Author:Adam Hart-Davis,Adam Hart-Davis
Science's long history is studded with 'eureka years', when radical and brilliant ideas emerged from the maelstrom of mad, bad and dangerous thinking to transform the way we look at ourselves and our universe. Veteran broadcaster and polymath Adam Hart-Davis guides us through 16 of these pivotal years, examining the ways in which they revolutionised our scientific understanding.
He begins with 1665, uncovering the truth behind the legendary story of Newton's discovery of gravity; and explores how two industrial breakthroughs in 1769 - the spinning frame and the steam engine - were connected with a robot that could apparently play chess. In 555 BC, he asks if Pythagoras really came up with the mathematical theorem that bears his name; and in 1965, he considers how the Cold War and advances in military technology fuelled the race to the moon.
Back in 1650, Adam finds out how the opening of England's first coffeehouse signalled the beginning of a new age of reason; while another everyday invention - the motorcar - sped onto the scene in 1893 thanks to groundbreaking developments by Henry Ford, Karl Benz and Gottfried Daimler. And in 1905, a young man called Albert Einstein changed our view of space and time with one of the most important ideas in modern physics - how's that for a 'eureka year'!
Plus, special episode 'The Eureka Year at Christmas' delves into the technology of the festive season, as Adam finds a dazzling description of the first Christmas tree lit by electric light bulbs, peers at X-rays of teddy bear skeletons and pulls a cracker in the name of scientific investigation.
Full of amazing stories, told with Adam Hart-Davis' trademark enthusiasm and humour, this entertaining series guides us through some of the astounding moments that changed our world.
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Presented by Adam Hart-Davis
Produced by John Byrne and Mary Ward-Lowery
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 9-30 October 2004 (Series 1), 14-28 January 2006 (Series 2), 29 August-19 September 2007 (Series 3), 11 July-1 August 2008 (Series 4), 26 December 2008 ('The Eureka Years at Christmas')
Kaku elucidates esoteric mathematics with graspable, real-life illustrations, and explains how breakthroughs in theoretical physics have had a tangible impact on human experience ... The result is both mind-bending and surprisingly readable.
—— Pippa Bailey , New Statesman[Kaku] attempts to bring the dizzying concepts of multidimensional realms within reach of the general reader ... It's a majestic story, and Kaku tells it well.
—— David Bodanis , Financial TimesA clear and accessible examination of the quest to combine Einstein's general relativity with quantum theory to create an all-encompassing "theory of everything" about the nature of the universe.
—— Andrew Anthony , The ObserverHow to Change is a wonder. Plenty of books offer advice on how to overcome common personal barriers but none as clearly, engagingly, and compellingly as this.
—— Bob Cialdini, author of INFLUENCE and PRE-SUASIONHow to Change is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their habits - or their life. Milkman is at the forefront of the scientific revolution into behaviour change and, as important, she's a captivating storyteller. How to Change perfectly combines groundbreaking scientific research with personal stories of triumph and failure to explain how anyone can change. Transformation has always been mysterious. This book tells you how to make it real.
—— Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of THE POWER OF HABIT and SMARTER FASTER BETTERIf your goal is to get better, or to make your teams or business better, READ THIS BOOK. How to Change is the first book to lay out the science of what creates and sustains change of all kinds. In captivating style, Dr. Katy Milkman lays out the scientifically-based techniques she has used to help people, teams and companies change for good.
—— Laszlo Bock, CEO of Humu, former Google SVP of People, and author of WORK RULES!In The Authority Gap, Mary Ann Sieghart combines an absorbing review of the contemporary evidence on the systematic undervaluing of women with some powerful new insights. Whether you know a little or a lot about sexism and misogyny, there is much to learn from this book, including some very practical tips on creating change that you can implement the minute after you turn the last page.
—— Julia Gillard, Former Prime Minister of AustraliaFascinating, powerful...the subject is very close to my heart.
—— Elif ShafakHugely exciting.
—— Emily MaitlisAt last here is a credible roadmap that is capable of taking women from the margins to the centre by bridging the authority gap that holds back even the best and most talented of women. Read this and weep at what we are wasting. Read this and believe we can fly on two wings and soon.
—— Mary McAleese, Former President of IrelandWell-written, illuminating... has some excellent statistics and arguments to understand better the gap that harms even very successful women.
—— FTFascinating, thorough, empowering... One of those books that takes something ubiquitous, that many have become desensitised to, and slowly exposes its far-reaching implications.
—— GuardianYou have to read this book. Honestly, you really do. Because if you don't, you won't know what life is really like. Whether you are a man or a woman, you are going to see your life as a parent, a partner, a colleague quite differently.
—— Daniel FinkelsteinThis is an essential account of structural sexism and the price it exacts - but it is so much more. In her extensive research and command of the evidence, Mary Ann Sieghart delivers nothing less than a modern map of the way we live, think and interact - and how we can do so much better. A must-read by one of the most important public intellectuals at work today.
—— Matthew d'Ancona, Editor and Partner, Tortoise MediaSieghart demonstrates through meticulous use of the research data that these manly sins are disproportionately likely to be directed by men against women, and that their cumulative effect can sometimes be enormous.
—— The TimesAll men stand to benefit from this book, by becoming more self-aware. But it is also a great guide to how to work and live together more productively, by understanding our fellow human-beings better, be they female or male, colleagues, friends or family.
—— Bill EmmottPassionate...gives plenty of evidence that the issue still matters.
—— Daily MailCaptivating account of how sexism is still rife in the corridors of power. Sieghart writes with empathy, clarity and passion. The book is enormously authoritative, knitting together academic studies with interviews of leading public figures.
—— Irish IndependentReally thought-provoking and challenging. Every man should read it, and then become consciously more deferential to women who know more than you.
—— Johann HariEye opening and gloriously galvanising ... Impassioned, meticulously argued and optimistic
—— ZoellaTamsin Calidas’s tale of moving to a remote Scottish croft has become a lockdown must-read… a glittering (and controversial) account.
—— MetroThe trials and triumphs of isolated living are laid bare in this often shatteringly honest read.
—— Reader's DigestAs in the case of Tara Westover’s Educated, it is impossible not to marvel at all the author has been through.
—— TLSA mesmeric tale of emotional resilience and the recuperative powers of the natural world... Essential reading.
—— The Evening StandardThe memoir of the year ... groundbreaking.
—— VogueA brave, beautiful and unforgettable book - a book that overflows with love. Tamsin writes exquisitely about life, love, pain, death and rebirth and the healing power of nature. Great joy has flowed into my life from reading this. It touched me so deeply - I was moved to tears - and I could not put it down. I know it will help and greatly inspire others' lives. A sea of hands will reach for I Am An Island, carrying it like a great flock of birds, across the world. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
—— Elena Bonham CarterCalidas is adept at illustrating her emotional and mental state throughout her experiences, effectively using the Scottish landscape as a means to emphasise her plights and successes. This is an extremely honest account of human survival in the face of unimaginable pain and loss. So poignant and stark...Never as relevant as it is now, Calidas' battle with isolation and loneliness is both moving and inspiring. The desire for human contact and interaction is soothed by a deep kinship with nature, which remains steadfast no matter what.
—— Scottish FieldA wonderful memoir
—— The MalestromPowerfully observed
—— BBC Countryfile MagazineI was profoundly moved by I am an Island - the beauty, emotion, power and poetry of its words. As subtle as it is forceful, this is a complex and poetic account of a life lived raw. A skilful, finespun memoir which grabs you by the throat; clutches your heart and tenderly caresses your cheek in one beguiling movement. I urge you to read it.
—— Ulrika JonssonThis novel is enchanting, but not in some safe, fairy-tale sense. Charlotte McConaghy has harnessed the rough magic that sears our souls. I recommend The Last Migration with my whole heart
—— Geraldine Brooks, Author of MarchPowerful...Vibrant...Unique... If worry is the staple emotion that most climate fiction evokes in its readers, The Last Migration - the novelistic equivalent of an energizing cold plunge - flutters off into more expansive territory
—— Los Angeles TimesHow far do we have to go to escape our pasts and find ourselves? Charlotte McConaghy’s luminous, brilliant novel, set in a future when wildlife is rapidly becoming extinct, is indeed about loss—but what makes it miraculous is that it is also about both the glimpses of hope and the shattering persistence of love, if we are only brave enough to acknowledge them. Written in prose as gorgeous as the crystalline beauty of the Arctic, The Last Migration is deeply moving, haunting, and, yes, important
—— Caroline Leavitt, author of Pictures of YouA lovely, haunting novel about a troubled woman’s quest to follow the last surviving Arctic terns on their southerly migration. As she tries to make peace with the ghosts of her painful past, she must choose whether she herself wants – or deserves – to survive, in spite of everything she, and all humans, have destroyed and lost
—— Ceridwen Dovey, author of In the Garden of the FugitivesThis book is a powerful - and entertaining - corrective to the idea that the only hopes that matter on this planet are those of our own species.
—— Tim Adams , GuardianMacdonald has a wonderful gift for exploring the intersection between nature and our experience of it, in writing that is both lyrical and impassioned.
—— Hannah Beckerman , ObserverOne of the most beautiful memoirs I've ever read. This story will say with you long after you put the book down
—— Emma GannonI just turned the last page (reluctantly!). A bold, often brutal exploration of memory, grief and love. Full of hope and heart. I can't recommend it enough
—— Terri White, author of Coming UndoneA brave, brilliant book that is both beautiful and important. Read it then buy it for all your friends
—— Hello!Gavanndra's memoir The Consequences of Love is absolutely beautiful. It's compelling, heartbreaking, sweet, honest, fascination. I recommend it HIGHLY. I absolutely LOVED it.
—— Marian KeyesThis stunning exploration of grief is so well written and profoundly moving
—— Good HousekeepingAn elegant study of grief and memory
—— GuardianHodge pours heartbreak and love into the pages of a book that never pretends to know the answers, and is all the better for it
—— Sunday TimesAn eye-opening snapshot of the fashion world in '90s London
—— Vogue UK