Every time we switch on a light or boil a kettle we rely on power to do it. This reveals the fascinating chain of events that made such everyday miracles possible. It tells the story of the handful of extraordinary British inventors and inventions who helped build the modern world by understanding, harnessing and using power. Michael Mosley and academics Professor Mark Miodownik and Dr Cassie Newland tell the amazing story of three of the greatest and most transformative inventions of all time: the steam engine, the electrical generator and the steam turbine.

Our experts explain how these inventions came about by sparks of inventive genius and steady incremental improvements. They separate myth from reality in the lives of the great inventors and celebrate some of the most remarkable stories in British history. Show less