The Mystery of Matter (film)

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The Mystery of Matter
Search for the Elements
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DVD cover
Genre Documentary film
Created by Stephen Lyons
Written by Stephen Lyons
Directed by Stephen Lyons; Muffie Meyer
Narrated by Michael Emerson
Theme music composer Tom Phillips
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes Three one-hour episodes
Production
Producer(s) Stephen Lyons; Moreno/Lyons Productions LLC; Oregon Public Broadcasting
Cinematography Gary Henoch
Editor(s) Raoul Rosenberg
Running time 3 h (180 min)
Distributor Public Broadcasting Service
Release
Original network PBS
Original release Premiered in Oregon on October 20, 2014;[1][2][3] premiered nationwide on August 19, 2015[4]
External links
Website

The Mystery of Matter: Search for the Elements is a 2014 American documentary film,[1][2][3] which premiered nationwide on August 19, 2015.[4][5][6] The PBS film, in three-episodes of one hour each, was directed by Stephen Lyons and Muffie Meyer.

The film, which took ten years to make,[7] describes the search for the basic chemical elements that form matter by focusing on the lives and times of seven scientific visionaries.[4][5] Hosted by actor Michael Emerson, the film depicts the creative process of the scientists, with actors describing the process of discovery in the scientists' own words and reenacting their major discoveries using replicas of their original laboratory equipment.[4]

Episodes

No. Episode[4] Original air date (nationwide)
1 "Out of Thin Air" (1754-1806) August 19, 2015
Joseph Priestley and Antoine Lavoisier discover a new gas called oxygen, discrediting the basic theory of chemistry at the time, creating the basis for the modern science of chemistry, and prompting chemists all over the world to look for more new elements; Humphry Davy introduces audiences to nitrous oxide ("laughing gas") and uses electricity to search for new chemical elements.
2 "Unruly Elements" (1859-1902) August 19, 2015
Dmitri Mendeleev invents the periodic table, bringing order to the understanding of the elements for the first time; Marie Curie discovers several elements, including polonium and radium, and discovers radioactivity, demonstrating that elements can change identities and may consist of previously unsuspected subcomponents.
3 "Into the Atom" (1910-1960) August 19, 2015
Henry Moseley investigates atomic numbers and uncovers new details about the periodic table using X-ray spectroscopy; Glenn Seaborg creates plutonium, making nuclear weapons possible, and discovers related transuranium elements.

Participants

The documentary film is narrated by Michael Emerson and includes the following participants (alphabetized by last name):

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Gallery

The seven featured scientists

Cast and advisors

Reviews and criticism

According to Carman Drahl of Forbes magazine, "Chemists will quickly recognize the life stories of giants in their field. This show wasn’t designed just for chemists, however. The target audience includes teachers, students, and curious TV viewers."[5] The film, based on a National Science Foundation project description, tells "a 'detective story' of chemistry, stretching from the ancient alchemists to today's efforts to find stable new forms of matter."[9] Mark Dawidziak, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, quotes the historical advisor for the film (Alan Rocke): "[The film] portrays science as [a] very human process. People see it is a very mechanical process. A great humanity is revealed by these stories, but also the unfolding process of how science actually comes to these understandings of nature."[7] Erica K. Jacobsen, of the Chemical Education Division of the American Chemical Society, found the film to be "an excellent tool for bringing students a different view of the periodic table and those involved in its history.[3]

See also

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References

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External links

Periodic table (Large cells)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
1 H He
2 Li Be B C N O F Ne
3 Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar
4 K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr
5 Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te  I  Xe
6 Cs Ba La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
7 Fr Ra Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg Cn Uut Fl Uup Lv Uus Uuo
Alkali metal Alkaline earth metal Lan­thanide Actinide Transition metal Post-​transition metal Metalloid Polyatomic nonmetal Diatomic nonmetal Noble gas Unknown
chemical
properties
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