Educational Media Reviews Online

Scientific theories often are developed through sharing and debate. The Copenhagen Interpretation: Quantum Physics vs. Relativity, brings this process of introduction and improvement to life.

The film is well-organized and well-executed. It begins with an engaging summary and then circles back to cover who the key players were, what they believed, and why it matters now. Primary sources such as voice recordings, newspaper clippings and direct quotes ("Let them believe in their tranquilizing religion; an inner voice tells me that it's not yet the real thing," says Albert Einstein) lend the content a sense of immediacy, and the scientists who provide context speak with clarity, precision and passion.

The strength of this film lies in its ability to convey the richness of the process through which science advances. Viewers who watch from start to finish will be drawn in by the vigorous discussion inspired by Bohr's theory of quantum mechanics. His ideas were disputed by some of his peers, and their arguments helped him understand where clarification was needed.

The film is not suited to segmented viewing in the classroom. Because it is not divided into chapters, instructors who wish to illustrate a point with a video clip will have to fast-forward and scan. In addition, it occasionally fails to provide a simple explanation for its science. For example, animated graphics clearly demonstrate Bohr's supposition that the act of measuring one particle affects the state of another particle--but the voice accompanying the graphics does not explain why this would happen.

The Copenhagen Interpretation is recommended for students in senior high and college because it will give them a glimpse of the process of scientific development. It is so engaging that it may even inspire them to participate in the process themselves.