E from eels learns quantum mechanics
Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives is a brilliant 2007 film that follows Mark Everett (aka E from Eels) as he traces his late father, Hugh Everett III, from Princeton PhD to the Pentagon, until his death as a businessman at 51.
Hugh Everett III’s 1957 paper on parallel universes was barely acknowledged until decades later, with many physicists now proclaiming themselves as ‘Everettian’ (or not). His work on quantum mechanics is considered as groundbreaking as Einstein’s theory of relativity and yet he died without knowing fame nor, as E explains, his family:
He was in his own parallel universe. He was a physical presence, like the furniture, sitting there jotting down crazy notations at the dining room table night after night. I think he was deeply disappointed that he knew he was a genius but the rest of the world didn’t know it.
By meeting his father’s colleagues, friends and students, the self-proclaimed kid who flunked out of high-school algebra comes to understand the basics of his father’s theory of many worlds – and thanks to cute illustrations and simplified explanations, the audience can too. (For a basic idea of parallel universes, think Donnie Darko or Gwyneth Paltrow’s dual existence in Sliding Doors).
At one charming point, E meets a lanky Princeton physicist who had devoted his academic life to proving Everett’s theory after finding an ancient copy in a used bookstore while studying at Berkeley. He is visibly overwhelmed to meet the son of the man who he had respected for so long and gushes like a groupie - which may lead E to his conclusion that his father was like a ‘rock star of the physics world’.
While exploring his dad’s belongings – which had been boxed and long-forgotten since his death – E finds a cache of Dictaphone recordings, which give him further insight into the man he barely knew. Listening to the tapes in an empty hotel room, he even finds a little bit of himself.
With an Eels soundtrack and beautiful production, Parallel Lives, Parrallel Worlds is a fascinating look at physics, fatherhood and of course, E. And the best part? It’s available free in the UK on BBC iPlayer until next week.
Or check the preview below:
You can also read more about the theory and previously unseen works from the Everett archives at the Parallel Lives, Parallel Worlds PBS site.
