Episode List
Season 1
30 May 2010
The First Five
A superstar array of modern-day scientists share the history of five polymaths--experts in a wide variety of subjects and fields--who put Britain's brilliance firmly on the map, united by a passion to understand a comet in the sky.
31 May 2010
A Roomful of Brilliant Minds
A second generation of British scientists includes the son of a boat builder, a charismatic risk-taker, an unsung botanist pioneer, and the visionary who kick-started the Industrial Revolution by perfecting the steam engine.
1 Jun. 2010
The Lights Come On
Science came of age by the early 19th century, propelling Britain to the future with communications delivered at the tap of a finger, electrical power and light conjured from trial and error, focused experiments, and just-discovered equations.
2 Jun. 2010
Out of the Darkness
In the face of war, courage can manifest itself in myriad ways. From the invention of radar to fend of Luftwaffe attacks to the sheer genius that drove wartime codebreaking, the British scientific community rose to the occasion, creating technologies that still impact our lives today.
3 Jun. 2010
Asking Big Questions
Recent advances probing the secrets of DNA, human nature, and nanotechnology are explored, and Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins have a thought-provoking exchange about the future that faces us all.
Season 1
