Science Archives - Page 14 of 25

Earth: The Power of the Planet episode 1 – Volcano

Science / 3 minutes of reading / October 28, 2021 / By HDclump

Earth: The Power of the Planet episode 1 – Volcano: Dr Iain Stewart reveals the role natural forces have played in the creation of the planet Earth. The first episode discusses volcanoes. Although they appear to be destructive, volcanoes have been crucial to the development of life on this planet. Iain’s journey takes him to Ethiopia to discover lava lakes, to Iceland to scuba dive between continents and to New Zealand to sample some hot springs. Documentary series. Dr Iain Stewart tells the story of planet Earth. Although they appear to be destructive, volcanoes have been crucial to the […]

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The Sky at Night – The Forgotten Solar System

Science / 3 minutes of reading / October 12, 2021 / By HDclump

The Sky at Night – The Forgotten Solar System: Of the 100 probes that have been sent out into space, only one probe – Voyager 2 in 1989 – has ever sent back any information about the solar system’s outer planets. From afar, they seem featureless and devoid of any significant geological activity. Since then, long-range telescopes have shown that there is much more to Neptune and Uranus than previously thought and that they both warrant closer inspection. Time, however, is of the essence. Deep-space missions are dependent on Jupiter. The slingshot effect it provides to move probes

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H2O – The Molecule That Made Us episode 2

Science / 3 minutes of reading / September 8, 2021 / By HDclump

H2O – The Molecule That Made Us episode 2: Civilisations begins in the jungles of the Congo on the trail of a new theory that puts water at the centre of how humans first stood upright. In Egypt and China, an investigation shows how civilisations were shaped by their relationship to the great rivers, and in Mexico we reveal how access to underground water changed humanity’s footprint on the planet. A new current is also explored, and at one of the largest ports on earth we learn how ‘virtual water’ has hidden the consequences of excess water use.

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H2O – The Molecule That Made Us episode 1

Science / 3 minutes of reading / September 5, 2021 / By HDclump

H2O – The Molecule That Made Us episode 1: Pulse investigates the inseparable bond between water and life. It reveals how a few drops of rain can cause deserts to bloom through a time-lapse sequence that took a decade to make, follows the journey of a molecule of water through trees in the Amazon to create giant rivers in the air and maps how the great animal migrations follow water around the planet. But the world is changing. Drought-chasing scientists examine what happens when the pulse falters, showing how the flow of water is driven by its relationship with life.

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Size Matters episode 2

Science / 4 minutes of reading / August 15, 2021 / By HDclump

Size Matters episode 2: This two-part special presented by Hannah Fry shows that when it comes to the universe, size really does matter. Hannah takes the audience into a thought experiment where the size of everything can be changed to reveal why things are the size they are. Having discovered in the first episode that making things bigger ends in disaster, in episode two, Hannah is going the other way by asking whether everything could, in fact, be smaller. But going smaller turns out not to be much safer… First, we shrink the Earth to half its size

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Size Matters episode 1

Science / 2 minutes of reading / August 2, 2021 / By HDclump

Size Matters episode 1: Hannah Fry takes a spectacular look at the science of size by imagining a parallel world in which everything is made bigger or smaller. This two-part special presented by Hannah Fry shows that when it comes to the universe, size really does matter. Hannah takes the audience into a thought experiment where the size of everything can be changed to reveal why things are the size they are. Hannah starts her journey by asking whether everything could be bigger, finding out what life would be like on a bigger planet. As the Earth grows

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Rise of the Continents episode 4 – Eurasia

Nature, Science / 3 minutes of reading / July 27, 2021 / By HDclump

Rise of the Continents episode 4 – Eurasia: Professor Iain Stewart shows that where the south of Eurasia is today there was once an ocean and how, in 250 million years, all of the continents will collide together. Two hundred million years ago the continent we know as Eurasia – the vast swathe of land that extends from Europe in the west to Asia in the east – didn’t exist. To reveal Eurasia’s origins, Professor Iain Stewart climbs up to the ‘eternal flames’ of Mount Chimera in southern Turkey, blazing natural gas that seeps out of the rock.

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Rise of the Continents episode 3 – The Americas

Nature, Science / 4 minutes of reading / July 26, 2021 / By HDclump

Rise of the Continents episode 3 – The Americas: Geologist Iain Stewart reconstructs how North and South America were created. Professor Iain Stewart uncovers clues hidden within the New York skyline, the anatomy of American alligators and inside Bolivian silver mines, to reconstruct how North and South America were created. We call these two continents the New World, and in a geological sense they are indeed new worlds, torn from the heart of an ancient supercontinent – the Old World of Pangaea. Iain starts in New York, where the layout of the city’s skyscrapers provide a link to

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Rise of the Continents episode 2 – Australia

Nature, Science / 3 minutes of reading / July 25, 2021 / By HDclump

Rise of the Continents episode 2 – Australia: Professor Iain Stewart uncovers the mysterious history of Australia, and shows how Australia’s journey as a continent has affected everything from Aboriginal history to modern-day mining, and even the evolution of Australia’s bizarre wildlife, like the koala. Iain begins searching for the platypus – a strange creature that is half mammal and half reptile. 200 million years ago reptile-like mammals were found across much of the world because at this time Australia was just one part of a huge landmass called Gondwana, that dominated the southern hemisphere. Piecing together evidence

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Rise of the Continents episode 1 – Africa

Science, Nature / 3 minutes of reading / July 23, 2021 / By HDclump

Rise of the Continents episode 1 – Africa: Geologist Prof Iain Stewart shows how the continent of Africa was formed from the wreckage of a long lost supercontinent. Professor Iain Stewart reveals how our iconic continents were created, and how their tumultuous past has shaped our life today. It features, among other things, creation of Victoria Falls, diamond mines of Sierra Leone, skeletons of early whales buried in the sand, and the nutrient-rich grass of the Serengeti Plains. Using clues like Africa’s spectacular landmarks, mineral wealth and wildlife, Iain Stewart shows how the continent of Africa was formed

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Eugenics: Science’s Greatest Scandal episode 2

Science / 3 minutes of reading / July 21, 2021 / By HDclump

Eugenics: Science’s Greatest Scandal episode 2: Angela and Adam also ask if eugenic-style attitudes towards the poor and disabled continue to shape today’s society, and explore if breakthroughs in medicine, such as screening and gene editing, will combine with prejudice against the disabled to bring a form of eugenics back. They weigh the undoubted benefits of modern medicine with the possibility of their misuse in the name of human enhancement. They look into the story of the first attempts to edit the genomes of humans in China and explore the latest science on the issue of what’s more important—nature or

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Eugenics: Science’s Greatest Scandal episode 1

Science / 2 minutes of reading / July 19, 2021 / By HDclump

Eugenics: Science’s Greatest Scandal episode 1: Journalist Angela Saini and disability rights activist Adam Pearson explore the shocking origins and legacy of eugenics in Britain and its continued influence today. Science journalist Angela Saini and disability rights activist Adam Pearson, reveal that eugenics – the controversial idea that was a driving force behind the Nazi death camps – originated in the upper echelons of the British scientific community. The presenters uncover how shocking eugenic beliefs permeated the British establishment and intelligentsia; supporters included figures such as Winston Churchill and Marie Stopes. They see how eugenics influenced the Mental

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