Me & Isaac Newton (1999)

Synopsis: In the documentary ME & ISAAC NEWTON, seven top scientists are profiled, including flamboyant physicist Michio Kaku, Nobel Prize-winning chemist Gertrude Elion, linguist Steven Pinker, a robot... In the documentary ME & ISAAC NEWTON, seven top scientists are profiled, including flamboyant physicist Michio Kaku, Nobel Prize-winning chemist Gertrude Elion, linguist Steven Pinker, a robot scientist who contributed to the Mars Pathfinder mission, and an environmental physicist who has developed a cheap method of purifying water in developing countries. Directed by Michael Apted (7 UP series, GORILLAS IN THE MIST), the film explores the scientific ethos without getting tangled in the technical details of the scientists' important work. Concentrating on how the scientists come up with their exotic ideas, the film uncovers fascinating contrasts in their biographies and their thinking. Do older scientists have the same capacity as younger scientists to brainstorm new ideas? Are there differences between male and female scientists? Is science a religion or just a tool? Similar to Erroll Morris's documentary FAST, CHEAP, AND OUT OF CONTROL, Apted's film juxtaposes the scientists' comments in intriguing combinations. The film was conceived as a companion piece to Apted's INSPIRATIONS, which focuses on seven artists and musicians. With both films, Apted captures important insights on the nature of human imagination. [More]

Starring: Gertrude Elion, Ashok Gadgil, Michio Kaku, Maja Mataric

Starring: Gertrude Elion, Ashok Gadgil, Michio Kaku, Maja Mataric, Steven Pinker, Karol Sikora, Patricia Wright

Director: Michael Apted

Director: Michael Apted
Producer: Jody Patton, Eileen Gregory

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