BBC The Code: Episode 1: Numbers (2011)

Program Notes

A mysterious code underpins the world. But what does it mean and what can we learn from it? Marcus du Sautoy takes us on an odyssey to uncover the code and reveal its meaning.
The Code is a three-part TV series about maths in the world around us, presented by Marcus du Sautoy. Why do bees make hexagonal honeycomb? Who is in charge of the flight of a flock of swallows? How can dozens of wrong answers make a correct one? Join Marcus on an exciting journey to discover The Code!
Thats not all, because The Code is also a treasure hunt! Weve hidden clues in each episode of the show as well as in a series of online games and on our blog - find them all to solve the mysteries of The Code and gain your chance at winning a valuable prize hidden somewhere in the UK!

In this first episole

Marcus du Sautoy reveals a hidden numerical code that underpins all nature. A code that has the power to explain everything, from the numbers and shapes we see all around us to the rules that govern our own lives. In this first episode, Marcus reveals how significant numbers apear throughout the natural world. They're part of a hidden mathematical world that contains the rules that govern everything on our planet and beyond.