Geochemist Clair Patterson sought to uncover Earth's actual age, eventually devising the uranium-lead dating technique that revealed it to be 4.5 billion years old. However, this was only the start of his impactful journey. Patterson committed himself to raising awareness about the harmful consequences of lead pollution, taking on the petroleum and chemical industries. His relentless advocacy led to one of the most significant public health triumphs of the 20th century, marking him as a pivotal figure in environmental health.
Show
Cosmos
Episode
S01E07
Air Date
Apr 20, 2014
Season 1 Episodes
S01E01
Standing Up in the Milky Way
S01E02
Some of the Things that Molecules Do
S01E03
When Knowledge Conquered Fear
S01E04
A Sky Full of Ghosts
S01E05
Hiding in the Light
S01E06
Deeper, Deeper, Deeper Still
S01E07
The Clean Room
S01E08
Sisters of the Sun
S01E09
The Lost Worlds of Planet Earth
S01E10
The Electric Boy
S01E11
The Immortals
S01E12
The World Set Free
S01E13
Unafraid of the Dark