Brits Who Made The Modern World

Tilting Trains

Peter Snow introduces the story of the ill-fated Advanced Passenger Train which, despite being deemed a failure, was one of the greatest technological advances on the railways in 100 years. Commissioned by British Rail, the revolutionary trains were designed to tilt around curves. The designers of the experimental APT, Alan Wickens and Mike Newman reveal their story.

Rockets

Peter Snow explores the role played by two British engineers in the team behind Black Arrow, and the rocket programme that launched the country's first satellite almost 40 years ago.

Mobile Phones

In the early 1980s, a team of engineers developed software that laid out a system of phone masts around the country. Their work helped launch Vodafone - now one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world.

The Harrier

The documentary series looking at the untold stories of British scientific innovations focuses on the creation of the Harrier jump jet. Peter Snow discovers how the vision and persistence of two young designers led to the development of the world's first vertical take-off aircraft.

Video Games

The documentary series looking at the untold stories of British scientific innovations focuses on the development of Britain's 1.4 billion pound computer game industry. In the early 1980s, two pioneering Cambridge undergraduates set out to achieve the seemingly impossible task of developing the world's first 3-D computer game.