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A feature film about George Boole available online ----------------------------------------------------

A Boolean is a constant or variable that can take only two values: "True" or "False". All computer scientists use them every day, but how many know that Boolean algebra was created by a 19^th-century Irish mathematician? The film George Boole, génie des maths, from the series "Les génies de la science", sheds light on the life of this remarkable figure. We discover the places he frequented (the house where he was born, now in ruins, and University College Cork, where he taught…). The feature devotes considerable attention to his pioneering role in computing, with numerous images of microprocessors and artificial intelligence; other pioneers are also discussed. Overall, the film is entertaining and brings an original mathematician to the fore, showing that pure mathematics can have practical applications. One unusual feature of the documentary is an interview with one of Boole’s descendants, Geoffrey Hinton. It is regrettable, however, that Boole’s daughters—including the remarkable scientists Alicia Boole-Stott and Ethel Voinich—are not mentioned. A clearer discussion of Boolean algebras themselves would likewise have been welcome. J.-J. D.

George Boole, génie des maths, aux origines de l’informatique. Stephen Mizelas, 60 min, 2015, currently available online: **www.arte.tv/fr/videos/105438-000-A/george-boole-genie-des-maths/**