A great overview of the mathematical and scientific achievements of man that have helped us to understand the true nature of reality. I've watched many, many science documentaries and this one managed to reveal many things I hadn't yet learned, including an experiment proving the quantum foam of nothingness is a real thing, and that the large scale structure of the universe (the macro) is all thanks to quantum fluctuations (the micro). Really everything is so elegantly explained. Highly recommend.
11 Reviews
Fascinating
Erik_Stone14 November 2020
An excellent expose of the history and scientific ideas that summarize human, cosmological and physical understanding of the universe.
Difficult to understand ideas are presented in entertaining ways, with great analogies and re-creations.
This mini series is nearly perfect.
Difficult to understand ideas are presented in entertaining ways, with great analogies and re-creations.
This mini series is nearly perfect.
Philosophy & Science: Intertwined like Watson & Crick Discovery.
raymcneely-1897713 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I was surprised to learn this was produced in 2011. In that time (6 fully completed orbits around Sol), Google's AI beats a World Champion in Go, Gravitational Waves have been confirmed, Space-X repeatedly lands rocket boosters back to a tiny platform on the ocean, Proxima-B has been discovered, SDSS J0100+2802 is found, and the Larsen Ice Shelf has separated a 5,800 sq/km behemoth 'berg...
What I'm getting at - this exceptional documentary is so timely that in my novice mind, I thought it was produced within the last couple of years...not over six years certainly. It holds up very well. It doesn't mention String Theory though...but oh so very close...
I suspect a majority of the major scientific masterminds that are mentioned are not well-known; unless you practice within cosmology, astrophysics, mathematics, or esoteric philosophies. Of course, these giants are easily recognized by anyone around an 11th grade campfire (or so we hope) e.g. Aristotle, Euclid, Pascal, Einstein, or Hubbell - and I'll admit my ignorance, I've not heard these names Torricelli, Digges, Dee, Dirac (foolish, forgive me).
Professor, Dr. Jim Al-Khalili does a magnificent job at presenting these very complex edicts - so much so - that I think it's better than any Cosmos presentation to date. Sorry Dr. Tyson.
What I'm getting at - this exceptional documentary is so timely that in my novice mind, I thought it was produced within the last couple of years...not over six years certainly. It holds up very well. It doesn't mention String Theory though...but oh so very close...
I suspect a majority of the major scientific masterminds that are mentioned are not well-known; unless you practice within cosmology, astrophysics, mathematics, or esoteric philosophies. Of course, these giants are easily recognized by anyone around an 11th grade campfire (or so we hope) e.g. Aristotle, Euclid, Pascal, Einstein, or Hubbell - and I'll admit my ignorance, I've not heard these names Torricelli, Digges, Dee, Dirac (foolish, forgive me).
Professor, Dr. Jim Al-Khalili does a magnificent job at presenting these very complex edicts - so much so - that I think it's better than any Cosmos presentation to date. Sorry Dr. Tyson.
Excellent, but...
maunakala25 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Excellent expose, but ignores the role of the conscious observer in producing quantum phenomena and the implications of that connection. This omission makes the final message of the film misleading: namely that the entire universe is the result of a quantum fluctuation out of nothing. This idea is far from settled, although the materialists would like it to be.
Beautiful Presentation
nabayangutu17 November 2021
This short series gives a beautiful presentation of our journey in understanding the nature of reality. Although it being mostly from an European perspective, in it's essence, the journey of humans in understanding the true nature of reality is breathtaking.
fine documentary
myriamlenys5 July 2023
"Everything and nothing" is an interesting and pleasantly watchable documentary about mankind's attempt at grasping the nature of the cosmos. The mini-series reflects a Western viewpoint, but this seems to be caused not by cultural chauvinism but rather by a wish to keep the explanation clear and concise.
The first episode deals with humanity's attempts at describing very very large things : stars, galaxies, the universe itself. The second deals with our attempts at describing very very small things, such as the components of an atom. Among the questions treated : how old is the universe, how many stars are there, why is it dark at night, where did this idea of nature abhorring a vacuum come from, does air have a weight, is there such a thing or such a state as complete nothingness ? The documentary also contains short biographies of the remarkable men and women who helped pierce a number of nature's secrets.
Speaking as a complete layperson : I rather liked "Everything and nothing", mainly for its didactic clarity. It was a pleasure to hear experts explain difficult concepts in an intelligible way. I also liked the accompanying images, many of which induced a deep sense of awe.
Anyway, it must be most frustrating to be a modern-day scientist active in fields like physics, astronomy and cosmology. To perform this kind of job requires order, patience, discipline and seriousness of mind. However, if and when answers arrive, they are so weird and so counter-intuitive that they might have been designed by a committee of stoners led by a four-year-old out of his trumpet on sugar. ("Of course time and space are linked ! Man ! That's why you can only have a good time if you're in a good place ! By the way, if you want to watch the invisible show yesterday you need to tip the waiter tomorrow.") If I were a scientist, I'd be sorely tempted to go and lie on an old mattress myself, in order to smoke pot and giggle about nothingness annihilating itself into being.
The first episode deals with humanity's attempts at describing very very large things : stars, galaxies, the universe itself. The second deals with our attempts at describing very very small things, such as the components of an atom. Among the questions treated : how old is the universe, how many stars are there, why is it dark at night, where did this idea of nature abhorring a vacuum come from, does air have a weight, is there such a thing or such a state as complete nothingness ? The documentary also contains short biographies of the remarkable men and women who helped pierce a number of nature's secrets.
Speaking as a complete layperson : I rather liked "Everything and nothing", mainly for its didactic clarity. It was a pleasure to hear experts explain difficult concepts in an intelligible way. I also liked the accompanying images, many of which induced a deep sense of awe.
Anyway, it must be most frustrating to be a modern-day scientist active in fields like physics, astronomy and cosmology. To perform this kind of job requires order, patience, discipline and seriousness of mind. However, if and when answers arrive, they are so weird and so counter-intuitive that they might have been designed by a committee of stoners led by a four-year-old out of his trumpet on sugar. ("Of course time and space are linked ! Man ! That's why you can only have a good time if you're in a good place ! By the way, if you want to watch the invisible show yesterday you need to tip the waiter tomorrow.") If I were a scientist, I'd be sorely tempted to go and lie on an old mattress myself, in order to smoke pot and giggle about nothingness annihilating itself into being.
What is everything, and what is nothing?
Bernie444415 November 2023
The presentation has only two misally hours to wet your whistle. And my whistle was very wetted. You will have to look up the nitty-gritty details to get the full picture. However, the program shows the history of what we have learned about everything and nothing from the beginning of time to 2011. This updates us from what we learned in school. I can not wait for an update at least a decade later.
I will not go into the details other than to say the presenter (Jim Al-Khalili) is just that the presenter. However, he is a British theoretical physicist, Author, respected BBC presenter and frequent commentator about science in British media.
Most of this information is already known. However, there is always something that may have been overlooked. It is also nice to have something presented in a different way.
I will not go into the details other than to say the presenter (Jim Al-Khalili) is just that the presenter. However, he is a British theoretical physicist, Author, respected BBC presenter and frequent commentator about science in British media.
Most of this information is already known. However, there is always something that may have been overlooked. It is also nice to have something presented in a different way.
Creative visualisations
RiWeHa5 December 2018
British egocentrism
croslip2 May 2022
Unfortunate BBC documentary with a false perspective from the usual British egocentrism, islands without which the civilized world would not exist. Greek culture and science Arabs and the Chinese and Mesoamerican civilizations are skipped at a stroke. Modern astronomy is not due to Copernicus, Galileo, but to some unknown. Surprise, all Anglo-Saxons! I'm sorry I stopped watching the documentary.
Ignores significant scientific history
mayankjain-7152624 August 2020
Speaks in entirely generalized terms about the understanding of the Universe from a European/British historical perspective, while completely and deliberately ignoring the ancient yet advanced Indian understanding of a heliocentric solar system in particular and a nuanced understanding of the Universe in general. The Indian astronomer- mathematician Aryabhata (476- 550 AD), in his magnum opus Aryabhatiya, had propounded a heliocentric model in which the Earth was taken to be spinning on its axis and the periods of the planets were given with respect to a stationary Sun. The ancient Greeks probably pre-dated even Arybhata. However, all credit to Copernicus, inspite of being 18 centuries late.
Cosmos Ripoff
alyssaramey19 March 2022
The guy is literally trying to be Carl Sagan without giving any respects to Carl Sagan. It gave very cosmos rip off vibes. How are you gonna start on the sands exactly like Sagan did and repeat his exact words without giving credit. 🤢
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