Horizon Season 49 Episodes

Episode 1

The Hunt for the Higgs: A Horizon Special

50 mins

Horizon goes behind the scenes at CERN to follow the hunt for the Higgs particle, itself part of a much grander investigation into how the universe works.

Episode 2

Playing God

Adam Rutherford meets the spider-goat, created by scientists and the product of a new field of research - synthetic biology.

Episode 3

The Truth About Exercise

Series exploring topical scientific issues. Like many, Michael Mosley want to get fitter and healthier but can't face hours on the treadmill or trips to the gym. He uncovers new research which suggests many of us could benefit from just three minutes of high intensity exercise a week. He discovers the hidden power of simple activities like walking and fidgeting, and finds out why some of us don't respond to exercise at all. Using himself as a guinea pig, Michael uncovers the surprising new research about exercise, that has the power to make us all live longer and healthier lives.

Episode 4

Woof! - A Horizon Guide to Dogs

Dallas Campbell looks back through the Horizon archives to find out what science can tell us about man's best friend and whether new thinking should change the way we treat them.

Episode 5

Solar Storms: The Threat to Planet Earth

A look at predictions of violent activity on the sun and how these solar storms could disrupt our technological civilisation.

Episode 6

Out of Control?

People like to think they are in control of their lives - of what they feel and think. But scientists are now discovering this is often simply an illusion.

Episode 7

The Truth About Fat

Surgeon Gabriel Weston discovers the truth about why so many people are piling on the pounds, and how to fight the fat epidemic by altering how brains work.

Episode 8

Global Weirding

Something weird seems to be happening to our weather - it appears to be getting more extreme. Horizon follows the scientists who are trying to understand what's been happening to our weather and investigates if these extremes are a taste of what is to come.

Episode 9

The Hunt for A.I.

54 mins

For the first time in history, machines are helping us unlock the secret of what intelligence is. Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University, Marcus Du Sautoy asks if a machine could ever think like him, and examines what that would mean.

Episode 10

Defeating Cancer

49 mins

Chances are that at some point in our lives, getting cancer is a fear we will have to face. But things are changing. Scientists are at a crucial turning point in the treatment against cancer. Meet the researchers, doctors and patients fighting against cancer using new treatments and technologies.

Episode 11

Stuff: A Horizon Guide to Materials

Engineer Jem Stansfield looks back through the Horizon archives to find out how scientists have come to understand and manipulate the materials that built the modern world.

Episode 12

The Transit of Venus: A Horizon Special

Special episode of the factual science series exploring the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. At 11pm on 5th June 2012 this event will be visible to the naked eye.

Episode 13

Blink: A Horizon Guide to the Senses

Our five senses link us to the outside world. Dr Kevin Fong looks back through 40 years of Horizon archives to find out what science has taught us about our tools of perception.

Episode 14

Immortal? A Horizon Guide to Ageing

Veteran presenter Johnny Ball looks back over the 45 years that Horizon, and he, have been on air to find out what science has learned about how and why we grow old.

Episode 15

The Truth About Looking Young

48 mins

Plastic surgeon Dr Rozina Ali finds out whether it is possible to make your skin look younger without surgery, exploring the latest research.

Episode 16

Mission to Mars: A Horizon Special

The programme goes behind the scenes at NASA as the countdown commences to the landing of a billion-dollar nuclear-powered rover on the surface of Mars.

Episode 17

Eat, Fast and Live Longer

59 mins

Michael Mosley examines the science behind fasting, as he sets himself the ambitious goal of living longer, staying younger and losing weight without changing his lifestyle.

Episode 18

How Big Is the Universe?

Horizon follows the cosmologists who are creating the most ambitious map in history - a map of everything in existence.

Episode 19

How Small Is the Universe?

Following the search for the smallest thing in the universe, a journey where things don't just become smaller - but also a whole lot weirder.

Episode 20

Defeating the Superbugs

Across the world, the emergence of bacteria have gone rogue. These are the superbugs, dangerous bacteria that are becoming resistant to the only defence: antibiotics. Horizon meets the scientists who are tracking the spread of these potential killers around the globe, and discovers the new techniques researchers are developing to help defeat these superbugs.

Episode 21

The Final Frontier? A Horizon Guide to the Universe

Dallas Campbell looks back through almost 50 years of the Horizon archives to chart the scientific breakthroughs that have transformed our understanding of the universe.