The archaeological world is fooled for nearly half a century when an ape-like skull that's claimed as solid evidence for Darwin's theory of human evolution is proven fake. Using new research, experts investigate and uncover the identity of the forger. Locked away in a store room at London Science Museum is a genuine 19th century miracle machine, a 180-year-old mechanical engine that solves complex mathematical equations, more than 100 years before the first electronic computer.
'Stangest Things' series examines those hidden gems that have been tucked away in museums, laboratories and storage rooms around the world. Experts use the latest technology to investigate these incredible artifacts of history. A bizarre find called Copper Scroll is one of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, but it's unlike any of the others; this strange relic might hold clues to a long-lost treasure, and cutting-edge science may finally reveal answers to this billion-dollar mystery.
Dr. Hannah Fry takes us on a whistle-stop tour around the mathematics of success, to help us understand how to get more of what we want in our own lives. From the best way to bag a budget dinner or keep the kids quiet, to averting nuclear Armageddon and negotiating global climate change agreements.
Time i s a concept which is so familiar, and yet recent discoveries have revealed it to be far stranger than we could have possibly imagined. In the final programme in the series, Brian explores the enigma of time - a phenomenon we take for granted but which is one of the biggest mysteries in the universe. He recalls highlights from his TV series that touch upon this conundrum.
Brian takes a fresh look at the concept of gravity, revealing it to be far more than just the force that makes things fall to the ground. In the last three years, we've made profound discoveries about the nature of gravity and the way it behaves, and how this relates to the origin of the universe and strange things like black holes. Our theory of gravity has become the attempt to understand the nature of space and time.
Brian Cox looks at our attempts to answer one of the most profound questions we can ask – are we alone in the universe? With scientists sending space probes to the furthest reaches of our solar system and beyond, the scientific search for alien life has begun. Inspired by a childhood love of science fiction, Brian still hopes to hear from ET. In this film, he explains why this search deserves to be taken seriously, and he explores the chances of it happening.
Locked away in a store room at London Science Museum is a genuine 19th century miracle machine, a 180-year-old mechanical engine that solves complex mathematical equations, more than 100 years before the first electronic computer.