Absolute Zero
This two-part scientific detective tale tells the story of a remarkable group of pioneers who wanted to reach the ultimate extreme: absolute zero, a place so cold that the physical world as we know it doesn’t exist, electricity flows without resistance, fluids defy gravity and the speed of light can be reduced to 38 miles per hour.
Each film features a strange cast of eccentric characters, including: Clarence Birds Eye; Frederic ‘Ice King’ Tudor, who founded an empire harvesting ice; and James Dewar, who almost drove himself crazy by trying to liquefy hydrogen.
Absolute zero became the Holy Grail of temperature physicists and is considered the gateway to many new technologies, such as nano-construction, neurological networks and quantum computing. The possibilities, it seems, are limitless.
The bizarre story of how one court magician’s use of alchemy made a King shiver. Could the future become a strange quantum world as physicists get within a few millionths of a degree of this absolute zero?
Great 2 part Nova Documentary. I've learned a lot watching it. I won't look at my fridge the same way anymore.
I think it's crazy that people can look at rocks and say "Hey, maybe I can sell those" but then there are people who look at science and ask "How is that gonna help anybody?"
Go fund science researchers, like NASA, people. It's not a waste of time or money.
Pls who are the two scientists who worked on the hydrogen and helium gasses trying to prove the could reach absolute zero
@donttrustthemedia the only limited mind is the one unwilling to learn.
Amazing documentary, I learned so much about how everyday things that I take for granted work! It's funny that Eric forgot to bow to the king. I'm no "merica's the best" type of person but Americans don't bow to royalty. We fought a war to not care about that stuff.
Great docu with a great insight into some history, something I really like to see.
What is the name of the song at the beggening? PLEASE TELL ME
I'm somewhat confused? How do they know that absolute zero where all atomic activity stops is -273 degrees is they have never reached that degree? Did they base a guess on the decreasing activity of the atoms movement?
NOVA Rocks! Great Documentary. Thanks Vlatko . . .
So, if particles cease moving that is absolute zero. But then why hasn't anyone put a number on Absolute heat? Scientist generally agree that nothing can exeed the speed of light so why would particles be any different? Once particles reach the speed of light then that would therefore be the upper limit of temperature, whatever that may be.
oops. I commented on the wrong page. I did like this one but I was refering to Chemistry: a Volatile History and Jim Al Khalili. Duh.
This is one of my favorite docs. I learned a lot and was inspired to find out more. For some reason i can't explain I really liked the host and have been watching other dox just because he's in them. Good stuff.
Wow, the Bose-Einstein condensate does sound interesting ... Too bad I'm science inept and 10 years behind on knowledge...so many things I wish I knew. Lasers can cool? I feel so slow ... LOL I guess this is why I went into art instead of science.
what does this documentary do other than tickle your limited minds?
i agree with all of the above very nice doco. id never heard of this bose einstein condensate imagine if it could be cooled instantly to that temperature. now i want to watch a documentry on chryogenics that takes all of this into acount XD
Errr. Dam it felt like this show lasted a few seconds.. I found it beyond interesting.. Wish there was more to it. There are to many questions and ideas one will devolop during this show and one this is slightly answered at the end.. Even then you are left with this want for more and a way you yourself would like to share.. Enjoy and please share =)...
My first enlightenment of the Bose Einstein condensate theory. Science that stirs the imagination.
Absolutely superb documentary.
A must see.
Wow.
Fantastic doc. Other then freezing my tv dinner I'm still puzzled to know what else they can do with something that cold.
the most brilliant doc
I wet myself it was that good , also there was a laser pointed at my pee which turned it into a Bose Einstein condensate !!.Vlatko thank you :D!!
Just utterly brilliant. I'm so in love with these kinds of documentary's. Its all about Facts and history. Amazing stuff,. And thanks to vlatko.
WOW super duper good documentary!
Must of missed this doc. somehow, will watch and logging in for the comments.
@Karetin: that's why they used the combination "lowest RECORDED temperature".
it is the best documentry movi I had seen in my life it is the best all of the informantion is the frist time to seen or know ..... great scientests who make the future
One of the best doc´s on TDF. Just cant get enough of this site. Thanks!
One of the best documentaries i've ever watched. I saw this many years ago, but it's always one of my favorites!!!!
This is science at it's best. :)
COLD Science EXCELLENTLY Re-enacted. It sent SHIVERS up and down my Bose-Einstein spine!
Interesting Documentary although everyone in it seems to have a strange accent or speech impediment. Something to do with the cold maybe. Could be a good documentary right there. "We left John in a room with a glass of Bowes Einstein Condensate for 30 minutes and he came out talking like Donald Duck.."
I loved this. BBC Four documentary's are amazing, thanks!
Just wondering... what happened to the ratings scale usually found below the docs but before the commentary? Thx
It's very arrogant to assume that we humans are the first to reach this temperature in the universe. There are 100 billion galaxies and about 100 billion stars in every one of them.
@ Charles, theres actually 5 states of matter, bose einstein is 5th, where 4th being plasma :)
Getting so close to the absolute zero, and the ability to measure the temperature at this level is really mind boggling! An absolutely absorbing video.
How come we don't have BBC here in States?
Absolutely brilliant documentary! V-this is the reason why you have so many hits.
Slowing down lights with bows einstein condensate? If this isn't science fiction meeting reality than I don't know what to make of.......
Fantastic :)
Once again, it's proven that the BBC is playing in a different league. They succeed in delivering the perfect mix between hardcore scientific details and trivial historical facts, in telling a story that is both very informative and entertaining at the same time.
Nice add, Vlatko!
Not a problem charles.
Utterly spectacular documentary, Vlatko!
Great historical film footage and fantastic reenactments, and very down-to-earth presentations of very complicated scientific theoretics.
This film starts out stating that theoretically, there is no outer limit to "heat" but traces the discovery of the fact that there is a limit to lack of heat, or "cold" down to the point of theoretical "absolute zero."
I was totally shocked that we have actually succeeded in reaching a record low temperature of 0.0000000001 degrees nanokilvin! I had previously believed we were nowhere near such a low temperature.
Also, this is the first time I have ever heard of a 4th state of matter (not gas or liquid or solid) known as a "Bose Einstein condensate". Not just a theory from Bose and Einstein nearly 70 years ago, but now a proven 4th state of matter which we have acheived in the labratory setting. Amazing.
I agree with the conclusion of the film that we will most likely never reach perfect 0k (absolute zero = 273.15° on the Celsius scale and ?459.67° on the Fahrenheit scale), but coming to 1 billionth of 1 percent to absolute zero is mind-boggling!
I think this has been my favorite documentary that I've seen on your sight so far, and you know how much I love those nature documentaries with David Attenborough. Thanks again, Vlatko!