Radio Times: Review by:; Sue Robinson

Nobel Prize-winning geneticist Sir Paul Nurse is the fascinating subject of this first in a 12-part series of conversations with key figures in science. From an inauspicious start, Sir Paul went on to research cell division in yeast, a study that led him to a major breakthrough in cancer research and his appointment to the presidency of the Royal Society. The programme delves into his determination to overcome the legal and financial hurdles he faced, and his story is a truly inspiring one — all the more remarkable for his humble beginnings.

About this programme

Jim Al-Khalili, Professor of Physics at Surrey University, examines the lives of the world's leading scientists beyond their laboratories, and asks what first inspired them to enter their fields of study. He begins with geneticist Paul Nurse, who shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2001 for his research into cell division, and first took an interest in science as a boy when he tried to catch up with the Sputnik satellite as it passed over his street.