Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Computer Programmers | 20090809 | Series in which Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science, from astronomy to zoology, to explore their habitat, customs, rituals and beliefs. Beneath the typecast and somewhat nerdy image of scientists, Peter finds passion, humour and, on occasion, an enviable sense of community.
Peter meets the makers of the virtual world, Second Life. Are they architects, engineers or computer geeks, or highly competent people for whom one life just isn't enough?
The UK headquarters of Linden Lab promotes a Californian, groovy way of working, free from old-fashioned office politics and hierarchy, but in their Second Life, the Linden tribe enjoy being treated like royalty.
Do computer programmers spend more time in the virtual world than the real one? Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science | |
| 01 | Computer Programmers | 20090809 | 20100215 (R4) | Series in which Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science, from astronomy to zoology, to explore their habitat, customs, rituals and beliefs. Beneath the typecast and somewhat nerdy image of scientists, Peter finds passion, humour and, on occasion, an enviable sense of community.
Peter meets the makers of the virtual world, Second Life. Are they architects, engineers or computer geeks, or highly competent people for whom one life just isn't enough?
The UK headquarters of Linden Lab promotes a Californian, groovy way of working, free from old-fashioned office politics and hierarchy, but in their Second Life, the Linden tribe enjoy being treated like royalty.
Do computer programmers spend more time in the virtual world than the real one? Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science |
| 02 | The Zoologists | 20090816 | Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science, from astronomy to zoology, to explore their habitat, customs, rituals and beliefs.
Peter meets zoologists and spends time at the Institute of Zoology at London Zoo. Are the otter specialists as quick-witted, sociable and fun as the aquatic animals they study? And does the office hierarchy mirror the pecking order of the food chain?
Peter Curran meets zoologists and spends time at the Institute of Zoology at London Zoo. Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science | |
| 02 | The Zoologists | 20090816 | 20100216 (R4) | Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science, from astronomy to zoology, to explore their habitat, customs, rituals and beliefs.
Peter meets zoologists and spends time at the Institute of Zoology at London Zoo. Are the otter specialists as quick-witted, sociable and fun as the aquatic animals they study? And does the office hierarchy mirror the pecking order of the food chain?
Peter Curran meets zoologists and spends time at the Institute of Zoology at London Zoo. Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science |
| 03 | The Botanists | 20090823 | Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science, from astronomy to zoology, to explore their habitat, customs, rituals and beliefs.
Peter meets the botanists who won the lottery. Seed conservation used to be rather marginal to the main scientific activity at The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. That is, until, the scientists who preserve seeds for future generations asked for and received 30 million pounds.
At the Millenium Seed Bank in Sussex, the gentle world of botany and the rude world of commerce come together in a rampant hybrid.
Peter Curran visits the Millenium Seed Bank to meet the botanists who won the lottery. Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science | |
| 03 | The Botanists | 20090823 | 20100217 (R4) | Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science, from astronomy to zoology, to explore their habitat, customs, rituals and beliefs.
Peter meets the botanists who won the lottery. Seed conservation used to be rather marginal to the main scientific activity at The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. That is, until, the scientists who preserve seeds for future generations asked for and received 30 million pounds.
At the Millenium Seed Bank in Sussex, the gentle world of botany and the rude world of commerce come together in a rampant hybrid.
Peter Curran visits the Millenium Seed Bank to meet the botanists who won the lottery. Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science |
| 04 | The Astronomers | 20090830 | Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science, from astronomy to zoology, to explore their habitat, customs, rituals and beliefs.
Peter meets the astronomers at Jodrell Bank Observatory. For 50 years, astronomers at the Jodrell Bank worked with colleagues around an iconic radio telescope that famously spotted Sputnik. But now most of the Jodrell tribe are leaving their telescope in the middle of the Cheshire countryside and moving to Manchester. The telescope will survive as it is a listed building, but will the tribe?
Peter Curran meets the astronomers at Jodrell Bank Observatory. Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science | |
| 04 | The Astronomers | 20090830 | 20100218 (R4) | Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science, from astronomy to zoology, to explore their habitat, customs, rituals and beliefs.
Peter meets the astronomers at Jodrell Bank Observatory. For 50 years, astronomers at the Jodrell Bank worked with colleagues around an iconic radio telescope that famously spotted Sputnik. But now most of the Jodrell tribe are leaving their telescope in the middle of the Cheshire countryside and moving to Manchester. The telescope will survive as it is a listed building, but will the tribe?
Peter Curran meets the astronomers at Jodrell Bank Observatory. Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science |
| 05 | The Mathematicians | 20090906 | 20100219 (R4) | Series in which Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science, from astronomy to zoology, to explore their habitat, customs, rituals and beliefs. Peter meets the mathematicians of the Isaac Newton Institute of Mathematics in Cambridge. There are blackboards in the lifts and in the loos to encourage communication between visiting professors, but not everyone shares their mathematical insight. A few members of the mathematical tribe do wear the same t-shirt for six months and it's often inside-out, but not all the stereotypes hold true. Among these mathematicians, Peter finds passion, humour and an enviable sense of purpose. Peter Curran meets the mathematicians of the Isaac Newton Institute of Mathematics. Series in which Peter Curran visits members of the many and varied disciplines of science, from astronomy to zoology, to explore their habitat, customs, rituals and beliefs. Peter meets the mathematicians of the Isaac Newton Institute of Mathematics in Cambridge. There are blackboards in the lifts and in the loos to encourage communication between visiting professors, but not everyone shares their mathematical insight. A few members of the mathematical tribe do wear the same t-shirt for six months and it's often inside-out, but not all the stereotypes hold true. Among these mathematicians, Peter finds passion, humour and an enviable sense of purpose. Peter Curran meets the mathematicians of the Isaac Newton Institute of Mathematics. |