A is for atoms - Frank Close 1993 Christmas Lectures 1/5 скачать в хорошем качестве

A is for atoms - Frank Close 1993 Christmas Lectures 1/5

In his first lecture, Frank Close takes a look at the electromagnetic spectrum beyond the rainbow, from infrared to ultraviolet, from radio waves to gamma waves. Watch all the lectures in this series here:    • Frank Close 1993 CHRISTMAS LECTURES – The ...   Watch our newest Christmas lectures here:    • Royal Institution Christmas Lectures   This was recorded on 1 Dec 1993. -- This year marks 200 years of the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures — a world famous series showcasing science, curiosity, and mind-blowing demos, and started by the legendary Michael Faraday himself. To celebrate, we're unlocking the archive. Every Saturday, we’ll upload a classic lecture to our YouTube channel — some not seen since they aired on TV. Sign up as a Science Supporter and get early access here:    / @theroyalinstitution   -- From the 1993 programme notes: Our five senses only reveal a small part of the large variety in the Universe. We cannot see molecules unaided (though our nose can smell particles much smaller than our eyes can see) and we only respond to the rainbow of colours – a mere octave in the infinite range of the electromagnetic spectrum. If we had a bee’s eyes we could see in the ultraviolet; we can feel infrared radiation as heat and occasionally one hears of people picking up radio signals in their dental fillings. Our ancestor's eyes were developed to guard against attacks by dangerous animals; it was not important for them to see distant radio galaxies. Today, by means of infrared cameras, we watch for human prowlers in the dark and can look deep into the Universe, revealing much more than shows up in the tiny range of visible light. An aim of the lectures is to open up a spectrum beyond the rainbow, towards smaller wavelengths that can see smaller things. Even with a powerful optical microscope we cannot resolve individual molecules. X-rays can resolve distances similar to the separation between molecules in a regular crystal, as in the discovery of the structure of DNA, but do not reveal the individual molecules. Electrons, which are present in everything, provide access to distances smaller than X-rays can reveal. Electron microscopes in the laboratory can provide pictures of molecules, even of atoms. With a two-mile long electron microscope, we can even look deep inside an atomic nucleus. -- About the 1993 CHRISTMAS LECTURES These lectures explore a century of discovery, beginning in 1893—a time before scientists knew of radioactivity, electrons, or atoms, and had no idea how stars shine or that galaxies rush away from a Big Bang. Despite this, many believed they were close to fully understanding nature. But discoveries at the century’s turn shattered that view, revealing a deeper, more complex reality. By 1993, people spoke of a “Theory of Everything” and pondered whether we could “know the mind of God.” Yet again, there were signs that all was not well. These lectures trace this journey through discovery and debate, ending with a look toward the next hundred years. They will show how each breakthrough not only answers questions but opens new ones—driving innovation, creating new tools, and extending our reach far beyond our senses. While our eyes see nearby stars and fine detail, and our ears detect fleeting sounds, it’s our “sixth sense”—the tools of science—that let us look deep into atoms and far across the cosmos. Telescopes capture ancient light; particle accelerators recreate the moments after the Big Bang. At the smallest scales, we image subatomic particles living for billionths of a second. Like hieroglyphs revealing ancient secrets, these modern symbols tell the story of creation—and may even hint at our future. Find out more about the CHRISTMAS LECTURES here: https://www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures --- Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @theroyalinstitution   Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe The Ri is on Twitter:   / ri_science   and Facebook:   / royalinstitution   and TikTok:   / ri_science   Listen to the Ri podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh... Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: https://www.rigb.org/support-us/donat... Our editorial policy: https://www.rigb.org/editing-ri-talks... Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link. #Atoms, #FrankClose, #ChristmasLectures, #PhysicsEducation, #ScienceLecture1993