How Long Is A Piece Of String?
Alan Davies discovers that answering that question is much harder than he originally thought after visiting mathematician Marcus du Sautoy to help him find an answer. However, this creates more questions, which requires a trip to a place dedicated to measurement, the National Physics Laboratory.
Finding out the exact length of the string proves even more troublesome when Marcus proposes the string could be infinitely long, thanks to the theory of fractals. After leaving Marcus, Alan visits a physics teacher to see if measuring the string in atoms can help him find an answer. However, this means exploring Quantum Mechanics.
Alan goes to a lab to explore the theory of Quantum Mechanics in more detail to see if his string can be in two places at once, confusing him even further. Still no closer to an answer Alan is introduced to the theory that his string may have multiples lengths at the same time, all with the help of a stuffed cat. Alan doesn’t believe Quantum Mechanics is important on a basic scale, but photosynthesis and the ability to smell might just change his mind.
If Alan was to find the most accurate way of measuring his string he could theoretically create a black hole. Trying to find the solution to this question has been a philosophical journey for Alan, but he still visits Marcus du Sautoy to tell him his personal answer.
Watch the full documentary now (playlist)
What I had assumed was going to be a fairly dry repeat of general physics turned out to be very informational. It’s told like a story thats actually quite funny, and not dry at all. Well done.
And complete with light jazz. :)
9/10
So according to this video there is an unseen world around us?
Alan Davies is a well known comedic actor in the UK, probably best known as playing the layman on the panel show hosted by Stephen Fry – Qi (Quite interesting) in which some really tough often ridiculously hard questions are asked. The winner is generally the panellist who has the least points deducted!
For instance: What does this chemical formula mean…
C6H12O6(S)+602(g)->6CO2(g)+6H2)(g)
Any ways an entertaining doc but there are better out there.
Liked the doc. simple and funny.
@ Yavanna: Your formula, something to with glucose, at least the first part. Sugar?
You are close you exquisite googler! I`ll allow a few days for the real answer
@Yavanna:
Da*n it!…BEER!
OK hint
You have identified ONE ingredient. But you miss the obvious which is the reaction.
Fermentation?
Hint – fermentation would be too slow a process. No MORE HINTS!
@ Yavanna:
Photosynthesis!
How can empty space form dense matter?
@ Yavanne
is it custard exploding?
100 Bonus points to Dude! (There are QI clips on youtube – great show)
BBC empty space does not form dense matter, Where did you get that idea from.
I’m confused, is that not what they are trying to show?
Well without watching the Doc again I imagine what you are referring to is the convergence of atoms to former dense matter. It is explained that atoms are mostly empty space. If atoms are bombarded together their ions get stuck. They effectively clump together. Imagine snowflakes falling around you then gathering lots up then squeezing them in your hand. What was once mostly air is now condensed into a much denser material.
I`m not particular scientifically minded perhaps someone else could explain better.
I could cut and paste the real science here; but easier for you to google “how does dense matter form.”
You can also Google, Wikipedia- “Electromagnetic Force”
Electromagnetic force holds all matter together.
If you want to delve deeper Google- “Quantum Theory-Mozilla Firefox”.
Shows like this are just silly. Maybe good for a laugh or two. To ask physicists about such things is very silly. Do you actually believe that in a thousand years people will believe what these people have to say? That we’ll still have these same concepts of reality? I hardly think so. Quantum mechanics will be a footnote in the history books by then. Other, more elegant, ideas will come along and they, too, will end up being footnotes along the way. Do you want to be entertained? Go read Alice in Wonderland…
oxidation of glucose into carbondioxid and hydrogen gas?^^
It was a custard explosion Eric. “Dude” got it – I suspect he cheated and watched the show previously :)
Blax but how far down the rabbit hole should we go?
Yavanna
“Any ways an entertaining doc but there are better out there.”
Do tell us what others(docs) are out there.
Well you caught me on the hop there with my sweeping statement! I was thinking about the Quantum theory stuff but I suppose this doc does also touch on fractals etc…. and by “out there” I meant on TDF….
I am downloading this doc so I can show to my 11year old son later.
Hopefully, he can grasp the idea of “existing in different places at same time” better than me.
I forget the site name but achems sent me to a really good one that showed very simple explanations of QT. It had a cartoony professor explaining it all.
Here is the site.
Instead of it going through moderation.
Just Google…”one-mind-one-energy.com”
And then click on the top link…”is this Universe one big sea of energy-are we all connected?”
What other documentaries has Davie’s been in? He said he’d been in one previously but I’ve search and cannot find a thing!
Tara
You wont find Davies in any documentaries – he is a comedic actor. Whilst very well known in the UK for being in a panel show called QI: his only other claim to fame is being a sort of magician in a BBC series called “Jonathon Creek” If you like him search YouTube for “QI.”
I really enjoyed the simplicity of this doc trying to explain a complex theory.
Interstingly 2500 years ago Buddah has stated that,
‘…….all things have no fixed identity (‘inherent existence’) and are are in a state of impermanence – change and flux – constantly becoming and decaying. Not only are all things constantly changing, but if we analyse any phenomenon in enough detail we come to the conclusion that it is ultimately unfindable, and exists purely by definitions in terms of other things – and one of those other things is always the mind which generates those definitions…’
Tara
It seems Alan is now starting to get involved in documentaries. I`ve found one more so far:
“Go forth and multiply” It’s on You Tube but I will submit it to Vlatko for upload.
Thanks everyone for the help. I read some stuff from NASA astrophysicists, and well it is non-comprehendable on my part. Where does this energy that holds the atoms together come from? Do the atoms themselves create this energy?
Gotta check your formula again Yvanna, shouldn’t 6 O’s be going to water? Cancel that hydrogen gas?
No idea mate; my understanding of chemistry is very basic – I made a slight error anyway in copying the formula to here – the last bit should have been: +6H2O(g)
“http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/2589/screenshot1um6.png”
is a pic showing the formula properly annotated.
Nobody understands black matter yet. That’s why it’s called black matter. They know it is there, there is a lot of it but you can’t see it or precisely measure it.
Informative and entertaining, definitely worth a watch! :)