Trillion Dollar Bet

Does a video about economic theory sound like a surefire cure for insomnia? Not this one; the folks at NOVA ("mind-altering television," you know...wait a minute, is that legal?) have accomplished an impossible mission and made an entirely watchable hour-long video about economics, investment strategies and an equation that revolutionized modern finance as the video's ubiquitous white men in suits are happy to tell viewers at every turn. Fisher Black, Myron Scholes and Robert Merton labored long and hard on their mathematical formula, looking for a way to cut risk out of the investment experience. Their success landed them a Nobel Prize and--with bond trader John Meriweather--the trio launched a hedge fund, Long Term Capital Management, which made fistfuls of money...for a while. What actually happened to this merry band of capitalists, not to mention how their formula worked, or just what the heck a hedge fund is, are details you'll just have to discover for yourself. Trust me, there's a surprising amount of action in this tale about the "dismal science" that plays out mostly in offices and on trading floors. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (M. Tribby)