Each programme looks at a specific idea close to James' heart, but with the 21st century firmly in mind.
James has driven loads of amazing cars, but now he gets to try a few vehicles that are a little bit different to the usual Top Gear models. These include the aerocar (the legendary flying car from from 1950s), and James ponders the question of flying vehicles as a solution to congestion on the roads; the Russian ekranoplan; and he even risks strapping on a rocket pack.
Robots, cyborgs, bionic men...we've seen them all in the movies, but are they becoming a reality? James explores the fusion of man and machine with a female Robocop and bionic implants. Is resistance futile?
Finally, James questions why our sources of energy are so last century. A trip to Mexico gives him the opportunity to explore how a car might run on thin air, or whether a solution to our energy crisis may be "out of this world".
Dr Tony Nixon, Senior Lecturer in Information Systems with The Open University and Academic Adviser on the series says:
“This series gives occasional glimpses of the future which are at once disturbing and exciting. Our lives are often governed by technologies in far deeper ways than we may think and, more than ever, we need people to engage with big ideas.
“By watching the programmes and taking up the challenges on the website, we hope people will be motivated and excited by engineering and technology.”
OU on the BBC: James May's Big Ideas - Come Fly with Me
Production team
From the frozen wastes of Russia to Sussex, James May travels the globe in search of his ultimate flying machine in Come Fly with Me. Read more : OU on the BBC: James May's Big Ideas - Come Fly with Me
OU on the BBC: James May's Big Ideas - Man-Machine
Production team
James explores the world of cyborgs, robots and robotics, and looks to a new dawn in machine evolution in Man-Machine. Read more : OU on the BBC: James May's Big Ideas - Man-Machine
OU on the BBC: James May's Big Ideas - Power to the People
Production team
Goodbye to burning dead plants and animals, hello to forward-thinking sources of energy in Power to the People. Read more : OU on the BBC: James May's Big Ideas - Power to the People
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Comments on: "About the series"
Jay-Pee has started a thread discussing About the series.
To continue. My device follows the path of wave energy ie all energy moves in 'wave form' - up-down - up down The fastest speed (of light) to the slowest moves in undulations. It is fortunate that your road vehicle and your floating vessel moves just so and this can be utilised to propel your vehicle without fuel. Because of this up-down motion we cannot capture full force of gravity. But half (16.1ft/sec/sec) is profit enough
See my 8 videos on YouTube.
The link 'leadtogold' - mechanics
Tom Shaughnessy
Want another form of energy? Try Force of Gravity - 32.2ft/sec/sec.
The progamme by James was most interesting with its plethora
of complicated and sometimes daft concepts and Salter did not
invent the first WEC. Mine came in 1960. Who did your research
James?
Fantastic series.
As always James May produces a high interesting subjects which are taking hours of debate at work :)
Carry on the good job.
Maybe we could see more similar series soon because it's the only thing worth watching at the TV moment.