The Life Scientific

BBC Radio 4

Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires and motivates them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future

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The Life Scientific

Episodes (348)

Jan 27th Jehane Ragai on the science of authenticating artworks
Jan 20th Tony Juniper on parrots, princes and environmental protection
Dec 9, 2025 Pierre Friedlingstein on carbon’s pivotal role in climate change

The Life Scientific

Jan 27, 2026
28¼ minutes
26 MB

Ever heard of the unsuccessful Dutch painter who decided to humiliate his critics by forging Vermeers, which the artworld subsequently dubbed 'masterpieces'? Or the businessman who bought a Marc Chagall painting that he displayed with pride for years, before a television investigation revealed to his horror that it was a fake? Today we're exploring the scientific techniques used to reveal forged artworks - and bring down scammers still trying to make millions from fake masterpieces. Jehane Ragai is an Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the American University in Cairo, with a passion for science matched...

The Life Scientific

Jehane Ragai on the science of authenticating artworks

BBC Radio 4

00:00 -28:10