De magie van wetenschap - Stof tot nadenken

Theoretical physicist Theo Odijk may be bedridden, his sharp brain sees and understands more of the world than many people do. Prostrate, he studies books, confers on the phone with an American colleague and pores over mathematical formulas regarding the behaviour of DNA molecules: the secret of life. Odijk talks about his first steps in science and his working and thinking methods. Theoreticians want to understand things, but even Odijk cannot unravel everything: 'Science is the art of the unsolvable. When you start reading about the provinces of the brain, the nervous system and incurable diseases, you realise they hardly know anything. So it's hard to solve things.' This is precisely why Odijk managed to accept his physical disability more easily. Besides, Odijk notes, a housebound life also has its advantages, as far as room to think and the intensity of living go. It seems this autonomous scientist does not need the outside world or peripheral equipment to work and gain unusual insights. This documentary is part of the series: De magie van de Wetenschap.