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Edward Frenkel and Chris Carter

Love, Mathematics and The X-Files
In conversation
Thursday, February 13, 2014
01:13:46
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Episode Summary

Frenkel, one of the 21st century’s leading mathematicians, works on one of the biggest ideas to come out of mathematics in the last 50 years: the Langlands Program. In his lyrical autobiography, he reveals a side of math we’ve never seen, suffused with all the metaphysical beauty and elegance of a work of art. Known for his controversial erotic film about math, Frenkel believes a mathematical formula can carry a charge of love. Frenkel is joined by screenwriter and The X-Files creator Chris Carter to discuss how mathematics reaches to the heart of all matter, uniting us across culture, time, and space.


Participant(s) Bio

Edward Frenkel is a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, and was previously on the faculty at Harvard University. He is a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society and winner of the Hermann Weyl Prize in mathematical physics. His recent work has focused on the Langlands Program and dualities in Quantum Field Theory. Frenkel has authored two books and over eighty research articles in mathematical journals, and he has lectured on his work around the world. He co-produced, co-directed, and played the lead in the film "Rites of Love and Math," which French newspaper Le Monde called "a stunning short film... offering an unusual romantic vision of mathematicians."

Described by Time Magazine as a "televisionary," Chris Carter created one of the most successful television franchises of all time with his award-winning show The X-Files. The show ran a remarkable nine seasons, is still seen today in over 60 countries, and spawned two films as well as a comic book and video game adaptations. Carter also created the shows Millennium, Harsh Realm, and The Lone Gunmen. The impact of Carter’s series is such that in 1997, Time Magazine named him one of "The 25 Most Influential People in America. After a hiatus from television, Carter is about to return to the medium, helming Amazon Studios' very first TV drama pilot The After, which he wrote and directed.



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