Big Ideas (Video)

Big Ideas offers lectures on a variety of thought-provoking topics which range across politics, culture, economics, art history, science....
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Video Episodes:

Graham Farmelo on P...
1373 Views
04:30:00 03/03/12

Adjunct Professor of Physics at Northeastern University in Boston, Graham Farmelo, on Paul Dirac and the Religion of Mathematical Beauty. Apart from Einstein, Paul...

Graham Farmelo on Paul Dirac and Mathematical Beauty

Added 03/03/12
1373 Views

Graham Farmelo on Paul Dirac and Mathematical Beauty

[LESS INFO] 1373 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 03/03/12
Adjunct Professor of Physics at Northeastern University in Boston, Graham Farmelo, on Paul Dirac and the Religion of Mathematical Beauty. Apart from Einstein, Paul Dirac was probably the greatest theoretical physicist of the 20th century. Dirac, co-inventor of quantum mechanics, is now best known for conceiving of anti-matter and also for his deeply eccentric behavior. For him, the most important attribute of a fundamental theory was its mathematical beauty, an idea that he said was "almost a religion" to him.

Adam Gopnik on Reme...
1372 Views
04:30:00 02/25/12

Bestselling author, essayist and New Yorker contributor, Adam Gopnik, delivers the fifth installment of the 2011 CBC Massey Lectures, Winter: Five Windows on the S...

Adam Gopnik on Remembering Winter

Added 02/25/12
1372 Views

Adam Gopnik on Remembering Winter

[LESS INFO] 1372 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 02/25/12
Bestselling author, essayist and New Yorker contributor, Adam Gopnik, delivers the fifth installment of the 2011 CBC Massey Lectures, Winter: Five Windows on the Season. In this lecture, entitled Remembering Winter, Gopnik offers a delightful meditation and reflection on winter, drawing from his memories of growing up in Montreal as well as from the works of other artists, writers and thinkers who have shaped our ideas about the most memorable of seasons.

Charles Taylor on R...
1011 Views
04:30:00 02/22/12

Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Philosophy at McGill University, Charles Taylor, on Religion and Violence.

Charles Taylor on Religion and Violence

Added 02/22/12
1011 Views

Charles Taylor on Religion and Violence

[LESS INFO] 1011 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 02/22/12
Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Philosophy at McGill University, Charles Taylor, on Religion and Violence.

Steven Pinker on Th...
576 Views
04:30:00 02/18/12

Steven Pinker, author of The Better Angels of Our Nature, delivers a lecture entitled Thinking About Our Society: Why Violence Has Declined.

Steven Pinker on Thinking About Our Society

Added 02/18/12
576 Views

Steven Pinker on Thinking About Our Society

[LESS INFO] 576 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 02/18/12
Steven Pinker, author of The Better Angels of Our Nature, delivers a lecture entitled Thinking About Our Society: Why Violence Has Declined.

Charles Taylor and ...
630 Views
04:30:00 02/11/12

Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Philosophy at McGill University, Charles Taylor and Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth,...

Charles Taylor and Jonathan Sacks on The Future of Religion

Added 02/11/12
630 Views

Charles Taylor and Jonathan Sacks on The Future of Religion

[LESS INFO] 630 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 02/11/12
Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Philosophy at McGill University, Charles Taylor and Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, Jonathan Sacks discuss The Future of Religion in a Secular Age.

Robert J. Sawyer on...
524 Views
04:30:00 02/04/12

What will it mean to be human in the future? Uploading consciousness into virtual worlds and prolonging life through biotechnology are already being contemplated. ...

Robert J. Sawyer on Humanity 2.0

Added 02/04/12
524 Views

Robert J. Sawyer on Humanity 2.0

[LESS INFO] 524 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 02/04/12
What will it mean to be human in the future? Uploading consciousness into virtual worlds and prolonging life through biotechnology are already being contemplated. Canada's leading science fiction writer, Robert J. Sawyer, offers his insights in a lecture entitled Humanity 2.0, produced in collaboration with the Literary Review of Canada.

SF writer Robert J....
634 Views
17:00:00 02/01/12

Following his lecture at the Gardiner Museum, Robert J. Sawyer responded to questions from the audience. This is an excerpt from the Q & A. Sawyer's full lecture, ...

SF writer Robert J. Sawyer on humans living forever

Added 02/01/12
634 Views

SF writer Robert J. Sawyer on humans living forever

[LESS INFO] 634 VIEWS | ADDED 17:00:00 02/01/12
Following his lecture at the Gardiner Museum, Robert J. Sawyer responded to questions from the audience. This is an excerpt from the Q & A. Sawyer's full lecture, entitled Humanity 2.0, will be broadcast on Big Ideas on February 4, 2012 at 5pm as well as podcast on tvo.org, iTunes and You Tube.

Ray Jayawardhana on...
552 Views
04:30:00 01/28/12

Author and astronomer Ray Jayawardhana discusses Alien Planets and his latest book Strange New Worlds. The lecture focuses on techniques for detecting planets orbi...

Ray Jayawardhana on Alien Planets

Added 01/28/12
552 Views

Ray Jayawardhana on Alien Planets

[LESS INFO] 552 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 01/28/12
Author and astronomer Ray Jayawardhana discusses Alien Planets and his latest book Strange New Worlds. The lecture focuses on techniques for detecting planets orbiting distant stars.

Robert J. Sawyer on...
357 Views
17:00:00 01/25/12

Following his lecture at the Gardiner Museum, sci-fi writer Robert J. Sawyer responded to questions from the audience. This is an excerpt from the Q & A. Sawyer's ...

Robert J. Sawyer on the issue of life prolongation

Added 01/25/12
357 Views

Robert J. Sawyer on the issue of life prolongation

[LESS INFO] 357 VIEWS | ADDED 17:00:00 01/25/12
Following his lecture at the Gardiner Museum, sci-fi writer Robert J. Sawyer responded to questions from the audience. This is an excerpt from the Q & A. Sawyer's full lecture, entitled Humanity 2.0, will be broadcast on Big Ideas on February 4, 2012 at 5pm as well as podcast on tvo.org, iTunes and You Tube.

Clay Shirky on Cogn...
555 Views
04:30:00 01/21/12

Author, teacher and activist, Clay Shirky, discusses the visionary insights of Marshall McLuhan as well as his own ideas about the effects of new media and social ...

Clay Shirky on Cognitive Surplus

Added 01/21/12
555 Views

Clay Shirky on Cognitive Surplus

[LESS INFO] 555 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 01/21/12
Author, teacher and activist, Clay Shirky, discusses the visionary insights of Marshall McLuhan as well as his own ideas about the effects of new media and social networking on our society. Shirky's latest book Cognitive Surplus explores how new technology is unleashing a wave of creative production that he believes is transforming the world. Following the lecture, Shirky sits down for an interview with broadcaster Jesse Hirsh. The event was part of the McLuhan 100 series at the International Festival of Authors at Harbourfront Centre.

SF writer Robert J....
741 Views
17:00:00 01/18/12

Following his lecture at the Gardiner Museum, science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer responded to questions from the audience. This is an excerpt from the Q & A. ...

SF writer Robert J. Sawyer on Artificial Intelligence

Added 01/18/12
741 Views

SF writer Robert J. Sawyer on Artificial Intelligence

[LESS INFO] 741 VIEWS | ADDED 17:00:00 01/18/12
Following his lecture at the Gardiner Museum, science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer responded to questions from the audience. This is an excerpt from the Q & A. Sawyer's full lecture, entitled Humanity 2.0, will be broadcast on Big Ideas on February 4, 2012 at 5pm as well as podcast on tvo.org, iTunes and You Tube.

David Brooks on The...
562 Views
04:30:00 01/14/12

In a lecture entitled How Success Happens, New York Times columnist and author, David Brooks, draws from the research in his latest book The Social Animal: The Hid...

David Brooks on The Social Animal

Added 01/14/12
562 Views

David Brooks on The Social Animal

[LESS INFO] 562 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 01/14/12
In a lecture entitled How Success Happens, New York Times columnist and author, David Brooks, draws from the research in his latest book The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character and Achievement. His lecture was delivered at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.

Julie Payette, Cana...
799 Views
04:30:00 01/07/12

The Canadian Space Agency's Chief Astronaut, Julie Payette delivers a lecture entitled Canadian Space Agency Perspectives from Space: Research and Diplomacy.

Julie Payette, Canadian Space Agency Perspectives from Space

Added 01/07/12
799 Views

Julie Payette, Canadian Space Agency Perspectives from Space

[LESS INFO] 799 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 01/07/12
The Canadian Space Agency's Chief Astronaut, Julie Payette delivers a lecture entitled Canadian Space Agency Perspectives from Space: Research and Diplomacy.

Roger Penrose on Tw...
738 Views
04:30:00 12/31/11

Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at University of Oxford, Sir Roger Penrose, discusses Twistors and Quantum Non-Locality.

Roger Penrose on Twistors and Quantum Non-Locality

Added 12/31/11
738 Views

Roger Penrose on Twistors and Quantum Non-Locality

[LESS INFO] 738 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 12/31/11
Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at University of Oxford, Sir Roger Penrose, discusses Twistors and Quantum Non-Locality.

Thomas Homer-Dixon ...
509 Views
04:30:00 12/24/11

Thomas Homer-Dixon answers questions following his lecture entitled Civilization Far From Equilibrium: Energy, Complexity and Human Survival.

Thomas Homer-Dixon Questions and Answers

Added 12/24/11
509 Views

Thomas Homer-Dixon Questions and Answers

[LESS INFO] 509 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 12/24/11
Thomas Homer-Dixon answers questions following his lecture entitled Civilization Far From Equilibrium: Energy, Complexity and Human Survival.

Palestine and the A...
436 Views
04:30:00 12/24/11

Bonus video - Moderator Mark Kingwell and panelists Michael Ignatieff and Ramin Jahanbegloo discuss Palestine and The Arab Spring as viewed through the writings of...

Palestine and the Arab Spring - Bonus video

Added 12/24/11
436 Views

Palestine and the Arab Spring - Bonus video

[LESS INFO] 436 VIEWS | ADDED 04:30:00 12/24/11
Bonus video - Moderator Mark Kingwell and panelists Michael Ignatieff and Ramin Jahanbegloo discuss Palestine and The Arab Spring as viewed through the writings of political philosopher Isaiah Berlin

« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 23 Next »

Graham Farmelo on Paul Dirac and Mathematical B...

Show: Big Ideas (Video)

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Graham Farmelo on Paul Dirac and Mathematical Beauty
03/03/12

Adjunct Professor of Physics at Northeastern University in Boston, Graham Farmelo, on Paul Dirac and the Religion of Mathematical Beauty. Apart from Einstein, Paul Dirac was probably the greatest theoretical physicist of the 20th century. Dirac, co-inventor of quantum mechanics, is now best known for conceiving of anti-matter and also for his deeply eccentric behavior. For him, the most important attribute of a fundamental theory was its mathematical beauty, an idea that he said was "almost a religion" to him.