The Hidden Order: Chemistry and the Elements, from John Dalton to Henry Moseley
At the beginning of the 19th century, 55 elements had been discovered, and although scientists had no idea how many more they might yet find, they already had a suspicion that there was some sort of unifying pattern behind them all. This program cha...
Parasites that harm, parasites that help
This program contrasts pernicious and benign parasites through four case studies: a flesh-eating organism that nearly causes the facial disfigurement of a young woman; a mysterious malaria attack contracted by an American man who has never traveled ...
Unleashing the Power: Creating Chemical Compounds and Splitting Atoms
Once scientists succeeded in identifying and organizing the 92 naturally occurring chemical elements, the challenge then became how to manipulate them into amazing new configurations—and how to tap their essentially limitless energy. A tale of str...
Mysteries of Matter: Chemistry and the Elements, from Hennig Brandt to Humphry Davy
Until the 17th century, the building blocks of the natural world were a mystery. Of elements there were believed to be four—air, earth, fire, and water—and the science of chemistry had yet to be born. This program identifies some of the first ch...