Human Element, The

Synopsis

A human view of the world of science, aiming to show that there is more to chemistry than meets the eye.
1: The story of Lise Meitner, whose achievements included vital work which led to the splitting of the atom. But a twist of fate and a calculated betrayal ended both her scientific reputation and the memory of her name.
2: Over a century after Napoleon’s mysterious death, a preserved lock of his hair was found to contain arsenic.
3: After his horse failed a routine drugs test in 1990, show jumper David Broome set out to discover why.
4: The cause of the fatal fireball of the oil rig supply vessel ‘The Lady Delia’ in 1969, investigated by Professor Ian Fells, a Newcastle University chemist.
5: The 11th-century Basilica of St Servaaas in Maastricht, The Netherlands, was restored in the 19th century, but a local chemists has to decide on further restoration after crystals of calcium sulphate appear on the walls.
6: A portrait of Carl Djerassi, the American scientist and ‘father of the Pill’, whose work in the chemistry of human sexuality, his involvement in the politics of contraception and his work as a writer of fiction, shows a life linking science and art.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 5 x 30 min.

Year of production

1992

Availability

Sale; 1997 sale: £65.00 (+VAT +p&p) (each) 1997 sale: £200.00 (+VAT +p&p) five programmes

Notes

Broadcast on BBC2 from 16/5/92.
Part 6 is not available for sale.

Uses

General audiences.*

Subjects

Chemistry

Keywords

contraception; drugs testing; Napoleon Bonaparte; nuclear fission; restoration techniques

Sections

Title

Gift from heaven

Synopsis

1: The story of Lise Meitner, whose achievements included vital work which led to the splitting of the atom. But a twist of fate and a calculated betrayal ended both her scientific reputation and the memory of her name.

Title

Strange story of Napoleon’s wallpaper, The

Synopsis

2: Over a century after Napoleon's mysterious death, a preserved lock of his hair was found to contain arsenic.

Title

Question of doping, A

Synopsis

3: After his horse failed a routine drugs test in 1990, show jumper David Broome set out to discover why.

Title

Fatal shift, A

Synopsis

4: The cause of the fatal fireball of the oil rig supply vessel 'The Lady Delia' in 1969, investigated by Professor Ian Fells, a Newcastle University chemist.

Title

Restoration drama, A

Synopsis

5: The 11th-century Basilica of St Servaaas in Maastricht, The Netherlands, was restored in the 19th century, but a local chemists has to decide on further restoration after crystals of calcium sulphate appear on the walls.

Title

Scattering of ashes, A

Synopsis

6: A portrait of Carl Djerassi, the American scientist and 'father of the Pill', whose work in the chemistry of human sexuality, his involvement in the politics of contraception and his work as a writer of fiction, shows a life linking science and art.

Production Company

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

BBC Active Video for Learning - now BBC Learning

Contact

Carolina Fernandez Jeremy Wilcox (CF - for educational enquiries JW - channel sales manager)

Email

BBCStudiosLearning@bbc.com

Web

https://www.bbcstudioslearning.com/ External site opens in new window

Phone

+44 (0) 20 8433 1009

Address

BBC Studios Limited
Television Centre
101 Wood Lane
London
W12 7FA
UK

Notes

The BBC Active company has now been absorbed within BBC Learning, a division of BBC Studios. It was originally a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Pearson Education. Formerly known as ‘BBC Worldwide Learning Studies’ and before that as ‘Videos for Education & Training’