The Atomic Age

Available for 29 days

Jim Al-Khalili is a theoretical physicist and as a science communicator he knows the value of metaphors and imagery to bring theories and equations to life. Translating them into stories that capture the imagination, turning the inconceivable and the obscure into the familiar. The 20th century brought an eruption of scientific exploration and discovery, particularly in the case of atomic physics. From early research into radiation, to the advent of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. In this episode Jim traces the impacts of those discoveries on our cultural consciousness through the literature and art they inspired. Frank Close - Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at University of Oxford Carlo Rovelli - Poet, writer and Theoretical Physicist Sarah Cole - Dean of Arts and Professor of Comparative Literature at University of Columbia CLifford Johnson - Professor of Physics at University of California Santa Barbara Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Emily Bird Executive Producer Sasha Feachem A BBC Studios Production