Retitled for DVD release, Stephen Hawking and the Theory of Everything, which was originally produced for Britain's Channel Four in 2007, aired in the U.S. on Discovery's Science Channel in 2008 under the title Master of the Universe. Presented here in two parts, the documentary serves parallel functions, showing Stephen Hawking still hard at work at age 66 (despite the ongoing advancement of Lou Gehrig's Disease that has left him almost totally paralyzed), while also giving the world's best-known theoretical physicist another mass-appealing opportunity to evangelize for a unified “theory of everything” that combines the mega-scale physics of Newtonian gravity with the micro-scale particle physics of quantum mechanics. As students, colleagues, and personal assistants sing his praises, we see Hawking in his daily life, as well as explaining the mind-boggling complexities of theoretical physics with the help of cleverly designed computer graphics. Black holes (which Hawking explained in his bestselling book A Brief History of Time) are discussed in detail, along with the space-time continuum, the origin of the universe, multidimensional universes beyond our perception, and string theory and the mysterious “M-Force”—all potential elements of the elusive theory of everything. In addition to presenting excerpts from Hawking's popular public lectures, the documentary also includes interviews with such noted theorists as Michio Kaku, John Schwarz, and Lisa Randall. Offering abundant professional and personal detail (including the fact that Hawking refuses to trade his familiar 1980s-vintage voice synthesizer for modern voice-simulation software), Stephen Hawking and the Theory of Everything is a solid profile that is sure to be popular. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Shannon)
Stephen Hawking and the Theory of Everything
(2007) 90 min. DVD: $24.99. Acorn Media (avail. from most distributors). Volume 24, Issue 3
Stephen Hawking and the Theory of Everything
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