The magical maze – Chaos and cauliflowers (1997)

Ian Stewart

Ian Stewart shows how for mathematicians, there is order to be found everywhere, even in disorder. 

Watch time: 58:55
A clear cylinder filled with coloured balls
Credit: Royal Institution

Lecture 4 – Chaos and cauliflowers

From the 1997 Lectures' DVD companion:

For mathematicians, there is order to be found everywhere, even in disorder. Professor Stewart sets out to do what man has attempted since the dawn of time, as he endeavours to make sense out of chaos. 

About the 1997 CHRISTMAS LECTURES

In our 1997 CHRISTMAS LECTURES, mathematician Ian Stewart shares his enthusiasm for mathematics and how it governs almost every aspect of our lives.

From the 1997 Lectures' DVD companion:

Okay. We all know that mathematics can be about as interesting as watching a silent movie wearing a blindfold. The trick is to make it relevant. Make it electric. Plug mathematics in and make it live! Professor Ian Stewart does just that. He's a best-selling author whose enthusiasm for his subject spreads like a forest fire through his audience. In the 1997 Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES, he shows how maths 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.

If you're already interested in mathematics, these lectures will remind you of the magic. But if you've yet to see the beauty and fascination of the subject, why not let Professor Stewart remove the blindfold for you?