Main content

Science's Epic Fails

Brian Cox, Robin Ince and guests Rufus Hound, Alice Roberts and Adam Rutherford look at science's biggest mistakes and why failure is no bad thing when it comes to science.

Science's Epic Fails

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by actor and comedian Rufus Hound, Professor Alice Roberts and Dr Adam Rutherford to discuss some of the great scientific failures, and mistakes made by some very well known scientists. They look at how some of the greatest scientific thinkers of all time, from Darwin to Einstein, got key elements of their own theories wrong, or in the case of others, followed a path of understanding that would later be completely disproved. They discuss why failure in science is no bad thing, and ask whether getting it wrong, is a fundamental part of the scientific method, and should in fact be applied to many other areas of life.

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

Available now

46 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Mon 30 Jan 2017 16:30
  • Tue 31 Jan 2017 23:00

Watch: UFO Special

Watch: UFO Special

Brian Cox and Robin Ince ask if UFOs and aliens have visited Earth.

10 reasons why aliens probably exist

10 reasons why aliens probably exist

Does alien life exist? Probably yes. But will we be making contact anytime soon?

Why we laugh: 9 things you didn’t know

Why we laugh: 9 things you didn’t know

What makes us laugh, why we do it, and how a good guffaw can help us feel healthier.

Download this programme

Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.

Podcast