Voyages Of Discovery

This series charts the wide-ranging impact of five astonishing ocean voyages. Explorer and engineer Paul Rose recreates legendary seafaring adventures to investigate how their discoveries have directly influenced all aspects of our modern world - from commerce and manufacturing to medicine, from biology to geology and astronomy. Each journey is recounted with the use of documentary-style reconstruction, while at the same time Paul uses his navigational and engineering expertise to reveal their far-reaching influence, without which today's world would be unrecognisable. From the remarkable eight-year journey of adultery and adversity that brought rubber, cinnamon and the metric system to Europe, to the globe-shrinking effect of the humble magnetic compass, Paul Rose's genuine love of science, adventurous nature and gift for storytelling bring these and other gripping tales to life.