The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion (2010) BBC

Who Are We? (1/6)

Michael Mosley examines one of the least understood yet most important subjects in science – the human brain. He considers why it took until the 17th century for the organ to be studied in depth, reveals the surprising results of uniting the twin sciences of anatomy and psychology to learn what shapes thoughts, feelings and desires, and argues that whether people are aware of it or not, the workings of the brain mean everyone is a scientist underneath. Last in the series.

The Story Of Science: power, proof and passion; tells the story of the forces that came together to create scientific knowledge; the practical business of making instruments and machines; the great forces of history – revolutions, voyages of discovery and artistic movements – and the dogged determination of scientists and experimenters. This is the story of how scientific ideas shaped the modern world and how science made history. For 3,000 years people have wrestled with the great questions of existence. What is out there, what is the world made of, where did we come from?

Medical journalist Michael Mosley guides viewers on an informative and ambitious journey exploring how the evolution of scientific understanding is intimately interwoven with society's historical path. For thousands of years we have wrestled with the great questions of existence. Who are we? What is the world made of? How did we get here? The quest to answer these is The Story Of Science. We follow Michael Mosley as he traces the often unpredictable path science has taken. From recreating a famous alchemist's experiment, to following in Galileo's footsteps, and putting himself in the hands of a hypnotist, Michael unpicks how science has changed the way we see ourselves, and the way we see our world.

The Story of Science is one of courage and of fear, of hope and disaster, of persistence and success. It interweaves great forces of history – revolutions, voyages of discovery and artistic movements – with practical, ingenious inventions and the dogged determination of experimenters and scientists. This is the story of how history made science and how science made history, and how the ideas which emerged made the modern world.

Source: BBC