George Boole, the pioneering Lincoln-born mathematician whose work laid the foundations for the digital age, is to be celebrated in a new documentary film narrated by Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons.
First screened by RTE in Ireland, the documentary will be premiered in the UK on 25 October during Frequency 2015, Lincoln’s festival of digital culture, just a few days before the bicentenary of Boole’s birth – ‘George Boole Day’- is celebrated on 2 November 2015. Filmed in Ireland (Cork), the UK and US, this 58 minute film shines new light on the life, work and legacy of a man whose role in the digital revolution is not widely known.
Born in Lincoln, George Boole was an English mathematician, philosopher and logician. He worked in the fields of differential equations and algebraic logic, and is best known as the author of The Mathematical Analysis of Logic (1847) and An Investigation of the Laws of Thought (1854). His algebra of logic, now called Boolean algebra, forms the basis of today’s computer languages and electronic circuitry. Much of the ‘new mathematics’ now studied by children in school – set theory, binary numbers and Boolean algebra – has its origins in Boole’s work.
Produced by multi award-winning Oxford Film and Television, and commissioned by University College Cork, The Genius of George Boole assembles industry leaders and academics from across the globe to explore the life and importance of one of the scientific world’s greatest unsung heroes, exploring the huge impact of his work on technology today.
The UK premiere is presented at The Collection, Lincoln, in partnership with The University of Lincoln and Threshold Studios as part of Frequency Festival of Digital Culture 2015. Other events to mark the occasion in Lincoln include:
• a special exhibition ‘The Life and Legacy of George Boole’ at Lincoln Cathedral, where there is a stained glass window honouring Boole’s achievements. Conceived and created in a partnership between University College Cork and the University of Lincoln, it draws upon the Boole Papers and the collections of the Royal Society to tell the story of his life and work.
• a talk on Boole’s life and work by Canon Dr Mark Hocknull of Lincoln Cathedral and the University of Lincoln. Boole combined his interests in mathematics and theology and Hocknull holds doctorates in both science and religious studies. Book at: http://www.lincolncathedralshop.com/more-info/canon-dr-mark-hocknull
• a talk about the mathematical legacy of Boole’s work by Dr Evgeny Khukhro of the School of Mathematics & Physics at the University of Lincoln. Book at: www.lincoln.ac.uk/events
• a George Boole trail taking visitors on a tour of locations significant to Boole’s life in Lincoln, which can be downloaded from Visit Lincoln’s website: http://www.visitlincoln.com/trails/george-boole-trail
Boole was born in Lincoln on 2 November 1815, the son of a struggling shoe-maker. Largely self-taught in mathematics, he started work as an assistant teacher before establishing his own school in Lincolnshire at the age of 19. He began to produce original mathematical research and, in 1844, he was awarded the first gold medal for mathematics by the Royal Society. He stayed in Lincolnshire until his appointment in 1849 as the first professor of mathematics at Queen’s College, Cork (now University College Cork) in Ireland. Boole died prematurely from a fever at the age of 49 and is buried in Cork. Although he was recognised as a genius in his own lifetime, it was not until almost a century later that the far-reaching implications of Boole’s work would become apparent. An American electronics engineer named Claude Shannon realised Boole’s logic could be applied in producing electrical circuits: a discovery that started the digital revolution. Today even the most advanced computers and smart devices still depend on Boolean logic.
For tickets to the UK premiere of The Genius of George Boole, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-genius-of-george-boole-narrated-by-jeremy-irons-uk-premiere-tickets-19128878992
For further information about screenings of The Genius of George Boole visit: http://georgeboole.com/film/
For more details on Frequency Festival, visit: www.frequency.org.uk