Mastering Physics through Television [09-12-2011]
Brian Greene is a top-flight theoretical physicist at Columbia University. He specializes in string theory - an advanced and difficult type of math that even some physicists do not comprehend. Greene also hosts Fabric of the Cosmos, a television series on PBS. Although his occupation seems to be a highly respectable and elite one, Greene says that he is not a special person.

“If I just look at mathematical equations, I don’t feel I truly understand what’s going on,” he said. “I have to create a running visual in my mind.”

Just like many other people around the world, Greene is a visual learner. Through visual art, he explains how some mathematic problems are solved. Greene has published three bestselling books, The Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos, and The Hidden Reality. The Fabric of the Cosmos has been adapted into a television show. The program aired through November and can be watched on NOVA’s website.

With computer graphics combined with Greene’s skill, the show explains concepts that contradict common sense. One episode focused on the concept of empty space. The installment explained how empty space is not really empty, and it is not just a container where galaxies, planets, and light beams move around. Empty spaces warp, wave, stretch and squeeze.
They crackle with their own invisible energy and affect everything within. Another episode talked about the concept of time. Time does not necessarily flow from the past to the present to the future. The three elements of time can all be happening at the same time. It is how people perceive it that makes them see time this way.

The Fabric of the Cosmos was influenced by the Cosmos series from the 1980’s. NOVA produced that program as well. “He was a trailblazer, and he’s been a model for me,” acknowledged Greene, referring to Carl Sagan, the creator of Cosmos. “Lots of us who are interested in explaining science to the public view Carl as an iconic hero.”

However, Sagan was criticized for his unconventional methods. Although he popularized science in late-night television, his colleagues resented it. He was famous and respected for his work but was never accepted into the Nation Academy of Sciences. However, times have changed and Greene seems to be one of the most pioneering and respected scientists of our time. Greene’s goal is to entertain the audience, but his main mission is to help his watchers get a full picture of reality. The Fabric of the Cosmos helps even laymen understand complicated modern physics.
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