2024-07-08
Michael Portillo continues his journey from Northern Ireland across the water to Scotland. Leaving from the seaport of Larne he reaches Stranraer and the Mull of Galloway, where in a lighthouse built by railway engineer Robert Stevenson, he discovers a magnificent machine, installed at the turn of the 20th century. In the Lowland town of Cumnock, canvassers are out in force – it is the cradle of t
The real side of boat life with Robbie Cumming. Robbie runs aground on the Rochdale Canal – will he make it to Manchester? Moderation: Robbie Cumming.
The team are on an archaeological hunt of our more recent past as they follow the search for artefacts from World War II. They join marine archaeologists in the Solent as they raise the once-in-a-lifetime find of a Fairey Barracuda dive-bomber. More than 2,500 Barracudas were in service during the war, but not a single complete plane survives today. Naoíse Mac Sweeney joins the post-excavation to
Stonehenge is an icon of prehistoric British culture, an enigma that has seduced archaeologists and tourists for centuries. Why is it here? What is its significance? And which forces inspired its creators? Now a group of international archaeologists led by the University of Birmingham and the Ludwig Boltzman Institute in Vienna believe that a new state-of-the-art approach is the key to unlocking S
In July 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope released its first images. They were visually stunning, and it was clear they provided more detail of stars, galaxies and planets than ever before. But for the scientists waiting on the data, this was just the beginning of their journey to discover what the new telescope would reveal. Since then, they have been working hard and publishing papers on all
The story of how the smallpox vaccine was developed, from the groundbreaking practice of variolation and Edward Jenner's famous experiments, to US president Thomas Jefferson's clinical trials, the opposition of early 19th-century anti-vaxxers and the eventual global eradication of the disease through the World Health Organisation. The tale exemplifies our astonishing ability to combat serious illn
Inventions that combat illness directly are relatively recent breakthroughs in humanity's fight against life-shortening disease. In this episode, Steven Johnson and David Olusoga explore the remarkable and often unsung work that has led to major medical advances. Alexander Fleming's famous discovery of antibiotics was followed – in the midst of World War II – by the rollout of the manufacture of p
Patagonia invites you into a rarely seen South American wilderness, home to surprising creatures who survive in environments that range from the mighty Andes Mountains to Cape Horn. Discover the secret lives of pumas and hummingbirds. Soar with condors over glacial peaks and explore monkey puzzle forests from the time of dinosaurs. Ride with extreme kayakers over raging waterfalls, and with Patago
Michael Portillo continues his journey from Northern Ireland across the water to Scotland. Leaving from the seaport of Larne he reaches Stranraer and the Mull of Galloway, where in a lighthouse built by railway engineer Robert Stevenson, he discovers a magnificent machine, installed at the turn of the 20th century. In the Lowland town of Cumnock, canvassers are out in force – it is the cradle of t
The real side of boat life with Robbie Cumming. Robbie runs aground on the Rochdale Canal – will he make it to Manchester? Moderation: Robbie Cumming.
The team are on an archaeological hunt of our more recent past as they follow the search for artefacts from World War II. They join marine archaeologists in the Solent as they raise the once-in-a-lifetime find of a Fairey Barracuda dive-bomber. More than 2,500 Barracudas were in service during the war, but not a single complete plane survives today. Naoíse Mac Sweeney joins the post-excavation to