Episode list

In this series, Jim al-Khalili takes the viewer on a journey through the history of modern chemistry, from the age of the alchemists, through to the present day. This 3-part series encompasses the early alchemical age of secrecy and discovery, the early advances toward a scientific understanding of the elements, and finally to the establishment of a standardized system of chemical notation and categorization, while also introducing the viewer to many historically significant contributors to the discipline of chemistry that we know today.

In this three-part series, professor of theoretical physics Jim Al-Khalili traces the extraordinary story of how the elements were discovered and mapped. He follows in the footsteps of the pioneers who cracked their secrets and created a new science, propelling us into the modern age.