Marcus du Sautoy: Symmetry, reality's riddle

http://www.ted.com The world turns on symmetry -- from the spin of subatomic particles to the dizzying beauty of an arabesque. But there's more to it than meets the eye. Here, Oxford mathematician Marcus du Sautoy offers a glimpse of the invisible numbers that marry all symmetrical objects.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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  Science & Technology

[therealjordiano]

cool lecture :)

[minch333]

Indeed it is very dumbed down. Although, if it wasn't for him and me reading his books when I was 17, I may not have been revising for my fields and galois exam right now. Sorry for replying to such an old comment!

[shashank k]

wasn't winning the riddle a rather easy thing. Yo just had to be closest and he was saying those with less than something sit down and the like. You just had to keep standing till the last and you will automatically win.

[Thatdarnmonkeylove]

I wish MDS was my linear algebra lecturer, great talk :)

[Joris van Eil]

The swastika is symmetric. You obviously only know one kind of symmetry. Which demonstrates that you lack the basic knowledge to participate in any kind of conversation about the mathematical concept of symmetry.

Please for your own sake, read up, and come back when you're ready.

[jimmayl1]

I didn't learn anything from your "lesson." Stop this foolishness; you won't hear from me again.

[islandbuoy4]

do you realize how many dummies there are like you out there in the asymmetrical world that need tutoring?

but did ya learn anything jimmy from me brief lesson?

[jimmayl1]

1 year and then a response...

[islandbuoy4]

ROFL

science has become a religion, I wonder what Marcus S ideas are about 'space' 'time' 'motion' and 'god'?

because religion somebody once told me ... has tried to define TIME since the beginning of TIME

i.e. religion is TIME

"in the beginning" and "amen" is my evidence?

Who is in charge of the TIME clock right now?

Pope Gregorian and company?

sheeple are oblivious to the obvious