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Turning a Sphere Inside Out

197922mNelson Max

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Synopsis

"Unfolding the impossible: turning a sphere inside out, without a single crease."

This video is about the problem of turning a sphere inside out, by passing the surface through itself, without making any holes or creases. Mathematicians believed the problem to be unsolvable until 1958, when Stephen Smale proved otherwise. The motion of turning a sphere inside out, called a regular homotopy, is extremely difficult to visualize. The homotopy in this film was developed by Bernard Morin, a blind mathematician. The motion is illustrated with a sequence of chicken-wire models, built by Charles Pugh, showing the crucial stages in the motion. Commentary is provided by mathematicians Nelson L. Max, Stephen Smale, and Charles Pugh, and by physicist Judith Bregmann.

Documentary
MathematicsTopologyNumber Theory3d Animation

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Frequently asked questions

What is Turning a Sphere Inside Out (1979) about?

This video is about the problem of turning a sphere inside out, by passing the surface through itself, without making any holes or creases. Mathematicians believed the problem to be unsolvable until 1958, when Stephen Smale proved otherwise. The motion of turning a sphere inside out, called a regular homotopy, is extremely difficult to visualize. The homotopy in this film was developed by Bernard…

Who stars in Turning a Sphere Inside Out?

Turning a Sphere Inside Out stars Nelson Max (Self), Stephen Smale (Self), Charles Pugh (Self), Judith Bregman (Self). The film was directed by Nelson Max.

How long is Turning a Sphere Inside Out?

Turning a Sphere Inside Out has a runtime of 22 min and premiered in 1979.

Where can I watch Turning a Sphere Inside Out?

Streaming availability for Turning a Sphere Inside Out changes by country and service. TasteRay tracks where it is available across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Apple TV+ and 50+ other platforms — the current options for your country are shown on this page.