0:00:02 > 0:00:03Oh, my goodness!
0:00:23 > 0:00:27When I was at school, I was quite good at science,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29but I didn't really understand how it related to me.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32I couldn't see myself working as a scientist, so I dropped it.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35But now I've started to realise I was being a little naive.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Science relates to everything.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40It's about life - how we look at things, make things,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44think about things - and it's also got enormous career potential.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Learning science is not just for people who want to wear a lab
0:00:47 > 0:00:50coat to work, so I'm excited to be meeting a bunch of brilliant
0:00:50 > 0:00:53people with a whole range of fascinating careers to
0:00:53 > 0:00:56see where science plays a part in their job.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02When we think of space exploration, we think of America
0:01:02 > 0:01:05and the Russians, two superpowers flexing their muscles by being
0:01:05 > 0:01:08the first into space, the first to the moon.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10But the old order is changing.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13In the 21st century, space is going commercial.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17It's becoming an industry anyone can work in.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21So I'm visiting Europe's premier space company Astrium to meet
0:01:21 > 0:01:25one of Britain's brightest stars of space exploration.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Abbie Hutty is a structural engineer,
0:01:27 > 0:01:32working on various projects to help us to understand what's out there.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35She has a masters in mechanical engineering.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37So, Abbie, is this your dream job?
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Yeah. Course it is. I mean, I'm in the space industry.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43You're a teenager and you think, "Oh, what can I do as a cool job?"
0:01:43 > 0:01:46The space industry has got to be one of the most exciting things,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48hasn't it? And now I work in it.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51I've worked on loads of science satellites - looking at climate
0:01:51 > 0:01:54change, the environment, weather forecasting, that kind of thing.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58There's a real space industry here in the UK and I had no idea.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01There's actually thousands of people in the UK that work in it,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04and it's growing as well, even in the kind of tough economic times.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06It looks pretty high tech down there. What's going on?
0:02:06 > 0:02:10OK, so this is a clean room, so we've got to make sure that there's
0:02:10 > 0:02:13no dust and dirt and contaminants and things on our spacecraft
0:02:13 > 0:02:16when they go up, because that could cause faults and problems.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19So we've got to make sure everything's really, really clean
0:02:19 > 0:02:21when we're actually putting it together.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23We've got to put jackets and hairnets and things on, so
0:02:23 > 0:02:27you'll look pretty funky going down there, but I think we can get in.
0:02:27 > 0:02:28Let's do it.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32'As a structural engineer, Abbie is responsible for spaceships
0:02:32 > 0:02:34'and satellites surviving the stresses
0:02:34 > 0:02:37'and strains of getting into and travelling through space.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39'As you'd imagine, there's a lot of them.'
0:02:45 > 0:02:49One of their projects is a spacecraft called BepiColombo
0:02:49 > 0:02:51that is being sent to Mercury.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Abbie is overseeing the construction of its fuel tank.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56The tanks are wrapped in what we call MLI,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58so it's Multi-Layer Insulation.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- So that's... It looks tin foil. - It is tin foil, cos..!
0:03:01 > 0:03:02It's pretty close.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04It's kind of like the kind of thing that you'd wrap
0:03:04 > 0:03:07an athlete in at the end of a marathon.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Multi-Layer Insulation reflects heat radiation,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14so the fuel stays at the right temperature.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17If it's hot outside, as it is during take-off,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19that heat is reflected away.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22And if it's cold outside, like in space,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24the heat is reflected back in.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29How long will it take to finish this and get this to Mercury?
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Well, the idea is this is going to launch in 2015,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35but from launch it's going to take six years to get to Mercury.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Six years to get to Mercury?!
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Yeah. Getting to Mercury is a really big problem.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44It's really quite difficult to get there. It's really exciting.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47You've got to kind of keep it in a box a little bit because
0:03:47 > 0:03:49it's not going to get there for six years even after it launches,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- and it's not due to launch for another 18 months.- Right, OK.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54But when it gets there,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56I'll be jumping up and down on the sofa, yeah.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Right. Well, you've got six years before that gets to Mercury,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- so are you going to do anything in the meantime?- Well, yeah.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07So I've worked on Bepi, I've worked on the telecom satellites,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09but I'm really excited about my next project.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12I'm going to be working on the Mars rover.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18It's no surprise Abbie is excited. Mars explorations are big news.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22They're moments when the whole world turns their eyes to space
0:04:22 > 0:04:24and wonders what we'll find.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Right now, NASA are mid-mission with the latest robotic rover
0:04:28 > 0:04:32named Curiosity that they landed in August 2012.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40Its mission - to explore the Red Planet and search for signs of life.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43If all goes to plan, Abbie's rover project will be discovering
0:04:43 > 0:04:46things that Curiosity doesn't.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49So, Abbie, this is your next project then?
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Yes. Welcome to the Mars yard.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55This is our current prototype Mars rover, Bruno.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57- I like the name.- Yes.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Yeah. So what's your involvement in this, Abbie?
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I'm a structural engineer, so I'm going to make sure that all
0:05:02 > 0:05:05the different pieces that we need to build him, the structural
0:05:05 > 0:05:08elements, work as we expect them to and are strong enough.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11We need to be able to climb over rocks,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15see if we can go up slopes and sand, that kind of thing.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16One of the best things about Bruno,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18one of the biggest technology developments,
0:05:18 > 0:05:19is I can give him a goal -
0:05:19 > 0:05:22it doesn't even have to be in his field of view -
0:05:22 > 0:05:23of where he's got to go to,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25and he can look at the terrain in front of him,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28make decisions for himself about whether it's safe to drive there
0:05:28 > 0:05:31or not, pick the best path through the terrain until he gets
0:05:31 > 0:05:33to his goal, and then just call home and say,
0:05:33 > 0:05:34"Right, I'm here, what next?"
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Do you think we could see him in action?
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- Be a shame not to really, wouldn't it?- Absolutely.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Off you go then, Bruno.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47One of the biggest limiting factors of a mission is that you've
0:05:47 > 0:05:49got to create all of your energy while you're up there.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52So we're going to have solar panels on Bruno.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55How much sunlight is there up on Mars?
0:05:55 > 0:05:58OK, so it's, it's not actually too bad.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00It's about the same as you'd get solar powered...
0:06:00 > 0:06:02solar panels on Earth,
0:06:02 > 0:06:06- because there's less atmosphere to block the light there.- OK.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09So whilst Mars is further away from the sun,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12it gets about the same amount of power down on the ground.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16The whole of this mission is powered on less than you'd have
0:06:16 > 0:06:18on a standard kettle in your kitchen.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Wow!
0:06:20 > 0:06:23So how long is it before Bruno lands on Mars?
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Well, Bruno himself won't be the one unfortunately, bless him,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29that gets to Mars.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32However, the actual mission is meant to go in 2018.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35It's going to have its wheels on the sand in another planet
0:06:35 > 0:06:37and there's nothing that really compares to that, I don't think.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40How exciting is it for you now to be doing your dream job?
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Cos looking at it, it's amazing.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44It's pretty cool.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47I mean, 10 years ago, who would have thought that I,
0:06:47 > 0:06:49just doing my GCSEs at school,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51was then going to turn out to be
0:06:51 > 0:06:53working on the Mars rover?
0:06:53 > 0:06:55And did you think at the time science was something you
0:06:55 > 0:06:57wanted to do cos you were passionate about it?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00When I did my GCSEs, I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Um, I toyed with the idea of being a linguist,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05I... I really didn't know what I wanted to do at all.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Um, it was just when a careers advisor said to me, "Oh, well,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11"you're good at maths and physics, why don't you consider engineering?"
0:07:11 > 0:07:12It went on from there.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Would you say you're more passionate about engineering or about space?
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Well, the two have to work together to be in this job.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21I mean, engineering is great,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25you get to find solutions to complex problems that we haven't
0:07:25 > 0:07:28solved before, and that's exciting on any level.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31But space is cool as well, isn't it?
0:07:31 > 0:07:32RANI CHUCKLES
0:07:33 > 0:07:36When you combine humankind's desire to explore
0:07:36 > 0:07:39with ever-improving technology, it looks like Britain's space
0:07:39 > 0:07:43industry will be searching for scientists for years to come.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Of course, if that's you, you might just need to stick on your lab coat!
0:07:50 > 0:07:53You may not know it, but right now there's an international race
0:07:53 > 0:07:56to be the first to provide space tourism.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Various companies are trying to overcome the two big issues
0:07:59 > 0:08:02holding it back - gravity and money.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05And there's a chance the solution to breaking out of the atmosphere
0:08:05 > 0:08:09without breaking the bank is being held by a British company.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13One... zero... and lift off!
0:08:13 > 0:08:15To blast out of the atmosphere, rockets
0:08:15 > 0:08:18and shuttles need to carry masses of heavy rocket fuel,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22usually liquid oxygen and hydrogen, which is carried in tanks.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33When it's burnt up, the tanks are jettisoned to save weight, leaving
0:08:33 > 0:08:37only part of a launch vehicle making it out of the atmosphere.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43This makes putting hardware in space an incredibly expensive business.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47It's a problem that has made space tourism out of the question,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51and is restricting important space exploration.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54But it may soon be a chapter in a history book, thanks to
0:08:54 > 0:08:58the work of rocket scientist Dr Helen Webber and the team
0:08:58 > 0:09:01at Oxfordshire-based Reaction Engines, as they are attempting to
0:09:01 > 0:09:06make the exploration and development of space more affordable.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08So, Helen, is it true that you're trying to develop a new
0:09:08 > 0:09:11type of engine that will propel us into space in the future?
0:09:11 > 0:09:14That's correct. If we had something more like an aircraft, which
0:09:14 > 0:09:17we could take off horizontally from a runway, fly into space
0:09:17 > 0:09:21and return in one piece, that would make the system far more practical
0:09:21 > 0:09:25and the cost of getting stuff into space would be much reduced.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Could you fly up then in a normal aeroplane?
0:09:27 > 0:09:29No, you couldn't. An aircraft will take you so far,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33but then as you climb up out of the Earth's atmosphere your source of
0:09:33 > 0:09:38oxygen is depleting, and that's what a jet engine uses to produce thrust.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Whilst the lack of oxygen in the upper atmosphere stops jet
0:09:41 > 0:09:44engines being the complete solution, an air-breathing engine
0:09:44 > 0:09:49is at the heart of the plans for their conceptual space plane Skylon.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53Helen is a major part of the team developing the revolutionary
0:09:53 > 0:09:55new engine that will propel it.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58This is a model of, of what we call the SABRE engine.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05It stands for Synergetic Air Breathing And Rocket Engine.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08It's a combined engine system, a hybrid engine system.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- It's a rocket engine first and foremost.- Hm-mm.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14It's carrying liquid oxygen on board for when it needs it,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17for when we're... when we've come out of the Earth's atmosphere and
0:10:17 > 0:10:21we need to accelerate that launch vehicle up to orbital velocity.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31But the uniqueness of this engine is that, in the early part
0:10:31 > 0:10:34of the trajectory, we're using the source of oxygen from
0:10:34 > 0:10:38the atmosphere, and that enables us to save weight, not carry as much
0:10:38 > 0:10:42oxygen as we need to make it from the ground up to orbital velocity.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46- OK.- It's a rocket engine that can breathe air.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48When jets take in oxygen from the atmosphere,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52they pressurise it and use it to burn aviation fuel.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56The resulting combustion creates enough thrust to propel
0:10:56 > 0:10:57an aeroplane through the sky.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01In order for Skylon to make full use of its oxygen-breathing phase,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05it needs to reach a velocity of over 3,500 miles per hour -
0:11:05 > 0:11:07five times the speed of sound -
0:11:07 > 0:11:10before reaching the outer atmosphere.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13But there's a reason why air-breathing engines don't
0:11:13 > 0:11:14already go that fast.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17As you fly to faster and faster speeds,
0:11:17 > 0:11:21when that air comes into the engine, it's brought basically to a halt.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Now, all that velocity, all that kinetic energy,
0:11:24 > 0:11:29is then at that point transformed into pressure and temperature,
0:11:29 > 0:11:34and the air is then at a temperature that's over 1,000 degrees Celsius.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37The real problem is, we've got an awful lot of air that we need
0:11:37 > 0:11:40to cool very, very quickly, so we're talking about
0:11:40 > 0:11:44transferring heat equivalent to the cooling of a nuclear reactor.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Without a super sophisticated heat exchanger, the engine would melt.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Heat exchangers are not a new concept,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57they're everywhere around us - in computers, fridges,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01freezers, and even mounted on our walls in the form of radiators.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04So this is just like a radiator in your house, but in reverse.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Hot water normally goes into your radiator, we're going to put
0:12:07 > 0:12:10cryogenic liquids through our radiators and cool down the air.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14'Simon is a development engineer working alongside Helen.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18'Cryogenic liquids are essentially just really cold liquids, and he's
0:12:18 > 0:12:22'using nitrogen to demonstrate how the heat exchanger works, because
0:12:22 > 0:12:24'it turns from a gas to a liquid
0:12:24 > 0:12:27'when below minus 196 degrees Celsius.'
0:12:27 > 0:12:30So, as you can see, just in a matter of seconds the air's been cooled
0:12:30 > 0:12:34from room temperature right down to sort of sub-zero temperatures.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37The heat exchanger is able to cool extreme temperatures quickly
0:12:37 > 0:12:41because it's made up of tens of kilometres of tiny tubes,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45giving it a massive surface area for the hot air to pass over.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47And the more surface area the air passes over,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49the quicker it can cool.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51It's a very efficient heat exchanger,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53all of these compact lightweight tubes,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and the trick is being able to manufacture something like this
0:12:56 > 0:13:00at the kind of weight levels that are acceptable for a jet engine.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Right now, Helen and Simon are trying to prove that they can
0:13:05 > 0:13:08cool the amount of air they need to to make the engine viable.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12And it could be 10 years before it's fully developed.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15But then, its effect on our lives could be massive.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17It's great to see.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21- Obviously, you know, these go faster than normal aeroplanes.- Hm-mm.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Could these sort of replace aeroplanes?
0:13:24 > 0:13:26- Could we travel faster around the world?- You could.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28If there was a market for it,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31you could use this type of engine in its air-breathing mode to actually
0:13:31 > 0:13:35travel at five times the speed of sound around the world, but first
0:13:35 > 0:13:39and foremost, though, it would enable us to have a reusable launch vehicle,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42which is absolutely essential if we want to cut the cost of access
0:13:42 > 0:13:46to space and actually make getting things into space less wasteful.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Your job title, "rocket scientist" - I think that's really cool.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53- Are there lots of women doing your job?- Well, there are not lots.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Um, I hope there'll be more in the future, but I always wanted
0:13:56 > 0:13:59to be an astronaut, so I was always excited by space, and I knew
0:13:59 > 0:14:01that I had to study hard at maths and physics to be able to do that.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05And I went on to university to do aeronautical engineering.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Is that the same path you took, maths and physics?
0:14:07 > 0:14:10I did a BTEC National Diploma. So a bit more hands-on.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Not quite so academic.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13I eventually went on and did
0:14:13 > 0:14:15a mechanical engineering degree as well.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Um, but I did that in parallel with work experience here.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Well, that's really interesting to hear, cos you don't really
0:14:21 > 0:14:24think of doing work experience at somewhere they do space stuff
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and, like, rockets.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Yeah. I mean, it's a fantastic opportunity.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31I think in your career, to have a project that's innovative
0:14:31 > 0:14:34and that's something for the future is really important.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37So every day you come into work, you know that you're working
0:14:37 > 0:14:41on something that could influence, you know, the future of mankind.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48With the UK space sector already one of the fastest growing
0:14:48 > 0:14:51industries in the country, the success of the British SABRE engine
0:14:51 > 0:14:52could send it into hyper-drive.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57If that happens, there'll be more and more opportunities for those
0:14:57 > 0:15:01inspired by that great adventure they call space exploration.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13There is no denying the popularity of food in this country.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16We are fascinated by the restaurants, the recipes
0:15:16 > 0:15:17and the chefs that make them.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Which all combines to make it a boom industry to work in.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24But have you ever noticed how similar a chef's whites are
0:15:24 > 0:15:25to a chemist's lab coat?
0:15:28 > 0:15:30I'm in Bristol to meet the country's youngest
0:15:30 > 0:15:35Michelin-starred chefs, Jonray and Peter, at their restaurant Casamia.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38The brothers have developed a reputation for playing
0:15:38 > 0:15:40with their food, and I'm joining them
0:15:40 > 0:15:43to discover how important science is in their kitchen.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49This is where me and Pete go over all our dishes for the new season
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and we just lock ourselves away up here and just have some fun.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54What we love at the moment is a bit of liquid nitrogen.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56It's the same way they would do it in a chemistry lab,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58trying to find ways to change molecules
0:15:58 > 0:16:01and structures, you know? That's what we try to do with our cooking.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04OK. So were you really good at science in school?
0:16:04 > 0:16:06I love science, but I wasn't really good.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08- Oh, but that's why... - But I did enjoy it!
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Yeah, but that's the thing, it's about enjoying something.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14- Yeah, I enjoyed the whole practical side of it.- What about you, Jonray?
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Obviously I didn't realise how far it would help
0:16:16 > 0:16:18in sort of a future career in what I was doing now,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21so I think if I could turn back the hands of time, I would have
0:16:21 > 0:16:23paid a lot more attention and learnt as much as I could.
0:16:23 > 0:16:24Got to admit,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28I am desperate to see how the liquid nitrogen is going to work on food.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- Are you going to show me, then? - Absolutely.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32So the nitrogen's kept over here.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35First of all, there's essential goggles and gloves.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Do I need to stand back? Ooh, I got really nervous there.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40'A gas at room temperature, nitrogen needs to be cooled to
0:16:40 > 0:16:45'nearly minus 196 degrees Celsius to turn it to a liquid.'
0:16:45 > 0:16:49I feel like I have left a kitchen and I have gone into a science lab.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52'Because it's so cold, liquid nitrogen is dangerous
0:16:52 > 0:16:54'and must be handled by professionals
0:16:54 > 0:16:56'who know how to use it safely.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00'For example, it can't be served and ingested in liquid form because
0:17:00 > 0:17:04'putting something in your stomach that's so cold could kill you.'
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- I'm going to step this side of you! - All right then,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11so what we're going to do is pour the liquid nitrogen into the bowl.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14'But it is liquid nitrogen's special cooling properties that make it
0:17:14 > 0:17:17'so amazing, as they're going to demonstrate with a banana.'
0:17:17 > 0:17:20So we're going to just put that into the liquid nitrogen.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23- It's sizzling away.- Yes. - It's almost like you're cooking it.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25'Like some forms of cooking,
0:17:25 > 0:17:29'liquid nitrogen changes an object's temperature via conduction.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31'It takes warmth from an object it's in contact with, making it
0:17:31 > 0:17:34'warmer and the object colder.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38'Its effect on the banana has left it frozen and inedible.'
0:17:38 > 0:17:41You can see already it's... it's firmed up quite solid.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44It's completely frozen.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46You think how quickly that happened as well.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Cos when you first started using it,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50did you just experiment with everything?
0:17:50 > 0:17:51- Everything.- Really?- Everything.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54I think there wasn't one thing in the kitchen
0:17:54 > 0:17:56- we did not dip into liquid nitrogen. - Really?
0:17:56 > 0:17:58We tried... We, we even went to the point of trying plastic.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Part of liquid nitrogen's usefulness in the professional kitchen is that
0:18:04 > 0:18:09it turns back into a gas when it has warmed to above minus 196 degrees.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12So whilst changing an object's temperature,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15it's vanishing into the air without a trace.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18But the trick for any Michelin-starred chef is knowing
0:18:18 > 0:18:21how best to use it - like when making a sorbet.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24So you take your elderflower water and you put it into the bowl,
0:18:24 > 0:18:25and you add liquid nitrogen to it.
0:18:27 > 0:18:28You see it boils up like cauldron.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Oooh! You can hear the change in the sound.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Obviously, and what we can do now, if Pete adds some more
0:18:33 > 0:18:36elderflower for me, you can just loosen it up slightly as well.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38So you can just see now,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42there's just this amazing frozen texture and, er, and as you can see,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44the gas is, you know,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46the liquid nitrogen's burnt back off to a gas.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- Yeah.- You've ended up with taking its main characteristics
0:18:48 > 0:18:50of freezing something...
0:18:54 > 0:18:56That's fantastic. Could you really tell the difference
0:18:56 > 0:18:59between one made from liquid nitrogen
0:18:59 > 0:19:02and one traditionally made in the freezer?
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Yeah, there's no doubt about it.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07You know, you have the traditional sorbets, and they're fantastic,
0:19:07 > 0:19:09you know, we grew up on it, but the, the one thing
0:19:09 > 0:19:12we looked at was why it was so sort of grainy and not very smooth.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16What it came down to was the speed - the faster the chilling
0:19:16 > 0:19:19the liquid down, the ice crystals when they form, they're very,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21very small, which means you end up with a very smooth sorbet.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24'There you have it. Science once again.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28'But its role in the kitchen isn't restricted to cooking techniques.'
0:19:28 > 0:19:30When you analyse ingredients and flavours in detail,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34they are actually chemical compounds. Cooking these compounds
0:19:34 > 0:19:38together creates a chemical reaction and new flavours are formed.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42The skill of a chef is understanding what compounds go together -
0:19:42 > 0:19:46but I'm not convinced that the lads' next chemical concoction
0:19:46 > 0:19:50is going to work - they're making mushroom fudge.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51Fudge with chocolate I can handle.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54But why are you... why are you ruining it with mushroom?
0:19:54 > 0:19:57You guys own a restaurant, don't you want people to eat your food?!
0:19:57 > 0:19:58It's a good point.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Me and Pete, we always play around with flavours,
0:20:01 > 0:20:02and we're always looking at
0:20:02 > 0:20:04different ways of delivering a flavour.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08And we found, just by chance, it really works well together.
0:20:08 > 0:20:09It sounds unusual.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11When we actually ate the finished product,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14then we just realised how well together it actually goes.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17So do you think this is linked to science, or do you think it's
0:20:17 > 0:20:19just pure chance?
0:20:19 > 0:20:21We've looked at the way scientists have analysed food -
0:20:21 > 0:20:24they realised the same flavour compounds are inside chocolate
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- and mushroom, that's why they match so well.- Hm-mm.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30This hasn't happened by chance, this is actually why,
0:20:30 > 0:20:31is because they work chemically.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33OK, so you put your butter and your chocolate in.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Yeah, we give it a stir
0:20:35 > 0:20:37but you've got to be very, very quick with this, OK?
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Oh, it's such a shame you're going to ruin it.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Pete, can you do the honours and chuck it in?
0:20:43 > 0:20:45'The science of flavour is a brand new field.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48'Right now, scientists in labs are analysing the chemical
0:20:48 > 0:20:51'make-up of ingredients and discovering that flavours
0:20:51 > 0:20:54'that work well together share common patterns of chemicals.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57'It's the scientific reason why we love ham and pineapple,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00'and maybe in the future, mushroom fudge.'
0:21:00 > 0:21:03So now we're just going to pour that into our mould.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06So what we do with that now is we just leave it to cool down.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08It needs, it realistically needs overnight.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10So I've got to come back tomorrow morning to try it?
0:21:10 > 0:21:13No, we wouldn't do that to you. We've got some here for you to try.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18I feel really terrible - I'm here, you guys are Michelin-star chefs -
0:21:18 > 0:21:21and I'm dreading trying your fudge.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24And I shouldn't feel like that, I should be going,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26"Yay, chocolate fudge!"
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Does this actually work? Is it going to be nice?
0:21:28 > 0:21:30- Try it and see what you think. - All right.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34It's really good!
0:21:34 > 0:21:37It's kind of got a warmth of mushroom.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39That's really, really nice.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41But you've still got the sweetness after it.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Ooh, I feel like I'm on a cookery show! Ooh!
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- Yes!- Mushroom fudge rocks! - Mushroom fudge.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56How to feed our planet in the future is a question being considered
0:21:56 > 0:22:00by PhD student Joanna Scales at Rothampsted Research Station.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04With a world facing climate change, Joanna is looking at whether
0:22:04 > 0:22:09she can genetically modify crops to yield more at higher temperatures.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13GM in the food chain is a highly controversial subject,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15but scientists are charged with finding answers,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18not deciding what society should do with them,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22so it's one of many possible solutions being explored.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24So, Joanna, what are you growing here?
0:22:24 > 0:22:25So this is wheat.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28It's a really important food crop worldwide,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31and a fifth of the calories eaten by the global population
0:22:31 > 0:22:32actually come from wheat plants.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36With climate change, temperature is likely to increase,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40so we need wheat plants that can cope well at high temperatures.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Genetic modification is the process of identifying
0:22:43 > 0:22:47a characteristic in one plant which you think would be really
0:22:47 > 0:22:49positive to have in another plant.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53So I'm using genetic modification to test a fact,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56to learn more about how plants perform well at high temperatures.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59My specific research is in the very early days.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- How long down the line are we talking?- Three years.
0:23:02 > 0:23:03- Really?- Hm-mm.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Wow! Ah, that's a long time to grow a plant.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09'When she has grown her GM wheat, Joanna will use
0:23:09 > 0:23:11'a special climate-controlled room
0:23:11 > 0:23:13'to find out if the plants cope in a warmer climate.'
0:23:13 > 0:23:14Oh, my goodness!
0:23:16 > 0:23:17- It's quite bright in here.- Yeah.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21I feel like I need my shades on. But it's not too hot.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23No. But I could increase that
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and then grow the plants at that higher temperature.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29'Joanna is currently working with cotton,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32'a plant that yields well in hotter climates.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35'She's isolated the gene that allows this to happen.'
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Now, she has to add it to a wheat plant's DNA.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41How do you take a gene out of a cotton plant
0:23:41 > 0:23:43and put it into a wheat plant?
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Basically, you've got to shoot the piece of DNA
0:23:46 > 0:23:48straight into a cell of wheat.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53That piece of DNA combines with the rest of the DNA in the cell.
0:23:53 > 0:23:54Right.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59And then you can regenerate that cell to produce a whole wheat plant.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03So then with this wheat plant, will it readily accept this new gene?
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Yeah. So DNA is a universal code, all plants have DNA
0:24:07 > 0:24:09and all plants have genes.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13So, once I've put that gene in, it's then for the plant to grow
0:24:13 > 0:24:17and provide the characteristics based on the DNA that it contains.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19So, in effect, I do the complex bit
0:24:19 > 0:24:21and then the plant does the easy bit.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24I'm imagining things like this can probably go wrong quite
0:24:24 > 0:24:27- early on in different stages of the process, yeah?- Yeah.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32Is it really frustrating then, your job, or is it very challenging?
0:24:32 > 0:24:36It's frustrating, but then it's really rewarding when it goes right.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39So, almost the frustration's worth it when it goes right.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42You know, like, people call it "Frankenfood", you know,
0:24:42 > 0:24:43what are your thoughts on it?
0:24:43 > 0:24:47I think genetic modification as a... as a technique is not bad.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51You've got to think about the plants that you get out of it
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and research carefully what effects the genetic modification has
0:24:54 > 0:24:56had on the individual plants.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59But then ultimately it's for society and the public to decide how
0:24:59 > 0:25:02they adopt those methods
0:25:02 > 0:25:05and what decisions they make to improve crop production.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08And all your research - can I ask you? -
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- has it made you a really good gardener?- No!
0:25:12 > 0:25:14The several plants in my room
0:25:14 > 0:25:16are not looking very happy at the moment.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I think I'm too focused on the research plants,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20so all the other plants get forgotten about.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28So whether you're interested in helping to feed future
0:25:28 > 0:25:32populations or just feeding hungry diners, it's hard to get away
0:25:32 > 0:25:35from the fact that understanding science could come in pretty handy.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43More than ever before, our jobs are being dictated by what computers
0:25:43 > 0:25:47can do, which makes predicting our careers in this digital age
0:25:47 > 0:25:51about as tricky as knowing what technology will be capable of.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53For years, there's been a technological focus
0:25:53 > 0:25:57on virtual reality, 3D and digital environments.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59And whilst we've been concentrating on that,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01something new has been sneaking up on us.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08When Alex Lambert trained as a 3D designer, he had no idea that
0:26:08 > 0:26:13one day he would be a pioneer of a brand new form of technology.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15It's called "augmented reality".
0:26:17 > 0:26:22I'm meeting Alex outside Inition, the design studio he works for.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24- Hi, Alex.- Hello, Rani.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27So, tell me, what is augmented reality?
0:26:27 > 0:26:32Augmented reality is the process of taking virtual information
0:26:32 > 0:26:38such as animation, film, music, sound, er, GPS data,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and putting that into our reality, usually with
0:26:40 > 0:26:43the use of certain devices such as smart phones, tablets and cameras.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46I'm going to need to see something to help me understand this.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- OK. Come and have a look at my car. - Your car?!- My car.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Er, I'm not seeing any car out here, Alex.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54I'm just seeing a sort of a picture on the floor.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56But wait...
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Oh, wow! Oh, my goodness!
0:26:59 > 0:27:00I have to say, you drive a very flash car.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02I do, I do. I'm a flash kind of guy.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05That is unbelievable. Can I move with this, or..?
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Yeah, you can explore the whole car.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08- Can I go round it?- Yes, you can.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- So there is no car there. - There is no car here.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14- Just a piece of paper on the floor. - Yes, just the marker.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17- And then... You call it a marker. - We call it a marker.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21And then you go round and I can see what looks like a proper car.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25- No, a bit lower.- Lower, lower.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28- There you go. And do the doors open? - The doors do not open.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30- Can I go inside? - You cannot go inside.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32- Can we see it drive? - It's only a 3D model.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33Can you make the wheels go round?
0:27:33 > 0:27:35We could, but this wasn't part of the brief.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37So is this kind of idea, like sort of try before you buy?
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Yeah, it would work, it could work in that way, definitely.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42This was used primarily for a designer research team,
0:27:42 > 0:27:43but you could use it to see how
0:27:43 > 0:27:46a product would look in your home, for example.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48I'm decorating my home at the moment,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51I'm struggling with a couch - what is going to be too big for my house?
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Could I get sort of a tablet and put it there and have a couch
0:27:54 > 0:27:57and say, "That would fit there, or fit there, or fit there"?
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Yeah, there's no reason that wouldn't work.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02As long as I could print out a marker, the right software,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04I could get the perfect couch for my house.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06- Yeah.- Oooh, that looks good.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08'The potential for this technology is vast.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11'Home printed markers that you can try before you buy,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15'interactive advertising and museum installations are just
0:28:15 > 0:28:17'some of the ways it's already being used.'
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Oh no, I've driven over your feet, I'm sorry, Alex!
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Let me take a picture of you with your car.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Oh, look at that, it suits you.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30'This tech is all about the marker and the software in the tablet.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32'When the camera sees patterns and shapes that the software
0:28:32 > 0:28:36'recognises, it knows to project the 3D animation.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38'And because each little shape in the marker is unique,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41'it knows where you are in relation to it.'
0:28:41 > 0:28:44What we've got here is a full size model of a human being
0:28:44 > 0:28:48with their anatomy all intact, you have all their organs,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51their circulatory system, their nervous system, their bones,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54their cartilage, their brain, we left out the eyes...
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- I can't see any of that. - You can see for yourself.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Ooh! Oh, my goodness, that's absolutely brilliant.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04You can see all the bones, all the sinew, all the veins.
0:29:04 > 0:29:05You can see everything.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07How do you go about figuring all that out?
0:29:07 > 0:29:10- Is this all really scientific, then?- Er, yes.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14And I have to admit, I am not the greatest scientist in the world!
0:29:14 > 0:29:16I understand how it works.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20I can design these markers, um, and then our actual computer scientists
0:29:20 > 0:29:23and our, and our programmers can put that into practice.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27The key element that brings design and programming together is
0:29:27 > 0:29:30something called the parallax, a traditional physics terms
0:29:30 > 0:29:34that's been used for years to measure the distance of stars.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36- If you hold your fingers up like that...- Yeah.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38One really close to you and one far away.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Can I put this down on here, is that OK?
0:29:40 > 0:29:42Yeah, put it there, yeah. And then... Further, closer.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44Yeah, like that, OK.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48And then if you move your head side to side, you see that the finger
0:29:48 > 0:29:51- in front moves more quickly than the finger behind.- OK.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54- That's parallax. This dot here... - Yeah.
0:29:54 > 0:29:55If I'm standing on this side,
0:29:55 > 0:29:59this dot over there is going to move more slowly than that dot over here.
0:29:59 > 0:30:00So the computer software
0:30:00 > 0:30:03will know what the perspective of the model is.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08'Because there are no one-size-fits-all bits of software
0:30:08 > 0:30:11'that can make augmented reality work,
0:30:11 > 0:30:14'every installation needs its own custom software.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16'Alex's speciality is the 3D modelling,
0:30:16 > 0:30:20'but it's computer scientists that have the skills to
0:30:20 > 0:30:23'make his animations come alive and have such interactive potential.'
0:30:23 > 0:30:26This is part of the interactivity you could have in educational space.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29This could be your textbook. This is the textbook of the future.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31You could do your tests on here.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Now, the technology is a little expensive - that's the only thing
0:30:34 > 0:30:36really stopping it from working right now.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39'At the moment, the cost is the main thing stopping
0:30:39 > 0:30:42'augmented reality being rolled out to everyone.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44'But, as with all brand new technologies,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47'further development will bring its cost right down
0:30:47 > 0:30:50'and then it could become part of our every day lives.'
0:30:50 > 0:30:52Let me have a look at the park, the trees.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55It's really, really clever. That's fantastic.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58- What if you forgot your tablet? - You forgot your tablet...
0:30:58 > 0:31:00Or you just can't be bothered getting it out?
0:31:00 > 0:31:02Right now, you'd be in trouble, you know?
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Um, but there are technologies being developed which means you can
0:31:05 > 0:31:08have something attached to your face, like a pair of glasses
0:31:08 > 0:31:12with a lens over your eye which, er, does the same job as a tablet.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Could literally walk around,
0:31:14 > 0:31:16the same way you walk around with your map on your phone,
0:31:16 > 0:31:19you can navigate using this device which is in front of your eye.
0:31:19 > 0:31:20Cos then you could just have them on,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23you could be looking around and seeing all this information.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Yeah, I reckon that's going to be really big in the future, really big.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29- When you say "the future"..? - The future, next couple of years.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31- Really?- Yes, yes, there's a couple of big companies that have
0:31:31 > 0:31:34a lot of money that are investing heavily in it at the moment.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38I can already imagine a world where markers and all the information
0:31:38 > 0:31:42they contain are everywhere around us waiting to be accessed.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46But the only way it's going to be part of our future is through
0:31:46 > 0:31:48a merger between science and design.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Science is not my background.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53I studied science up to GCSE, I enjoyed it, but I chose to follow
0:31:53 > 0:31:56a more creative path to where I am at the moment.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59But the fact that I understand the way these things work means that
0:31:59 > 0:32:02I can apply that practically without necessarily knowing all the details.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- Right.- Or it means that I can relate to people that do know
0:32:05 > 0:32:08the details of it and understand what it is they're talking about and
0:32:08 > 0:32:11what I would like them to achieve, or what they'd like me to achieve.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13If there's people out there thinking,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16this industry's going to explode in the future and it's something
0:32:16 > 0:32:18I really want to be a part of, what would you say to them, then?
0:32:18 > 0:32:22Would you say go down the creative path, or go down the science path?
0:32:22 > 0:32:23I'd say do a bit of both.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25There's so much that we learn from physics that is useful
0:32:25 > 0:32:29in 3D animation in general and in augmented reality,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32because we're essentially recreating the real world.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34So, in your school, was it kind of encouraging?
0:32:34 > 0:32:35Were you encouraged?
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Yes, we all grew up on a council estate in Peckham,
0:32:38 > 0:32:42and my mum just said, "No, you're not allowed out after 6 o'clock,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45"you're being in the house doing work", so that's what we did.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Give it up for Peckham! Yeah!
0:32:47 > 0:32:48RANI LAUGHS
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Who knows whether augmented reality
0:32:52 > 0:32:54will be as big as it potentially seems,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58or whether any minute now something new will come along instead?
0:32:58 > 0:33:00But despite this uncertainty,
0:33:00 > 0:33:04there's one sure way to stay future proof - learn science.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11The cosmetics industry is estimated to be worth
0:33:11 > 0:33:144.5 billion in the UK each year.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18It's a competitive business that can't afford to stay still.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21In its efforts to invent new products, it employs
0:33:21 > 0:33:24a variety of scientists with a lot of different skills.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28And I hear they don't just wear a lab coat, but goggles too!
0:33:29 > 0:33:33I've come to the laboratories of Molton Brown to meet a cosmetic
0:33:33 > 0:33:37chemist who's making products that claim to look after our skin.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43A love of cosmetics inspired Nirmita Sheth to train as a beauty
0:33:43 > 0:33:46therapist, but then she realised that she wanted to make them
0:33:46 > 0:33:49herself, so she took a degree in cosmetic science.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53So, Nirmita, this is it then?
0:33:53 > 0:33:56- Yes, this is it.- So what kind of things do you do in here?
0:33:56 > 0:33:59Um, we formulate everything from skincare to hair care,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02body care, pretty much we cover the array of cosmetics.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06What I'm really interested in is skincare.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Sure.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11OK, cos I'm always thinking eternal youth, but I'm also
0:34:11 > 0:34:15thinking how to keep my skin looking healthy and feeling healthy.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18I would recommend using moisturiser which has got SPF.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20- SPF is..?- Sun Protection Factor.
0:34:20 > 0:34:21Right.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24So what that does is it helps to protect your skin
0:34:24 > 0:34:26from the harmful rays from the sun.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Those harmful rays are ultraviolet or UV radiation,
0:34:31 > 0:34:36and in excess, they can cause sunburn, wrinkles and even cancer.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40Traditional sunblocks use a barrier of large molecules that
0:34:40 > 0:34:43sit on the surface of the skin and reflect the UV rays away.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48But the size of these molecules also makes them greasy,
0:34:48 > 0:34:49which isn't ideal in a moisturiser.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54Instead, Nirmita is making me a cream using a chemical called
0:34:54 > 0:34:59a UV filter, that absorbs the UV rays instead of reflecting them.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02The benefit is that their molecules are small enough to be
0:35:02 > 0:35:03rubbed into the skin.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Over here you've got your UV filters.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Um, got your ensulizole, octocrylene,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and avobenzone.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16OK. So when you were doing science in school...
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Hm-mm, these wouldn't have meant a thing to me.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22'Then there's hope for me as a chemist's assistant.'
0:35:22 > 0:35:26So if you could pass me the ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, please?
0:35:26 > 0:35:31Oh, methal, ethylhexyl methoxy...
0:35:31 > 0:35:32SHE CHUCKLES
0:35:34 > 0:35:36You've got to be very precise.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45Do we know this is definitely going to work?
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Well, this particular formulation isn't tried and tested.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50- It isn't?- No.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52I'm hoping it will give you an SPF, this is an experiment.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55- "I'm hoping"!- I'm hoping.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59'A limited edition formula just for me - I'm going to have to get
0:35:59 > 0:36:02'this tested - not that I doubt Nirmita's chemistry skills.'
0:36:03 > 0:36:06So when you were a beautician and you were there giving people,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09you know, facials, is that when you really thought,
0:36:09 > 0:36:11"Ooh, I'd like to know what goes into this moisturiser?"
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Absolutely. Working as a beautician, I've used a few products that
0:36:14 > 0:36:18I really liked and they really worked for me,
0:36:18 > 0:36:19so I thought, "I wonder how this was made.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21"I wonder what's in it."
0:36:21 > 0:36:24You would not have a clue when you read the back of a moisturiser
0:36:24 > 0:36:26and read all these ingredients, you would not know what's...
0:36:26 > 0:36:29what's doing what. And that's what I really wanted to find out.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33And then how long did it take you to go from a beautician
0:36:33 > 0:36:35to a cosmetic scientist?
0:36:35 > 0:36:38So the Beauty Therapy Foundation Degree was a two-year course,
0:36:38 > 0:36:42and then I did the BSC which was a three-year course.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45I see you've stopped asking me to get those things for you!
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Was I slowing you down, Nirmita?
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Not quite. I just know where they are.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54So this is it, then, a one-off cream for me?
0:36:54 > 0:36:56- It is indeed.- Oooh!
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Oh, that's looking more like moisturiser.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03And if that all goes according to plan, next time you see me,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06I shall be looking 10 years younger?
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Wishful thinking.
0:37:09 > 0:37:10Well, I might look healthier anyway.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12- Definitely.- Thank you.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18I've made my cream, but now I've got to test that it works,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21which is an area that's been causing controversy for decades.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Fortunately, the question of whether it's morally right to test
0:37:24 > 0:37:28cosmetics on animals could soon be a thing of the past,
0:37:28 > 0:37:30all because of recent scientific developments.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35I've come to commercial research laboratory Evocutis to meet
0:37:35 > 0:37:38Anthony Jeremy, a doctor of immunology.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42Anthony and his team are using vital new techniques to make
0:37:42 > 0:37:44life-like skin in the lab.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48So, Anthony, is it true here you make human skin?
0:37:48 > 0:37:50Er, yeah, well, yeah, we do.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53We produce it, we grow it, um, because it's live and living,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56and so we do various testing on it.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59I've got some SPF moisturiser and I want to know if you can test it
0:37:59 > 0:38:01and find out if it works -
0:38:01 > 0:38:03you know, it absorbs all the sun's harmful rays.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Yeah, well, I mean, we can look at this
0:38:05 > 0:38:08and we can test this on the actual skin that we grow.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11And is this an alternative to testing on animals?
0:38:11 > 0:38:14It is. And that's one of the prime purposes, actually.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15Well, let's get testing.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21'If they're to get valid results when testing Nirmita's moisturiser,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24'Anthony's lab-grown skin needs to work
0:38:24 > 0:38:26'in the same way that ours does.'
0:38:26 > 0:38:28Your skin that you're growing
0:38:28 > 0:38:30isn't real skin, it's LIKE real skin?
0:38:30 > 0:38:32But is it constantly growing?
0:38:32 > 0:38:34Can it do that, can it produce new...
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Yes, it's doing that all the time.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39You need some of the cells at the bottom to constantly produce
0:38:39 > 0:38:43new ones of themselves, and the ones down there are called
0:38:43 > 0:38:45the epidermal basal cells,
0:38:45 > 0:38:49or often now referred to as epidermal stem cells.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52'Stem cells are key to lab-grown skin behaving like the real thing.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56'They're the body cells that renew and reproduce all the others,
0:38:56 > 0:39:01'which is vital, because the cells of the skin are continuously dying.'
0:39:01 > 0:39:02Where do you get the cells from?
0:39:02 > 0:39:06They are taken straight from people, looked at, checked for diseases,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09grown a little bit, and then we get hold of these.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12- So are any of these finished skin? - Yeah.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15So we've gone from the cells right down here, all the way through
0:39:15 > 0:39:18and they've grown up, and we've got some finished skin...
0:39:18 > 0:39:20- They've grown up! - That's right, they've grown up.
0:39:20 > 0:39:21Like a little baby, they've grown up.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24They are. They've grown up, and so if you want to pick out one of these,
0:39:24 > 0:39:26use the edge... there we go.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Now where is the skin?
0:39:28 > 0:39:31So that's the skin, so you can see the skin surface.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34If you want to touch it, you can... you can just prod it a little bit
0:39:34 > 0:39:37- and you can see...- Oooh, yeah. So you could test on that?
0:39:37 > 0:39:39And that's exactly what we test on.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Could it be used to replace my skin?
0:39:42 > 0:39:44The quick answer is yes.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46You can make skin for burns patients.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50The whole technology is a really, really useful technology,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53and so this can really change lives.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57'Lab-grown skin is a massive scientific achievement,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00'particularly important for its role in testing SPF products.'
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Do we need to massage it in?
0:40:02 > 0:40:03We do.
0:40:03 > 0:40:08Skin cancer is a serious risk for anyone exposed to too much sun
0:40:08 > 0:40:11or UV lights used in tanning booths.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13We'll put this straight in to the UV source.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18And it's caused by harmful UVB rays.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21UVA has a slightly longer wave length
0:40:21 > 0:40:25and therefore it goes deeper into your skin.
0:40:25 > 0:40:30Whereas UVB is more damaging, but it doesn't penetrate so far.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33While we wait for results from the UVB tests, Anthony has
0:40:33 > 0:40:38microscope slides from a past SPF trial on his lab grown skin.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40The slide on the left was unprotected.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43The slide on the right had sun cream.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46This one, erm, this is how it should look.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50It's healthy, the cells are all nice, and these are the skin cells
0:40:50 > 0:40:53from the top surface layer, the epidermis.
0:40:53 > 0:40:54Right.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58These are your living cells layers and these cells here sit here,
0:40:58 > 0:41:01make new ones and then this is your dermis.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05This is the spongy area that you might get damaged with UVA.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08As you can imagine, if then that makes a really...
0:41:08 > 0:41:10This bit all gets damaged and it really caves in,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13then you get a big wrinkle on the surface
0:41:13 > 0:41:15- and that's why you start looking older.- Oh, right.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19But what you've got here is, you have UVB damage, the cells
0:41:19 > 0:41:23of that top layer, these living cells that are making the new cells
0:41:23 > 0:41:27from above, they have absorbed all the energy and they have then died.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31When that layer of skin is damaged the stem cells can mutate,
0:41:31 > 0:41:34which is when abnormalities and skin cancers can form.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Now we talk about UV rays being damaging.
0:41:37 > 0:41:42Are we being overly scared, because we have to go out in the sun?
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Yeah, I mean, you need the sunlight
0:41:45 > 0:41:48and the UV to make vitamin D.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Unfortunately, while SPF creams are good at screening out harmful rays,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55they also block the rays which help make vitamin D,
0:41:55 > 0:41:57which is essential to our bodies.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00So some doctors recommend vitamin D supplements,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02plus a frequent exposure to weak sun.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04When you were at school were you top of the class
0:42:04 > 0:42:07when it was sciences, cos you seem to know your stuff?
0:42:07 > 0:42:09I actually struggled with reading and writing.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11I was never that quick.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14But what I was quick at was understanding things
0:42:14 > 0:42:17and seeing things in more of a pictorial sense.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19And so I saw things in pictures, like a cartoon in a way,
0:42:19 > 0:42:21but that's really useful,
0:42:21 > 0:42:27and I found very useful as I went on through my academic career.
0:42:27 > 0:42:32After running tests on Nirmita's SPF moisturiser, Anthony concluded that
0:42:32 > 0:42:36it offered protection from UV rays and passed it with flying colours.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39And something that I've learned is that behind every product
0:42:39 > 0:42:43we use, there's a research scientist working hard to make it better.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52Each year fashion houses spend millions and millions designing
0:42:52 > 0:42:56and manufacturing clothes they hope we'll be wearing next year.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02It's an exciting, vibrant industry to work in -
0:43:02 > 0:43:04and not just for clothes designers.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Right now the fashion industry is trying to predict
0:43:07 > 0:43:11the next revolutionary trend of the future.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16But for once, it's not looking at the clothes -
0:43:16 > 0:43:19it's looking at technology.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21Which means in the future, there'll be more and more
0:43:21 > 0:43:24opportunities for people who've studied science.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28And that technological revolution is already starting to hit
0:43:28 > 0:43:30the high street.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33The first person I'm going to meet is Melissa Kao,
0:43:33 > 0:43:36a scientist whose reinvention of the shop mirror is
0:43:36 > 0:43:38starting to appear in stores.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42Her high-tech mirror combines a video camera, motion sensor
0:43:42 > 0:43:45and computer to enhance our shopping experience.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47As well as inventing the magic mirror,
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Melissa has a PhD in pharmacology.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52So this is it, this is your baby?
0:43:52 > 0:43:53Yes, it is.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55How long has it taken you to develop this?
0:43:55 > 0:43:58We started five years ago.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00Now, it looks just like a normal mirror.
0:44:00 > 0:44:01Yes.
0:44:01 > 0:44:05It may look like one, but this mirror is far from ordinary.
0:44:05 > 0:44:06It starts by taking my photo.
0:44:11 > 0:44:12How do I pose from the back?
0:44:12 > 0:44:15I don't know! OK, a second pose.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18All right, maybe from the side to see how I look.
0:44:18 > 0:44:19Yes. That's right.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24The mirror now is projecting your images through for you can look at.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26Right, so it's no longer a mirror.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28- Yes.- It is now a TV screen?
0:44:28 > 0:44:29Yes.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33We changed the mirror a bit to become a two-way mirror
0:44:33 > 0:44:37so that on one side you will see your own reflection,
0:44:37 > 0:44:40as a normal mirror, but when we project something at the back
0:44:40 > 0:44:43through a monitor, you can actually see through it.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48Using a camera to film you from in front, the computer stops
0:44:48 > 0:44:52the mirror being a mirror in the area it wants to project the video.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56So you see that instead of your reflection.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58And once it's recorded you,
0:44:58 > 0:45:01it's time to activate its social media functions.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04I can see here "e-mail to self", "post to Facebook",
0:45:04 > 0:45:08"share on Twitter", "print photos". I can do all that through this?
0:45:08 > 0:45:09That's right.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11So I could come in here, try on a dress,
0:45:11 > 0:45:14I could even say send it, put it on Facebook and, you know,
0:45:14 > 0:45:16send it to some friends and go, "what do you think?"
0:45:16 > 0:45:19Or, "you would love this dress", to my sister or something
0:45:19 > 0:45:20and share it that way?
0:45:23 > 0:45:26This is just the beginning, there's some more futuristic part of
0:45:26 > 0:45:32the mirror that is where it allows you to virtually try on something.
0:45:32 > 0:45:33Right.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36So if you stand in front of it, the mirror actually projects
0:45:36 > 0:45:38an image from behind the mirror,
0:45:38 > 0:45:42so when you look at your reflection, you see that on top of you.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46Right, so now I've got a white dress on, only I can see that.
0:45:46 > 0:45:47That's right.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49Right, well, I've got a little hand-held camera,
0:45:49 > 0:45:51I could show everybody else how this is working.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52Yeah.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03We use our science knowledge to have an image from the behind the mirror.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06First of all we need to understand how the light travels
0:46:06 > 0:46:09and how we actually position the shirts
0:46:09 > 0:46:12based on the knowledge that we know light travels in a straight line.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14It's actually projected in front of me
0:46:14 > 0:46:17and I did like before the whole turning round.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20Is there a way of taking this forward as well, making 2D into 3D?
0:46:20 > 0:46:23That is right. That is what the future will be.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26When all the technologies mature, we can actually get
0:46:26 > 0:46:28the images of the dress in 3D
0:46:28 > 0:46:32and it can actually detect your body shape better,
0:46:32 > 0:46:34and it can wrap around your body.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37How long will it take to get it to where you want it to be?
0:46:37 > 0:46:41A few years because we're also waiting for other technology
0:46:41 > 0:46:42to mature.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44So it's somebody who could still be at school now,
0:46:44 > 0:46:48still studying, could be the person who will take this forward
0:46:48 > 0:46:50when technology catches up with your ideas.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52Oh, certainly, yes.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55Further developments in technology, whoever makes them,
0:46:55 > 0:47:00is an exciting prospect, particularly in the field of 3D clothing.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02And it isn't just wishful thinking.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06Virtual 3D clothing is on the way.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09Scientists are currently developing it and when they do,
0:47:09 > 0:47:11they could change the face of fashion forever.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15In the interest of furthering science, I'm in the digital studio
0:47:15 > 0:47:18at the London College of Fashion and I'm about to be digitised.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23MACHINE: Adjusting the light level.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27We have completed your scan.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33I'm here to meet Marta Tomecka, a fashion student,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36who is at the cutting edge of digital clothing design.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39She is currently doing a PhD in digital fashion.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45Those lumps and bumps on the scan are from my clothes,
0:47:45 > 0:47:47and they're being tidied up.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Why 3D body scans?
0:47:49 > 0:47:51You've got all the exact measurements
0:47:51 > 0:47:54and you can dress it in virtual garments.
0:47:54 > 0:47:55It's a bit like having a doll?
0:47:55 > 0:47:57It is. An avatar.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59We're hoping that very soon everyone will be using them,
0:47:59 > 0:48:02so you can just go to a virtual shop
0:48:02 > 0:48:04and try as many garments as you want.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06I've got to say,
0:48:06 > 0:48:08I've probably had enough of seeing myself without clothes on.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12In that case, I can show you our other model in 3D garment.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14OK, sounds good to me.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18This is the next stage then?
0:48:18 > 0:48:19Yes, it is.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23This is the software that lets you stitch garments on to an avatar.
0:48:23 > 0:48:28You've made the clothes specially for this avatar model, haven't you.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30Yes. They have been scanned in.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33You can put it on top of her
0:48:33 > 0:48:36and then it stitches all those parts together.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39Here you can record her walking.
0:48:39 > 0:48:40Oh, right, OK.
0:48:40 > 0:48:42So you can see how the garment behaves.
0:48:44 > 0:48:49The only thing that you can't do is check how this model looks on
0:48:49 > 0:48:53a catwalk with your own measurements, because it's already set.
0:48:53 > 0:48:58So even as computers, they won't let people who aren't tall enough on a catwalk!
0:49:00 > 0:49:05In the future, do you think we'd be able to shop online like this,
0:49:05 > 0:49:09that all clothes could just be sort of fitted on to your size?
0:49:09 > 0:49:11Yes, definitely, yes.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15I think the whole fashion supply change will be revolutionised
0:49:15 > 0:49:17and will be much more sustainable,
0:49:17 > 0:49:19because there will be no waste of clothing.
0:49:19 > 0:49:23All the garments could be made specially for customers.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27When you started out, you started out in fashion, is that right?
0:49:27 > 0:49:28Yes, I did, yes.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31Then I thought that it would be much more interesting to study
0:49:31 > 0:49:36digital fashion and I ended up doing PhD in fashion and technology.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40So originally though, is your background in science?
0:49:40 > 0:49:42No, unfortunately it's not.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44Why unfortunately?
0:49:44 > 0:49:47Because it will help me significantly
0:49:47 > 0:49:49in finding the best solution for virtual try-on
0:49:49 > 0:49:54if I knew more about maths and physics and computer science mainly.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58So it's funny cos when you sort of think about fashion and fabric,
0:49:58 > 0:50:00I don't automatically think of science.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03I think that even it will be very difficult to find
0:50:03 > 0:50:06a job in fashion in the future without understanding how it works
0:50:06 > 0:50:10and without understanding the 3D garments and 3D stitching.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14If this vision of the future proves correct then the next
0:50:14 > 0:50:17Stella McCartney could sweep onto the fashion scene with
0:50:17 > 0:50:21a degree in computer science and brand new collection in full 3D.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23Who said science and art don't mix?!
0:50:28 > 0:50:30We've made computers go super-fast,
0:50:30 > 0:50:33and created ever more sophisticated technology,
0:50:33 > 0:50:37but there's something that's seriously holding it all back - us.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40The way humans interface with computers is slowing
0:50:40 > 0:50:41technology down.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44It's a problem that needs solving,
0:50:44 > 0:50:47which to a computer scientist, is music to their ears.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54I've come to Reading University to meet a man who's
0:50:54 > 0:50:57devoted his life to working on the problem.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00One of the world's top cybernetic engineers - Kevin Warwick.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04As well as being a university professor,
0:51:04 > 0:51:07Kevin holds several higher science doctorates.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11A relatively new science, cybernetics is the study
0:51:11 > 0:51:14of control and communication in animal and machine.
0:51:16 > 0:51:20So do you think then in the future humans will be able to
0:51:20 > 0:51:22communicate with computers?
0:51:22 > 0:51:23Oh, yeah.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26I mean, we do already obviously with typing in keys
0:51:26 > 0:51:30and things like that, but the important thing is communicating
0:51:30 > 0:51:35directly from our brains and that needs some sort of interface.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39We need to get signals from our brains into the computer
0:51:39 > 0:51:41and signals from the computer into our brains.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45And what I've got here, it's going to be very, very small...
0:51:45 > 0:51:47- Let's have a little look. - There we go.
0:51:47 > 0:51:48What is that?
0:51:48 > 0:51:52Now that is called a BrainGate. It's very, very small.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54It's teeny tiny.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57The BrainGate was a momentous breakthrough for cybernetics,
0:51:57 > 0:52:00and earned Kevin a nickname, Captain Cyborg.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04For three months he was able to control electronics,
0:52:04 > 0:52:06like this wheelchair, with the power of his brain.
0:52:08 > 0:52:13So this is what I've experimented with in my nervous system.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20Surgeons put it in place and they opened up here.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24That's where the wires came out,
0:52:24 > 0:52:27onto a little connector pad,
0:52:27 > 0:52:30and we could link me up there with the computer.
0:52:32 > 0:52:37So then how could you or your nervous system communicate with a computer?
0:52:37 > 0:52:41Our brains are electrochemical. Our nervous system too.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44So our nervous systems operate on electricity.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49Computers work with pulses, very similar way.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53So when you connect the two together, to be honest,
0:52:53 > 0:52:55it's not that difficult.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59So that chip was planted into your arm for three months.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01- Yes.- What did you learn?
0:53:01 > 0:53:03We learnt that this robot hand here,
0:53:03 > 0:53:09if I bring this in, now what I was able to do, when I move MY hand,
0:53:09 > 0:53:14because of the implant, I could also operate the robot hand.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16So it mimicked my hand movement.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21Critical point though, on this hand, if you can see,
0:53:21 > 0:53:25there are little touch pads, little sensors on the fingers,
0:53:25 > 0:53:29so I could feel how much force this hand was applying.
0:53:29 > 0:53:34We learned that it was quite possible to control a robot hand
0:53:34 > 0:53:38and feel what the hand was feeling in terms of grip,
0:53:38 > 0:53:41by using an implant of this type.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45As part of the experiment, I went to New York,
0:53:45 > 0:53:50we plugged my nervous system into the internet and linked up to
0:53:50 > 0:53:54the robot hand which was back here in Reading, where we are now.
0:53:54 > 0:53:55Brilliant.
0:53:55 > 0:53:59So I move my hand in New York which moved the robot hand in England,
0:53:59 > 0:54:03and then when I gripped something, signals went back to New York so
0:54:03 > 0:54:07I could feel how much force the hand was applying on another continent.
0:54:07 > 0:54:08That's amazing.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10It even fazed me out.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12I planned the experiment but when we actually did it,
0:54:12 > 0:54:14it freaked me out.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18I thought, "Wow! My brain signal is operating this robot!"
0:54:18 > 0:54:22But it's not science fiction. That's what's been done.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25It's been successful. We have results, papers
0:54:25 > 0:54:26and all sorts of things from it.
0:54:26 > 0:54:31At the moment maybe it's a bit scary, but in 20 years' time, yeah,
0:54:31 > 0:54:33maybe everyone..
0:54:33 > 0:54:36"Oh, you've got that chip, have you? Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:54:36 > 0:54:37"Where have you been?"
0:54:39 > 0:54:41So what will be the first application?
0:54:41 > 0:54:47Well, I feel one of the first is to help people with disabilities.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49If let's say, you've lost your arm,
0:54:49 > 0:54:52this is in fact commercially available now,
0:54:52 > 0:54:57so it's the most advanced bionic limb, hand, if you like.
0:54:57 > 0:55:01We can see it opening, it's got a thumb and four fingers,
0:55:01 > 0:55:03and you can see it has different grips.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07This one is operated usually off muscular signals.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08In the future,
0:55:08 > 0:55:12I'm sure it will be operated directly from the nervous system.
0:55:12 > 0:55:18But to control it directly from the brain is still a research project.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22You know, there really are exciting research projects that still
0:55:22 > 0:55:25need to be sorted out in this area, lots of them.
0:55:25 > 0:55:29So for me, it's a tremendously exciting area to be involved in.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32And they're not just projects for Kevin.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35Our next stop is a paintball warehouse to meet
0:55:35 > 0:55:38one of his PhD students, Ian Harrison.
0:55:38 > 0:55:42While you don't need to insert metal objects to research this subject,
0:55:42 > 0:55:46Ian decided to, and he had magnets surgically implanted.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49Back in 2009, I got two magnets implanted in my fingertips
0:55:49 > 0:55:54and these enable me to detect or pick up electromagnetic fields.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57Ian's magnets are a low-tech version of Kevin's chip.
0:55:57 > 0:56:01He had them inserted so he can feel sensations in his fingers
0:56:01 > 0:56:03when they're made to vibrate by special gloves.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07I've got my glove which has got two electromagnetic coils in the tips.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10It means he can have electronic equipment communicating
0:56:10 > 0:56:11directly with his body.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15And for this experiment, that's an ultrasonic hat to help him
0:56:15 > 0:56:16see whilst blindfolded.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18You've got your two ultrasonic sensors here,
0:56:18 > 0:56:21your microprocessor here, another two ultrasonic sensors
0:56:21 > 0:56:24and a couple of power drivers across here.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29Are you going wear that hat?
0:56:29 > 0:56:31Unfortunately!
0:56:32 > 0:56:34There is an immediate application.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37For somebody who is blind, for example,
0:56:37 > 0:56:42this is looking at sending signals in via a different route.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44So instead of having a white stick,
0:56:44 > 0:56:48they could have exactly the technology that Ian's got,
0:56:48 > 0:56:51a little magnet implanted in his finger, and they would,
0:56:51 > 0:56:56using the same technology, be able to detect how far it is to objects.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58So, onto the experiment.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00Ian will have to navigate the maze of obstructions without
0:57:00 > 0:57:02the use of his eyes.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04Ian, so I'm going blindfold you,
0:57:04 > 0:57:06so you need to put your glove on with the coils in it.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08Your magnets are already in the finger.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11OK, now you're going put your hat on. It's a very cool hat.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13Thank you very much.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15He'll use just the sensors in his hat,
0:57:15 > 0:57:18communicating with the magnets in his fingertips.
0:57:18 > 0:57:19Ian!
0:57:19 > 0:57:22OK, yeah, you can come now, Ian.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24OK, I'm coming!
0:57:26 > 0:57:29He's feeling the sound, effectively.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32You know how a bat uses echo location,
0:57:32 > 0:57:36when the sound signal hits an object, it bounces back.
0:57:36 > 0:57:38The quicker it comes back, the closer the object is.
0:57:38 > 0:57:40OK.
0:57:40 > 0:57:41And that's really what's happening.
0:57:41 > 0:57:45He's got a sensor that's doing that and how quickly it comes back,
0:57:45 > 0:57:48that will be how much his magnet gets stimulated.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51So as he's getting closer to these tower tyres,
0:57:51 > 0:57:53something close and his finger will...
0:57:53 > 0:57:56He'll get a ding, ding, ding, ding, so let's move away from it
0:57:56 > 0:57:59and then, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, let's move away from that.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01So a bit like the sensor when I'm reversing my car.
0:58:01 > 0:58:03Oh, yeah, it's exactly that.
0:58:03 > 0:58:04Here he comes.
0:58:04 > 0:58:06You've done well.
0:58:06 > 0:58:07Ian, well done!
0:58:07 > 0:58:10Well done, well done. Let's turn you off.
0:58:10 > 0:58:11Did you bump into anything?
0:58:11 > 0:58:12Only on low level,
0:58:12 > 0:58:15so only on the stuff that I couldn't actually detect.
0:58:15 > 0:58:16But it's a good point you make,
0:58:16 > 0:58:20because you could have further sensors lower down.
0:58:20 > 0:58:21Do you love doing what you're doing?
0:58:21 > 0:58:23Oh, I absolutely adore what I'm doing.
0:58:23 > 0:58:25Looking at the world from a different view,
0:58:25 > 0:58:28trying to find insight in every-day life.
0:58:28 > 0:58:30But I think one of the biggest things is having
0:58:30 > 0:58:32the type of mind that is inquisitive.
0:58:32 > 0:58:34I think that's the most critical thing.
0:58:34 > 0:58:37It's important to ask the question - is this possible?
0:58:37 > 0:58:40Could we do this? Well, try it and find out.
0:58:40 > 0:58:41I love it. Thank you so much.
0:58:41 > 0:58:43It's been brilliant talking to you both
0:58:43 > 0:58:45and good luck with it all.
0:58:45 > 0:58:46- Thanks a lot.- It's been great.
0:58:46 > 0:58:50This is proof that we have no idea of what technological
0:58:50 > 0:58:52developments are around the corner.
0:58:52 > 0:58:54I keep wondering if this field of science is strange
0:58:54 > 0:58:56and scary or exciting and innovative.
0:58:56 > 0:58:58But one thing's for sure -
0:58:58 > 0:59:01scientists will always be pushing those frontiers
0:59:01 > 0:59:03of what is humanly possible.
0:59:12 > 0:59:16Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd