Hunting the hidden dimension

What do clouds, stalks of broccoli, and the rhythm of your heart have in common? Fractals – the irregular, repeating shapes that are found almost everywhere in nature, but whose governing principles were considered beyond the limits of our mathematical understanding well into the 20th century.

But today, scientists, designers and inventors are using fractal geometry to make breakthroughs in fields ranging from wireless communications, to cancer research, to the search for solutions to global climate change.

Weaving together fresh reporting from the front lines of science with a mathematical detective story, Hunting the hidden dimension takes us into the mysterious realm inside our world that these maverick mathematicians endeavor to map, exploring the remarkable findings that are deepening our understanding of nature and inspiring a new wave of scientific innovation.

Pariscience 2009 - Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Prize
: Sunday 11th October 2009 from 10h00 to 11h30