Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Episode 1

Mankind has always sought to venerate the rare and the precious, as well as being drawn magpie-like to that which is bright and shiny. First it was gold and then it was platinum.

By Hugh Aldersey-Williams

Everything is made from them: the elements are the universal and fundamental ingredients of all matter. But beyond the laboratory, released from the periodic table in which Dmitiri Mendeleev organised them according to the number of protons in their atoms, they reveal other meanings and tell other stories. Hugh Aldersey-Williams explores 'the curious lives of the elements' through history, literature, science and art.

Mankind has always sought to venerate the rare and the precious, as well as being drawn magpie-like to that which is bright and shiny. First it was gold and then it was platinum.

Reader : Michael Maloney

Abridged and Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for 大象传媒 Radio 4.

18 minutes

Last on

Tue 1 Feb 2011 00:30

More episodes

Previous

You are at the first episode

See all episodes from Book of the Week

Broadcasts

  • Mon 31 Jan 2011 09:45
  • Tue 1 Feb 2011 00:30

Listen to more Audio Books

Listen to more Audio Books

Including My Sister The Serial Killer, Queenie, The Flatshare and more.

Opening Lines

Opening Lines

John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.

Sample our books and authors Clip Collection

Interviews, previews and reviews

Subscribe to the Short stories podcast

Featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers

How many of these 100 Novels have you read?

How many of these 100 Novels have you read?

After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.

Finding Your Story

Finding Your Story

Ten remarkable novels about identity: Which one will help you discover yourself?

大象传媒 Arts: Books

Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.