A Trip to Infinity (2022) User Reviews

Mind-bending musings about infinity (and beyond?)

[paul-allaer · 7/10 · 27 September 2022]

As "A Trip To Infinity" (2022 release; 79 min) opens, we are introduced to a group of smart, very smart talking heads including mathematicians, physicists, cosmologists, etc. And they start talking about what infinity is. One of them, applied mathematician Steven Strogatz, explains it by way of the story of The Infinite Hotel, as a cartoon plays out what Strogatz is talking about. At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is co-directed by veteran documentarian Jon Halperin (who also co=wrote and co-produced this) and newcomer Drew Takahashi. The movie is divided into 9 Chapters and a Conclusion. There is of course no plot to speak of, and along the way we are confronted with seemingly simple questions like "can you go beyond infinity?", "is infinity real or a human invention", etc. The talking heads provide their perspectives, and I haven't a clue whether what they way is true or not. The fascinating thing is that their mind-bending musings are all accompanied by a montage of some sort, at times quite literally (see: The Infinite Hotel), at times very abstract. The original score is an intriguing electronic collage by newcomer Efrim Manuel Menuck. Can't wait to hear more where that came from. Bottom line: this is not your average documentary. I quite enjoyed it for what it was.

"A Trip To Infinity" premiered on Netflix earlier this week. If you are in the mood for something different altogether and don't mind that your brain might get scrambled a bit along the way, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

Materials are thin but not inane

[MeadtheMan · 7/10 · 27 September 2022]

This documentary avoids some of the mistakes that physics documentaries usually make. The visuals take a lot of artistic license but they're mostly not inane and actually help us visualize certain concepts, the experts give a lot of one-liners but they don't feel too much like trolling us or just bantering (for the most part), the subject is open-ended but there's a focus to ponder over just that.

However, I wish the questions and cues were a little less of a shtick so that the experts could expound on the subject a little more, in their own ways - there are actually many of us who like to be intellectually challenged (those who are seeking for entertainment wouldn't even give this a shot anyway).

For example, when the experts are given a glass globe in their hands and asked about holding infinity, it's cute but a little cringey. In fact, Levin already points out that's not how infinity works, if it's truly infinity, we won't be having a comfortable bird's-eye view of it, it's just a very human-centric approach. Moments like these attempt to lure profound statements over something that's already very profound on its own. Instead, what may work better is that, with each example that the experts give, they could go a little deeper, discussing things like how they may try to prove it mathematically/experimentally, what are the limits, paradoxes, different theories on it, etc.

Not for everyone, sorry

[skatenorulez · 7/10 · 1 October 2022]

Not a documentary for people without a scientific background, most of the concepts are pretty complex and will not be understandable by the regular folk. In fact, many people will probably be offended just because they don't believe in science in the first place and want to live in blissful ignorance. That is why it has reviews below 5 stars.

There is also the risk of people mistaking infinity with god, which is a long stretch. Infinity is a mathematical convention that helps us understand things outside our scale, but math in itself isn't even a perfect representation of reality (although we use it as an approximation). There probably is a complex math-like language underlying the tissue of reality, one that could explain what infinity really aims to be, but it is still not within our reach.

An advice: if you felt interested or doubtful about the concepts represented in this documentary, they are not new, there are a thousand of youtube videos and creators devoted to explain this matter better.

A unique take on a concept

[keigca · 6/10 · 15 April 2023]

A Trip to Infinity is a documentary about the concept of infinity. Which seems like a daunting and intimidating topic to make a documentary on- which is a reason why I was curious to watch it and see what would be said and explained about it. The documentary divided the concept into segments of explanations as well as examples to explain the concept. My favorite aspect of the explanations would be the usage of old-fashioned cartoon-like animations as the thematic string to tie all the segments together. While I did enjoy these moments, the other moment did the documentary fell a bit flat in comparison and I found myself wanting to just watch the animated segmented for the documentary. One unique aspect I liked was how the different interviewees knew the other interviewees and referenced each other, I found that fun and different. Overall, this documentary was okay with keeping interest on something I thought could have been portrayed a bit more interestingly.

Materials are thin but not inane

[eugene-alexander · 6/10 · 30 September 2022]

No, but they is no connection between the two.

Our universe is finite, infinity is on another level.

To see the world in a grain of sand, and Heaven in a wild flower, to hold Infinity in the palm of your hand and Eternity in one hour.

Every multidimensional system tends to infinity, increasing its complexity by itself.

He has seen everything that is now, everything that has been made from heaven and everything that is in the infinite. Always homogenous and similar.

If the doors of perception were cleared, everything would be presented to man as it really is: infinite.

Man is like a fraction where the numerator is his real self and the denominator his idea of himself. The larger the denominator, the smaller the value of the fraction. And as the denominator expands to infinity, the fraction tends to zero.

A skin deep exploration of two very different concepts of the same name

[zbartepstein · 7/10 · 12 November 2022]

Infinity is a mathematical concept. This documentary does a nice job of exploring it.

The question of whether our universe is finite or infinite, is a wildly different issue. Brilliant books have been written about the evidence for each possibility question and what created the universe in the first place.

Unfortunately, this beautiful documentary does not make anything other than a cursory attempt to describe the issue.

The computer graphics and music in this documentary are exceptional. But the entire thing seems to be aimed at the 10th grade audience that has never thought about infinity before.

It was a brain food, want more like this

[mahbubcu · 10/10 · 26 September 2022]

The never-ending curiosity to know the unknown is something that scientists devote their life. And infinity is one of the biggest of them.

When we talk about the existence of God and the end of infinity, it seems like we don't know; or maybe we have an infinite answer to it, yet we can't be so sure. It made me feel that every second of our life is crucial in the realm of infinity, where my existence is so tiny.

Apart from my philosophical understanding, the documentary was very thoughtful and insightful. It explains infinity from different perspectives. It felt like my brain was enjoying a good meal. The psychedelic animations and VFX were undoubtedly creative, aesthetic, and eye-soothing. Loved it!

Great for kids! Very introductory science.

[nanojo12 · 7/10 · 17 January 2023]

Not a bad documentary, but definitely viewed it as more of an introductory teaching lesson for children. It's not great for anyone who is at all versed or has any deep interest in science or math, as it does not go any deeper than the surface level for all the theories it posits. Most of the documentary is introductory paradoxes, theories, or thought experiments. Like Hilbert's paradox of the Grand Hotel (a hotel with infinite rooms and infinite guests), along with a good explanation of the Poincaré recurrence theorem. The example of the latter used in the doc was an apple in a box left for a near infinite or infinite amount of time would decay into particles and eventually after such a period of time elapsed would have to return back into its original state of a fresh apple. Because there are a finite amount of particles making up the state of the original apple, there are a finite amount of states those particles can be in. Therefore once the amount of time it takes for all the particles to go into every state they can, they will have to return into its original state of a fresh apple at some point; after repeated other states as well.

A Feast for Thought

[idesignwebsites · 10/10 · 27 September 2022]

I'm not a scientist, so I can't verify the science in this film. But I'm a designer and I have to say - visually this Netflix production is really breath-taking.

In my opinion, this is how popular science films should be. The visuals here are not only beautiful, visually pleasing and exciting, but they are really smart, creative and really exciting. The creators did a really fantastic job connecting creativity, VFX and science to make these extremely complex scientific concepts accessible and digestible for the general public.

A great watch for all ages and probably a really good chance to make your teenage kids excited about science.

Also, unlike many woke Hollywood productions these days, this one is actually a great example of inclusivity and diversity.

If u dont understand it...it does mean its bad...

[ironfist699 · 9/10 · 1 October 2022]

Most reviews r from people who didnt ever start to understand what was that docu adout.its not all science or all philosophy.we need to see the bigger picture and think outside the box,dont dismiss what is hard to understand.these people tried to give incredibley complicated stuff to almost everyone... scientists and philosophers are trying to meet..and it s a good try.ever if someone didnt understand anything,its still a fun 70 minutes!!!but...i m sure,that everyone who really watch this docu ,will in some point learn something.that is for sure.thanx to all who participated and tried to explain and share with us all that knowledge.

Nice Visuals, Weak on Content

[charles-limcw · 5/10 · 28 September 2022]

As seems to be the norm for Netflix type so-called 'documentaries', visual presentation trumps content depth, breadth and clarity.

Too much on-and-on ramblings on common and minor aspects, and some screen time are just downright irrelevant and totally time wasting - like literally waiting for the train to pass as the interviewee just sat there.

Pertinent and more complex concepts on the other hand are quickly glossed over or just left hanging.

The whole attempt seems to hinge on decorating narratives around the visuals rather than the other way round. Visual quotas seem to be the priority regardless of relevance.

Overall - weak. Only for the very casual viewer of this otherwise highly interesting topic.

For viewers who are already familiar with the rudimentaries of 'infinity' from much better documentaries, give this a miss. Not worth your finite conscious time.

Complete Masterpiece

[annaparetas · 10/10 · 10 October 2022]

This documentary is a brain massage for curious minds. Visually stunning, conceptually amusing and impossible to not to watch until the end. This a a piece of art, something hard to find nowadays.

I can't believe the bad critics and low ratings of other people. This is the most interesting documentary I have watched in many many years.

You don't need to be an expert on mathematics or physics to understand, they make it easier for you through good writing and visuals.

We need more like this one as humans. Curiosity should be number one occupation in our lives. Thanks for making this, today I am going to bed happy to see that there is other humans making stuff like this in this world.

I find that it's hard for me to really imagine numbers bigger than ten.

[Dominic_25_ · 8/10 · 19 February 2023]

I watched this documentary after it had been talked about at work. My relationship to the concept of infinity largely framed my experience of this one, which I guess is true for everybody with their experiences with everything. But having never been fascinated by this concept really did not set this up for success. And yet I enjoyed it.

Many of the concepts I've delved into and read and watched about over the years. In my free time I watch video essays and sometimes about math and physics so a lot of the concepts discussed I had heard before. So throughout I felt strange for not being as impacted by them as I expect I was supposed to.

Yet the end is my absolute favorite part. After an hour of various experts talking about the properties and ramifications of infinity, none of them seem to be able to comprehend that humans, who have studied and probably invented the concept, could have infinite creativity. Such a humbling experience and it made the whole thing better.

Less than Infinitely Entertaining

[plexonics · 8/10 · 30 September 2022]

The topic of infinity is interesting, puzzling, and maddening. In mathematics the notion of infinity arises from either a way to describe things we can comprehend or explain or when an equation describing a system leads to an undefined state often called a singularity. The movie provides exhaustive thoughts on the former but not enough of the latter. There is an array of respected physicists, mathematicians, and philosophers. I would have liked more differing viewpoints. Most of the discussion was homogeneous and became repetitive.

The production was top rate and I give full marks for graphics and insightful questions so it was interesting enough for me to recommend it to anyone interested in science and math.

Fancy animations, shallow in depth

[svenvancauwelaert · 5/10 · 18 October 2022]

I have no idea why some people would give this a high score. This is not a documentary. This is some nice visuals with lose incoherent points that are never made. If you give it a low score, you must not understand it right, cause your brain is to small? It has a few good points, but most of it is just empty space and very little science. Hire a few smart people, make them say some stuff, add visuals, done. Netflix almost always makes horrible documentaries. Just buy this sort of content from other creators instead. For the amount of actual information that is given to the viewer this could have been much shorter.

Ingenious illustration and intriguing concept

[subrinafarah-38626 · 10/10 · 9 February 2023]

I found it ambiguous in the beginning but gradually this gets to a momentum. It gets interesting and gives a thought provoking journey from mathematics, physics, cosmology and philosophy. Some of the concepts and theories gave a spiritual boost to my existence and surrounding.

Graphical representation were meticulously done. Speakers were knowledgeable and very candid. It started with infinity but then blended with physics, quantum physics, cosmology and philosophy. If you have some science background, it would be very enjoyable to watch. It's surely will give you new perspectives of seeing life and a good food for thought.

I AM A CHANGED MAN AFTER WATCHING THIS!!!1

[justintferris · 10/10 · 6 February 2024]

Hello and hi,

i just watched this movie and i thought it was amazing. I too am a mathematician. My study is in certain topographies but i won't bore you with that. This documentary has shown me the truth to The Universe. And i am a strong believer of gut feelings and this gut feeling was strong. So this movie was amazing. The interviews with the mathematicians and physicists and philosophers. They were so smart and were confident in what they were saying. I am now both afraid of The Infinities around us, but also acceptant of how it makes life so reasonable. This documentary has many trippy visuals and animations and cool things. People on drugs would probably get enjoyment from these amazing colors and fun little watching the experts talk about it as if it were a real thing. If you're a math nerd of any sort or if you just need something to put on for your wall street blind date. So she thinks you're smart.

Okay well this was fun. Enjoy the documentary.

Jtf.

Good, except young guy with man bun.

[dazarova · 8/10 · 8 August 2023]

Was great, however the philosopher with the man bun didn't contribute anything.

The other philosophers at least had ideas, concepts, or intriguing thoughts, but the gentleman with the man bun didn't. Would have rather them put another mathematician, or at minimum another philosopher that contributed.

Steven Strogatz was phenomenal, everything he said made me itch my head in wonder, but also confusion (not in a bad way, just needed a few minutes to process). I would love to take a class by him, or just meet him face to face and pick his brain.

Although it answered a lot of questions for me, I most definitely left with more questions than answers.

I have recommended to so many people, and will continue to recommend.

Infinite Ways to Say the Same Thing

[rhiannonv-40374 · 1/10 · 20 November 2022]

I was excited to watch this after seeing a clip online. Unfortunately, it turned out to be maybe 30 minutes of content spread out over the duration. It introduces a chapter, finding different ways to paraphrase over and over again, to the point where I think the introduction of the chapter lasted 30 minutes and the content was maybe 5. I love theoretical physics and mathematics and was looking forward to hearing some really interesting thought experiments and scientific concepts, and this was a big let-down. If you're looking to watch something that tackles the question of infinity using mathematics and physics, this is not for you.

To infinity and beyond!

[keikoyoshikawa · 9/10 · 18 April 2023]

I bet someone challenged a film-maker to make mathematicians sexy. The result is this documentary that held my attention despite my being not able to understand much of it. :D

The biggest take-aways for me are: (1) infinity can equal zero, (2) some infinities are bigger than others, (3) infinity cannot be measured, and (4) no one knows if infinity actually exists in the real world. Do I understand any of this? Heck no! :D

So basically I have no idea what infinity is. But what really broke my brain is the thought experiment that if you leave an apple in a finite box for an infinite amount of time, that apple will decay and eventually turn back into an apple!

Mind blown.

But I'm pretty sure about this: Who invented infinity? Parents after humans invented the spoken language. If you've ever been bombarded with endless questions from your kids, then you know what I'm talking about.

PS: I love Prof. Brian Greene. And here he does not disappoint when he explains that a tree trunk compared to the size of the universe is what a Planck length is to us. Wow!

PPS: And I love the reference to William Blake's poem which starts with "To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity is an hour."

Nine stars! I had to deduct one star because in the end I still don't understand. :D.

where are spiritual leaders

[gifk-65969 · 9/10 · 29 September 2022]

Enjoyed quite various perspectives toward one topic, but I think the weight of right / left brain is not very balanced, from time spent on different interviewees. The philosopher barely appears compared to the mathematician and the physicist.

And definitely would love to hear from spiritual leaders joining the discussion as well, like yogi guru or monk master. I believe that'll lead to an even more diverse way of thinking about this mystery.

Also sometimes I imagine if each interviewee talks to each other, having some discussion face to face, colliding their professionals. (For example I like the crew sometimes asked questions and see the interviewee's reaction.)

Anyway I am still grateful for the crew and the people who contribute to this film / movie. Great animation & visual design to interpret such abstract concept.

If you take out the zero, the rating becomes 1.

[punitshirodkar · 10/10 · 7 December 2022]

There are so many folks here giving their perspective and thought about this film. Now imagine every single one of them existing in infinitely different causalities of life. A scientist in one and maybe something another in one. Infinitely different and existing.

With infinite different causalities in an infinite multiverse where they exist in all kinds of possibilities, their view subjected to this film should change because they would feel differently about it in all their different lives.

We as humans are constantly feeling things as per the causality of our experience since our birth to our death. The whole array of emotional spectrum is available but in this life we hit only some notes and with different intensities too on that entirety of the spectrum.

So using our vivid imagination we can see the possibility that this film will also have infinitely different reviews from each individual.

Even if just for the sake of imagination, it feels beautiful. This could reverberate with some and not as much for many, all because of the causality we are exposed to experience in this life.

Mathematicians Rhapsody, with a bit of an headache

[RedKidBytes · 4/10 · 3 October 2022]

The documentary intrinsically focuses on the topic of infinity. In a marmalade style. It mixes a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, with the intellectually designed visualization of the mechanics, yet often awkward and sometimes down-right irritating musical undertone can make this difficult to watch.

Einstein's space-time theory is utterly mocked up in the visual and verbal explanations. According to the theory, the universe is not potentially infinite, however, time and space are bent in a way that the beginning and the end of the universe are connected.

This is all over the place. Too short for the number one things it wants to cover and too long for what it covered.

Absolutely fascinating

[ncook-71471 · 10/10 · 7 November 2022]

I watched this program a few weeks ago and have found myself thinking about it ever since. Quite simply the most mind blowing program I've ever been privileged to see. You don't need a science background, just a keen interest, willingness to listen and think, and an imagination. As the narrating geniuses try to wrap their own heads around the concept of infinity and its implications, the program perhaps unintentionally elevates science into the realm of spirituality, and casts glimmers into the nature of eternal life, ironically the relevance of each one of us to the greater picture, and indeed the workings of God - perhaps more accurately described as the Great Life Force. The universe is "alive" and how amazing it is to be part of it.

Highly interesting discussion on a fascinating subject

[grantss · 9/10 · 10 July 2023]

Eminent scientists - mathematicians, physicists, theoretical physicists, cosmologists, philosophers - discuss infinity: the concept, how large it is, whether it exists physically, its practical uses. Through practical examples we get to understand it better.

A highly interesting discussion on a fascinating subject. I wasn't sure where this was going to go as how can you discuss infinity, exactly? I have a mathematical background (Masters degree in Statistics) so am certainly no stranger to Infinity in mathematical equations and applications but this is something more than that, trying to turn Infinity into something tangible.

We thus have an interesting blend of maths, physics and philosophy, with astrophysics / astronomy thrown in too. Even though the experts try to make things as easy to understand as possible, it's still quite complicated - lose concentration for a minute and you're liable to miss out on understanding an important piece of the puzzle.

It's also quite overwhelming and in some ways depressing, the shear enormity of some of the things discussed and how insignificant we are in comparison.