Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity | |
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Genre | History of science |
Presented by | Jim Al-Khalili |
Narrated by | Jim Al-Khalili |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 3 |
Production | |
Running time | 45 minutes |
Production companies | Open University and BBC |
Original release | |
Network | BBC Four |
Release | 6 October 20 October 2011 | –
Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity is a British television series outlining aspects of the history of electricity. The series was a co-production between the Open University and the BBC and aired from 6 to 20 October 2011 on BBC Four. The programs were presented by Jim Al-Khalili.
In the first episode Al-Khalili introduces the history of our understanding of electricity and the harnessing of its power. [1] He covers the achievements of these "natural philosophers" – Francis Hauksbee, Stephen Gray, Musschenbroek, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Cavendish, Galvani, Volta and Humphry Davy. [2]
The programme starts with Hauksbee's invention of a static-electricity generator and its subsequent demonstration to the high-minded. [3] It covers Franklin and the resulting experiments to capture and tame lightning. [4] The narrative continues with Cavendish's investigations of the electric shock received from the torpedo fish. [5] Al-Khalili expands on the development of the electric battery following Volta's discovery that simultaneously licking a copper coin and a silver spoon would generate a tingle of electricity. [3] The programme finishes with the first breakthrough in finding a commercial use for electricity: [6] Humphry Davy demonstrating the first carbon-arc light before members of the Royal Institution. [3]
In the second episode Al-Khalili covers the scientists who discovered the links between electricity and magnetism leading to a way to generate electric power- [7] Hans Christian Oersted, Michael Faraday, William Sturgeon and Joseph Henry.
The development of commercial applications started with Samuel Morse and Al-Khalili then tells the story of the 1866 transatlantic cable. He revisits the war of the currents rivalry between direct current and alternating current. [8]
In the final episode Al-Khalili brings the story up to date covering the achievements of James Clerk Maxwell; Heinrich Hertz; Oliver Lodge; Jagadish Bose; William Crookes; Mataré & Welker; and William Shockley.