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NOVA: Lost at Sea - The Search for Longitude

. (Actor), nova (Director) Rated:
NR
Format: DVD
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 69 ratings
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January 15, 2008 		—
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Product Description

Before global positioning systems and modern map making, the concept of longitude was just a dream. Without it's guidance, navigation in the 1700's was both unpredictable and deadly until one man solved the mystery. Richard Dreyfus's narrates this dramatic recreation of longitude's difficult birth, and the remarkable history-making life of a country carpenter named John Harrison. Go back in time to see history, and longitude, in the making.

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.72 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 3349766
  • Director ‏ : ‎ nova
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Color, Multiple Formats, NTSC, Closed-captioned
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 54 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ January 15, 2008
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ PBS
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000XBPDXK
  • Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 69 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
69 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

George P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great documentary
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2023
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This is one of the best NOVA documentaries made. Great story about how John Harrison solve the problem of finding longitude at seat. :)
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Roland A. Boucher
5.0 out of 5 stars Newtons Arrogance and Mr Harrison's Genius
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2015
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed your Nova presentation of this very important event in the history of naval navigation. The calculation of latitude dated back to before the Great Pyramid of 2600 BCE but the calculation of longitude at sea had relied for over 4000 years on knowing the direction and speed of the sailing ship in a sea which contained currents which were mostly unknown.

This was a truly magnificent scientific or if you prefer Engineering adventure in design.

The disregard of Newton as to the possibility of designing and building a suitably accurate timepiece displayed his arrogance

In this same time period Newton brushed off the findings of Robert Hook who in his crude way PROVED THE LAW OF GRAVITY
that is he showed that his orbital pendulum could predict the period of a low altitude satellite which raised to the orbital period of the moon could predict its distance correctly only if the gravity of the Earth was reduced as the square of the relative distance

Newton brushed off Hooke and his simple calculations saying " he does not understand the mathematics"

This same arrogance of the committee resulted in the failure to recognize the genius of Mr Harrison
7 people found this helpful
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L. Rodgers
5.0 out of 5 stars very interesting, important part of history that has been lost
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2013
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I read the book , from which this is based. The book is titled "Longitude" by Dava Sobel. This DVD presents the material in the book quite well, and you can understand the problem. I enjoyed reading the book first, as it enhanced the material presented here. Most people have forgotten that this was a world wide crisis , and many lives were lost because sailors could only figure Latitude...... they had no idea where they were located, north of south of that latitude. This has become lost in history, but many scientists were working to solve this problem, as we work today to find a cure for cancer. Great part of our history.
2 people found this helpful
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Fbx_Steve
5.0 out of 5 stars Learned something new!
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2019
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Very interesting documentary if you enjoy horological history. This film tells the story of how an unknown genius, John Harrison, invented the first practical marine chronometer, thus enabling true navigation on the open seas (previously, sailors could reliably determine only latitude; longitude was more or less left to dead reckoning).
One person found this helpful
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J. Barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars Lost at Sea a great addition to maritime popular history
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2019
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Nova Lost at Sea is a must for all those interested in sailing, and maritime history. The program is informative and of high quality and adds to the knowledge provided by books on the subject published in recent years.
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Guillermo Earle
3.0 out of 5 stars I prefer the "Longitude" video which follows Dava Sobel's book ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2014
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I prefer the "Longitude" video which follows Dava Sobel's book on a very interesting subject for history and navigation buffs, very closely.
4 people found this helpful
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Nathaniel R. Brown
4.0 out of 5 stars A good documentary, but "Longitude" in it's two-disc form is ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2016
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A good documentary, but "Longitude" in it's two-disc form is far more informative about Harrison, though this film does explain celestial navigation very well. Ideally one would have both, and this is recommended to anyone who wants to learn more about the "why's" of Harrison's lifetime improving the accuracy of time-keepers.
3 people found this helpful
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rsb
5.0 out of 5 stars Typical NOVA - Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2008
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This is a super dramatization and historical account of the sometimes less than scientific search for a way to find longitude at sea.

The video is beautifully produced and the acting is great. The science is accurate and engaging for all levels of understanding.

Harrison's genius is expertly portrayed and his contribution to the scientific method is well documented. The prejudice of the so-called learned academics against the practitioner is a reminder that we can still miss the boat with preconceptions.

Highly recommended.
24 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Koko
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 8, 2017
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Nice film based on Dava Sobel's best seller book. The author of the book appears also in this film!
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Doug Robinson
5.0 out of 5 stars Good story, well told
Reviewed in Canada on February 7, 2012
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This is an excellent documentary, not only does it tell the history, but does it in an interesting and entertaining manner. They put a lot of effort into sets and props, with great detail and good historical accuracy. Well researched, well written, and well acted.
2 people found this helpful
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