Stephen Hawking shows us a Brave New World

Sir Stephen Hawking may be the most intelligent living mind mankind has. A groundbreaking theoretical physicist, he first came on my radar after reading his book, A Brief History of Time, which explains quantum physics, black holes, and what makes up the universe to the lay person in an easily understandable, highly readable way. He is not only able to comprehend what the vast majority, if not all, of us can't, but he can also communicate this to everyone else without using his natural voice, having to speak through a computer because of a debilitating disease. Our time's Einstein, this makes him an amazing man, as well as a great scientist.

Lately, the British Doctor Hawking has taken his work to the television, translating his talent for relating to others flawlessly to a new medium, hosting a variety of specials to engage the minds of the populace, expanding what we know and how well we know it. Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking explored the cosmos, while last year, Hawking sought to disprove the existence of god using science. Now, a five part documentary called Brave New World is available on DVD in the United States from Acorn Media.

Brave New World turns the focus away from the universe around us, and looks at people themselves. We have come a very long way with our technological breakthroughs thus far, since living in caves and using simple rock tools, and Hawking examines what we might achieve tomorrow, given our current trends. He looks at what has already been done, and expounds on it in a logical way. Can we cure cancer? How will the cars of the future drive, or the cities of the future be built? What kind of power does an atom hold, and can we harness it for our benefit? These are just a few of the many questions addressed in Brave New World.

The format of the DVD is simple, broken down into five parts: "Machines, "Health," "Technology," "Environment," and "Biology." Sure, there is some overlap between the areas, but basically each of the five hours concentrates on one arena, and Hawking does his very best to give us a peek at what may be coming next in each of those fields. To say the least, the results are fascinating!

Hawking is not left to do this alone, joined by a number of experts on the various topics that he covers. From David Attenborough, the naturalist and frequent narrator of BBC nature specials, to Richard Dawkins, who knows a thing or two about evolutionary biology, to Robert Winston, a man who works with reproductive medicine, to Kathy Sykes, a renowned physicist, Hawkins has some of the leading minds of this generation, further giving weight to the theories covered. Biographies of some presenters are included on disc two as an extra.

Stephen Hawking Brave New World also comes with a sixteen page viewer's guide. This gives outlines of some of the technology discussed in the series, and provides a nice companion to the DVDs for quick reference of certain concepts.

For those interested in research and the next advances of the human race, Brave New World should prove an invaluable resource, opening up doors to new thoughts and ideas. If you are not naturally inclined to ponder such things, give Brave New World a try anyway, and confronted with the genius mind of Stephen Hawking, you may just find yourself getting excited, in spite of your reservations.

Stephen Hawking Brave New World is available now on DVD.

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Futurama is living proof of "Reincarnation"

     It's been over a year since Comedy Central began the first new season of Futurama since FOX's cancellation of the series. But with "Reincarnation" last night, season six comes to an end. In the episode, the Planet Express crew face three stories in different animation styles (Steamboat Willie era, 8 bit video game, and anime), each with some connection to a mysterious comet. While the connecting device is never fully explained, Futurama delivers its trademark humor, and gives fans a little something different than what they're used to with two really high level bits, and a final, plain fun one.

     The first vignette involves Fry (Billy West) trying to secure an engagement ring for Leela (Katey Sagal). Their romance is a continuing thread that was explored quite heavily in the straight-to-DVD films, and then barely touched on throughout season six, at least until last week's episode, which revealed that they would eventually have a happy ending. "Reincarnation" does what so many other Futurama episodes do, which is allow Fry to touchingly pursue his one-eyed crush, and she responds to it, but the story will have no lasting consequence to continuity. It's disappointing that the animated show refuses to take that bold move and give their two leads a real relationship after so many seasons. On the other hand, this stand alone story, which ends with Fry proposing to Leela, then the two getting froze in the moment, only to end up as a stone in an alien engagement ring a billion years later, is emotionally very satisfying. Not the ending the series will go with, but a nice plot, nonetheless.

     The second story has Professor Farnsworth (also West) discovering the final answer to science, thus leaving nothing more for mankind to pursue. Even Stephen Hawking (voicing himself, or rather, his own head in a jar) is impressed. Farnsworth brings a startling halt to progress, and to make matters worse, almost no one cares. While Farnsworth goes crazy with nothing to solve, his employees veg out in front of the TV. Then Farnsworth begins to wonder why the universe is the way it is, opening up a whole new avenue to explore. Which his loved ones think means he has wasted his life as a scientist, but Farnsworth sees it as quite the opposite.

     It's rare that a cartoon would delve into the inner workings of human motivation, and the nature of science, in such a profound way. While still being humorous, this is a really neat brain exercise, made even more ironic when presented in such a low-tech animation style. The addition of Hawking to the episode lends gravitas to the concept, and gives smarter viewers something to ponder long after the episode ends.

     Finally, the third bit involves a race that does not have mouths coming to conquer the planet after they are accidentally insulted. Our main characters can do nothing to stop them, until Zoidberg (also West) sheds his skin and does a very complex, but not shown, dance. This isn't a deep story, but it works on a funny level. Having the aliens (via subtitles) express that they have never heard of mouths, and so do not understand the humans' attempt to communicate with them is funny, as is Zoidberg's unseen movements, and Farnsworth's startlingly different voice. An obvious voice over of the word "English" when a character mouths "Japanese" also tickles. Not highly intelligent, it's OK to go light after two much deeper plots.

     Futurama will get a seventh season! Expect it to return to Comedy Central, likely next summer.

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