Chemistry: A Volatile History: Discovering The Elements

Series in which Jim Al-Khalili traces the story of how the elements, the building blocks that make up our entire world, were discovered and mapped. He follows in the footsteps of the pioneers who cracked their secrets and created the new science of chemistry. The belief that there were only four elements - earth, fire, air and water - persisted until the 19th Century. Al-Khalili looks at the alchemists who began questioning this, revealing the red herrings and rivalries which dogged progress.