The Language of the Universe
Marcus du Sautoy uncovers the use of a decimal system based on ten fingers of the hand and looks at the contributions of the great Greek mathematicians.
After showing how fundamental mathematics is to our lives, Marcus du Sautoy explores the mathematics of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece.
In Egypt, he uncovers use of a decimal system based on ten fingers of the hand, while in former Mesopotamia he discovers that the way we tell the time today is based on the Babylonian Base 60 number system.
In Greece, he looks at the contributions of some of the giants of mathematics including Plato, Euclid, Archimedes and Pythagoras, who is credited with beginning the transformation of mathematics from a tool for counting into the analytical subject we know today.
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Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Marcus du Sautoy |
| Series Producer | Kim Duke |
| Producer | Karen McGann |
| Director | Karen McGann |
Broadcasts
- Mon 6 Oct 200821:00
- Tue 7 Oct 200801:00
- Tue 7 Oct 200803:00
- Sun 12 Oct 200819:00
- Mon 27 Oct 200803:25
- Sat 25 Jul 200919:30
- Mon 30 Aug 201020:00
- Tue 31 Aug 201002:00
- Tue 12 Jul 201120:00
- Wed 13 Jul 201102:15
- Mon 19 Mar 201219:30
- Mon 19 Mar 201223:10
- Mon 3 Apr 201700:30
- Mon 15 Jan 201800:00
