Science and Nature

Genius by Stephen Hawking

In Genius by Stephen Hawking, Professor Stephen Hawking challenges a selection of volunteers to think like the greatest geniuses in history and solve some of humanity's most enduring questions.

Where Are We?

54m 11s

Three ordinary people a series of fun physical and mental challenges to show them how to think like a genius. Can they measure the earth, the solar system and even the universe and find out where we really are?

Episodes

  • Where Are We?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Where Are We?

    S1 E6 - 54m 11s

    Three ordinary people a series of fun physical and mental challenges to show them how to think like a genius. Can they measure the earth, the solar system and even the universe and find out where we really are?

  • What Are We?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    What Are We?

    S1 E5 - 54m 41s

    Three ordinary people take on challenges to try to understand what they really are. In this episode the volunteers are led to an amazing realization about the nature of life itself.

  • Where Did the Universe Come From?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Where Did the Universe Come From?

    S1 E4 - 54m 41s

    Join an extraordinary journey of discovery, featuring racing cars, ice-skaters, balloons and running tracks as Stephen Hawking leads his three intrepid souls to a deeper understanding of the evolution of the universe than the average physics major, all with any mathematics or equations.

  • Why Are We Here?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Why Are We Here?

    S1 E3 - 54m 41s

    World-famous scientist Stephen Hawking sets three ordinary people a series of fun challenges to show them how to think like a genius. Can they work out why they exist at all? Is it destiny or pure chance?

  • Are We Alone?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Are We Alone?

    S1 E2 - 54m 41s

    Stephen Hawking sets three volunteers a series of fun challenges to show them how to think like a genius – and find out how likely it is that aliens exist.

  • Can We Time Travel?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Can We Time Travel?

    S1 E1 - 54m 40s

    World-famous scientist Stephen Hawking sets three ordinary people a series of mind-blowing challenges. Can they think like a genius? Can they work out if time travel is possible?

Extras + Features

  • Where Are We?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Where Are We?

    S1 E6 - 30s

    Three ordinary people a series of fun physical and mental challenges to show them how to think like a genius. Can they measure the earth, the solar system and even the universe and find out where we really are?

  • What Are We?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    What Are We?

    S1 E5 - 30s

    Three ordinary people take on challenges to try to understand what they really are. In this episode the volunteers are led to an amazing realization about the nature of life itself.

  • How Far Apart Are the Moon and the Earth?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    How Far Apart Are the Moon and the Earth?

    S1 E6 - 2m 11s

    The volunteers are given scale models of the moon and Earth. They must guess the distance between the two and then work out how to find out the correct answer. They use the moon in the sky to find the distance between their two models.

  • Pendulum Experiment: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Pendulum Experiment

    S1 E6 - 50s

    We are introduced to Foucault’s pendulum. Moving under the influence of gravity, over the course of a day the pendulum’s direction of swing will move, a bit like the hands of a clock. But what was the source of the rotation?

  • Smartphone and Tablet Models of the Galaxies: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Smartphone and Tablet Models of the Galaxies

    S1 E6 - 2m 2s

    The volunteers tackle their next challenge: If we could fit our galaxy on a smart phone and Andromeda on a tablet, how far apart would they be? They work out how far away the two galaxies are from each other with some simple math and can visually see how far the nearest galaxy is to our Milky Way.

  • Aiming for a Target: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Aiming for a Target

    S1 E5 - 1m 58s

    Two of the volunteers make shapes of their choice while the third flings them off the top of the tower to see which will get closest to the target. As they re-make the best performing shapes we see how the winning features are passed onto the next generation.

  • Stephen Hawking’s Machine of Life: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Stephen Hawking’s Machine of Life

    S1 E5 - 2m 32s

    The volunteers start Stephen Hawking’s Machine of Life. The machine works by transferring an impulse from one place to another, sustained by the input of energy. Each moving part follows the laws of physics and together they keep the impulse moving.

  • How Atoms Are Created in the Magnet Experiment: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    How Atoms Are Created in the Magnet Experiment

    S1 E5 - 2m 46s

    The volunteers are given magnets and an energy source to see how complex molecules can form almost at random with just a bit of energy. We learn that the building blocks of life can appear seemingly out of nowhere if the correct conditions are present.

  • Where Did The Universe Come From?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Where Did The Universe Come From?

    S1 E4 - 30s

    Join Stephen Hawking as he challenges three ordinary people to work out where the universe came from. Hawking leads the trio on an extraordinary journey of discovery featuring racing cars, ice-skaters, balloons and running tracks. #HawkingGeniusPBS

  • Why Are We Here?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Why Are We Here?

    S1 E3 - 30s

    Join Stephen Hawking as he sets three ordinary people a truly mind-bending challenge: Can they work out why they exist at all? Hawking takes them down a rabbit hole of profound realizations, helping them think like philosophers as much as scientists. #HawkingGeniusPBS

  • Drag Racing to Explore the Doppler Effect: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Drag Racing to Explore the Doppler Effect

    S1 E4 - 3m 16s

    Stephen Hawking and Neil Turok introduce us to Einstein’s idea of a static universe. The volunteers arrive at a drag strip with an electric car ready to go. They must use the sound of the siren, a microphone and laptop to determine the speed and direction of the car. How fast will the car go and what can it tell them about our universe?

  • The Movement of Galaxies in Space: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Movement of Galaxies in Space

    S1 E4 - 4m 33s

    The volunteers must organize a special race mimicking the movement of galaxies in space. They must arrange the "galaxies" in order to start the race, but they don’t all start form the same point. They are surprised to see that some of the galaxies walk and some run very fast. This demonstrates that the galaxies furthest away from Earth are also the ones traveling the fastest.

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