Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Ian Stewart: The Magical Maze

In the 1997 CHRISTMAS LECTURES, mathematician Ian Stewart shares his enthusiasm for mathematics and how it governs almost every aspect of our lives, ranging from our birthdays to American game shows, calling in at panthers, petals, and the logic of chaos.

Where to Watch Ian Stewart: The Magical Maze

5 Episodes

  • Sunflowers and Snowflakes
    E1
    Sunflowers and SnowflakesThis opening Lecture introduces the concept that far from being a dusty collection of rules about angles and equations, mathematics is the magic thread which binds our universe.
  • The Pattern of Tiny Feet
    E2
    The Pattern of Tiny FeetProfessor Ian Stewart shows how, although animals appear to walk in a huge variety of ways, there are some strange similarities.
  • Outrageous Fortune
    E3
    Outrageous FortuneProfessor Ian Stewart explains how a little knowledge of maths increases the chance of winning in game-shows.
  • Chaos and Cauliflowers
    E4
    Chaos and CauliflowersProfessor Ian Stewart looks for order in chaos, and asks if fractals are the key to the irregular Shapes of nature.
  • Fearful Symmetry
    E5
    Fearful SymmetryWhy do tigers have stripes, while leopards have spots? Professor Ian Stewart explores the patterns in nature.

 

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