Monday, January 18, 2010

The Secret Life of Chaos


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Chaos theory has a bad name, conjuring up images of unpredictable weather, economic crashes and science gone wrong. But there is a fascinating and hidden side to Chaos, one that scientists are only now beginning to understand.

It turns out that chaos theory answers a question that mankind has asked for millennia - how did we get here?

In this documentary, Professor Jim Al-Khalili sets out to uncover one of the great mysteries of science - how does a universe that starts off as dust end up with intelligent life? How does order emerge from disorder?

It's a mindbending, counterintuitive and for many people a deeply troubling idea. But Professor Al-Khalili reveals the science behind much of beauty and structure in the natural world and discovers that far from it being magic or an act of God, it is in fact an intrinsic part of the laws of physics. Amazingly, it turns out that the mathematics of chaos can explain how and why the universe creates exquisite order and pattern.

The natural world is full of awe-inspiring examples of the way nature transforms simplicity into complexity. From trees to clouds to humans - after watching this film you'll never be able to look at the world in the same way again.
(via Atheist Planet)

5 comments:

  1. <span>Good. A- . Jim Al-Khalili=Nuclear physicist=Hard science=Win.</span>

    Next up - Chemistry A volatile history: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u38c7_7NQA4      MOAR hard science on TV FTW!

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  2. Superlatively mind blowing. This is why I love BBC.

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  3. Absolutely fantastic and oh so believable. It's a wonderful time to be alive. We are learning oh so much.

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  4. Provocative! Loved every second of this!

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  5. I just finished watching the entire program.  First, what an incredible presenter he is, if only my kids get profs like him to be inspired by.  Then, for me, I got teary eyed, this is the real beauty of creation.  Too bad most of the religion bound of the world wouldn't be willing to open their minds to what he describes.

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