Writing to a friend in 1907, two years after he had published his special theory of relativity, Albert Einstein allowed that he was still a "federal ink pisser" working at a Swiss patent office in Bern. Although he had tried--unsuccessfully--to land a teaching position at various universities, the twinkly-eyed genius actually found bureaucratic work to be nicely conducive to daydreaming--i.e., Einstein's famous "thought experiments"--about various questions of physics concerning light and gravity, which in turn led to some of the most profound scientific insights of the 20th century as Newton's cut-and-dry clockwork universe was gradually replaced by one in which space and time were no longer "fixed" dimensions. Einstein's early theories were both startlingly original and decidedly radical (his first paper--which argued that at the speed of light, time stood still--contained neither references nor footnotes, as there were no shoulders of giants to stand on), paving the way for the next step--quantum mechanics--in which the smallest particles of matter act in uncertain ways; a somewhat chaotic vision of physics that disturbed Einstein greatly and led to his famous disclaimer that "God does not play dice" (successive wags have countered that the Supreme Being is not only a gamer, but also cheats). Narrated by F. Murray Abraham, and featuring Andrew Sachs as Einstein, this two-hour NOVA special offers a perfect mix of biography and science to trace the highlights of Einstein's life (including his marriage to childhood sweetheart Mileva Maric, which ended in divorce, after which Einstein wed his cousin Elsa) and work (including wonderful computer-animated examples of Einstein's theories). Although many argue that Einstein simply treaded water--scientifically speaking--while searching for a grand unified theory during the last three decades of his life, noted physicist Michio Kaku--one of several well-spoken interviewees here--argues that Einstein led the charge and pointed the way and continues to be a source of inspiration today. DVD extras include DVD-ROM accessible printable materials for educators. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)
Einstein Revealed
(1996) 120 min. DVD: $19.95. WGBH Boston Video (<span class=SpellE>tel</span>: 800-949-8670, web: <a href="http://www.wgbh.org/">www.wgbh.org</a>). <span class=GramE>PPR.</span> <span class=GramE>Color cover.</span> ISBN: 1-59375-189-3. November 15, 2004
Einstein Revealed
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: