The Atomic Age
From nuclear power to nuclear weapons Jim Al-Khalili explores the art and literature that was inspired by the atomic age of the 20th century.
Jim Al-Khalili is a theoretical physicist and as a science communicator he knows the value of metaphors and imagery to bring theories and equations to life. Translating them into stories that capture the imagination, turning the inconceivable and the obscure into the familiar.
The 20th century brought an eruption of scientific exploration and discovery, particularly in the case of atomic physics. From early research into radiation, to the advent of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. In this episode Jim traces the impacts of those discoveries on our cultural consciousness through the literature and art they inspired.
Frank Close - Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at University of Oxford
Carlo Rovelli - Poet, writer and Theoretical Physicist
Sarah Cole - Dean of Arts and Professor of Comparative Literature at University of Columbia
CLifford Johnson - Professor of Physics at University of California Santa Barbara
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Emily Bird
Executive Producer Sasha Feachem
A BBC Studios Production
On radio
Broadcast
- Mon 27 Apr 202611:00BBC Radio 4
