Created on Friday, 12 March 2010 17:58

Cold fusion refers to nuclear fusion of atoms at conditions close to room temperature, in contrast to the conditions of well-understood fusion reactions such as those inside stars and high energy experiments. Interest in the field was dramatically increased on March 23, 1989 when Martin Fleischmann, then one of the world's leading electro-chemists, and Stanley Pons reported that they had produced fusion in a tabletop experiment involving electrolysis of heavy water on a palladium (Pd) electrode.

They reported anomalous heat production ("excess heat") of a magnitude they asserted would defy explanation except in terms of nuclear processes. They further reported measuring small amounts of nuclear reaction by-products, including neutrons and tritium.

These reports raised hopes of a cheap and abundant source of energy.

Created on Saturday, 01 May 2010 15:09

Author and nuclear physicist Professor Jim Al-Khalili looks at what led to the discovery that everything is made of atoms. The documentary outlines how the discovery affected the scientific world, including the atomic energy theories of Albert Einstein, Werner Heisenberg and quantum mechanics.

ATOM Part 1 of 3 – Clash Of Titans

ATOM Part 2 of 3 – The Key to the Cosmos

This episode tackles world-changing discoveries such as radioactivity, the atom bomb and the Big Bang and tries to answer the biggest questions of all – why are we here and how were we made?

ATOM Part 3 of 3 – The Illusion Of Reality

In part 3 of this series Professor Al-Khalili explores how studying the atom forced us to rethink the nature of reality itself. He explains that there might be parallel universes in which different versions of us exist, finds out that empty space isn't empty at all and investigates the differences between our perception and reality.