Vrijzinnig Protestantse Radio Omroep (VPRO)

Robbert Dijkgraaf

The mind of the universe is a journey along and beyond the borders of science. It is the first open source science series ever, and it offers an online learning experience.

The Mind of the Universe

What a Pleasant Surprise!

This documentary is produced by VPRO, which is a Dutch company. The host/narrator is Robbert Dijkgraff, who is the director of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. Upon stumbling (accidentally) on this show, I thought Dijkgraff was a journalist as I missed his introduction. His interviewing style is very efficient and smooth. He connects well with the scientists he interviews and the exchanges of dialog are on point and occasionally humorous to relieve some of the seriousness. He speaks in Dutch when addressing the viewing audience directly but, thankfully, this is accompanied by English subtitles. As he is bilingual - as many Dutch are - all interviews are conducted in English. Dijkgraff is an extremely proficient English speaker and there is no nuance or idiom lost in these exchanges. The interviews themselves are very focused and bring out the core motives and beliefs of the various scientists interviewed. Though I have an undergrad degree in physics, I learned (to my surprise) from &quot;Episode 9 - The Thinker&quot; that Newton, after formulating the law of gravity, thought that it was God who stabilized the planetary orbits from the random perturbations. It was Laplace, 100 years later, who was able show that these perturbations would cancel and explained to Napoleon Bonaparte that there was no more need for God (at least not in this context!).

This series consists of nine episodes and is available on the Tubi app. The production value is as good if not better than anything on PBS or the BBC.

This documentary is produced by VPRO, which is a Dutch company. The host/narrator is Robbert Dijkgraff, who is the director of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. Upon stumbling (accidentally) on this show, I thought Dijkgraff was a journalist as I missed his introduction. His interviewing style is very efficient and smooth. He connects well with the scientists he interviews and the exchanges of dialog are on point and occasionally humorous to relieve some of the seriousness. He speaks in Dutch when addressing the viewing audience directly but, thankfully, this is accompanied by English subtitles. As he is bilingual - as many Dutch are - all interviews are conducted in English. Dijkgraff is an extremely proficient English speaker and there is no nuance or idiom lost in these exchanges. The interviews themselves are very focused and bring out the core motives and beliefs of the various scientists interviewed. Though I have an undergrad degree in physics, I learned (to my surprise) from "Episode 9 - The Thinker" that Newton, after formulating the law of gravity, thought that it was God who stabilized the planetary orbits from the random perturbations. It was Laplace, 100 years later, who was able show that these perturbations would cancel and explained to Napoleon Bonaparte that there was no more need for God (at least not in this context!).

This series consists of nine episodes and is available on the Tubi app. The production value is as good if not better than anything on PBS or the BBC.

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