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Einstein's Big Idea

Directed by Gary Johnstone
2005    2h    G
7.8
This docudrama examines the history of scientific discovery that lead up to Albert Einstein's famous equation E=mc2 and its aftermath in the creation of nuclear energy. This includes Faraday's discovery of electromagnetic fields; Antoine Lavoisier's discovery that mass is never lost; and Emilie du Chatelet's demonstration that Newton's calculation of the velocity of a falling object was incorrect. By 1905, the miracle year where the publication Einstein's four physics papers changed over 200 years of scientific fundamentals, all of this came together with his now famous equation. Afterwards, Lise Meisner's work on uranium let to her conclusion that splitting an atom would release large amounts of energy.
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Cast of Einstein's Big Idea
  • Aidan McArdleEinstein
  • Anton LesserVoltaire
  • Andrew CallawayMaupertuis
  • Julian Rhind-TuttAntoine Lavoisier
  • Shirley HendersonMileva Maric
  • Ty GlaserMarie Anne Lavoisier
  • Andy CrabbeHabicht
  • Samuel WestHumphry Davy
  • Daniel D'AlessandroAlgarotti
  • Brendan FlemingHermann Einstein
  • Gregory Fox-MurphyBrande
  • Philip HerbertCount de Amerval
  • Chris JenkinsonDr. Haller
  • Wolf KahlerHorlein
  • George LaytonEmilie’s Father
  • Alex MacQueenChater
  • Richard MulhollandEmilie’s Tutor
  • Stephen NoonanMarat
  • Christopher EcclestonNarrator (voice)
  • John LithgowNarrator (voice) U.S. edition
  • Steven RobertsonMichael Faraday
  • Christian RubeckOtto Hahn
  • Emily WoofLise Meitner
  • Ian DuncanCharles de Breteuil

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