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Language of the universe

Lawlor, Graham Edward 2008. Language of the universe. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.

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Abstract

This thesis consists of a sequence of five scripts for a television series that seeks to articulate the history of mathematics through key events and figures. Programme One examines the idea of zero, while Programme Two looks at how much of geometry was developed by mathematicians who examined the stars and led on to Einstein's work on relativity. Programme Three explores the history of codes and Programme Four complements this by examining how understanding triangles in different contexts was used to solve contemporary problems. Finally, Programme Five looks at an area of mathematics that many people find counter-intuitive, the measurement of chance events. Behind the series lies the desire both to entertain and educate the audience, but also to demonstrate how the art of the documentary can be applied to science topics in a dramatic and imaginative way. The question of the documentary and its nature is discussed in the initial critical chapters that chart the development of the programmes and discuss the creative and technical issues they raise, together with a reflection on the learning process involved in their writing.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Status: Unpublished
Schools: English, Communication and Philosophy
Subjects: P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics
Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
ISBN: 9781303183232
Date of First Compliant Deposit: 30 March 2016
Last Modified: 12 Feb 2016 23:14
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/55752

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