange and Wonderful World of the Human Stomach

BBC Four | 2012 | 4'53''

The digestive powers of the gastric juices within the human stomach are tested.

03: Broken Brains | The Brain: A Secret History

03: Broken Brains | The Brain: A Secret History

BBC Four | 2011 | 57'47''

Michael Mosley ends his look at the history of experimental psychology by exploring how experiments on abnormal brains can re...