Bringing science to the masses - Wonderstuff, with Jane Moore

Wonderstuff

BBC2

Biology has had its moments, thanks to the thought-provoking Dr Robert Winston and a plethora of documentaries about the human anatomy.

And Dr Brian Cox has brought physics to the masses – not to mention injecting sex appeal into science – with his critically acclaimed Wonders of the Solar System.

So step forward author, columnist and TV presenter Jane Moore, who is now trying to fly the flag for chemistry by sparking interest in the contents of our cosmetics cupboard in BBC2's new series, Wonderstuff.

Or, to give this bizarrely pointless programme the unabridged title it deserves, Wonderstuff: Things you never needed to know about the contents of your bathroom cabinet, and probably wouldn't understand anyway, even if you gave a damn.

One has to assume the producers chose the most riveting of the six episodes to launch the series, in an attempt to hook viewers in . . . so lord help us over the coming five weeks.

For the "highlight" of this opener was a contraption which looked like a Victorian workhouse sewing machine dragging pieces of hair through a giant comb to measure how much it tangled.

Either side of that, Jane and a bearded scientist set up a barbecue on a garden patio, under the sun umbrella (didn't anyone give them the fire safety lecture?) to make a bar of home-made soap, then dragged a table onto the beach to concoct a tube of DIY toothpaste.

And the conclusion of these experiments? "It's all jolly fascinating, isn't it?"

Jane Moore is certainly no Magnus Pike in the enthusiasm stakes. She doesn't inject much chemistry into chemistry.

"Ooh, I feel like Delia Smith," she smirked half heartedly at one point, as she set about warming up a lump of lard on the hob. What was she suggesting about Delia's recipes?

Buried in the techno-babble was something about sodium laureth sulphate, which can be found in shampoo, handwash and shower gel.

Is it a good, or bad thing? Not sure, really. But it does stop a dirty ring of scum appearing along the water-line when the sink or bath is drained!

Then there's something called "quats" which are found in conditioner products, and create an electrical charge which stops hair knotting.

Those who are interested in the science of such things would have wanted a thorough explanation, which wasn't forthcoming.

What else did we learn? That cows' teeth are good for carrying out dental experiments, that Victorian toothpaste was as effective as modern-day blends, and that we use 100,000 metric tonnes of soap a year. Yawn.

All in all, Wonderstuff was as dull as watching home-made soap dry.

If it had come with a "try this at home, folks" recipe card, or even an iPhone app to guide shoppers through the smallprint on their next trip to the supermarket, it would have at least had a purpose.

But no. It came, delivered some unstructured facts and figures in random locations, and went.

The technical terms we're supposed to be looking out for flashed on and off the screen so quickly you'd be hard pressed to register them at all.

So, next Monday night at 7.30pm, I'll be washing my hair – and I won't be giving a moment's thought about the sodium laureth sulphate content in my favourite anti-dandruff shampoo.

By Carl Jones