Setting out to solve the world’s mathematical mysteries, the engaging three-part BBC documentary, The Code, debuts on DVD from Athena on June 19, 2012, as the follow up to the hugely successful documentary, The Story of Math. Author, TV presenter, and Oxford University professor, Marcus du Sautoy travels from Chartres Cathedral to Grand Central Station in search of the mysterious hidden code that can unlock the very laws of the universe. Broadcast on BBC2 in July 2011 and available to U.S. audiences for the first time, The Code, offers a deft blend of entertainment and education, exploring the power of numbers. The DVD 2-vol. boxed set includes three “Math Shorts”: Phi’s the Limit (4 min.), Go Forth and Multiply (4 min.), and Imagining the Impossible: The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher (4 min.) as well as a 12-page viewer’s guide ($39.99, www.Athenalearning.com).
What
makes the world operate the way it does? Are there patterns to what
happens or do we live in a universe of random events that cannot be
predicted
or explained? Marcus du Sautoy sets out to answer these and other
questions, convinced there is a mathematical formula that can identify
patterns and connect everything we see around us.
Marcus
du Sautoy holds the Simonyi Professorship for the Public Understanding
of Science at Oxford University and is a winner of the London
Mathematical
Society’s Berwick Prize. He contributes regularly to the Times and the Guardian (U.K), has presented many TV and radio programs, and has authored numerous books, including
Symmetry. Athena released du Sautoy’s The Story of Math on DVD in March 2010.
Episodes: Numbers; Shapes; Prediction
BONUS FEATURES: “Math Shorts:”
Phi’s the Limit (4 min.): Explores the relationship between beauty and the golden ratio or phi.;
Go Forth and Multiply (4 min.): Thousands of years before programmers dreamed in binary, Ethiopian traders unlocked the base-2 system.:
Imagining the Impossible: The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher (4
min.): Examines the Dutch artist’s experimentation with tessellation;
12-page viewer’s guide with articles on the early history of
mathematics, the story of pi, and famous sites and structures
by the numbers, plus discussion questions at athenalearning.com.
Our Thoughts
My husband is always talking about how everything in life can be explained by math. He believes the secret to life is just a math equation. I used to think he was just babbling, until I watched this three part documentary. I have never been very good with math, but you don't have to be wiz to follow along with this mini series.This set describes numbers and patterns in ways that the layman can understand. And while you might think it would be as boring as sitting through a college lecture, it really isn't. This DVD set held my attention and taught me things about the world I live in that I never knew. I feel like I have a deepened awareness of the magic of math, and I'm so glad I had a chance to watch these fantastic DVDs.
If you love documentaries or if you have a passion for math, than this is the DVD set for you. You can order The Code for only $39.99 at Acorn Media.
***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. ***
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