Power & terror: a history of the nuclear age

What this episode covers

In the closing years of the 19th century, scientists began recording strange phenomena – mysterious glowing gas, smudges on photographic plates. Findings like these triggered a process of scientific discovery in the field of nuclear physics that would ultimately lead to unprecedented devastation at the end of the Second World War. Speaking to Matt Elton, Frank Close charts the story of the nuclear age. (Ad) Frank Close is the author of //Destroyer of Worlds: The Deep History of the Nuclear Age: 1895-1965// (Allen Lane, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Destroyer-Worlds-History-Nuclear-1895-1965/dp/0241700868/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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How long is this episode of HistoryExtra podcast?

This episode is 52 minutes long.

When was this HistoryExtra podcast episode published?

This episode was published on July 27, 2025.

What is this episode about?

In the closing years of the 19th century, scientists began recording strange phenomena – mysterious glowing gas, smudges on photographic plates. Findings like these triggered a process of scientific discovery in the field of nuclear physics that...

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