Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity is a British television series outlining aspects of the history of electricity. The series was a co-production between the Open University and the BBC and aired from 6 to 20 October 2011 on BBC Four. The programs were presented by Jim Al-Khalili.
Episodes Spark: How pioneers unlocked electricity's mysteries and built strange instruments to create it. The Age of Invention: How harnessing the link between magnetism and electricity transformed the world. Revelations and Revolutions: After centuries of experimentation, how we finally came to understand electromagnetism.
Spark In the first episode Al-Khalili introduces the history of our understanding of electricity and the harnessing of its power.Gilbert, Gerard. Pick of the day The Independent 1 October 2011 He covers the achievements of these "natural philosophers" – Francis Hauksbee, Stephen Gray, Musschenbroek, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Cavendish, Galvani, Volta and Humphry Davy.Hardy, Alex. Digital choice The Times 1 October 2011
The programme starts with Hauksbee's invention of a glass globe static-electricity generator and its subsequent demonstration to the high-minded. It covers Franklin and the resulting experiments to capture and tame lightning.Mueller, Andrew, G2: Television. The Guardian 6 October 2011 The narrative continues with Cavendish's investigations of the electric shock received from the torpedo fish.The Daily Telegraph, Digital choice 1 October 2011 Al-Khalili expands on the development of the electric battery following Volta's discovery that simultaneously licking a copper coin and a silver spoon would generate a tingle of electricity. The programme finishes with the first breakthrough in finding a commercial use for electricity:Gilbert, Gerard. Critic's Choice The Independent, 6 October 2011 Humphry Davy demonstrating the first carbon-arc light before members of the Royal Institution.Sutcliffe, Tom. Secrets and lies are worth investigating The Independent 7 October 2011
The Age of Invention In the second episode Al-Khalili covers the scientists who discovered the links between electricity and magnetism leading to a way to generate electric power-The Daily Telegraph Digital choice 8 October 2011 Hans Christian Oersted, Michael Faraday, William Sturgeon and Joseph Henry.
The development of commercial applications started with Samuel Morse and Al-Khalili then tells the story of the 1866 transatlantic cable. He revisits the war of the currents rivalry between direct current and alternating current.Dugdale, John; Kinnes, Sally. Choice Sunday Times 9 October 2011
Revelations and Revolutions In the final episode Al-Khalili brings the story up to date covering the achievements of James Clerk Maxwell; Heinrich Hertz; Oliver Lodge; Jagadish Bose; William Crookes; Mataré & Welker; and William Shockley.
See also History of electromagnetic theory History of electrical engineering History of electric power transmission
References
External links
BBC information