Absolute Zero

Absolute Zero

2008, Science  -   50 Comments
8.81
12345678910
Ratings: 8.81/10 from 161 users.

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?

More great documentaries

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

50 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Bruno
Bruno
4 years ago

Great 2 part Nova Documentary. I've learned a lot watching it. I won't look at my fridge the same way anymore.

Sirlos
Sirlos
5 years ago

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.

bryne
bryne
7 years ago

Pls who are the two scientists who worked on the hydrogen and helium gasses trying to prove the could reach absolute zero

StonerX
StonerX
7 years ago

@donttrustthemedia the only limited mind is the one unwilling to learn.

Robert
Robert
7 years ago

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.

XenoLair
XenoLair
11 years ago

Great docu with a great insight into some history, something I really like to see.

sam lane
sam lane
11 years ago

What is the name of the song at the beggening? PLEASE TELL ME

Godsclaws
Godsclaws
11 years ago

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?

James Green
James Green
12 years ago

NOVA Rocks! Great Documentary. Thanks Vlatko . . .

Clifford William Thomas
Clifford William Thomas
12 years ago

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.

jennirn2005
jennirn2005
13 years ago

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.

jennirn2005
jennirn2005
13 years ago

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.

Rachelnico
Rachelnico
13 years ago

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.

donttrustthemedia
donttrustthemedia
13 years ago

what does this documentary do other than tickle your limited minds?

Gaz
Gaz
13 years ago

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

Carl_hendershot@yahoo.com
Carl_hendershot@yahoo.com
13 years ago

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 =)...

Dave Landon
Dave Landon
13 years ago

My first enlightenment of the Bose Einstein condensate theory. Science that stirs the imagination.

jesse
jesse
13 years ago

Absolutely superb documentary.

A must see.

Wow.

Nick
Nick
13 years ago

Fantastic doc. Other then freezing my tv dinner I'm still puzzled to know what else they can do with something that cold.

Ubik
Ubik
13 years ago

the most brilliant doc

Che Pedro the Swift
Che Pedro the Swift
13 years ago

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!!

GeoffreyNL
GeoffreyNL
13 years ago

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.

Doc
Doc
13 years ago

WOW super duper good documentary!

Achems Razor
Achems Razor
13 years ago

Must of missed this doc. somehow, will watch and logging in for the comments.

Fuco
Fuco
13 years ago

@Karetin: that's why they used the combination "lowest RECORDED temperature".

ahmad atia
ahmad atia
13 years ago

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

magarac
magarac
13 years ago

One of the best doc´s on TDF. Just cant get enough of this site. Thanks!

Andrew
Andrew
13 years ago

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. :)

Eff
Eff
13 years ago

COLD Science EXCELLENTLY Re-enacted. It sent SHIVERS up and down my Bose-Einstein spine!

Jewells
Jewells
14 years ago

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.."

VFenix
VFenix
14 years ago

I loved this. BBC Four documentary's are amazing, thanks!

DMB
DMB
14 years ago

Just wondering... what happened to the ratings scale usually found below the docs but before the commentary? Thx

Karetin
Karetin
14 years ago

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.

Calvin
Calvin
14 years ago

@ Charles, theres actually 5 states of matter, bose einstein is 5th, where 4th being plasma :)

KC
KC
14 years ago

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.

Joe
Joe
14 years ago

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.......

Thomas
Thomas
14 years ago

Fantastic :)

Thomas
Thomas
14 years ago

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!

charles
charles
14 years ago

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!