David Meadows
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Einstein and Eddington
This was on the BBC at the weekend, and it's a very good drama (the BBC is still the best in the world at serious drama... about the only thing they can get right, these days).
For those who don't know, Eddington was the British experimenter who confirmed Einstein's theory of gravity by measuring how starlight is "bent" around the Sun, and Einstein was... well, if you don't know, you probably won't be watching the film anyway 
The science was very... um... low level... it probably won't teach you anything about relativity, it's a drama about the two scientists, not the science, spanning the years 1914-1919.
It's the time span that makes the drama fascinating. Because although I knew about Eddington's work, I had never considered how these two men were working in Cambridge and Berlin during the Great War, and how this affected them. Both men were anti-war (Eddington because he was a Quaker and Einstein because he was... well, Einstein), which made them extremely unpopular. Try getting a research grant to prove a German's theory just after the Germans have killed your supervisor's son...
Anyway, a fascinating story, not really because of the science but because of the social and historical aspects. And even managed a tear-jerker ending, not something you would expect from a film about proving relativity 
Plus Doctor Who was in it 
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"Gentlemen, we have not the slightest idea what this equation means, but we may be sure that it means something very important."
Benjamin Peirce
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11/25/2008, 11:43 am
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QS2
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Re: Einstein and Eddington
Doctor Who was in it? Wow, interesting trick that.  Sadly I don't have BBC though over here in continental Europe, so I probably won't be able to see it.
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11/25/2008, 12:48 pm
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Corvus
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Re: Einstein and Eddington
Tennant was quite understated as Eddington, a refreshing change from his absolutely manic Doctor. (Seriously, 2010 can't get here fast enough.) I'd read a bit about Eddington before, but no mention was made of his sexuality -- was he homosexual? Doesn't make a bit of difference to the man's work, just curious.
Serkis was brilliant as Einstein. I especially loved the tongue bit at the end.
Is it just me or is Jim Broadbent looking more like Julian Glover every day?
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11/25/2008, 6:28 pm
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Reythia
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Re: Einstein and Eddington
Sounds interesting, Meadows. Wish I could see it! 
---  -- YAR! |
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11/26/2008, 3:29 am
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David Meadows
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Re: Einstein and Eddington
quote:
Corvus wrote:
Tennant was quite understated as Eddington, a refreshing change from his absolutely manic Doctor. (Seriously, 2010 can't get here fast enough.) I'd read a bit about Eddington before, but no mention was made of his sexuality -- was he homosexual? Doesn't make a bit of difference to the man's work, just curious.
I had never heard about Eddington's sexuality, but I don't believe the film-makers would have invented something like that about a historical figure just for the sake of added drama.
I'm glad you got to see the film. Though I'm not sure how you did
---
No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery.
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11/26/2008, 9:02 am
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Corvus
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Re: Einstein and Eddington
quote:
David Meadows wrote:
I had never heard about Eddington's sexuality, but I don't believe the film-makers would have invented something like that about a historical figure just for the sake of added drama.
That was also my thought. I teared up a bit at how terribly sad it was for him.
quote:
David Meadows wrote:
I'm glad you got to see the film. Though I'm not sure how you did
I have my ways.
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11/26/2008, 11:07 am
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BaneBlade
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Re: Einstein and Eddington
quote:
Reythia wrote:
Sounds interesting, Meadows. Wish I could see it!
Your local PBS station will often play BBC programs... Keeping up Appearances, Are You Being Served, and As Time Goes By, have been re-running for a couple of years on mine in certain time slots. You can usually catch some made for TV movies from the BBC and of course the BBC news.
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...waiting patiently for a few submissions to come back.
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11/27/2008, 2:14 am
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dragonlady
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Re: Einstein and Eddington
quote:
BaneBlade wrote:
Your local PBS station will often play BBC programs... Keeping up Appearances, Are You Being Served, and As Time Goes By, have been re-running for a couple of years on mine in certain time slots. You can usually catch some made for TV movies from the BBC and of course the BBC news.
It was really strange when I was in Florida in 2003 and I found Are You Being Served on TV. Then again it was December and I wasn't cold, and the weather forecasters were talking about frost like it was semi-mythical. So it was all quite strange really.
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"Why sometimes I've believed as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast" -- Red Queen, Lewis Carrol
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11/27/2008, 1:03 pm
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Reythia
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Re: Einstein and Eddington
quote:
BaneBlade wrote:
Your local PBS station will often play BBC programs... Keeping up Appearances, Are You Being Served, and As Time Goes By, have been re-running for a couple of years on mine in certain time slots. You can usually catch some made for TV movies from the BBC and of course the BBC news.
...This would probably involve turning ON my TV, wouldn't it. For something other than movies and games. I don't know... It's been so long since I've actually watched TV that my TV might explode in shock or overwork or something!
--- -- YAR! |
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12/1/2008, 5:59 pm
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BaneBlade
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Re: Einstein and Eddington
Hehe! I know what you mean. My TV sat in my closet for four years. I really didn't miss it.
About the only thing it gets any use for now, is watching the weather. If I had internet at the house it probably wouldn't even get that.
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...waiting patiently for a few submissions to come back.
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12/1/2008, 6:35 pm
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