Mathematics and Statistics Filmography
updated (11/04)

Against All Odds: Inside Statistics. 1989. 26 programs (29 min. each) on 13 videocassettes. Presents the why as well as the how of statistics using computer animation, colorful on-screen computations, and documentary segments.

• What is Statistics?; Picturing Distributions. VHS 711
• Describing Distributions; Normal Distributions. VHS 712
• Normal Calculations; Time Series. VHS 713
• Models of Growth; Describing Relationships. VHS 714
• Correlation; Multidimensional Data Analysis. VHS 715
• The Question of Causation; Experimental Design. VHS 716
• Blocking & Sampling; Samples & Surveys. VHS 717
• What is Probability?; Random Variables. VHS 718
• Binomial Distributions; Sample Mean & Control Charts. VHS 719
• Confidence Intervals; Significance Tests. VHS 720
• Inference for One Mean; Comparing Two Means. VHS 721
• Inference for Proportions; Infererence for Two-Way Tables. VHS 722
• Inference for Relationships; Case Study. VHS 723

The Beauty and Complexity of the Mandelbrot Set. c1989. 1 videocassette (73 min.). John H. Hubbard explains iteration and how it is used to create pictures of Julia and Mandelbrot sets, as well as the electric fields which would surround electrically charged objects shaped like them. The program concludes with remarks about these sets and the field of genetics and their relations. VHS 1533

Breaking the Code. Mobil masterpiece theatre. 1997. 1 videocassette (ca. 90 min.). The story of Alan Turing, British mathematical genius and designer of the computer that broke the German Enigma code during World War II, whose admittance to homosexuality at a time when it was illegal presented problems for him, for his family, for his colleagues, and for the State's preoccupation with national security. VHS 7580

A Brilliant Madness. 2002. 1 videocassette (60 min.). "Called 'the most remarkable mathematician of the second half of the century,' Nash suffered a devastating breakdown at the age of thirty.  He suddenly claimed that aliens were sending him messages, became obsessed with secret numbers and saw conspiracies all around him.  Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, Nash spent a decade in and out of mental hospitals, surviving with the support of his wife and former colleagues.  During that time, a mathematical proof he'd written at the age of twenty became a foundation of modern economics.  Sometime in the 1980s, he gradually began to recover.  In 1994, Nash capped his remarkable return from madness by winning the Nobel Prize"--Container. VHS 6985

Calculus Understanding Change. 1993. 1 videocassette (30 min.). A three-part, half-hour video that puts calculus into the context of real-world problems. Each unit begins with a documentary segment that describes an actual problem, and then a step-by-step, worked approach is given to solve it. VHS 2969

The Census Comes Home. <1990?>. 1 videocassette (18 min.). Illustrates how people use census data to build and maintain community programs and services, bringing census information "home" to all Americans. Focuses on economic development of minorities, and includes interviews with community and business leaders. VHS 2439

Chaos.  SQAB invited preeminent tutorials, from basics to contemporary paradigms. 1998? 1 videocassette (ca. 57 min.). James Townsend presents a simple tour of some of the main concepts of chaos which can be understood with only a modicum of quantitative background. " ... What is chaos and can it be described in lay persons' terms without lying too much? I will offer a simple tour of some of the main concepts, which can be understood with only a modicum of quantitative background ... Some of the concepts we will touch upon are: 1. A rigorous (comprehensible) definition and its main ideas including "sort of" periodicity and the butterfly effect. 2. Its place as part of dynamic systems theory. 3. The connections to fractals and "weird" fractal dimensions. 4. Lyapunov exponents. 5. Strange attractors. 6. Randomness in deterministic systems. I will also hazard some speculation as to chaos theory's applicability to psychology and biology, with some reference to its usage in philosophy, physics and chemistry." Abstract from SQAB webpage [http://www.jsu.edu/depart/psychology/sebac/abstracts]. VHS 5659

Chaos, Fractals and Dynamics Computer Experiments in Mathematics. c1989. 1 videocassette . Dr. Robert Devaney explains the mathematics of dynamic systems illustrating his discussion with computer generated graphic representations of fractals and Julia sets. VHS 1531

College Algebra in Simplest Terms. 1991. 13 videocassettes (60 min. each). An overview of algebra and its relation to modern life.

• An Introduction in Ten Parts; Language of Algebra. VHS 1441
• Exponents and Radicals; Factoring Polynomials. VHS 1442
• Linear Equations; Complex Numbers. VHS 1443
• Quadratic Equations; Inequalities. VHS 1444
• Absolute Value; Linear Relations. VHS 1445
• Circle and Parabola; Ellipse and Parabola. VHS 1446
• Functions; Composition and Inverse Functions. VHS 1447
• Variation; Polynomial Functions. VHS 1448
• Rational Functions; Exponential Functions. VHS 1449
• Logarithmic Functions; Systems of Equations. VHS 1450
• Systems of Linear Inequalities; Arithmetic Sequences and Series. VHS 1451
• Geometric Sequences and Series; Mathematical Induction. VHS 1452
• Permutations and Combinations; Probability. VHS 1453

Confident Conclusions. For all practical purposes: Statistics. 1986. 1 videocassette (30 min.). Focuses on the concept of a confidence interval and describes precisely what opinion polls do and do not tell us. Presents the formula used to compute confidence intervals and teaches how confidence in statistical conclusions is related to sample size and how to analyze a sampling distribution. VHS 433 No. 10

Crystals and Shortest Networks. Geometry in the machine age. 1991. 1 videocassette (48 min.). Explains how crystals minimize energies which depend on direction. This forces them to have the beautiful shapes we see in nature. VHS 2786

A Delicate Balance. Breakthrough, the changing face of science in America. 1996. 1 videocassette (60 min.). Profiles scientists Valerie Taylor, Freda Porter-Locklear and Richard Tapia.  Emphasis is placed on their efforts at outreach and their positions as role models as teachers and researchers in the fields of computer science and mathematics. VHS 3946

The Flowering of Applied Mathematics in America.<1988>. 1 videocassette (54 min.). AMS-MAA Joint Lecture Series. Traces the development of applied mathematics in America. VHS 1949

For All Practical Purposes: Introduction to Contemporary Mathematics. c1985-1987. 26 programs on 15 videocassettes (780 min.). A series which stresses the connections between contemporary mathematics and modern society. Presents a great variety of problems that can be modeled and solved by quantitative means. This introductory course is designed for students in liberal arts and nontechnical curricula.

• Overview; Street Smarts. VHS 433 Pts. 1-2
• Tranes, Plains, and Critical Paths; Scheduling Problems. VHS 433 Pts. 3-4
• Linear Programming; Overview. VHS 433 Pts. 5-6
• Collecting Data; Organizing Data. VHS 433 Pts. 7-8
• Probability; Statistical Interference. VHS 433 Pts. 9-10
• Overview; Election Theory. VHS 433 Pts. 11-12
• Weighted Voting; Zero Sum Games. VHS 433 Pts. 13-14
• Prisoner's Dilemma; Overview. VHS 433 Pts. 15-16
• Scale and Form; Populations. VHS 433 Pts. 17-18
• Conic Sections; Measurement. VHS 433 Pts. 19-20
• Overview; Algorithms. VHS 433 Pts. 21-22
• Numerical Representation; Encoding Information. VHS 433 Pts. 23-24
• Computer Graphics; Conclusion. VHS 433 Pts. 25-26

Giant Brains. The Machine that changed the world. 1992. 1 videocassette (58 min.). Tells the story of the birth of computers, such as the ENIAC, the most complicated electronic machine ever built, and of the men and women who assisted in that birth: Charles Babbage, Alan Turing, Herman Goldstine, John Mauchly, Ada Lovelace and J. Presper Eckert. VHS 1751

The Goddess and the Computer. 1988. 1 videocassette (VHS) (58 min.). Examines centuries-old traditions of rice farming on Bali in which water is considered a gift from a goddess and is controlled by priests. The importance of this religious system of irrigation came to light only after newly introduced methods of rice farming were introduced as a result of the green revolution and production decreased while pests multiplied. A computer modeling system was developed which confirmed the wisdom of the old traditions.  VHS 7591

Greeks and Romans. Western philosophy. 2002. 1 videocassettes (50 min.). "Starts in Greece and Asia Minor, the birthplace of Western philosophy.  Starting with the Pre-Socratics, the program examines the nature of philosophy itself and what prompted the pioneers of antiquity to ask fundamental questions about human nature and our world.  The chronological journey charts the development of philosophical thought, exploring its relationship with early mathematics and the natural and physical sciences.  Learn about seminal figures, including Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and discover why their observations and theories remain valid in the twenty-first century.  The turbulent period following the decline of the Roman Empire saw the rise of Christianity and the emergence of questions about the nature of God.  Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, and Duns Scotus developed their own fusion of Christianity and classical philosophy." --from container.  VHS 7643

The Historic Memory. The Arab world. 1991. 1 videocassette (30 min.). Discussion of the major historical periods in the Arab world, from its ancient past as a leader in science, mathematics, and literature, through colonization by the French and British, to the present. The Koran is discussed as a constitutional document, and the role of the West in Arab political affairs in analyzed. VHS 3922

Hypothesis Testing. 1977, made 1975. 1 videocassette (25 min.). Inferential Statistics. Discusses basic principles of hypothesis testing including the need for a control group and a random assignment of subjects to groups, the importance of statistics as a means of overcoming population variability, and the methods of formulating a statistics hypothesis and of testing a hypothesis concerning the mean. VIC 195

Informing America: The Census Bureau at Work. <1993?>. 1 videocassette (16 min.). Describes the types of statistics the Census Bureau gathers about the population, the economy, education, family life, housing, crime, etc., and shows how these statistics are made available and are used. VHS 2440

It Started in Greece. For all practical purposes: On size and shape. 1986. 1 videocassette (29 min.). Stresses the connections between mathematics and modern society.  Presents the Euclidean geometry of ancient Greece and describes how this branch of mathematics was used, along with trigonometry and algebra, in city planning.  Also shows the measuring of spacial relationships and how triangles are used in problems of measurement.  Discusses the congruence of triangles, the Pythagorean theorem, and the concept of similarity.  Introduces hyperbolic and  non-Euclidean models. VHS 433 No. 20

Juicy Problems. For all practical purposes: Management science. 1986. 1 videocassette (30 min.). The best possibility for profit can be determined by using a powerful management science tool called "linear programming." Problems in scheduling, blending, resource and manpower utilization can be quantified. Mathematics has made it possible for managers to save millions of dollars and improve quality. VHS 433 No. 5

Knowledge of the World. 1978. 1 film reel. (25 min.). The Traditional World of Islam. Examines the influence of Islamic doctrine and traditional practices on a wide variety of human endeavors, including mathematics, throughout the Islamic world. Also shows important contributions of Islamic civilization to the world. MPD 21 Pt. 5

Math & Science Education. 1997. 1 videocassette (ca. 75 min.). Dr. William Schmidt outlines the recently released results of the third such study that included fourth, eighth and twelfth graders from 50 different nations. He examines why U.S. students continue to rank well behind other highly developed nations and how this information can help educators reform U.S. math and science in elementary and secondary schools. He also takes questions from the audience.  VHS 4664

Mathematics of Architecture Building by Numbers. 1997. 1 videocassette (25 min.). This film demonstrates the application of mathematics to architectural designs, from Palladio's harmoniously proportionate villas to the chaotic architecture of Parc de la Villette in Paris, designed by architect Bernard Tschumi. VHS 5307

The Mechanical Universe <1st Semester>. 1985. 13 videocassettes (780 min.). A survey of introductory college physics. This series stresses the connections between contemporary mathematics and modern society. Presents a great variety of problems that can be modeled and solved by quantitative means. This introductory course is designed for students in liberal arts and nontechnical curricula.

• Introduction to the Mechanical Universe; The Law of Falling Bodies. VHS 2201/2202
• Derivatives; Inertia. VHS 2203/2204
• Vectors; Newton's Laws. VHS 2205/2206
• Integration; The Apple and the Moon. VHS 2207/2208
• Moving in Circles; Fundamental Forces. VHS 2209/2210
• Gravity, Electricity, Magnetism; The Millikan Experiment. VHS 2211/2212
• Conservation of Energy; Potential Energy. VHS 2213/2214
• Conservation of Momentum; Harmonic Motion. VHS 2215/2216
• Resonance; Waves. VHS 2217/2218
• Angular Momentum; Torques and Gyroscopes. VHS 2219/2220
• Kepler's Three Laws; The Keppler Problem. VHS 2221/2222
• Energy and Eccentricity; Navigating in Space. VHS 2223/2224
• Kepler to Einstein; Harmony of the Spheres. VHS 2225/2226

The Mechanical Universe and Beyond <2nd Semester>. c1985-1987 1986. 26 programs on 13 videocassettes (780 min.).

• Beyond the Mechanical Universe; Static Electricity. VHS 2227/2228
• The Electric Field; Potential and Capacitance. VHS 2229/2230
• Voltage, Energy, and Force; The Electric Battery. VHS 2231/2232
• Electric Circuits; Magnetism. VHS 2233/2234
• The Magnetic Field; Vector Fields and Hydrodynamics. VHS 2235/2236
• Electromagnetic Induction; Alternating Current. VHS 2237/2238
• Maxwell's Equations; Optics. VHS 2239/2240
• The Michelson-Morley Experiment; The Lorentz Transformation. VHS 2241/2242
• Velocity and Time; Mass, Momentum, Energy. VHS 2243/2244
• Temperature and Gas Laws; Engine of Nature. VHS 2245/2246
• Entropy; Low Temperatures. VHS 2247/2248
• The Atom; Particles and Waves. VHS 2249/2250
• From Atoms to Quarks; The Quantum Mechanical Universe. VHS 2251/2252

Mel Slugbate's Real Estate Opportunities in Hyberbolic Space. c1991. 1 videocassette (35 min.). Geometry in the Machine Age. Explores why in hyperbolic space the suburbs are so popular and four-sided houses are not. VHS 1812

Music of the Spheres. 1980. 1 videocassette (52 min.). Ascent of Man. Traces the evolution of mathematics and explores the relationship of numbers to musical harmony, early astronomy, and perspective in painting. VHS 1277

Natural Minimal Surfaces via Theory and Computation. c1987. 1 videocassette (75 min.). Prof. David Hoffman presents the basic analysis and geometry necessary to understand the mathematical study of minimal surfaces and also discusses the computer technologies employed in recent discoveries of families of new examples. He will also present some of the recent applications to the study of block copolymers. VHS 1534

Now with Bill Moyers November 22, 2002. 2002. 1 videocassette (60 min.). The first segment includes a report on the advertising industry and its hidden role in the promotion of various drugs.  The second segment contains an interview with Brown University's James G. Blight, who discusses George Bush's comparison of the Cuban missile crisis to the Iraq situation.  The third segment focuses Robert Moses' efforts to teach mathematics to African American students in high schools.  VHS 7165

Pi. 1998. 1 videodisc (85 min). A brilliant mathematician teeters on the brink of insanity as he searches for an elusive numerical code that will allow him to predict patterns in the stock market.  DVD 161

Platonic Solids. c1991. 1 videocassette (33 min.). Illustrates properties of the regular polyhedra, demonstrates why exactly five such solids exist, presents the mathematical heritage of the solids, and explores intriguing relationships between the solids and their duals. VHS 1726

Powers of Ten. c1989. 1 videocassette ( 23 min.). The Films of Charles & Ray Eames. Using visual image along with narration, illustrates the relative size of things in the physical universe. First, takes the viewer from earth to the outer galaxies, showing the increase of time and distance in increments of ten. Then, returning to earth, proceeds from the human scale into the microworld of cells, DNA molecules, and the nucleus of a carbon atom. VHS 3418 v.1

The proof. 1997. 1 videocassette (ca. 60 min.). The Pythagorean Theorem in the simple form "x2 + y2 = z2" can be solved. But 300 years ago amateur mathematician Pierre de Fermat said that if the 2 is replaced with any positive integer greater than 2, the equation would no longer be solvable and that he could prove it. Unfortunately his proof, if it existed, was lost. In June 1993 mathematician Andrew Wiles announced that he had proved Fermat's last theorem. The proof was finally completed in November 1994, when Wiles and Richard Taylor filled a technical gap that had arisen. This film describes Andrew Wiles' quest to prove the theorem. Complex mathematical concepts are illustrated with the help of computer animation. VHS 5160

Rationalists and British Empiricists. Western philosophy. 2002. 1 videocassettes (50 min.). "The discoveries of Copernicus and Galileo turned science completely upside down, forcing people to examine their place in the world and question God's place in science and mathematics. Religious volatility in Europe also prompted fierce theological debate amongst scholars over the true nature and necessity of God's existence. In Europe, the Rationalist movement was born.  The sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries saw the emergence of continental mathematical and philosophical giants including Descartes, Leibniz, Kant, and Spinoza. Meanwhile in Britain, a philosophical renaissance was taking place. Known as the British Empiricists, they included Locke, Hume, and Berkeley." --from container.  VHS 7644

Sampling and Estimation. 1977, made 1975. 1 videocassette (19 min.). Inferential statistics. Introduces basic concepts in statistics such as sample, random sample, sample bias, point estimation, and confidence intervals. VHS 1794

The Shape of Space. c1991. 1 videocassette (50 min.). Geometry in the Machine Age. Explores how we can visualize a curved three dimensional space. VHS 1813

Soap Bubbles and Mathematics. Geometry in the machine age. 1991. 1 videocassette (54 min.). Explores the principle of area minimization and its consequences. VHS 2787

Statistics. For all practical purposes. 1986. 3 videocassettes (90 min.ea.). Discusses the part statistics play in modern life: ("The numbers tell the story").  Explores the collecting, organizing, displaying and drawing of conclusions from statistics.  VHS 433 no. 6-10

• Statistics: Overview Statistics: Behind the headlines. For all practical purposes: Statistics. 1986. 1 videocassette (58 min.). Statistics: Overview is an analysis of the importance of statistics in all aspects of our lives. Discusses the collection and organization of data and how we can be sure our conclusions are valid.   Statistics: Behind the headlines looks at data collection and explores how surveys and public opinion polls actually work. Discusses the difference between a survey and an experiment and considers why and how chance is used in random sampling to make our confidence in our findings more certain. VHS 433 nos. 6-7
• Statistics: Picture this Statistics: Place your bets. For all practical purposes: Statistics. 1986. 1 videocassette (58 min.). Statistics: Picture this discusses pictorial data using graphs, histograms, and box plates to reveal changes and patterns that can then be examined in terms of mean, median, quartile and outlier. States that the human brain can quickly grasp statistics when presented as pictures.   Statistics: Place your bets analyzes how we can predict long-term patterns of chance events by looking at the operation of a gambling casino. Introduces elementary probability concepts along with an analysis of normal curves, standard deviation and expected value. VHS 433 nos. 8-9
• Confident conclusions. For all practical purposes: Statistics. 1986. 1 videocassette (30 min.). Focuses on the concept of a confidence interval and describes precisely what opinion polls do and do not tell us. Presents the formula used to compute confidence intervals and teaches how confidence in statistical conclusions is related to sample size and how to analyze a sampling distribution. VHS 433 No. 10

Statistics at a Glance. 1972. 1 videocassette (28 min.). Explains that descriptive statistics are methods for organizing and summarizing data so that it can be understood quickly. Discusses the elementary principles of descriptive statistics, including such topics as frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, variability, and correlation. VIC 193

The strange New Science of Chaos. 1989. 1 videocassette (60 min.). Uses live action and animation to discuss examples of naturally occurring phenomena which can be explained and/or predicted by this new scientific approach.  VHS 738

Targeting. c1989. 2 videocassettes (185 min.). Following an introduction by Mark Lotwis, Howard Rodda discusses the techniques of targeting, including the statistical analysis of potential voter groups. The session includes small group projects and a question and answer period. VHS 651

Teachers Tackle Thinking. 1988. 12 videocassettes ( 30 min. each). Curriculum Materials Center. This series on teaching the fundamentals of critical thinking includes parts on computers, mathematics, science, and other subject areas. Programs stress content learning and thinking skills for elementary and secondary school teachers.

• Developing Effective Thinkers. VHS 2611
• Classroom Climate. VHS 2612
• Questioning. VHS 2613
• Deductive Reasoning. VHS 2614
• Inductive Thinking. VHS 2615
• Problem Solving. VHS 2616
• Problem Solving and Decision Making. VHS 2617
• Computers. VHS 2618
• Thinking in the Language Arts. VHS 2619
• Mathematics and Thinking. VHS 2620
• Thinking in Social Studies. VHS 2621
• Thinking in Science. VHS 2622

Teaching Math a Video Library, K-4. Annenberg/CPB math and science collection: Curriculum Materials Center. 1995. 19 videocassettes (685 min.). Each program shows a teacher demonstrating the methods of instruction appropriate to the mathematical concepts and grade level.  

• Introduction. VHS 3661
• Number sense and numeration ants go marching, math buddies, place-value centers. VHS 3662
• Number sense and numeration pumpkin seeds, animals in Yellowstone. VHS 3663
• Concepts of whole number operations cubes and containers, amazing equations, domino math. VHS 3664
• Concepts of whole number operations marshmallows, what's the price? VHS 3665
• Whole number computation dino math, window puzzle, wheel problem. VHS 3666
• Whole number computation this small house, choose a method. VHS 3667
• Geometry and spatial sense Thanksgiving quilt, pattern blocks, shapes from squares. VHS 3668
• Geometry and spatial sense a rocket shape, circumference/diameter. VHS 3669
• Measurement, windows, dinos and ants; how long is a minute? balloon travel. VHS 3670
• Measurement, meter cords, pencil box staining. VHS 3671
• Statistics and probability dice toss, questioning data. VHS 3672
• Statistics and probability lady bugs, woodpecker habitat, bubble gum contest. VHS 3673
• Fractions and decimals fraction strips, arrays and fractions, everyday decimals. VHS 3674
• Fractions and decimals cookies to share, fractions with geoboards. VHS 3675
• Patterns and relationships people patterns, all sorts of buttons, story-board centers. VHS 3676
• Patterns and relationships products and sums, valentine exchange. VHS 3677
• Estimation,beans, beans, beans, how many people will fit, cranberry estimation. VHS 3678
• Estimation, buffalo estimation, the white pages. VHS 3679