Best movies & TV Shows like James May's Things You Need To Know

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like James May's Things You Need To Know Starring James May, and more. If you liked James May's Things You Need To Know then you may also like: Unlocking the Mystery of Life, Watchers 3, Einstein's Big Idea, Tall Story, Einstein and Eddington and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

James May gives a straightforward guide to some of science's big ideas, explaining everything from evolution and Einstein to engineering and chemistry.

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Unlocking the Mystery of Life

Unlocking the Mystery of Life represents a unique programming opportunity for local stations. Its broadcast release coincides with the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in history-James Watson and Francis Crick's discovery that the DNA molecule carries hereditary information in the form of a code that many scientists have likened to computer software or a written language. This discovery (announced on April 25,1953) sparked a scientific revolution. But it also left a fundamental question unanswered. Where did the information in DNA come from? How did the software in the cell arise? Unlocking the Mystery of Life explores these questions through the stories of a growing number of scientists who no longer believe that natural selection or chemistry, alone, can explain life's origin. Instead, they think that the microscopic world of the cell provides evidence of purpose and design in nature.

Watchers 3

A top-secret experiment spawns two highly intelligent life-forms: Einstein, a golden retriever with an IQ of 175; and The Outsider, a deformed monstrosity that exists to kill... and avenge its creators. When the Outsider escapes into the jungles of South America, the government sends in some ex-military convicts to catch the beast. But what starts out as a high-speed chase ends up in bloody carnage. Only Einstein knows the Outsider's motives, and only the canine can outsmart the creature. Now, it's a battle of beasts as man's best friend confronts man's worst nightmare.

Einstein's Big Idea

Over 100 years ago, Albert Einstein grappled with the implications of his revolutionary special theory of relativity and came to a startling conclusion: mass and energy are one, related by the formula E = mc2. In "Einstein's Big Idea," NOVA dramatizes the remarkable story behind this equation. E = mc2 was just one of several extraordinary breakthroughs that Einstein made in 1905, including the completion of his special theory of relativity, his identification of proof that atoms exist, and his explanation of the nature of light, which would win him the Nobel Prize in Physics. Among Einstein's ideas, E = mc2 is by far the most famous. Yet how many people know what it really means? In a thought-provoking and engrossing docudrama, NOVA illuminates this deceptively simple formula by unraveling the story of how it came to be.

Tall Story

A young insecure college sportsman is in trouble. He wants to marry his very straightforward girlfriend, but has no money. When he is offered a bribe to fix a game, he is torn even more about the matter.

Einstein and Eddington

A look at the evolution of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, and Einstein's relationship with British scientist Sir Arthur Eddington, the first physicist to understand his ideas.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Pro-intelligent design scholars and scientists are often chastised, fired or denied tenured positions by those who believe in Darwin's theory of evolution.

Island of Lost Souls

An obsessed scientist conducts profane experiments in evolution, eventually establishing himself as the self-styled demigod to a race of mutated, half-human abominations.

Forward

Forward is a SciFi Drama that explores human evolution as a physiological inevitability. Both guided and thwarted by two warring alien races, as well as by a government intent on stopping the evolution, a group of humans fight to lead humanity towards the future of the possible.

Einstein

This captivating documentary from the History Channel recounts the development of iconic physicist Albert Einstein's provocative theory of general relativity. Some 200 years after the introduction of Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation, Einstein rocked the science community with his theory, which suggests that gravity is a warping of space-time caused by the presence of matter.

Darwin's Struggle: The Evolution of the Origin of Species

Documentary telling the little-known story of how Darwin came to write his great masterpiece, On the Origin of Species, a book which explains the wonderful variety of the natural world as emerging out of death and the struggle of life. In the twenty years he took to develop a brilliant idea into a revolutionary book, Darwin went through a personal struggle every bit as turbulent as that of the natural world he observed. Fortunately, he left us an extraordinary record of his brilliant insights, observations of nature, and touching expressions of love and affection for those around him. He also wrote frank accounts of family tragedies, physical illnesses and moments of self-doubt, as he laboured towards publication of the book that would change the way we see the world. The story is told with the benefit of Darwin's secret notes and correspondence, enhanced by natural history filming, powerful imagery from the time and contributions from leading contemporary biographers and scientists.

Secrets of Einstein's Brain

The year 2015 marks the 60th anniversary of Albert Einstein's death... and the disappearance of his brain. Scientists over the decades have examined this priceless specimen to try and determine what made this seemingly normal man change the face of science and define the word genius. This documentary will follow the path of Einstein's physical brain and all the places it traveled, while simultaneously telling the story of Einstein the man. This special dives deep into Einstein's life, his theories, and not just what we've learned about the human brain by studying his, but what we have yet to learn.

Inside Einstein's Mind: The Enigma of Space and Time

In November 1915, Einstein published his greatest work: General Relativity, the theory that transformed our understanding of nature's laws and the entire history of the cosmos. This documentary tells the story of Einstein's masterpiece, from the simple but powerful ideas at the heart of relativity to the revolution in cosmology still playing out in today's labs, revealing Einstein's brilliance as never before.

Einstein's God Model

For thousands of years, evidence of life after death has eluded mankind. Science is about to change that. With the help of a physicist, a blind medium, and Thomas Edison’s final experiment, Brayden Taylor embarks on a quest to contact his deceased fiancee. For his love to transcend dimensions, he must defy the laws of quantum physics. He must defy the balance nature demands. He must defy ... Einstein’s God Model.

The Science of Interstellar

Matthew McConaughey narrates a fascinating look at Christopher Nolan's sci-fi film "Interstellar," including scientific foundations, the work of consulting Scientist Kip Thorne, basic film themes, the science behind the search for planets capable of hosting life, space-time and the theory of relativity, the science of wormholes and black holes, crafting the film's visuals based on real scientific observation, the birth of the universe, the Dust Bowl and the evolution of dust as a toxin, the likelihood of future dust storms, the prospects of escaping a dying or doomed planet and the possibilities of colonizing Mars.

Blaze and the Monster Machines

AJ is an 8-year-old techie who drives monster-truck Blaze, the top racer in Axle City. The two go on adventures that have them taking on problems involving science and math. Many predicaments they face are caused by Blaze's rival, Crusher, a tractor-trailer that will do anything to beat other vehicles to the finish line. The animated series is billed as the first TV show for preschoolers to comprehensively cover areas of science, technology, engineering and math. Each episode introduces different STEM concepts, including buoyancy and trajectory.

Extreme Engineering

Extreme Engineering covers major construction projects from all around the world. Some are futuristic projects that may never be done, others are projects that are on there way to completion.

Engineering an Empire

Engineering an Empire is a program on The History Channel that explores the engineering and/or architectural feats that were characteristic of some of the greatest societies on this planet. It is hosted by Peter Weller, famous for his acting role as RoboCop but also a lecturer at Syracuse University, where he completed his Master's in Roman and Renaissance Art. The executive producer is Delores Gavin. The show started as a documentary about the engineering feats of Ancient Rome and later evolved into a series. It originally ran for one full season of weekly episodes.

James May's Big Ideas

James May's Big Ideas is a three-part British television miniseries in which James May, a journalist and self-acknowledged geek travels the globe in search of implementations for concepts widely considered science fiction, or his big ideas. The series is produced by the BBC and the Open University and began airing at 8pm on Sundays on 28 September 2008. The first episode documents his search for the ultimate form of personal transport, ranging from jetpacks to flying cars. In the second episode, May looks at bionics and robotics and if robots can exceed the boundaries of their programming. The third episode focuses on energy.

Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking

Hawking gives us the ultimate guide to the universe, a ripping yarn based on real science, spanning the whole of space and time -- from the nature of the universe itself, to the chances of alien life, and the real possibility of time travel.

Through the Wormhole

Hosted by Morgan Freeman, Through the Wormhole explores the deepest mysteries of existence - the questions that have puzzled mankind for eternity. What are we made of? What was there before the beginning? Are we really alone? Is there a creator? These questions have been pondered by the most exquisite minds of the human race. Now, science has evolved to the point where hard facts and evidence may be able to provide us with answers instead of philosophical theories. Through the Wormhole brings together the brightest minds and best ideas from the very edges of science - Astrophysics, Astrobiology, Quantum Mechanics, String Theory, and more - to reveal the extraordinary truth of our Universe.

Darwin's Brave New World

A docudrama series focusing on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection; it uses reconstruction of the 19th century with present day documentary.

Chemistry: A Volatile History

Jim Al-Khalili traces the story of how the elements, the building blocks that make up our entire world, were discovered and mapped.

Mankind: The Story of All of Us

Mankind The Story of All of Us is an epic 12-hour television event about the greatest adventure of all time—the history of the human race. It takes 10 billion years for the ideal planet to form and 3 billion more for the right conditions to emerge before it finally happens: mankind begins. From there unfolds a fast-paced story told here through key turning points—stepping stones in our journey from hunter-gatherer to global citizen. It’s a tale of connections—why some ideas take hold and spread around the globe, and how the lives of people in one part of the world are shaped by events in another.

Crash Course Chemistry

Hank does his best to convince us that chemistry is not torture, but is instead the amazing and beautiful science of stuff.

The Tube: Going Underground

Carrying nearly five million passengers per day, the London Tube is one of the world's oldest and busiest metro systems in the world. Today the Tube is undergoing a complete overhaul that is long overdue. Take a behind the scenes look into the daily lives of drivers, emergency personnel, operations managers, and many others among the near twenty thousand employees of this massive rail system, as they navigate the evolution of the London Tube.

James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction

Explore the evolution of sci-fi from its origins as a small genre with a cult following to the blockbuster pop-cultural phenomenon we know today. In each episode, James Cameron introduces one of the “Big Questions” that humankind has contemplated throughout the ages and reaches back into sci-fi’s past to better understand how our favorite films, TV shows, books, and video games were born.

Bitz and Bob

Eight-year-old Bitz is a budding inventor bursting with great ideas. Along with energetic little brother Bob, Bitz uses engineering to solve all sorts of problems for her friends.

Mythbusters Jr.

Six of America’s most talented kids get a chance to show off their amazing ingenuity and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) skills as they tackle myths similar to those seen in MythBusters, ranging from driving, explosions, chemistry, physics, popular culture and more.

Ultimate Supercar

Today's high-end high-performance Supercars are an amazing combination of art and science. Super Car Build finds out how they do it and goes behind the scenes at some of the most legendary automotive marques to discover the hidden engineering secrets and keys to each machine's success.

The Search for Solutions

A nine part television series, produced by J.C. Crimmins for PBS. Music composed, arranged and performed by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays. The stated purpose of “The Search for Solutions” is to stimulate interest in science and technology, primarily among the young. The film comprises nine 18-minute sections touching on various aspects of scientific inquiry that its makers say can be shown as a whole, as it is in this engagement, or in any combination of its parts.

The Inside Story

Inside the NBA – the Sports Emmy Award-winning studio show known for its entertaining style and unfiltered commentary – pulls back the curtain on its more than 30-year history in this four-part documentary series. Interviews with celebrities, crew members, sports reporters and more illuminate the show’s evolution into a cultural phenomenon with untold stories that highlight the chemistry between Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal.

Lessons in Chemistry

In the 1950s, Elizabeth Zott's dream of being a scientist is challenged by a society that says women belong in the domestic sphere. She accepts a job on a TV cooking show and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives way more than recipes.

The Chemistry of Death

When bodies begin turning up in the tranquil English countryside that he has recently made home, a forensic anthropologist helps local police in a race against time.

An Optimist’s Guide to the Planet

Follow Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s search for the people, ideas, traditions, and attitudes – the solutions – which will transform fear of the future into hope, climate angst into optimism and human disconnection into engagement. In each of the six episodes, Nikolaj and his affable team criss-cross the globe exploring humanity, witnessing its power for good and learning about some of the remarkable solutions (both old and new) that inspire his optimism for the future.

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