Catch up TV

This episode is currently not available.

Series 2: 3. Smartphone



With over six billion of them across the planet, smartphones have changed the modern world. With rare access to electronics giant Samsung, Hannah uncovers the technological game changers that have made the smartphone a reality.\n\nShe finds out how 1940s comic book hero Dick Tracy inspired the first mobile phone, discovers why the invention of the digital camera led to one of the biggest commercial blunders of all time and reveals what a 2010 South Korean sausage frenzy can tell us about touchscreens.

Source: BBC 2

Most recent episodes of The Secret Genius of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 2: 6. Lift

Series 2: 6. Lift

Hannah goes behind the scenes to look at the technology behind the lift, entering a 246m high lift shaft to test everything from the brakes to her own fear of heights.\n\nAlong ...

30-10-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 2: 5. Headphones

Series 2: 5. Headphones

Headphones: these marvels of miniaturisation are worn by over 30 million people in the UK. Hannah Fry visits legendary headphone honchos Bose to find out how today’s teeny ...

23-10-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 2: 4. Microwave

Series 2: 4. Microwave

Hannah Fry discovers the hidden WWII radar technology that heats up baked beans, learns the legend of the melted candy bar in an engineer’s pocket that kick-started a kitc ...

16-10-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 2: 3. Smartphone

Series 2: 3. Smartphone

With over six billion of them across the planet, smartphones have changed the modern world. With rare access to electronics giant Samsung, Hannah uncovers the technological game ...

09-10-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 2: 2. Vacuum Cleaner

Series 2: 2. Vacuum Cleaner

Hannah takes a look at the vacuum cleaner, going behind the scenes with Dyson and discovering how the motor in their latest vacuum spins nine times faster than that of a Formula ...

02-10-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 2: 1. Passport

Series 2: 1. Passport

Hannah gains access to a top-secret site where anonymous staff and the latest tech work to make the British passport one of the most secure documents on the planet. She reveals ...

25-09-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 1: 6. Trainer

Series 1: 6. Trainer

Hannah Fry visits eBay’s authentication centre, where they are waging war against fake high-value trainers. She discovers how American breakfast waffles transformed our tr ...

13-05-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 1: 5. Fitness Tracker

Series 1: 5. Fitness Tracker

With around a third of the population now owning fitness trackers, Britain has become a nation obsessed with tracking its every move.\n\nHannah Fry finds out how 1970s car crash ...

10-05-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 1: 4. Electric Car

Series 1: 4. Electric Car

Hannah Fry discovers why innovations in meat packing almost derailed the electric car revolution and how a breakthrough in camcorder batteries led to Elon Musk’s electric ...

09-05-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 1: 3. Virtual Assistant

Series 1: 3. Virtual Assistant

Hannah Fry delves into the inner workings of virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri, which are now found in almost half of all UK homes.\n\nHann ...

08-05-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Most popular episodes of The Secret Genius of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 2: 6. Lift

Series 2: 6. Lift

Hannah goes behind the scenes to look at the technology behind the lift, entering a 246m high lift shaft to test everything from the brakes to her own fear of heights.\n\nAlong ...

30-10-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 2: 1. Passport

Series 2: 1. Passport

Hannah gains access to a top-secret site where anonymous staff and the latest tech work to make the British passport one of the most secure documents on the planet. She reveals ...

25-09-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 2: 4. Microwave

Series 2: 4. Microwave

Hannah Fry discovers the hidden WWII radar technology that heats up baked beans, learns the legend of the melted candy bar in an engineer’s pocket that kick-started a kitc ...

16-10-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 1: 2. Food Delivery App

Series 1: 2. Food Delivery App

Hannah Fry tucks into the tech behind food delivery apps like Deliveroo and Just Eat, which are now used by 24 million people in the UK.\n\nHannah meets the R&D team behind food ...

07-05-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 1: 4. Electric Car

Series 1: 4. Electric Car

Hannah Fry discovers why innovations in meat packing almost derailed the electric car revolution and how a breakthrough in camcorder batteries led to Elon Musk’s electric ...

09-05-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 2: 5. Headphones

Series 2: 5. Headphones

Headphones: these marvels of miniaturisation are worn by over 30 million people in the UK. Hannah Fry visits legendary headphone honchos Bose to find out how today’s teeny ...

23-10-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 1: 5. Fitness Tracker

Series 1: 5. Fitness Tracker

With around a third of the population now owning fitness trackers, Britain has become a nation obsessed with tracking its every move.\n\nHannah Fry finds out how 1970s car crash ...

10-05-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 1: 6. Trainer

Series 1: 6. Trainer

Hannah Fry visits eBay’s authentication centre, where they are waging war against fake high-value trainers. She discovers how American breakfast waffles transformed our tr ...

13-05-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 2: 2. Vacuum Cleaner

Series 2: 2. Vacuum Cleaner

Hannah takes a look at the vacuum cleaner, going behind the scenes with Dyson and discovering how the motor in their latest vacuum spins nine times faster than that of a Formula ...

02-10-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life

The Secret Genius Of Modern Life - Series 1: 3. Virtual Assistant

Series 1: 3. Virtual Assistant

Hannah Fry delves into the inner workings of virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri, which are now found in almost half of all UK homes.\n\nHann ...

08-05-2024

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

© 2024 - Catchupplayer.co.uk