The Code Linux

The Code Linux is a Finnish-made documentary about GNU/Linux from 2001, featuring some of the most influential people of the free software movement. Through this film, Linux is traced from its early days as a hobby project of Linus Torvalds, through its rapid rise in popularity and number of users, to the dot-com boom and bust, and beyond. The differing ideologies of Richard "GNU" Stallman and Eric "Open Source" Raymond are also explored. Anybody who has been following Linux for very long, reading websites like Slashdot and Eric Raymond's "Cathedral and the Bazaar" essay will probably already know most this. However, for those people, the film does offer a chance to see and hear these Linux icons talk - putting faces and voices to people who might otherwise have been just words on a screen.

Related Links:
Revolution OS
The Origins of Linux

Newton's Dark Secrets

Isaac Newton was the greatest scientist of his day, perhaps of all time. But while Isaac Newton was busy discovering the universal law of gravitation, he was also searching out hidden meanings in the Bible and pursuing the covert art of alchemy. This film explores the strange and complex mind of Isaac Newton. Using docudrama scenes, it recreates the unique climate of late 17th-century England, where a newfound fascination with science and mathematics coexisted with extreme views on religious doctrine. Newton shared both obsessions. This film also covers Newton's most important discoveries in mathematics, physics, and optics. And it follows a detailed recreation of one of Newton's little-known alchemical experiments, assembled by Bill Newman, Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at Indiana University, who spent years deciphering Newton's secret coded recipes. (from pbs.org)

Related Links
Books and Films - Isaac Newton

Einstein's Equation Of Life And Death (E=mc^2)

September 1905 was Einstein's 'miracle year'. While working as a patents clerk in the Swiss capital Berne Einstein submitted a three-page supplement to his special theory of relativity, published earlier that year. In those pages he derived the most famous equation of all time; e=mc², energy is equal to mass multiplied by the speed of light squared.

The equation showed that mass and energy were related and that one could, in theory, be transformed into the other. But because the speed of light squared is such a huge number, it meant that even a small amount of mass could potentially be converted into a huge amount of energy. Ever since the discovery of radioactivity in the late 19th century, scientists had realised that the atomic nucleus could contain a large amount of energy. Einstein's revolutionary equation showed them, for the first time, just how much there was.

However, at the time Einstein doubted whether that energy could ever be released. … (from bbc.co.uk)

Related Links:
Books and Films - Albert Einstein
E=MC^2: Einstein's Most Famous Equation

The Crusades: Crescent and the Cross

The Crusades: Crescent and the Cross is a two-part History Channel documentary series presenting the epic battle between two Middle Age superpowers: the Christian Crusaders and the Muslims. The first part covers the First Crusades, and examines the causes of the initial conflict, including cultural issues, religious issues, and political issues. The second part covers the Second and Third Crusades, and examines social and political climates of the times. And also throughout the series, key battles are reenacted, and battle strategies are discussed.

The Crusades: Crescent and the Cross (part 1 of 2)

This first part covers the First Crusades, and examines the causes of the initial conflict, including cultural issues, religious issues, and political issues.

The Crusades: Crescent and the Cross (part 2 of 2)

This second part covers the Second and Third Crusades, and examines social and political climates of the times.

Related Links:
Terry Jones' Crusades

The Great Robot Race

Twenty-three bizarre looking line up at the starting gate of the DARPA Grant Challenge with one thin in common: there's nobody behind the wheel. Those self driving computer cars compete in a Race against each other to find the best across the Nevada desert.
(from pbs.org)

Related Links
Brave New World with Stephen Hawking

Car of the Future

Is new technology about to transform the way we drive? Join "Car Talk" hosts Tom and Ray Magliozzi as they take a look at plug-in hybrids, all-electric roadsters, biofuels and more in this lighthearted but shrewd take on America's four-wheeled future. John Lithgow narrates as the brothers mix their trademark slapstick with serious nuts-and-bolts analysis of what it will take to make our autos more energy-efficient and secure a sustainable future for our environment.

Related Links
James May's Cars of the People
Cars: Past, Present, and Future

How the 2011 Japan Tsunami Happened

On Friday 11 March 2011, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale triggered a tsunami that devastated parts of coastal Japan. Japan's Tsunami: How It Happened investigates the science behind the earthquake and tsunami. This film follows Professor of Geological Sciences Roger Bilham - who arrived in Japan days after the earthquake.