21/07/2006

English actor Gary Barber, specialised in playing Einstein, recently visited Athens in order to act as the famous physics scientist in the popular scientific documentary "A Journey through Physics-The Birth of Modern Physics", the production of which is undertaken by the National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF).

Shootings for the documentary took place in various locations (Observatory, Acropolis, Philopappos, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Nea Ionia, Airport, etc.) with the cooperation of researchers from the NHRF and a team from the Department of Primary Education of Athens University. Moreover, Garry Barber worked with the team of young graffiti artists from the Municipality of Nea Ionia to create a graffiti piece on the subject of Einstein.

Gary Barber's performance on Einstein's life, which includes personal moments as well as scientific discoveries, is particularly popular with the general public. In fact, more than 60 performances have been given worldwide in the last two years.

As the English actor explains in "Innovation, Research and Technology", the public is very interested and often surprised when they realise everything that Einstein experienced. "People know almost nothing about Einstein's life. The performance presents a lot of details and the public gets excited but also feels surprised about the unknown aspects of the life of the great physicist."

Commenting on the response of the Greek public to the performance given last year for the Year of Physics he states: "Greeks were particularly informed regarding Einstein's work. At the end of the show there were a lot of questions from the spectators, especially children, who seemed thrilled."

Regarding Einstein's personality, G. Barber explains: "What inspires me most is his great imagination because it was thanks to this imagination that he managed to solve the most complicated equations and the most complicated problems." He adds: "Einstein was a very warm person and very entertaining. He had a lot of friends and at his lectures, which attracted a large audience, he would play the violin and tell jokes".

The public?s enthusiastic response to the performances lead G. Barber to believe that youth are particularly interested in science. ?When I started getting ready for the performance, my goal was to spark the interest of youth for physical sciences, just like Einstein did. Even though presenting scientific theories is not an easy thing, in my performance I try to explain them in the most simple and understandable way", explains the English actor.

"A Journey through Physics" for High School and College Students

The goal of the documentary "A Journey through Physics - The Birth of Modern Physics" is to transmit to the general public the excitement and beauty of scientific thought currently derived from Physics, to familiarise the public with modern achievements and allow the human mind to conceive of the Universe in its entirety.

Researchers from the NHRF, in cooperation with a team of scientists from the Department of Primary Education of Athens University, are in charge of the scientific aspect of the documentary. The documentary will be available on DVD, free-of-charge, for high school and college students and will be accompanied by a small publication, ?The Theory of Special and General Relativity?, a popular article written by Einstein himself.

The above activities of the NHRF are included in the project "Hermes-Open Gates" (Operational Programme ?Competitiveness?, CSF III) and seek to make the foundation's research works, and science in general, more widely known. n

Source: National Hellenic Research Foundation