Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

In the first episode Al-Khalili introduces the history of our understanding of electricity and the harnessing of its power.[1] He covers the achievements of these "natural philosophers" - [2] Francis Hauksbee, Stephen Gray, Musschenbroek, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Cavendish, Galvani, Volta and Humphry Davy.

The programme starts with Hauksbee's invention of a static-electricity generator and its subsequent demonstration to the high-minded.[3] It covers Franklin and the resulting experiments to capture and tame lightning.[4] The narrative continues with Cavendish's investigations of the electric shock received from the torpedo fish.[5] Al-Khalili expands on the development of the electric battery following Volta's discovery that simultaneously licking a copper coin and a silver spoon would generate a tingle of electricity.[3] The programme finishes with the first breakthrough in finding a commercial use for electricity:[6] Humphry Davy demonstrating the first carbon-arc light before members of the Royal Institution.[3]

In the second episode Al-Khalili covers the scientists who discovered the links between electricity and magnetism leading to a way to generate electric power- [7] Hans Christian Oersted, Michael Faraday, William Sturgeon and Joseph Henry.

The development of commercial applications started with Samuel Morse and Al-Khalili then tells the story of the 1866 transatlantic cable. He revisits the war of the currents rivalry between direct current and alternating current.[8]

In the final episode Al-Khalili brings the story up to date covering the achievements of James Clerk Maxwell; Heinrich Hertz; Oliver Lodge; Jagadish Bose; William Crookes; Mataré & Welker; and William Shockley.