I grew up watching many educational programs on PBS and am very thankful for them. Even now, I will try to catch the good programs on PBS when I get the chance. The latest show I saw was Nova’s, “Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives“. Somehow that show has been on my mind even long after it’s over.
The show was not just about science. It’s the story of Mark Everett and his journey to learn more about his father. Mark (also known as E) is part of the indie rock band - the Eels. Mark never got to know too much about his father. He was only 18 when he lost him.
Mark’s father, Hugh Everett III, considered to be a brilliant scientist who came up with the radical “many worlds theory” of quantum mechanics.
My father never, ever said anything to me about his theories. I was in the same house with him for at least 18 years but he was a total stranger to me. 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. - Mark Everett.
Other family tragedies soon followed Mark later in his life. Including the loss of his only sibling (a sister) and then of his mother. Despite the family tragedy, I think he turned to his music and found the silver lining of it all.
You can also sense that he has a good heart and a healthy sense of humor. The show is more then just about science, it’s about family, understanding, and finally acceptance.
Well, you have to have a sense of humor. It came from my family. That was how we communicated. Nobody never said “I love you” or anything like that. It was more jokey sarcastic family, that was how we communicated.
