Review | Hunting the Elements (Blu-ray)

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Plot: What’s it about?Video: How does it look?Audio: How does it sound?Supplements: What are the extras?

Plot: What’s it about?

A lot is known about the elements that comprise our world, but there are still ample things we don’t know. Hunting the Elements is a Nova special which explores the elements like never before. Our host for this journey is David Pogue, who serves as a tech correspondent to the New York Times and also hosts the Nova series Making Stuff. Pogue sets out to uncover the mysteries of the elements, from the banal to the more exotic. This process is fueled by experiments all of kinds, designed to unlock the secrets of the elements. These experiments are the kind you probably won’t find anywhere else, as every avenue of research is exhausted to provide knowledge. Hunting the Elements seeks to decipher the science behind explosive, poisonous, inert, acidic elements, to find out what makes them tick and why they function as they do. In other words, Hunting the Elements tries to answer everything you wanted to know about elements, but were afraid to ask.

Who knew a program about chemistry could be this awesome? Hunting the Elements does what few programs can, as it informs and educates, but also entertains. I’m not a science expert by any means, so I found the content here fascinating, but even science buffs will find a lot to like. The stories about how elemental discoveries were made are informative, while the various experiments conducted are quite interesting as well. The approach taken is one that is simple enough for anyone to understand, but with the depth a science buff would want to have. This means whether you are an expert or don’t know gold from platinum, Hunting the Elements will keep you glued to the screen. David Pogue is a great host and is not your typical science show personality, which helps keep the entertainment value present. After just a couple of hours with Hunting the Elements, my knowledge base has expanded greatly and I have a new appreciation for the study of the elements. So if you want to learn a little and have fun in the process, Nova’s Hunting the Elements is one you won’t want to miss.

Video: How does it look?

Hunting the Elements is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen. This program looks terrific, though I do want to mention it is 1080i, just in case. I doubt anyone is going to tell the difference, but I wanted to mention it nonetheless. The image here is crystal clear and razor sharp, with excellent detail on showcase. This is great news, since the program has some interesting visuals. The colors are bright and natural, while contrast is stark and accurate at all times. I didn’t detect any real problems at all, so this is one heck of a visual treatment.

Audio: How does it sound?

The included soundtrack is more than capable, but not “rattle the windows” type audio. The main focus is on vocals, via the interviews and such, so there isn’t a lot of depth. The dialogue all sounds good though, clear and easy to pick up. The other elements are lower key in scope, but also sound fine. This disc also includes English subtitles.