麻豆社

We've been drawn to the shiny stuff for thousands of years - from the moment our ancestors spotted some聽brightly聽mottled hunks of rock and wondered聽what could be done with them. Plenty, was the answer. First copper, bronze and gold聽was moulded into marvellous decoration. Today metals have amazing applications in everything from construction聽to healthcare.聽

This week Adam Walton re-traces those early steps in metallurgy at the Great Orme copper mines in Llandudno,聽thought to be the World's oldest excavated site. He talks to mine manager Nick Jowett about the early workings and how the聽tunnels were dug out by simple bone tools. The copper, together with tin聽from Cornwall, helped fuel the Bronze Age and drive commerce聽around Europe and beyond. Today metals continue to drive commerce and industry.

Steel processing is an important part of the South Wales landscape and and at Swansea University there is a team of scientists devoted to finding new聽uses for the alloy. Adam talks to Dr James Sullivan and Dr Matt Carnie about their innovative work in this field. And at Cardiff University Prof Graham Hutchings is leading research into gold as a catalyst.聽A nano particle of gold can be used to disinfect grey water. 聽聽聽