Bang Goes the Theory
Encyclopedia
Bang Goes the Theory is a British television science magazine series, co-produced by the BBC
and the Open University
, that began on 27 July 2009 on BBC One
. Presented by Liz Bonnin
, Jem Stansfield
, Dallas Campbell
and Dr. Yan Wong, the show employs a hands-on approach to test scientific theory and demonstrate how science shapes our world.
and the Open University
was announced in June 2009 and was commissioned by Jay Hunt
, controller of BBC One
, for ten 30 minute episodes. It promises to "put scientific theory to the test" and examine "how science shapes the world around us". During the announcement, Hunt stated that the series "brings popular science back to the very heart of BBC One", referring to the long-running BBC series Tomorrow's World
, which ran from 1965 to 2003 and was cancelled following falling ratings. Comparing Bang Goes the Theory to Tomorrow's World, series editor Dermot Caulfield said,
Dr. Stephen Serjeant (Reader in Cosmology at the OU
), and Dr Ian Johnston (Lecturer in Engineering for the OU) are the two academic team leaders for the production, covering disciplines including geology
, astrophysics
, neuropsychology
and zoology
. The studio elements of the series were initially recorded in a building that housed the supersonic wind tunnel fans at RAE Bedford
in Bedfordshire
and was also the testing facility for the first prototype Harrier Jump Jet
V/STOL
aircraft. They are now recorded in the old linear accelerator building on the Sussex University campus near Brighton, where Jem Stansfield has his workshop.
To "inspire the audience to get hands on with science", the series is being supported by a number of free events across the country organised by BBC Learning
.
(The Gadget Show
); Liz Bonnin
(Science Friction, RI:SE
, Top of the Pops
), a biochemist with a Masters in wild animal conservation; Jem Stansfield
(Men in White
, Scrapheap Challenge
), an aeronautical engineer, inventor and designer of museum exhibits, and Dr. Yan Wong (co-author of The Ancestor's Tale
), an Oxford
-educated evolutionary biologist.
. Described as a television first and emulating the Honda
television advert Cog, it featured a continuing chain of scientific experiments, with one triggering the next and so on. The sequence included Bonnin using a bicycle to power a Van de Graaff generator
and Stansfield then using the 250,000 volts generated to, amongst other things,
The sequence did not quite complete as expected: the bunny did not fully inflate and manual intervention was required to break an infrared beam to allow the experiment to continue - the rest of the experiment was executed without problems. Prior to the broadcast, over 10,000 people voted online for Wong to be propelled using magnetic forces. The trailer was directed by Grant Gee
.
series. Although conceived originally as a web piece, the song is now being used at the end of the Bang LIVE roadshows in 2011. Watch The Symphony of Bang video on YouTube.
and in HD
on BBC One HD
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
, that began on 27 July 2009 on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. Presented by Liz Bonnin
Liz Bonnin
Liz Bonnin is a French television presenter who has worked on television in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. She currently works for the BBC.-Biography:...
, Jem Stansfield
Jem Stansfield
Jem Stansfield is an inventor and television presenter, currently working in the United Kingdom. He has appeared on Scrapheap Challenge , Science Shack , Home On Their Own , Zero to Hero , Men in White , Bang Goes the Theory , Wild Thing I Love You , and Planet Mechanics Jem Stansfield is an...
, Dallas Campbell
Dallas Campbell
Dallas Campbell is a British television presenter and television and stage actor. His acting credits include Spender, A Touch of Frost, Family Affairs, Casualty and Holby City...
and Dr. Yan Wong, the show employs a hands-on approach to test scientific theory and demonstrate how science shapes our world.
Creation
The co-production between the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
was announced in June 2009 and was commissioned by Jay Hunt
Jay Hunt (BBC)
Jay Hunt , is a United Kingdom-based television executive, appointed to the new post of Chief Creative Officer, Channel 4. She is a former controller of BBC One.-Early life:...
, controller of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, for ten 30 minute episodes. It promises to "put scientific theory to the test" and examine "how science shapes the world around us". During the announcement, Hunt stated that the series "brings popular science back to the very heart of BBC One", referring to the long-running BBC series Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...
, which ran from 1965 to 2003 and was cancelled following falling ratings. Comparing Bang Goes the Theory to Tomorrow's World, series editor Dermot Caulfield said,
Rather than simply be a reporting vehicle on what’s new in the world of science, we want to roll up our sleeves, stick our hands in the dirty gubbins of the engine and find out why, what, or where science is happening.
Dr. Stephen Serjeant (Reader in Cosmology at the OU
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
), and Dr Ian Johnston (Lecturer in Engineering for the OU) are the two academic team leaders for the production, covering disciplines including geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
, neuropsychology
Neuropsychology
Neuropsychology studies the structure and function of the brain related to specific psychological processes and behaviors. The term neuropsychology has been applied to lesion studies in humans and animals. It has also been applied to efforts to record electrical activity from individual cells in...
and zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
. The studio elements of the series were initially recorded in a building that housed the supersonic wind tunnel fans at RAE Bedford
RAE Bedford
RAE Bedford based near the village of Thurleigh, north of the town of Bedford in England, has been the site of major aircraft experimental development work....
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
and was also the testing facility for the first prototype Harrier Jump Jet
Harrier Jump Jet
The Harrier, informally referred to as the Jump Jet, is a family of British-designed military jet aircraft capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing operations...
V/STOL
V/STOL
Vertical and/or short take-off and landing is a term used to describe aircraft that are able to take-off or land vertically or on short runways. Vertical takeoff and landing describes craft which do not require runways at all...
aircraft. They are now recorded in the old linear accelerator building on the Sussex University campus near Brighton, where Jem Stansfield has his workshop.
To "inspire the audience to get hands on with science", the series is being supported by a number of free events across the country organised by BBC Learning
BBC Learning
BBC Learning can refer to the following:* A department within the BBC , part of BBC Vision* The portal website created by BBC Learning* A website created by BBC Worldwide-BBC Worldwide:...
.
Presenters
Bang Goes the Theory is presented by Dallas CampbellDallas Campbell
Dallas Campbell is a British television presenter and television and stage actor. His acting credits include Spender, A Touch of Frost, Family Affairs, Casualty and Holby City...
(The Gadget Show
The Gadget Show
The Gadget Show is a British television series focusing on technology and is broadcast on Channel 5. Originally a thirty minute show, it was extended to forty-five minutes, then later to fifty five minutes. Repeats have also aired on the digital channels 5*, Dave and Channel 5's Internet on-demand...
); Liz Bonnin
Liz Bonnin
Liz Bonnin is a French television presenter who has worked on television in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. She currently works for the BBC.-Biography:...
(Science Friction, RI:SE
RI:SE
RI:SE was a breakfast television show made by Princess Productions in collaboration with BSkyB for Channel 4 in the UK. It was scheduled to replace The Big Breakfast after declining ratings. It launched on 29 April 2002...
, Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
), a biochemist with a Masters in wild animal conservation; Jem Stansfield
Jem Stansfield
Jem Stansfield is an inventor and television presenter, currently working in the United Kingdom. He has appeared on Scrapheap Challenge , Science Shack , Home On Their Own , Zero to Hero , Men in White , Bang Goes the Theory , Wild Thing I Love You , and Planet Mechanics Jem Stansfield is an...
(Men in White
Men in White (TV series)
Men in White is a TV show starring Adam Rutherford, Basil Singer, and Jem Stansfield. The show revolves around the three scientists who try to solve average, everyday problems....
, Scrapheap Challenge
Scrapheap Challenge
Scrapheap Challenge is an engineering game show produced by RDF Media and broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK. In the show, teams of contestants have 10 hours in which to build a working machine that can do a specific task, using materials available in a scrapheap. The format was exported to the...
), an aeronautical engineer, inventor and designer of museum exhibits, and Dr. Yan Wong (co-author of The Ancestor's Tale
The Ancestor's Tale
The Ancestor's Tale is a 2004 popular science book by Richard Dawkins, with contributions from Dawkins' research assistant Yan Wong. It follows the path of humans backwards through evolutionary history, meeting humanity's cousins as they converge on common ancestors...
), an Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
-educated evolutionary biologist.
Live trailer
Ahead of the start of the series, BBC One aired a live three minute trailer on 14 July 2009 before EastEndersEastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. Described as a television first and emulating the Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
television advert Cog, it featured a continuing chain of scientific experiments, with one triggering the next and so on. The sequence included Bonnin using a bicycle to power a Van de Graaff generator
Van de Graaff generator
A Van de Graaff generator is an electrostatic generator which uses a moving belt to accumulate very high voltages on a hollow metal globe on the top of the stand. It was invented in 1929 by American physicist Robert J. Van de Graaff. The potential differences achieved in modern Van de Graaff...
and Stansfield then using the 250,000 volts generated to, amongst other things,
- light a Bunsen burnerBunsen burnerA Bunsen burner, named after Robert Bunsen, is a common piece of laboratory equipment that produces a single open gas flame, which is used for heating, sterilization, and combustion.- Operation:...
, - inflate a large inflatable bunny,
- trigger a thermal switch,
- repel Wong away from Campbell along a track (using electromagnets attached to both presenters), and
- power a robotic hand
The sequence did not quite complete as expected: the bunny did not fully inflate and manual intervention was required to break an infrared beam to allow the experiment to continue - the rest of the experiment was executed without problems. Prior to the broadcast, over 10,000 people voted online for Wong to be propelled using magnetic forces. The trailer was directed by Grant Gee
Grant Gee
Grant Gee is a film director and cinematographer currently living in Brighton. He was born in Plymouth and studied Geography at St Catherine's College, Oxford....
.
Live Tour/Roadshow
In 2010 a Bang roadshow happened, and in 2011 a Bang Live toured the UK with an exclusive live show and interactive tent.Symphony of Bang Goes The Theory
This is the name of a 'song' created for the BBC by musician John Boswell using clips from the Bang Goes The Theory shows and website. It features distortion of the presenters' words using pitch-correction software, over the top of original music, in the same vein as Boswell's popular Symphony of ScienceSymphony of Science
The Symphony of Science is a music project created by Washington-based electronic musician John Boswell. The project seeks to "spread scientific knowledge and philosophy through musical remixes." Boswell uses pitch-corrected audio and video samples from television programs featuring popular...
series. Although conceived originally as a web piece, the song is now being used at the end of the Bang LIVE roadshows in 2011. Watch The Symphony of Bang video on YouTube.
Series One
The first series consisted of ten episodes. At the end of the last episode, it was announced that the programme would return in March 2010.| Episode | |Original airdate |
|---|
Series Two
The second series consisted of eight episodes, plus another hour long special, starting on 15 March 2010. It was also broadcast on BBC HD.| Episode | |Original airdate |
|---|
Series Three
The third series consisted of six episodes, starting on 8 September 2010. It was also broadcast on BBC HD.| Episode | |Original airdate |
|---|
Series Four
The fourth series commenced with an hour long special, starting on 10 March 2011. It was also broadcast on BBC HD.| Episode | |Original airdate |
|---|
Series Five
The fifth series began airing on the 15th of August 2011 on BBC OneBBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and in HD
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
on BBC One HD
| Episode | |Original airdate |
|---|
External links
- Bang Goes the Theory at open2.netOpen2.netOpen2.net was a website run by the The Open University in support of collaborations with the BBC and described as an "online learning portal". The site contained a listings guide for TV and radio programmes that aired across the BBC broadcast network, articles by OU academics, interactive learning...