Precision: The Measure of All Things
Precision: The Measure of All Things is a three-part BBC documentary series presented by Professor Marcus du Sautoy, exploring the history and science of measurement through seven standard units of international measurement. In this series, Professor Marcus du Sautoy explores why we are driven to measure and quantify the world around us and why we have reduced the universe to just a handful of fundamental units of measurement. From the first cave paintings of Cro-Magnon man to today's atomic clocks, he shows how our human desire for ever greater precision has changed the course of history and society.
| Episode 1 - Time and Distance |
Episode 1 - Time and Distance
Professor Marcus du Sautoy tells the story of the metre and the second - how an astonishing journey across revolutionary France gave birth to the metre, and how scientists today are continuing to redefine the measurement of time and length, with extraordinary results.
Episode 2 - Mass and Moles
Created in the 19th century, Le Grand K is the world's master kilogramme, the weight on which every other weight is based. But there is a problem with Le Grand K - it is losing weight. Professor Marcus du Sautoy explores the history of this strange object and the astonishing modern day race to replace it.
Episode 3 - Heat, Light and Electricity
From lightning bolts and watt engines to electromagnetic waves and single electrons, Professor Marcus du Sautoy continues his journey into the world of measurement as he reveals how we came to measure and harness the power of heat, light and electricity.
| Related Links |
| Measurement - wikipedia Measurement is the assignment of numbers to objects or events. It is a cornerstone of most natural sciences, technology, economics, and quantitative research in other social sciences. |
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| Absolute Zero This is a documentary charting the progress of scientists throughout history who attempted to harness the ultimate limit of cold, known as absolute zero. |
| Time This is a four-part BBC documentary series presented by a theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, explaining the nature of time from in our daily life to in the cosmic level. |
| Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity This is a three part BBC documentary series presented by Jim Al-Khalili, telling the story of our quest to master nature's most mysterious force - electricity. |
| The Story of Maths This is a BBC documentary series written and presented by Marcus du Sautoy, outlining aspects of the history of mathematics. |