Professor Hannah Fry returns to discover (and dismantle) the stories behind everyday technology.
2022’s hands-on BBC Two documentary series The Secret Genius of Modern Life is returning for a second run.
The show, presented by Professor Hannah Fry, struck a winning formula as it dug into the history behind, and the technology underneath, products and systems which have now become integrated into our everyday lives.
Series One lifted the hood on electric cars, probed the software behind food delivery apps and virtual assistants, and (literally) dissolved the mysteries of the humble bank card.
While some of the concepts are mind-blowing, they’re presented in a practical and down-to-earth manner by the likable Hannah Fry, who is a Professor of Mathematics.
Here’s the synopsis for Series Two:
Taking apart a different piece of technology in each episode, with exclusive access to major technology companies like Samsung and Dyson and speaking to some of the world’s leading innovators, the second series of The Secret Genius of Modern Life sees Hannah uncover:
How catching a French 19th century serial killer helped shape the modern-day passport control
The key component in vacuum cleaners developed for a secret atomic bomb lab
How a Mormon preacher’s sermon was crucial to the development of today’s headphones
How South Korean sausages shed new light on the inner workings of our smartphones
Professor Hannah Fry said:
“We are living through a golden age of technology and yet we’ve forgotten to remember how clever the objects we surround ourselves with are. Behind everything that you touch and everything that you see someone had to come up with that idea and this is a show about those people and their incredible innovations that make modern life possible”.
Executive Producer Paul Overton added:
“It’s staggering what technology can now do and yet most of us have no idea how any of it works or where it came from. We’re delighted to be demystifying the amazing science behind more everyday objects and uncovering their incredible origin stories. And Hannah Fry is the perfect guide to help make sense of the modern world in both a thought-provoking and fun way.”
The Secret Genius of Modern Life Series Two comes from the BBC Studios Science Unit in partnership with The Open University. The six-part series airs on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the autumn.
In the meantime, you can still catch the first run on BBC iPlayer.