The quest to predict the future

December 29, 2006
2006 - Episode 5: The quest to predict the future

2006 - Episode 5: The quest to predict the future

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures - Backdrop

Overview

Mathematics is the ultimate fortune teller. It can predict if a new plane design will make it off the ground. It can plan the path of a spacecraft so it passes close to every planet on its journey through the solar system. But some of nature's equations are more tricky. Why is weather so hard to forecast? How will world populations evolve? The mathematics of chaos theory helps explain why problems like these are so challenging.

Episode Information

TV Show

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Season

2006

Episode Number

5

Air Date

December 29, 2006