The goal of this four-part documentary series co-produced by the BBC and PBS is to foster an appreciation not only of the beauty but also the intelligibility of the world around us by providing examples of how physical laws undergird the Earth's fundamental character and affect the life forms that inhabit it. The first episode, “Shape,” explains how forces such as gravity and electromagnetism control designs that reappear in nature and why symmetry is essential to existence. “Elements” discusses the chemical building blocks of the planet. “Color” shows how varied hues are indicative of particular functions in the chain of being, and “Motion” demonstrates the role played by basic movements such as the rotation of the planet. Spectacular footage filmed in far-flung regions of the world is employed to illustrate these points, featuring ibexes scrambling on Alpine cliffs to lick salt residue, Nepalese villagers climbing forbidding peaks to collect honey, tribesmen awaiting the greening of vegetation through rain (and depending on the redness of the soil), Spanish crowds making huge human pyramids, and photographers examining the underside of glaciers. Presented by physicist Brian Cox, Forces of Nature is an engrossing physics lesson that will both amaze and enlighten viewers. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)
Forces of Nature
(2016) 2 discs. 240 min. DVD: $24.99 ($59.99 w/PPR), Blu-ray: $34.99 ($59.99 w/PPR). PBS Video (avail. from most distributors). SDH captioned. ISBN: 978-1-62789-810-2 (dvd), 978-1-62789-811-9 (blu-ray). Volume 32, Issue 2
Forces of Nature
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