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PI is a movie about science. A computer scientist is obsessed with finding out secrets of nature by searching for a number which will discover all laws of nature. If you are a physicist or have read “A brief history of time”, you might have come across the term “Grand unified theory”. Max cohen ( Sean Gullette) is on the search for a number which will unlock the secrets of our universe. Below is a review of the movie

PI isn’t about the mathematical constant 3.1415.., representing, among many other things, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diametre. The movie is about the deranged and beautiful quest of one person in search of the truth, the answer to the universe. The plot is a common one in science fiction: a phenotypic “aberration” in the brain causes the protagonist to develop special abilities that makes him sought after and feared. In this particular cases, Max acquires a deep grasp of number theory. With his assumptions, that mathematics is the universal language, that number theory can represent everything in nature, and that there is a pattern in everything that occurs in this universe, he sets about trying to find it in the stock market.

After him are people who are interested in his stock market analyses for monetary purposes, and more strangely, a group of Rabbis who are convinced the same pattern of numbers is the key to their salvation. However, Max is the only one who can understand the semantics of the 216 digit number that is key to the universal lock, a plot device that I thought was truly brilliant. In the end, Max succeeds on his quest, but what he understands is never revealed to us. I was fascinated with the idea of a Grand unified theory where if you understand the laws of nature, you can predict the course of events in the past as well as the future. We might disover laws of nature and soon be able to understand how our planet will behave in future including the course of events which might happen on it.

PI has an obscure plot but it might keep your attention if you have a scientific background. The movie is filmed in black and white and we are always kept wondering what is on Max’s mind who is the lead character of the movie.

I strongly recommend this movie if you are a mathematician or a computer scientist or if you can relate to science and techonlogy. I would rate this movie 8 out of 10.

Sometime ago I heard that high schools were introducing computer programming languages and I wondered if it is the right thing.. I used to think that it might be a better idea to teach basic science and math to high school and students and introduce computing machines later when they finish school. Computers are mechanical devices and they might forbid us to be creative as to create art or music. Although they are useful in understanding laws of nature or for communication with the world, they cannot teach us to be creative yet. It would be a while before we would see artificial thinking machines which can guide us. The current state of AI research is at its beginning.

Teachers should prepare children to think creatively so that pupils wont just apply pure logic to solve real world problems but rather tacke each problem independetly. It might be futile to feed children with object oriented programming languages like java or c++ before they have strong mathematical skills. Maths and computing is strongly related. The more skilled a person is mathematics or logic, the better programmer he/she may become.

Technology is not the key to each and every issue in human life. It might help us lead a better life and is necessary for one to be comfortable but it shouldn’t be introduced until we are ready yet. Some issues are not new: the early and excessive concern about computer literacy too often at the cost of basic literacy. Other issues are familiar but more clearly documented than usual-the inability of school systems to maintain equipment or train teachers once the hardware is in place.

There are some benefits: more efficient record keeping, and better ways to reach children with learning disabilities. But the central message is that computer infatuation has not only drained billions of dollars from more urgent educational needs, but that its misuse actually damages students, turning out a generation of kids with inferior learning and thinking children skills.

What do you think about the whole issue? Drop a line if you can !!