Customer Reviews

NOVA: Lost at Sea - The Search for Longitude

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This is a super dramatization and historical account of the sometimes less than scientific search for a way to find longitude at sea.

The video is beautifully produced and the acting is great. The science is accurate and engaging for all levels of understanding.

Harrison's genius is expertly portrayed and his contribution to the scientific method is well documented. The prejudice of the so-called learned academics against the practitioner is a reminder that we can still miss the boat with preconceptions.

Highly recommended.

It seems to be trivial to know where you are, especially when the era of GPS (global positioning system) starts in 1995. It is, however, a challenge to know this at sea in the 1700s. Although one can tell the latitude by measuring the angle of the sun at noon, there is no practical way to know the longitude at that time. This makes navigation unreliable and deadly.

Most people, including Isaac Newton, think this problem must be solved by astronomers, or professors in famous universities by measuring the stars or the moon. It is John Harrison, an unschooled carpenter and watchmaker from the country, to get this job done and win the 20,000 pounds (millions in today's dollars) by his custom-made clock.

The key to know where you are is to know what time it is. This is still the principle that GPS works today. The clocks in GPS are atomic. However, the clocks then are mechanic and are very difficult, if not impossible, to maintain its precision at sea due to the shaking of a ship. In addition, the gravity, temperature and friction are also factors to make a clock imprecise when traveling a long distance. Finally, it took John Harrison 58 years to overcome all these and make longitude predictable at sea.

What we think straightforward may go through long struggles. What we think a reasonable and better idea may turn out impractical. It is fun to learn the above while watching this film. And it would be good if more people know about this history.

A wonderful and interesting look into the history of maritime navigation. Easy to read and understand. Gives the reader a great appreciation of the struggle that confronted sailors for generations.

I did not even realize navigation was a problem in the time of Isaac Newton, or that longitude could not be accurately calculated. This was a fascinating look done in typical NOVA style into the problem, and how it was solved not by the great mathematicians and astronomers of the time, but by a watch maker. A nice video for those interested in science, navigation, or history.

This is an amazing video documentary production of Longitude. In fact it is imperative to have this DVD if you also want to watch the movie on Longitude since it explains in detail what the movie does not. You will not be disappointed in this documentary. The seller was excellent along with fast shipping.

This is a well made and educational DVD. John Harrison was indeed ahead of his time.

Hi my name is Christopher Floyd. Have you ever seen Lost at Sea. The characters are Zack, Cody, Bailey, London, and Woody. They are 5 members of the SS Tipton Cruise
It started because of London and Woody. Bailey and Cody were out on the deck and they heard a scream come from one of the green lifeboats. They ran in the lifeboat to see what London was screaming about. Then, Woody fell against the launch button. They removed the boat cover and the lifeboat dropped in the water.
They were now lost at sea. They began to scream for help but the ship never stopped for them. Zack found the emergency kit and pulled out the lighting gun. London tried to take the gun and she fired it in the water. Woody pulled out different kinds of beef jerky and they started to fight over it. Cody and Bailey got over it and began to fight over what direction to go. Then, Woody fell in the water. Everyone began to scream. They pulled Woody back on the boat. They started to get very hungry.
Then, they crashed on a big island. London was so happy to see land. They started to build their places to live. Cody made a sand bed. They all were tired, so they went to sleep. The next morning, Cody was trying to find a way to get off the island. His idea of wings didn't work. He found a way that they all can get off the island. They made a balloon of London's clothes.
In the next minute, they landed back on the ship. Mr. Mosebey was very happy to see them.