0:00:02 > 0:00:04This is Absolute Genius.
0:00:04 > 0:00:09Dive into a word of action, adventure and explosions.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Each show will introduce you to a different genius.
0:00:12 > 0:00:17An amazing person who had a genius idea which shaped the world.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19And they will inspire us to come up
0:00:19 > 0:00:23with our own genius idea at the end of each show.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27- But will it be any good? - Will it be any good? It'll be...
0:00:27 > 0:00:28- BOTH:- Absolute Genius.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34On today's show, a genius who discovered an invisible energy
0:00:34 > 0:00:35that's all around us.
0:00:36 > 0:00:42So pay attention, because what you are about to see...
0:00:42 > 0:00:43will blow your mind!
0:00:43 > 0:00:44DOM SCREAMS
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Did you know that one of the most important discoveries in history
0:01:22 > 0:01:23was made in a shed?
0:01:24 > 0:01:26But by who?
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Ladies and gentlemen, we give you Marie Curie.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Hello, boys!
0:01:32 > 0:01:33Yeah, quite.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Today we'll be finding out how Marie's voyage of discovery
0:01:36 > 0:01:39into a tiny world had a massive impact.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40Inspired by her genius,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43we'll be coming up with our own genius idea later on in the show.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Involving a shedload of explosives!
0:01:50 > 0:01:54But first let's find out a little bit more about Marie Curie herself.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59We've all heard of radioactivity and seen this warning sign.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01It can be incredibly dangerous,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05but it's also one of the greatest sources of energy ever discovered
0:02:05 > 0:02:09and is being used to power homes and cities all around the world.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14It can even be used to fight off deadly diseases like cancer.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17But when Marie Curie was born 1867
0:02:17 > 0:02:19this energy was yet to be discovered!
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Marie grew up in Poland and always dreamed of going to university
0:02:24 > 0:02:26and becoming a scientist.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Problem was, back then in Poland, women weren't allowed
0:02:29 > 0:02:31to go to university and become scientists.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35But this didn't stop our genius.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38She scrimped and saved for years, until she had enough money
0:02:38 > 0:02:40to get to a university in Paris
0:02:40 > 0:02:44and finally study science to her heart's content.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46And that was just the beginning.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Before finding out about Marie's genius breakthrough,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53we need to go back in time, back to basics.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55We need to get elemental!
0:02:57 > 0:03:00This is the periodic table.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03And these symbols represent the elements -
0:03:03 > 0:03:07the tiny building blocks that the whole world is made out of.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Before Marie Curie and the discovery of radioactivity,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13scientists thought they knew everything there was to know
0:03:13 > 0:03:14about how the elements behaved.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18They knew that you could get energy from elements,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22but to do that, you had to combine one element with another to
0:03:22 > 0:03:23create a chemical reaction.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28And to show us how, here's chemistry expert
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Nate Adams from the University of Sheffield.
0:03:33 > 0:03:34Look at that!
0:03:34 > 0:03:39Bright green, purple, orange, blue, pink, red.
0:03:39 > 0:03:40It's a psychedelic barbecue.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Elements are all different, so when we heat them up,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46in this case the metal elements, they produce different colour light.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48They all contain different properties.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Exactly, and that's what these flames show.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53So each one of these elements behaves differently.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Exactly, so these metals that I've just heated up,
0:03:56 > 0:03:57they're around here.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Also over here we have other elements which are non-metal.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01Back in Marie Curie's time,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04they thought that the only way they could get energy
0:04:04 > 0:04:05was by combining two elements together.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08And the chart itself gives us an idea of how reactive
0:04:08 > 0:04:11these elements can be, if we start putting them together,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13whether they're going to have a bit of a fizz
0:04:13 > 0:04:15or whether they're going to have a bit of an explosion.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18So when elements are mixed together, that's when energy is released.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20What's the bad boy?
0:04:20 > 0:04:23When scientists want to make something explode, what do they use?
0:04:23 > 0:04:25The most flammable element is hydrogen.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Ah, the one on the end, the big one.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Bring on the big H, huh?
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Ah, here she is, the big H, two balloons full of it.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Exactly. Two balloons full of hydrogen,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38which I'm going to fill into my highly modified paint tin here.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Don't try this in your shed at home.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41I can already tell this is going to be
0:04:41 > 0:04:43the kind of experiment that we like -
0:04:43 > 0:04:45we've got safety goggles, we've got ear protectors
0:04:45 > 0:04:47and this huge safety screen in front of us.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49- Which means things are going to go bang, right?- Absolutely.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53So I'm going to release the valves on these balloons of hydrogen,
0:04:53 > 0:04:54fill them like this.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Now, Dick, if you don't mind lighting that for me.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Huh. Stand back.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03I didn't know it was lit.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06It's glowing a little bit. Is that it?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08There's going to be a big bang.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09Well, there's nothing there.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11BANG! DOM SCREAMS
0:05:13 > 0:05:14That was a big bang!
0:05:18 > 0:05:19So what actually happened then?
0:05:19 > 0:05:22What happened was the paint tin was full of hydrogen,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24there wasn't any oxygen in there for it to burn,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26so we just had a little bit of a candle flame up the top,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29but as it was burning up, loads of oxygen from the air around us
0:05:29 > 0:05:30that we breathe was being pulled in.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33When it got to the right amount and mixed correctly,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36then it had explosive qualities, and just went boom.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Absolutely brilliant.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40When Marie Curie first started working,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43reacting together elements from the periodic table
0:05:43 > 0:05:45was the only way to release energy.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49But no-one could have predicted what came next.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Marie's university tutor, Henri Becquerel,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55was studying an element called uranium and left a rock of it
0:05:55 > 0:05:59on photographic plates in his sock drawer overnight.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Sock it to me, Henri!
0:06:01 > 0:06:03A few days later,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05the photographic plates had dark images
0:06:05 > 0:06:06around where the rock had been.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10This chance discovery showed that uranium didn't need to react
0:06:10 > 0:06:12with anything to create energy -
0:06:12 > 0:06:16it gave off a mysterious energy all on its own.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Marie was fascinated and started testing all kinds of materials
0:06:19 > 0:06:23to see if they gave off their own energy too.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26And she found something that would ultimately give off
0:06:26 > 0:06:28hundreds of times more energy than uranium.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Marie's genius idea was finding a material
0:06:32 > 0:06:35that had a mysterious energy all of its own.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38After years working in a shed with her husband Pierre,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41they discovered radioactive elements.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44She called the energy they gave off radioactivity.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Their discovery led to a revolution in science -
0:06:47 > 0:06:49from understanding the universe and treating cancer,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51to nuclear power and atomic bombs,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53the world was never the same again.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58But these new radioactive elements were not easy to find.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02They were hidden within a material that the Curies studied for years.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06So what was this precious material that Marie was so obsessed with?
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Did it sparkle like a diamond, was it more precious than gold?
0:07:10 > 0:07:12No, it looked like a lump of dirt.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15That lump of dirt was called pitchblende.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16The energy had to be coming
0:07:16 > 0:07:19from a new, undiscovered element hidden inside,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23and Marie made it her mission to find that new element.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26We've come to Geevor Mine in Cornwall to find out more.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Once upon a time, it supplied tin to all four corners of the world.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35It also supplied pitchblende, and Marie needed lots of it.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Our guide in the mine is genius chemist
0:07:41 > 0:07:44and Geevor's resident rock expert, David Wright.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52It's really compact. Actually quite claustrophobic down here, Dave.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55What were the conditions down here like in Marie's day?
0:07:55 > 0:07:57They were pretty bad.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00I suppose in Marie's time, children of 14 years of age
0:08:00 > 0:08:02would be working here, but before that time,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04children as young as eight or nine would be here.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07This isn't a very healthy environment for a child to work.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08It certainly isn't.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11There were lots of accidents and many children
0:08:11 > 0:08:13were unfortunately badly injured or killed.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15But what were they all doing here?
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Obviously it was very worthwhile.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18How do you know where to start looking?
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Can you see, running through the rock, there's a narrow stripe?
0:08:24 > 0:08:25This, in Cornwall, is called the lode,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27and this is where the minerals are found.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Principally tin, copper, iron, arsenic
0:08:30 > 0:08:32and occasionally pitchblende.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36So, basically, she had to get a whole lot of rock back to her lab.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38- That's right. - Let's go.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Marie and Pierre sourced the pitchblende from mines
0:08:42 > 0:08:45like this all over Europe.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47They had to find the element in the pitchblende
0:08:47 > 0:08:49that was giving off all this energy.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53The search took years. And their lab was a converted shed.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Right then, so we've got our pitchblende,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00which we know contains Marie's mysterious elements,
0:09:00 > 0:09:01but how do we get them?
0:09:01 > 0:09:04First job is to break it down into small pieces.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- There's no big machines or anything. - Well, this is what it was like.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09This is what Madame Curie used to work with.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10So her shed would have had these...?
0:09:10 > 0:09:13- Her shed would have been very much like this.- Very basic.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14So how are we going to do this then?
0:09:14 > 0:09:16We're going to use a hammer.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17Ah, simple as that.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23For reasons that Marie was yet to discover,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26pitchblende is dangerous to handle.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30So we're recreating her experiments with a safer type of rock.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35She had to get rid of all the other elements in the pitchblende
0:09:35 > 0:09:37until there was only one left -
0:09:37 > 0:09:40the one that was giving off the energy.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46To do that, she had to crush, boil, dissolve and filter.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Put your back into it, you lazy little boys!
0:09:50 > 0:09:54Finding the hidden element was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Finally in 1898, she had it.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01A few precious grains of a new element
0:10:01 > 0:10:05that Marie Curie called polonium, after her native Poland.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07And what an element it was.
0:10:07 > 0:10:14It gave off invisible rays with 330 times more energy than uranium.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17But the Curies didn't stop there, they discovered another new element
0:10:17 > 0:10:21with the same amazing properties. But this time they called it...
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Radium.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26With a mysterious green glow.
0:10:27 > 0:10:33The discovery caused a sensation, and Marie named this new energy...
0:10:33 > 0:10:34Radioactivity.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37Radioactivity?!
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Radioactivity gives off invisible energy
0:10:42 > 0:10:45that can travel through air and even through solid objects.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47It can be very dangerous to your health,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51which is why it's serious news when nuclear accidents happen.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52So, should we be afraid?
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Time to call on our mate Fran for advice.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Our genius scientist Fran explains things in ways even
0:10:58 > 0:10:59we can understand.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Best of all, she loves a good experiment.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07And she's guaranteed to pop up just when you need her most.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09- Fran.- Thank goodness, look, we need a bit of help.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13One minute we're talking about a genius scientist, right?
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Next minute we're talking about radioactivity.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16Should we be scared of it?
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Well, no. Something is said to be radioactive
0:11:19 > 0:11:22only if it gives off a certain particle or wave.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26It's that particle or wave that we call radiation.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28But it's not something we should be scared of.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31It is around us every day all the time.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32- Now?- Now.- Here? - Right here!
0:11:33 > 0:11:35And we'll use this to detect it.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37- What's that? - This is a Geiger counter.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40- Geiger counter. - Geiger counter.- Right.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42If it clicks, that means it has detected radiation.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45I had a shower this morning, there's no radiation on me.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47I can hear a little bit of clicking there.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Substances can have different amounts of radioactivity,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51just depending on what they're made from.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54So to prove that radioactivity is around us all the time,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56I want you guys to go into that market
0:11:56 > 0:12:00and find me the three most radioactive things you can.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02All right, so there not necessarily going to be chemicals
0:12:02 > 0:12:05- or anything like that? - No, it's in everyday objects.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- Objects that are in your home right now.- OK, all right.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08Go on, give us your Geigo-whatsit.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Challenge is on.
0:12:11 > 0:12:12- We'll do it, see you in a bit. - See ya.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16So it turns out, not all radiation is bad.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19We are surrounded by small amounts of naturally occurring radiation
0:12:19 > 0:12:22all the time, you just need to know where to look.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26This chopping board. A slab of granite. Try.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Ah, yes. Granite. Course, it's a stone from the ground.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Yeah, like when we went down to the mine.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37- Sweets. Can't be radioactive.- Under there?
0:12:37 > 0:12:38Aah. BOY LAUGHS
0:12:38 > 0:12:39No, nothing.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Caesar salad.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46CLICKING
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Ooh, yeah!
0:12:48 > 0:12:51- Good. No.- Something round here.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52CLICKING
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Open it, there's something inside there
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- that's making it go a bit wild. - Is it the battery?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00No, it's not the battery.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Oh, look. It's got a radioactive sign on top of it!
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Yeah, look. Radioactive.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06We'll have that.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10Challenge complete.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- OK, what've you got for me? - Well, the granite chopping board
0:13:13 > 0:13:15and the salt were a little bit radioactive.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Now, this isn't ordinary salt, though.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19- This is low sodium salt. - So what's the difference?
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Ah, well, normal salt has sodium in,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24low sodium salt has less sodium in.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26But they replace sodium with potassium.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27Yeah, we saw that on the ingredients.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29- So that's the thing that's radioactive.- Yeah.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31- The best thing was the smoke alarm. - Ah, yes.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33The smoke alarm did well, listen, listen.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34CLICKING
0:13:37 > 0:13:38Yeah, that's going for it.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40We noticed that it has a radioactive sign on top.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Yes, smoke alarms have an element that's radioactive in them.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47So is it true then that Marie's discovery of radioactivity
0:13:47 > 0:13:49saves lives today on a daily basis?
0:13:49 > 0:13:50- Yeah.- That's amazing.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52SMOKE ALARM SOUNDS
0:13:53 > 0:13:54Turn it off, then.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- I don't know how to stop it. - Leg it.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01So radioactivity isn't always bad.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Some types can be dangerous, which is why safety is so important
0:14:05 > 0:14:07with ANYTHING involving radioactivity.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10But when carefully controlled, it can be incredibly useful.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16It's the genius top five uses of radioactivity.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Five - an invisible ray that saves lives.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20Sounds like science fiction?
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Radiotherapy has been doing it for decades
0:14:23 > 0:14:25by using high energy radiation
0:14:25 > 0:14:28to treat cancerous cells without the need for surgery.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Four - irradiated food sounds a bit scary,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35but it just means that radiation has been used
0:14:35 > 0:14:38to kill nasty bugs that the human eye can't see.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Best to wash that apple first though, just in case.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Three - atomic batteries harness the power of radioactivity
0:14:45 > 0:14:48to last six months or more on a single charge.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50They're already used in spacecraft.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52We're just waiting for one for our mobile phones.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Five months?! Woo-hoo!
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Two - ever wondered how scientists know how old ancient objects
0:14:57 > 0:14:59like Egyptian mummies are?
0:14:59 > 0:15:02The secret is to measure the levels of radioactive material
0:15:02 > 0:15:03contained in the object.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05That's how we can tell Egyptian mummies have been dead
0:15:05 > 0:15:06for over 3,000 years.
0:15:06 > 0:15:07SCREAMING
0:15:09 > 0:15:11At least we hope they are!
0:15:11 > 0:15:15And at number one, possibly the most well-known use of radioactivity.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17- BOTH:- Fighting crime and saving the world.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Everybody knows that if you want to be a superhero,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24the quickest way to do it is to get bitten by something radioactive.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Shame it's all just science fiction, really.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33So we've found out about Marie Curie and the discovery of radioactivity.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35We've seen how hard she worked in her shed
0:15:35 > 0:15:38to find the radioactive element in this dirty old rock,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41and discovered that low-level radiation is all around us.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Later in the show we'll be coming up with our own genius idea
0:15:46 > 0:15:48involving our very own shed.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53After the discovery of radioactive elements,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Marie dedicated herself to helping others.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Marie and her husband Pierre's work was crucial
0:15:59 > 0:16:01to the development of X-rays,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05and, in World War I, she developed a new kind of mobile X-ray,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08which could be loaded into ambulances.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11She even drove these ambulances herself to the front lines,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13saving countless lives.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Today X-rays are part of everyday life.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19If you've been unlucky enough to break a bone,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21you'll have had an X-ray.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25And if you're lucky enough to be jetting off on holiday,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28your suitcases will go through an X-ray too, come on!
0:16:28 > 0:16:31- It's very exciting, where are we off to, Benidorm?- No.
0:16:31 > 0:16:32- Magaluf?- No.- Faliraki?- No.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36We are going to a top secret airline training airline facility
0:16:36 > 0:16:38in the vicinity of Doncaster.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I love the vicinity of Doncaster.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49A jumbo jet can carry over 400 passengers.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51And all their luggage has to be scanned
0:16:51 > 0:16:54to make sure dangerous objects aren't being taken on board.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Using X-rays, like Marie Curie did.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Meet genius aviation security expert, Ed Termini.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06He stops bad things being brought on big planes.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10- Wait for it. - Any suspicious items in there?
0:17:10 > 0:17:13- Here we go. Right, so... - So, Ed, how is this working here?
0:17:13 > 0:17:17OK, what you're seeing is an image representation
0:17:17 > 0:17:20of the X-rays being fired through the bag.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23So there's a component in the machine that generates these X-rays.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25The X-rays travel through the case
0:17:25 > 0:17:29and are absorbed at different rates by different materials.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33The computer measures these differences and creates an image.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Looks like we've got a chicken in this one, mate.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Like to explain that, eh? CHICKEN SQUEAKS
0:17:42 > 0:17:45There's no limit to how many times a bag can be scanned,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49but the invisible beams of radiation are dangerous to humans.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51So there's a lead lining that keeps the X-rays
0:17:51 > 0:17:53safely inside the machine.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Oh, I see. Bit of a gamer, are you?
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Fake leather? Cheapskate.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04X-rays are another part of Marie Curie's legacy,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07thanks to her bravery during World War I.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12But meanwhile, her discovery of radium was making other people rich.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18Which turned out to be a not so genius idea.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22In the early 1900s, radium was used in health products such as tea,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25face cream and even toothpaste.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27The new wonder element was full of energy,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30so many thought it would give you energy too.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Unfortunately, the reverse turned out to be true,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37as the radiation given off by radium was seriously bad for your health.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42So radioactive products turned out to be a not so genius idea.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Even Marie Curie didn't realise
0:18:44 > 0:18:46that her work would have an effect on her health,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50and in 1934 she died from leukaemia,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52a cancer, in her case, thought to be caused
0:18:52 > 0:18:56by a lifetime's exposure to dangerous radiation.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58But her genius lives on.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Over 100 years after the discovery of radioactive elements,
0:19:01 > 0:19:05the invisible energy locked inside is being used to create
0:19:05 > 0:19:08power on a massive scale.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11And it's all down to the billions of tiny atoms
0:19:11 > 0:19:12that elements are made up of.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Now, atoms are really, really small,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16but the energy that holds them together is huge.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19Unlike other elements,
0:19:19 > 0:19:23the atoms in radioactive elements are unstable and break down.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25That's why they are pumping out this invisible energy
0:19:25 > 0:19:27we've been banging on about.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30But if you can actually split the powerful bonds
0:19:30 > 0:19:31that hold an atom together,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35you can generate an almost unimaginable amount of energy.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40The first time scientists split the atom was just before World War II.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43And the energy was used to create a weapon -
0:19:43 > 0:19:46the terrifyingly powerful atomic bomb.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51After the war, scientists were able to take the same technology
0:19:51 > 0:19:53and harness it to help people.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Atomic energy became the way to power millions of homes.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Yeah, and it all happens here.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Dungeness B in Kent is one of many nuclear power stations
0:20:04 > 0:20:08around the world. A gigantic atom-splitting factory.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11It generates over 1,000 megawatts of power every day,
0:20:11 > 0:20:17which is enough to supply over 1.5 million homes with electricity.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20It's like there's nothing happening, but there's a massive chain reaction
0:20:20 > 0:20:22going on just four metres below our feet.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24It's really bizarre. I mean, if this was like coal energy,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26you'd be able to smell the coal, wouldn't you?
0:20:26 > 0:20:29You'd be able to hear it, you'd be able to feel the heat everything.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32But because it's nuclear, you can't feel or see anything.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- It's really weird.- We just can't get our heads around it.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37- I don't understand.- There's only one thing for it.- What's that?
0:20:37 > 0:20:39- BOTH:- Fran!
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Ah, Fran, are we pleased to see you!
0:20:42 > 0:20:44We've actually stood on top of the reactor,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46but it's hard to work out exactly what's going on underneath.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- What does it look like? - Can you not picture it?
0:20:49 > 0:20:50- Not really, it's pretty tricky. - It is.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Well, I thought for you guys to picture it,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56the best way would be for me to use mousetraps and ping pong balls.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- Of course. - What do they resemble?
0:20:59 > 0:21:02It's all about nuclear fission.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04So what's nuclear fission?
0:21:04 > 0:21:09Nuclear fission is when an atom splits into two smaller atoms.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12- Right.- In that process, energy is released,
0:21:12 > 0:21:16- but also little bits of the atom are spat out.- Right.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19These little bits are called neutrons.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21That's what the ping pong balls are.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Very simple - atom, split it into two and some neutrons come out.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26Yeah, and some energy as well.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Some energy as well - all right, fine.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31So what we're going to do is try and recreate that.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34These neutrons, when they're spat out, collide with other atoms,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37they get taken in, and then they cause fission again.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41They cause that atom to split.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44The energy comes off, the neutron comes off, and then it goes,
0:21:44 > 0:21:46crashes into another and another.
0:21:46 > 0:21:47Which causes the nuclear reaction.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50- Like a chain reaction. It goes on and on and on.- Got it.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Obviously it happens at a much smaller scale than my mouse traps.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56We want to see it, we want to see it, come on.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58So I'm going to put in this neutron,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00which will start this chain reaction.
0:22:01 > 0:22:02- Go.- Go.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04THEY EXCLAIM
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- Every single one. - That's absolutely brilliant.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Imagine neutrons flying around and splitting atoms on a scale
0:22:13 > 0:22:15millions of times smaller than this,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19all the time generating incredible energy and heat.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23An atomic chain reaction that will keep on going and going and going...
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Marie Curie could never have imagined how her discoveries
0:22:30 > 0:22:33would take the human race down so many paths.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Some good, some bad.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38What is beyond doubt though,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40is that over 100 years later,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43her vision, curiosity and sheer determination stand out,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45but how are we going to pay tribute to that?
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Yeah, I know. Take the power back, all the way back to the shed.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Yeah, but we can't create a nuclear reaction.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55But we could create a chain reaction, one that you could see.
0:22:55 > 0:22:56Shed, chain reaction.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Chain reaction that leads to...
0:22:59 > 0:23:01..an explosion!
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Ah, that's my kind of tribute. Genius.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04Genius!
0:23:05 > 0:23:09So this is it, our genius idea - to blow up a shed.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12The challenge, inspired by Marie Curie and nuclear energy,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14we're going to create our own chain reaction
0:23:14 > 0:23:18leading to a genius explosion.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20The problem. We're going to need a shedload of explosives.
0:23:20 > 0:23:21Shed. Get it?
0:23:21 > 0:23:24This is incredibly dangerous, so don't try this at home!
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Marie had a love-hate relationship with her laboratory
0:23:28 > 0:23:30and called it her "miserable shed".
0:23:30 > 0:23:33This is our shed. We love ours.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35But we're still going to blow it up!
0:23:36 > 0:23:41With the help of our mate, genius special effects expert Mark Turner.
0:23:41 > 0:23:42Standing by.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44In the past he's helped us to do this...
0:23:46 > 0:23:48..so an exploding shed should be no problem.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Is that it?
0:23:54 > 0:23:56That is the first one - the start...
0:23:56 > 0:23:57Ah, small. Right, OK.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59..of your chain reaction.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01So when you light this, it goes puff.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05- Can we see it?- You can see it. Ear defenders on.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Don't try this at home.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11DOM SCREAMS
0:24:14 > 0:24:15This is bigger.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17- Yeah. - Yes, this is bigger.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21- Boom-boom!- Get back, get back. This is going to be a big one.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22Ready?
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Go.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25THEY SCREAM
0:24:25 > 0:24:28That didn't give us much time to get back!
0:24:28 > 0:24:30So we're going to probably have a thousand or two of those
0:24:30 > 0:24:32just popping away.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Wow, so that's the chain reaction, small to big.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36- So how many are we talking? - Two to three thousand.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Look at that! Look what's that?
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Now you're talking! What do you want us to do?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Ah, I've got a really important job for you.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Ah, good. Explosive!
0:24:50 > 0:24:52One for you, one for you.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56OK, here's what we're doing.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58We're painting the shed white with this emulsion.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00It's like an undercoat.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Then we're going to paint this over the top.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03Luminous paint.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Hopefully it will then glow luminous green,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08just like Marie's discovery radium.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11You're doing all right there, mate.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13I'm doing OK. Nearly finished the whole of one side.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Just going to have a look at yours.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19I've done that bit there, look. I've put my name on it too.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21I think you did all right, there.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27As the sun sets, our genius chain reaction takes shape.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Remember, Mark is a professional explosives expert,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34so never, ever attempt something like this yourself.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36This is where it begins.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39We light the fuse, which then hits firecracker number one,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42which will ignite all these other little firecrackers,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- which will be lovely, won't it? - And then we move up to the next gear,
0:25:45 > 0:25:46which is around here,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49where we increase the volume and size of the firecrackers.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52This goes all the way up the incline, more and more and more.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55More and more intense. Louder and louder and brighter and bigger.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Until it gets to this. How many do reckon there are?
0:25:58 > 0:25:59There's got to be about 4,000.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02I think there are just under 4,000 firecrackers,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05and we do not know the size of the explosion waiting for us inside.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09One way to find out is get the lighter, get the fuse and light it.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14- Leg it.- Leg it.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Chain reaction has started.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Not long now before it's going to get silly.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33Now it's silly!
0:26:35 > 0:26:36Here we go!
0:26:41 > 0:26:43So this is it.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46We're about to reach the end of own chain reaction.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48We've seen incredible science,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50from the smallest radioactive elements
0:26:50 > 0:26:53to the biggest nuclear power stations.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01And now, taking inspiration from that genius atomic chain reaction,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03we're going out with a bang.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Right, now we are reaching the absolute pinnacle.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11THEY CHEER
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Absolutely brilliant.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18THEY LAUGH
0:27:20 > 0:27:22That is quality.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Well, what an amazing experience that was.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27And what an amazing experience the whole show has been.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30When we started this and we found about Marie Curie,
0:27:30 > 0:27:31of course we knew the name,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35but we had no idea how much one person had achieved.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40We can safely say, Marie Curie, you are an absolute genius.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41Thank you, boys!
0:27:47 > 0:27:49THEY SCREAM
0:27:49 > 0:27:50HE SCREAMS
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- It smacked me in the face. - Dom's...- Oh, no!
0:27:55 > 0:27:56What are you doing?!
0:27:56 > 0:27:57THEY SCREAM
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Let me get it straight.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00Oh!
0:28:00 > 0:28:03But what's all that?! What's all the black stuff?
0:28:06 > 0:28:07THEY LAUGH
0:28:09 > 0:28:10THEY SCREAM