EINSTEIN’S SUCCESSORS EXPLORE THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE WHEN
THIRTEEN/WNET NEW YORK SPEAKS WITH SOME OF TODAY’S MOST BRILLIANT
THINKERS IN BIG IDEAS, A GROUNDBREAKING NEW MINISERIES, PREMIERING
APRIL 2003 ON PUBLIC TELEVISION
Top Scholars In The Fields Of Astronomy, Physics, Humanities, And More Share Their
Visions In Lively Conversations At The Institute For Advanced Study In Princeton, New Jersey
Four-Part Series Features Interviews With Freeman Dyson, John Bahcall, Martin Nowak,
Clifford Geertz, Oleg Grabar, John Nash, And Many More
Ira Flatow, Of National Public Radio’s Science Friday, Hosts
Imagine sitting down for a one-on-one discussion about the theory of relativity with Albert
Einstein himself. Today, the intellectual descendents of Einstein can be found at work at the
Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Comprising some of the world’s most
visionary thinkers, these dynamic scholars are mapping the frontiers of knowledge, their
research driven not by commercial applications, but by a passion to unravel the most puzzling
enigmas of life itself.
Now, in BIG IDEAS, an unprecedented four-part miniseries, Thirteen/WNET New
York gives viewers the opportunity to meet these remarkable individuals and to hear them
discuss their work, experiences, visions, and obsessions in their own words. Hosted by science
journalist Ira Flatow, BIG IDEAS premieres in April 2003 on public television (check local
listings).
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“BIG IDEAS is smart television,” says executive producer Beth Hoppe. “It’s
television that is not afraid to deal in challenging, complex ideas. These conversations with
some of the most prolific thinkers of our time offer amazing insights into the cutting edge of
intellectual thought in our day.”
Filmed in part in Einstein’s library at the Institute for Advanced Study, BIG IDEAS
breaks new ground. Through intimate and penetrating discussions about science, art, history,
mathematics, physics, and cosmology, the series reveals the hearts and minds of today’s most
ardent theorists as they reflect on questions about such topics as the building blocks of matter,
the evolution of language, the history of Islamic art, the origins of terrorism, the peculiar
characteristics of prime numbers, and the super-string theory that may just explain the existence
of the universe – to name only a few of the varied subjects discussed.
Each of the four programs is loosely organized around a theme or area of study.
1. Exploring the Cosmos. The opening episode of BIG IDEAS probes the mysteries
of outer space. Ira Flatow speaks first with one of the intellectual giants of our time, Freeman
Dyson, who takes an imaginative leap into the future to discuss the possiblities of
extraterrestrial life and his predictions for how human beings will colonize the solar system.
Young astrophysicist Sara Seagar, a rising star and visiting member at the Institute, raises
intriguing questions about planets – perhaps harboring life – outside of our solar system. Next,
veteran astrophysicist John Bahcall, winner of the National Medal of Science, talks about
neutrinos, spinning particles that are streaming through us by the billions every second.
Finally, astrophysicist Feryal Ozel shares her passion for two of the most fascinating types of
cosmic phenomena: neutron stars and black holes. This episode also features a series of
stunning images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
2. Einstein’s Dream. This episode of BIG IDEAS is an homage to Albert Einstein,
the man and his legacy, focusing on the attempts by physicists, mathematicians and theorists to
derive a unifying theory to explain all the forces of nature in the same terms. This “Grand
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Unified Theory” is a goal over which Einstein toiled for the last 30 years of his life.
Theoretical physicist Nathan Seiberg continues the labor with his research on string theories in
various dimensions and in experimental particle physics. Edward Witten, named by Time
magazine as one of the 25 most influential Americans, and arguably the premier mathematical
physicist of our time, talks about his pioneering work in M-theory, which is a theory that may
unify all the various branches of string theory. Theoretical physicist Juan Maldacena, a 34-
year-old native of Buenos Aires has stunned the physics community with his far-reaching ideas
about gravity, particle physics and string theory, which he discusses here. Finally, Freeman
Dyson returns to provide an alternate, skeptical assessment of string theory. This episode also
includes two mini-documentaries about Albert Einstein.
3. A New History of the World. This episode approaches the humanities from
several provocative thresholds. The program opens with a short documentary about Kirk
Varnedoe, the Museum of Modern Art’s former chief curator of painting and sculpture, as he
makes one of his last rounds through the museum’s collection and then transitions from MoMA
to the Institute. Along the way he shares his passion for the work of Jackson Pollock and
discusses what makes modern art “modern.” Next, Flatow speaks with political philosopher
Michael Walzer, who outlines his ideas about just and unjust war and the origins and changing
nature of terrorism in the modern world. A second short documentary turns the spotlight on
classical historian Glen Bowersock, who has been studying ancient mosaics – especially a
group uncovered in Jordan – to help him tease out more details about the great conquests of the
past. Finally, Flatow talks to distinguished Islamic art historian Oleg Grabar, who discusses
the artistic significance of Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock.
4. Thinking Big. The final episode of BIG IDEAS begins with a mini-documentary
exploring the history of game theory, which got its start at the Institute. The documentary tells
the story of how the lives of two towering geniuses – John Forbes Nash, Jr., and the late John
von Neumann – came to intersect. In an interview, Nash also talks about the acclaimed
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Hollywood film, A Beautiful Mind. Next up is a conversation with Martin Nowak, who has
been applying mathematical thinking to biology. Here he discusses the evolution and cultural
adaptation of language. A second mini-documentary highlights the work of Enrico Bombieri,
a pioneer in the quest for a better understanding of prime numbers, the basic building blocks of
arithmetic. Freeman Dyson makes a final appearance in the series with a look back at his
work on Project Orion, a revolutionary idea to design a nuclear-powered spacecraft. This is
followed by a documentary short featuring the Institute’s first official artist-in-residence
pianist, Robert Taub, as he performs passages from Beethoven’s piano sonatas. The series
concludes with an interview with cultural anthropologist Clifford Geertz, who has been
considering questions of ethnic diversity and its implications in the modern world.
BIG IDEAS is a production of Thirteen/WNET New York. It is distributed on public
television by APT. Beth Hoppe is executive producer. Larkin McPhee is series producer and
writer. Tara Thomas is post-production supervisor. William Grant is director of science,
history and feature programming for Thirteen.
BIG IDEAS has been made possible by the generous support of the Horace W.
Goldsmith Foundation, Strachan and Vivian Donnelley, the Ambrose Monell Foundation and
Rosalind P. Walter.
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For 40 years, American Public Television (APT) has been a major source of programming for
the nation’s public television stations. APT has more than 10,000 hours of available
programming including Discovering the Real World of Harry Potter, Globe Trekker,
Muhammad Ali: Through the Eyes of the World, Nightly Business Report, Rick Steves’ Europe,
Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, Ballykissangel, Brian Jacques’ Redwall and The Three
Tenors Christmas. APT is known for identifying innovative programs and developing creative
distribution techniques for producers. In four decades, it has established a tradition of
providing public television stations nationwide with program choices that enable them to
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strengthen and customize their schedules. Press should contact Donna Hardwick at 617-338-
4455 ext. 129 or via email at donna_hardwick@aptvs.org. For more information about APT’s
programs and services, log on to www.aptonline.org.
Thirteen/WNET New York is one of the key program providers for public television,
bringing such acclaimed series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Charlie
Rose, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Wide Angle, Stage on Screen, EGG the arts show, and
Cyberchase – as well as the work of Bill Moyers – to audiences nationwide. As the flagship
public broadcaster in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metro area, Thirteen reaches
millions of viewers each week, airing the best of American public television along with its own
local productions such as The Ethnic Heritage Specials, The New York Walking Tours, New
York Voices, Reel New York, and its MetroArts/Thirteen cable arts programming. With
educational and community outreach projects that extend the impact of its television
productions, Thirteen takes television “out of the box.” And as broadcast and digital media
converge, Thirteen is blazing trails in the creation of Web sites, enhanced television, CD-
ROMs, DVD-ROMs, educational software, and other cutting-edge media products. More
information about Thirteen can be found at: www.thirteen.org.
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Press Contacts:
Debra Falk Deirdre Branley
Thirteen Thirteen
212.560.3013 212.560.3130
falk@thirteen.org branley@thirteen.org
November 27, 2011
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