Uranium: Twisting the Dragon's Tail

How much science do you remember from school? If you’re worried that a documentary on the discovery of just what uranium is capable of might be over your head, presenter and educator Dr Derek Muller is here to make it all clear (you might wish, like me, he’d been around during your teens).

It’s a fascinating story (with some very helpful graphics) of how a rock dug out of a Czech silver mine was found to have energy-releasing properties, and the work done in the early years of the 20th century to harness that energy, leading, ultimately, to the horrors of Hiroshima. The great names are all here – Becquerel, Curie, Rutherford, Hahn, Oppenheimer – even HG Wells has a role. And the science is explained concisely and with a pleasingly light touch. I think I may actually have learnt something…