Tonight, millions of people will tune in to watch the final episode of the BBC's Wonders of the Solar System. The programme has achieved unprecedented ratings for a science documentary series, ratings that have BBC executives sighing with relief. Read more
It's not only one of the most important questions for science; it's one of the great unanswered questions in human history. We've been peering into the night sky for thousands of years, wondering if we are alone. As technology has improved, we've been able to look in more and more detail, revealing worlds more bizarre and more beautiful than we could ever have imagined. The harder we search, the closer we get to answering the fundamental question - are we alone in the Universe? And that's why in the final episode of the BBC's Wonders of the Solar System series, we go in search of alien life. Read more
Kidnapping, acid caves, military escorts, insect-infested jungles and subzero nights spent sleeping on glaciers do not usually appear on the job description for particle physicist. But Brian Cox, a professor at Manchester University and scientist on the large hadron collider at Cern in Geneva, has found himself in some extraordinarily extreme environments of late, thanks to his additional role as a television presenter. Source
We may take ours for granted, but atmospheres are responsible for creating some of the wonders of the Solar System. The flimsy, thin blue line seen from space that surrounds Earth makes it a wonderfully diverse place. Our atmosphere's unique chemical formula supplies us with the air we breathe, the water that bathes us and provides a soothing blanket that keeps us protected from the violence of space. And where there are other atmospheres, there are other wonders. Read more
At last. After years of um-ing and ah-ing by scientists, I've finally found one who's not afraid to give me a straight answer to the question on everybody's lips. The issue that anyone who has ever watched Dr Who wants addressed. So, I ask Brian Cox, professor of particle physics at the University of Manchester and star of the BBC's new epic science series Wonders Of The Solar System, is time travel possible? Read more
It's exactly 400 years since Galileo first pointed a telescope at the planet Saturn. He immediately realised he had discovered something remarkable: the planet appeared to have ears. Today, we know the mysterious bulges he described are a magnificent network of rings. Their intricate beauty is captivating but Saturn's rings are more than cosmetic wonders. Many astronomers now believe the patterns encoded in the rings tell us something fundamental about the forces that formed the entire Solar System. And that is part of the story we wanted to tell in the second episode of BBC2's Wonders of the Solar System - Order Out of Chaos. Read more
In this spell-binding series, Professor Brian Cox visits some of the most stunning locations on Earth to describe how the laws of nature have carved natural wonders across the Solar System.