Size Matters
Dara and the team reveal why size matters in science and how discoveries large and small are changing the way we view the universe, the economy and even our bodies.
Dara and the team probe the miniscule and the enormous to reveal why size matters and how discoveries at either end of the scale are changing the way we view the universe.
Professor Mark Miodownik discovers an astonishingly effective lo-tech weapon in the battle against nefarious hospital superbugs. Science journalist Alok Jha visits a premature baby unit in Canada to see how Big Data can save tiny lives. Dr Helen Czerski goes a mile underground in South Dakota to join the hunt for our missing universe and the team visits the New York Stock Exchange to find out how much a millisecond is worth in hard cash. In the studio, Dara investigates the explosive effects of size and Mark swallows a miniature camera to reveal his internal organs.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Clips
-
![]()
What's a millisecond worth?
Duration: 02:05
-
![]()
Big data, tiny lives
Duration: 01:18
-
![]()
Spreading germs
Duration: 01:20
Big Data, bigger Universe
Zoom to where you sit in the scale of all things, plus global snapshots of the Big Data revolution.
Size matters: Galileo and jelly
Helen's science news
Find out more about the stories featured in Dr Helen Czerski's latest science round-up.
Guest experts
Joining the team聽in the studio for Episode聽5聽are Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, and Dr Jo Dunkley, an astrophysicist.
Follow us on Twitter
Get an extra helping of surprising facts and links and join the conversation for some really social science.
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Dara O Briain |
| Expert | Mark Miodownik |
| Reporter | Helen Czerski |
| Reporter | Alok Jha |
| Executive Producer | Helen Thomas |
| Series Producer | Kaye Godleman |
| Series Editor | Nigel Paterson |
Why does a magnetised needle face north?
Mark demonstrates how to magnetise a needle in order to create your own working compass.