British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Towards One Force of Nature

Synopsis
Shows how Italian physicist Carlo Rubbia (who shared the Nobel Prize ofr Physics in 1984) and his team designed and constructed a 2000-tonne detector to record the ‘W’ particle as it speeds through the earth.
Shows the work of CERN (European Centre for Nuclear Research) to find experimental support for the Grand Unified Theory of Nature and, in particular, the search for the W and Z particles predicted by this theory. Shot on location at CERN at the end of the experiment and then describes the aims and experimental methods of CERN. Explains the fundamental forces of nature and the creation of matter in simple terms using colliding coins, animation and analogy with electro-magnetism. Discusses the search for the W particle, showing the initial planning meetings, building of the reactor, design of detectors and the first attempts to obtain results until, after many setbacks, the physicists obtain the first trace of a W particle.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 50 min.
Year of production
1983
Availability
Sale; 1995 sale: £95.00 (+VAT +p&p)
Notes
See also THE GENEVA EVENT.
Uses
6th-form and undergraduate students.*
Subjects
Physics
Keywords
European Centre for Nuclear Research; nuclear particles

Production Company

Name

BBC Open University Productions

Distributor

Name

Open University Worldwide

Web
http://www.ouw.co.uk External site opens in new window
Phone
+44 (0) 1908 274066
Address
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
Notes
NB. As of May 2016 Open University Worldwide are no longer distributing DVDs. They have posted this message on their website: ‘Unfortunately Open University Worldwide Limited has decided that product sales are no longer viable given the reduced funding to Higher Education institutions and diminishing demand for the products we have traditionally stocked. At present the Open University Students Association (OUSA) will continue to sell the "Good Study Guide", and we are in discussion with other possible distributors to continue to make The Open University’s products available for purchase. As soon as we have any information on other channels of distribution we will update this notice’. Some products are still available via second hand dealers on Amazon.co.uk

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