Anyone Been Watching, Botany: A Blooming History?

One of my friends on Facebook sent me a link to this last week and it's really very interesting I think there's only going to be 3 episodes in all but they've been very good so far!:WINK1: it airs at 9pm on Tuesdays BBC 4

Episode 1: A Confusion of Names
Timothy Walker reveals how the work of Carl Linnaeus, Phillip Miller and John Ray unlocked the mysteries of the plant kingdom and created the science of botany.
BBC iPlayer - Botany: A Blooming History: A Confusion of Names

Episode 2: Photosynthesis
Timothy Walker looks at how 17th century botanists made the connection between the growth of a plant and the energy from the sun - the process of photosynthesis.
BBC iPlayer - Botany: A Blooming History: Photosynthesis

Episode3: Hidden World - Airs Tomorrow (Tuesday 21st June)
Timothy Walker looks at how pioneer botanists unlocked the patterns found in different types of plants and opened the door to a new branch of science - plant genetics.
BBC iPlayer - Botany: A Blooming History: Hidden World

 

I've been watching (posted it on this thread)

The Oxford Botanic Gardens are an old haunt of ours from the days when my wife (to be then) was at university.

 

A fascinating series. Timothy Walker isn't exactly a born presenter but his enthusiasm is contagious.

 

Just watched the 1st one, mmmmm, flower porn:WINK1:

That cousin of the Yew he mentioned but didn't name, was that a Western Hemlock or am I barking up the wrong tree:DOH:

 

Are you thinking of staircases?

 

Just watched the second programme, on photosynthesis.

I was thinking, how do I increase the Co2 level in my greenhouse, but I couldn't think straight due to the incessant bubbling of the wine fermenter behind me.

 

Thought i'd put this here too,

BBC - BBC Four - Have Your Say

The more of us that thank the BBC, the more likely they are to make similar programmes.

 

That was a fantastic series, well done for flagging it up Aesculus

Have asked BBC 4 if there is any way they could put a direct link to GC about any future progs of a similar theme.

Doubt if they'll take any notice though.

 

I'm sorry to have to point this out, but if you check out the link on post #2 of this thread, you will see who actually flagged this one up, one week earlier than the post by Aesculus.

 

:o:o:o

Sorry Scrunge,

Didn't mean to steal your

 

factual errors and odd statements

i enjoyed the programme and i was appalled by the way melvin calvin wrote benson out of the history of the 'calvin cycle'.
several things however need to be addressed.
1] there was a wrong assertion that half of the worlds photosynthesis occurs in the sea. it is in fact 90%.This makes terrestrial plants pretty irrelevant to global carbon fixation.

2] there was an odd statement when the two scientists were observing the results of the radioactive carbon compounds on the chromatography paper."we are on the way to carbon" what on earth does this mean?
the carbon is already present in the carbon dioxide. What they should have said is "we are on the way to a SUGAR"

the mind does boggle that boffins can make such errors.

col