Rough Science Totally Explained

Everything about Rough Science totally explained

Rough Science is a UK factual television series made by the BBC in collaboration with the Open University and has, as of 2005, had six series. It is broadcast in prime time on BBC Two and is considered something of a "break-out hit" for the Open University. The series' formula consists of a group four or five scientists with specialities in different fields who are given a task which they must complete using the natural resources of the surrounding area together with a small set of supplies. Each programme features a different task and follows the scientists as they use their knowledge and ingenuity to in attempting to fulfil it and, in the process, educate the viewing public — despite failure being common.
The episode either requires the team to work together in smaller groups to create requirements for the overall challenge, for the small groups to fulfil vaguely related challenges or even to complete the same task in competition. It has been set in a different scenic location each series, typically somewhere with plenty of plants for use by the group. The presenter is Kate Humble and groups of scientists - most of the scientists appear in several of the series.

Series 1

This series was set on a Mediterranean island and featured four episodes, and hence tasks.

Discover the longitude and latitude of the island, create a radio from a saucepan and create an insect repellent.
Create a camera with film, create a compass and dye a flag.
The group are taken to a disused prison on the island where they've to generate power and build a pharmacy (creating antiseptic using olives and myrtle and anti-flatulent with fennel seeds).
The final episode involves the creation of soap and toothpaste though the general task is to put food on the table.

The scientists featured were:

Vanessa Griffiths - a marine biologist who teaches ecology for The Field Studies Council at Orielton Field Centre in Pembrokeshire

Anna Lewington - an ethnobotanist and an economic botanist, researching how people, and groups of people, use plants and how this is important to the societies in which they live

Jonathan Hare - chemist, physicist, inventor and teacher

Mike Leahy - virologist

Mike Bullivant - organic photochemist

Series 2

This series took place on the Caribbean island of Carriacou and featured five scientists, including three (Mike Leahy, Mike Bullivant, and Jonathan Hare) from the first series. It had six episodes and many challenges.

Make a map of the island, paper and ink for the map, and a device to record sounds.

An antiseptic lotion, a microscope, and a weather station.

A radio, a clock, and a kite.

A freezer, thermometer, and sunscreen.

A lamp that could function underwater, and to generate electrical energy to charge up a battery.

Musical instruments and fireworks for a party. New scientists featured in this series were:

Kathy Sykes - a science communicator and physicist

Ellen McCallie - an ecologist and teacher Anna Lewington and Vanessa Griffiths from the first series were not featured in this series.

Series 3

This series took place on the west coast of the south island of New Zealand, had six episodes, and featured the same scientists as the previous series.

Collect gold from a river, build a metal detector, and construct a super-accurate balance.

Build an automatic panning machine, created cosmetics, and look for evidence of earthquakes in trees.

Build a waterproof tent and a seismograph.

Measure the speed and melting rate of a glacier, and keep themselves warm without fires.

Build a device for measuring altitude to assist them in finding gold, and extracted gold from rock.

In the final episode of the series, they tried to smelt the gold they found.

Series 4

This series took place at Darwin Mine, adjacent to Death Valley National Park in California and had six episodes, all involving space exploration. Four scientists from the previous series (Ellen McCallie, Jonathan Hare, Mike Bullivant, and Kathy Sykes) were featured plus a new scientist, Iain Stewart, the show's first geologist. Mike Leahy from the previous series wasn't featured in this series.

The primary challenge of the first episode was to build a rover, while the team also found a way of purifying any water that they found in the desert.

In the second episode, they were challenged to send a communication in a way that didn't rely purely on sound (this was achieved by altering the vibrations of reflected sunlight, which was then detected by a transistor functioning as a light detector), and make a pen that would work in zero gravity.

In the third episode, they were challenged to design a cooling system for a spacesuit.

In the fourth episode they attempted to measure the size of the meteor that created Barringer Meteor Crater.

In the fifth episode, they were asked to built a device with a camera that could survey a large area from the air. They were also asked to find the center of one of the largest earthquakes to hit America that took place back in 1872 in California, and estimate what it measured on the Richter scale. Mike was given the task of creating a system that could filter carbon dioxide, just as the astronauts of Apollo 13 were forced to do when an explosion ruptured an oxygen tank.

In the sixth episode they were challenged to design rockets that could launch an egg into the air and return it safely to earth. Three different rockets were attempted by three of the scientists, while the remaining two worked on a parachute system.

Series 5

This series took place on the coast of Zanzibar and had a strong ecological theme running through the challenges. The line-up of scientists was Ellen McCallie, Jonathan Hare, Mike Bullivant, and Kathy Sykes. The episode challenges for this series are:

Shipwrecked - The scientists need to design and build a submersible exploration vehicle to explore a shipwreck, determine when low tide occurs for the best chance at getting to the wreck, and how to purify the scientists' water supply.

Lost at Sea - Building a distress flare, making an emergency flotation device, creating a warning light activated by seawater.

Call of the Wild - Constructing an underwater hydrophone, an underwater viewing device, creating mosquito repellent.

To the Lighthouse - Building a lighthouse by creating a light source visible from great distances while at sea, as well as creating the lighthouse infrastructure and making the light flash.

The Reef - Creating a system to protect a coral reef by alerting approaching boats that they're entering a protected area.

Beneath the Waves - Building a SCUBA device that can safely be used to a depth of 5 meters and still provide freedom for exploration.

Series 6

This series, shown in 2005, takes place in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. For this series, geomorphologist Hermione Cockburn replaced Kathy Sykes. Challenges included making a fire extinguisher (using CO₂), cleaning up the pollution of a stream by metals coming from a mine and making sunglasses (by melting sand).

Power - The scientists need to supply electricity and natural gas to their basecamp, located in an old mill.

Safety - Building a fire extinguisher and a water treatment plant.

Mountain - Calculating the height and weight of a mountain, as well as making sunglasses to protect the eyes at high altitudes.

Clean - Building a washing machine with washing soap, and creating antiperspirants and deodorants.

Mine - Detecting radioactive rocks and flammable gases, and creating a generator to power an electric lamp.

Photos - Taking and developing a photograph, and delivering it by hydrogen balloon.

Channels

Rough Science was originally shown by the BBC.

Series 1-4 has been shown on PBS.

Discovery Science (UK) has shown all six series.Further Information

Get more info on 'Rough Science'.

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