h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Some really great documentary series have been on the beeb recently.

On BBC HD - if you can get it - really worth catching is the series "Beautiful Minds"; a three-parter looking at three theories/discoveries that shifted the paradigms of their subjects.

Already covered have been the identification and discovery of Pulsars; and (controversially?) The Gaia Hypothesis, next up is something about sea urchins and cellular processes.

Really rather good.


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A few oldies but goodies.



The Secret Life of Chaos (parts 1- 6)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HACkykFlIus


Absolute Zero & The Conquest of Cold Ep 1- 2

Chapter 1: The Conquest of Cold (1 hour)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5261389955425152071#


Chapter 2: The Race for Absolute Zero (1 hour)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...d=-1848966296846422994&hl=en&emb=1#

The Cell Ep 1-3

The Hidden Kingdom (parts 1 -6)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeygTtDx2W8

The Chemistry of Life (parts 1 - 6)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3u_GDIj7RI

The Spark of Life Parts 1- 6)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD78U5HIh7U

I'll check those out, the sea urchins and cellular processes one should be interesting as that's part of what I've been doing in biology. Clive.

I enjoyed Brian Cox's Wonders of the Solar System. Over the past several years, the beeb's science coverage was going downhill. They seem to be turning that around recently.

I agree, hd!!


GT

Now, if they can just get Horizon back to what it once was, I'd be a happy

GT

Sea urchins are folded up starfish. Points please.

Sorry, attack of the Alan Davieses there.

Yeah, I been watching the Beautiful Minds thing as well. On the Oulsars one, wasn't Mr. Nobel Prize just a tad condescending?

Anyway:
"and (controversially?) The Gaia Hypothesis"

That is one I have come across a few times over the years. As mentioned, bit of a favourite with the new age 'spiritual not religious' types. But when you come down to it, I hardly think that the idea that all the different forms of life on earth interacting and modifying each other is that revolutionary. Not dissing him - a keen insight it must be said. But I think those who critique it were misunderstanding it. Natural selection, complex systems and, yes, even chaos theory all support the idea that we can consider the earth as a whole as one giant self regulating system. Not really surprising when you think about the complexity of life. And, of course, many people are quite OK with the idea of a biosphere or ecosystem. I think perhaps the problem came with the naming of it, which does tend to conjure up ideas of some grand overarching intelligence or knowledge guiding it.

Oh, and I think the absolute zero thing was one I've already commented on elsewhere on here. Great, but some very basic mistakes. Certainly the version I saw mentioned *degrees* Kelvin. Not helpful.

Degrees Kelvin, indeed. I had that one beaten out of me () very quickly when I had my work experience at Rutherford Appleton Labs (oh, thems were the days).

Must be honest - I didn't spot that one!