The incredible story of Professor John Bahcall and Dr. Ray Davis is one of the most captivating tales of scientific discovery in recent history. For forty years, these two pioneering scientists were engaged in a remarkable experiment – to unravel the secrets behind why our Sun shines so brightly. The results of their work would eventually lead to a Nobel Prize for Davis, as well as inspiring an entirely new theory about the structure of the universe.
At the heart of their discoveries lay something incredibly small yet incredibly powerful – neutrinos. Trillions of these particles pass through our bodies every second, but they have a fundamental role in creation: they are essential to all atoms that make up everything that exists. However, due to their ghost-like nature, it was almost impossible for scientists to trap and understand them.
This is where Bahcall and Davis stepped in with a series of ambitious experiments – from submerging 600 tons of cleaning fluid into a vat, to creating a huge research space inside a Japanese mountain, and even digging two kilometres deep into the ground in Canada. The results were extraordinary; it was discovered that neutrinos may be responsible for the inception of life itself!
This epic journey has been documented by filmmaker Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell in his compelling documentary ‘John & Ray: Reaching for the Sun’. It follows both heroes as they explore the hidden world within our own bodies and uncover extraordinary truths about our universe. Through this inspirational film we witness first-hand how two visionary minds pushed back boundaries and changed science forever – uncovering untold secrets along their way.
