Dr Peter Wothers, a teaching fellow in the department of chemistry at the University of Cambridge, is the protagonist of the Royal Institution's (RI) 2012 Christmas Lectures.
He is the modern alchemist and in his three lectures will look at three of the ancient Greek elements: air, water and earth.
Lecture 1: Air: The Elixir of Life
Lecture 2: Water: The Fountain of Youth
Lecture 3: Earth: The Philosopher's Stone
The Christmas Lectures, aimed at young people and initiated in 1825 by Michael Faraday, will be broadcast on BBC Four at 8pm on 26, 27 and 28 December.
The 2012 Christmas Lectures are supported by the Royal Society of Chemistry, EPSRC and Dow.
Photo Credit: The Royal Institution