Moments of Genius - Brian Eno

Music producer, Brian Eno, describes his favourite moment in the history of science. In 1970, the British mathematician John Conway worked out the Game of Life. "I'm not a mathematician but this idea made immediate sense to me", says Brian. The Game of Life proves that incredibly complex things can be generated from something startlingly simple. It's like a board game that has a very simple set of rules. You expect to be able to predict the outcome but you absolutely can't. "You just have to keep watching it happen to believe it, " says Brian who has spent many many hours doing just that. The Game of Life is deeply counter-intuitive. It sheds light on what makes evolution possible and has had a huge influence on Brian Eno's music.