Shock and Awe: The story of electricity.

[tank slapper]

New series on Thursday at 9pm, BBC4.

It's presented by Jim Al-Khalili so should be interesting.

Preview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYQVVwFj5c8

[callyman]

Massive fan of Jim, will def' be watching this.

[EDLT]

Was a good show I thought, I'd never realised how long it took before they worked out how to do something useful with the sparky jar machine.

[Zod]

Another example of why BBC Four is such a treasure.

[callyman]

Zod said:

Another example of why BBC Four is such a treasure.

^^ This.
Did anyone watch the Horizon on before it, about dark energy and dark matter?

[Long Drax]

callyman said:

Zod said:

Another example of why BBC Four is such a treasure.

^^ This.
Did anyone watch the Horizon on before it, about dark energy and dark matter?

Yep.

You forgot to mention Dark Flow, though.

[Smiler.]

Anything with mr Jim in it is very watchable, he's a real hidden treasure.

[jains15]

Smiler. said:

Anything with mr Jim in it is very watchable, he's a real hidden treasure.

He's the thinking man's Dr B. Cox IMHO

[PD9]

Zod said:

Another example of why BBC Four is such a treasure.

Excellent channel, great catchup service also on offer. I'll be looking forward to this.

[thinfourth2]

Hang on shouldn't we be screaming how left wing and bias this was as it was on the BBC


I thought it was excellent

[Halb]

thinfourth2 said:

Hang on shouldn't we be screaming how left wing and bias this was as it was on the BBC

Sssh, the NPE crowd will hear you

Not seen it, but I liked his last thing, BBC 4 tend to repeat stuff. (I don't watch iplayer on my flakey connexion)

[anonymous-user]

Watched this with great interest, really well put together TV program imo (much like his previous triparter on the periodic table). BBC4 really has hit the "well editted" nail on the head, with just enough clever tricks to keep you interested and watching, but never becoming so overblown it detracts from the actual subject.


(as an aside, i bet Jim had an epic case of "arc eye" after playing with those carbon rods in that dark lecture hall !!)

[tank slapper]

I thought it was really good, and am looking forward to the rest of the series. I am quite familiar with electricity and electrical stuff, but it is nice to see a well presented account of how the knowledge we have was arrived at, without resorting to hype and artificial drama.

As for BBC4, I fear its days in its current form are numbered. I read recently that the BBC are intending to make it and BBC3 a testing ground for what gets broadcast later on BBC1 and BBC2.

[anonymous-user]

Now that was a good 3 part series!

I loved the mixture of "3d'd" lithographs instead of normal static rostrum camera work, and clever use of graphical overlays!

And, amazing to interview the people who discovered the first transistor effect, and then, as little as 60 years later, to be holding an small 1" square IC with 4 billion transistors on it


Well done BBC!