Q.E.D. (British TV series)

Q.E.D. (quod erat demonstrandum, Latin for "that which was to be demonstrated") was the name of a series of BBC popular science documentary films which aired in the United Kingdom from 1982 to 1999.

Format
Running in a half-hour peak-time slot on the BBC's primary mass-audience channel BBC1, the series had a more populist and general interest agenda than the long-running Horizon series which aired on the more specialist channel BBC2.

Horizon could often be difficult for a scientific novice, requiring a modicum of background knowledge beyond the reaches of many viewers, so Q.E.D. was a more approachable way of introducing scientific stories.

Some notable films

 * A Guide to Armageddon (1982) – the effects of a one megaton nuclear bomb being exploded over London. Director Mick Jackson went on to direct the 1984 docu-drama Threads, an account of a nuclear holocaust and its effect on the working class city of Sheffield, England, and the eventual long-term effects of nuclear war on civilization.
 * Simon's War (1983) – the life of Simon Weston, who suffered serious burns in the Falklands War.
 * Big Brother's Little Test (1983) – How reliable is polygraphy, the use of lie-detectors? Can the innocent be unjustly condemned? Can the guilty beat them?
 * In at the Deep End (1984) – an experiment in which divers spent nine days at simulated depths of up to 1000 feet, breathing a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen.
 * Round Britain Whizz (1986) – a sped-up flight around the coastline of Britain, with guest appearances of Patrick Moore, David Bellamy and Clay Jones.
 * The Foolish Wise Ones (1987) – a look at the talents and worlds of Autistic Savants, such as Stephen Wiltshire.
 * With a Goal in Mind (1988) – A sport psychologist works with First Division Queen's Park Rangers for a period of six weeks.
 * The Magic of Memory (1988) – fronted by the TV magician Paul Daniels, who among other things uses the Linkword system to master enough Spanish to present the second part of the programme in the language.
 * Glimpses of Death (1988) - Prof. Peter Fenwick takes a look (at that time still very pioneering) at the phenomenon of near-death experiences.
 * John's Not Mad (1989) – follows a 15-year-old boy with severe Tourette syndrome.
 * My Best Friend's a Computer (1990) – explores the effects of computers on the emotional development of children.
 * How to be Happy (1996) - about the science and psychology of happiness, presented by Robert Holden.
 * Nerve Transplant (1997) – explores the work of a unique nerve transplant surgeon, bringing back movement to the limbs of previously paralysed patients.
 * Superspecs (1997) – follows the travels of a British inventor around Ghana with a pair of glasses made for just a dollar, that he is convinced could save the sight of millions.
 * The Burning Question (1998) – on spontaneous human combustion.
 * Breathless (1998) – investigates the Buteyko method for treating asthma.