This is a short science documentary, so I don't know if anyone will know it. I believe there were two versions of it made, an older one and a more recent one, but they are essentially the same concept and delivery. It starts with a shot, from above, of a couple picnicking in a park. Then the camera pans back and back and back, to the furthest known reaches of outer space, with an accompanying narration of the various phenomena. Then, midway through it quickly zooms forward until it reaches the picnicking couple again, then slowly zooms forward continually, into the man's ear I think, and we get a narrated tour of inner space, all the way to the further reaches of the sub-atomic universe. I remember seeing it at someone's house who had it on VHS years ago, but I have no idea what it was called or who made it. It was a very fascinating documentary and I would like to locate it. Anyone know what this is?
That would be Powers of Ten (1977).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7xwu2i0mMU
I'd forgotten I'd seen this; only found it after some Google-ing (or should that be googol-ing?). Don't know where I saw it originally, probably in a math class.
One of the central complaints mathematicians make, is that people lack an intuitive understanding of orders of magnitude, of which this film is a great example. It reminds me of the end of the book Death from the Skies! by astronomer Philip Plait, where he discusses the eventual heat death of the universe and time frames in the 10^100 years range. Mind-boggling stuff, in a good way.
That would be the one. Consider it solved.
I have to say that I have yet to present an item that has not been solved, and usually within a day. You guys rock.