Dreams of a Final Theory
The Scientist's Search for the Ultimate Laws of Nature
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Narrated by:
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Stuart Langton
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By:
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Steven Weinberg
About this listen
Intellectually daring, rich in anecdote and aphorism, Dreams of a Final Theory launches us into a new cosmos and helps us make sense of what we find there.
©1993 Steven Weinberg (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"Listening to this audiobook, one feels as if one has entered the classroom of a popular physics professor. With a clear tenor voice, [Langton] never falters in this reading, even when tackling the many difficult physics terms." ( AudioFile)
"This splendid book is as good reading about physics and physicists as this reviewer can name...clear, honest, and brilliantly instructive." ( Scientific American)
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In Calculating the Cosmos, Ian Stewart presents an exhilarating guide to the cosmos, from our solar system to the entire universe. He describes the architecture of space and time, dark matter and dark energy, how galaxies form, why stars implode, how everything began, and how it's all going to end. He considers parallel universes, the fine-tuning of the cosmos for life, what forms extraterrestrial life might take, and the likelihood of life on Earth being snuffed out by an asteroid.
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Crank alert: rejects modern cosmology
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No 20th-century American scientist is better known to a wider spectrum of people than Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988), physicist, teacher, author, and cultural icon. His autobiographies and biographies have been read and enjoyed by millions of readers around the world, while his wit and eccentricities have made him the subject of TV specials and even a theatrical film.
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Very Interesting, but ...
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Werner Heisenberg's "uncertainty principle" challenged centuries of scientific understanding, placed him in direct opposition to Albert Einstein, and put Niels Bohr in the middle of one of the most heated debates in scientific history. Heisenberg's theorem stated that there were physical limits to what we could know about sub-atomic particles; this "uncertainty" would have shocking implications.
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fascinating insight into the real drama of physics
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What actually happens when the words, "beam me up, Scottie" are uttered? What "warps" when something travels at warp speed? Internationally renowned theoretical physicist and educator Lawrence M. Krauss provides matter-of-fact scientific explanations of the physics of Star Trek in this highly creative and informative guide for both the devoted Trekkie and the physics novice.
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Interesting Book. Quite Technical
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The ordinary atoms that make up the known universe - from our bodies and the air we breathe to the planets and stars - constitute only 5 percent of all matter and energy in the cosmos. The rest is known as dark matter and dark energy, because their precise identities are unknown. The Cosmic Cocktail is the inside story of the epic quest to solve one of the most compelling enigmas of modern science - what is the universe made of? - told by one of today’s foremost pioneers in the study of dark matter.
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I was looking for a book about science....
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Coming of Age in the Milky Way
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Humans have long sought to comprehend the enormities of cosmic space and time. Here, best selling science writer Timothy Ferris tells the story of that quest. He interweaves the majestic themes of astronomy, physics, religion, and philosophy with fresh and lasting portraits of the men and women who created what has been called our society's most precious treasure - its conception of the universe at large.
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Brief survey of discovery from Columbus to now
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Professor Brian Cox uncovers some of the most extraordinary natural events on Earth and in the universe and beyond. From the immensity of the universe and the roundness of Earth to the form of every single snowflake, the forces of nature shape everything we see. Pushed to extremes, the results are astonishing. In seeking to understand the everyday world, the colours, structure, behaviour and history of our home, we develop the knowledge and techniques necessary to step beyond the everyday.
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Complicated in its simplicity
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Nobel Laureate Eugene Wigner once wondered about "the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics" in the formulation of the laws of nature. Is God a Mathematician? investigates why mathematics is as powerful as it is. From ancient times to the present, scientists and philosophers have marveled at how such a seemingly abstract discipline could so perfectly explain the natural world. More than that - mathematics has often made predictions, for example, about subatomic particles or cosmic phenomena that were unknown at the time, but later were proven to be true.
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Origins of Mathematics
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Science and the Akashic Field
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Mystics and sages have long maintained that there exists an interconnecting cosmic field at the roots of reality that conserves and conveys information, a field known as the Akashic record. Recent discoveries in vacuum physics show that this Akashic field is real and has its equivalent in science's zero-point field that underlies space itself. This field consists of a subtle sea of fluctuating energies from which all things arise: atoms and galaxies, stars and planets, living beings, and even consciousness.
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A must-read about ultimate nature of reality
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What listeners say about Dreams of a Final Theory
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Roy
- 08-03-09
Informative
I decided to approach Steven Weinberg's "Dreams of a Final Theory" because it is an area about which I know little. The Audible offering of the book is very good. I seek out books that are well read, well written and informative. This audio volume wins on all three counts.
I came to the book as less than a novice. I caught onto the authors points without a deep understanding of math, E=MC2 or anything of the kind. His chapter, "On a Piece of Chalk," introduced basic principles of Atomic Theory in a clear way. His placement of physics into historical context was particularly helpful.
If you are a novice and would like to learn something new - this may well be worth your time. It was worth the time so far as I was concerned.
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15 people found this helpful
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- ironfrown
- 11-06-21
Slightly aged but still fascinating
The book is slightly aged but still a fascinating story of Science. Great reader - great listening
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- Jan D. Leslie
- 06-04-17
great overview
was a great explanation of the basics and history of particle physics. Written at a level that was challenging to a novice. But still very accessible.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-15-13
If you don't know who he is, look him up
Would you listen to Dreams of a Final Theory again? Why?
yes. it's a great book. It is a tad brief but still enjoyable
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4 people found this helpful
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- Thomas F. Lennon
- 10-06-21
Is there anything this author cannot do?
Not only is the author by all accounts a giant in modern physics but it turns out he's a graceful and passionate writer. Not fair that one person can do all of that!
He sets himself the task of making non-scientists like me care about the most obscure aspects of elementary particle physics. You don't know what elementary particie physics is? Neither did I! And I would say that 20% or more of what Weinberg writes in this book went right over my head. But it didn't subtract from my joy in the book, which at its core is a celebration of human curiosity and diligence in cracking the code to the most fundamental laws of nature. You emerge staggered by what human beings, when they collaborate, are capable of.
The book is an act of intellectual generosity -- a researcher taking time away from his research to explain his field to those who don't understand it. Steven Weinberg died this year -- let's tip our hat to an extraordinary man.
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- Vimar
- 06-13-18
Wait for it!
At times it was a little over my head but that is why we read books that challenge us. The last three chapters were pure delight.
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2 people found this helpful
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- J. Muscato
- 04-30-22
Jumps around a bit and assumes some knowledge.
I like to listen to books about the history of science and some of the concepts of physics. This book brings up a lot of concepts without explanation. For example, when he mentions the Standard Model, he assumes the reader knows what that his. Presentation is OK, comes across somewhat haughty. This is not the place to learn about physics. Stick to the Great Courses for that.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Rohit
- 01-31-11
Good Book
This is a nice book and will give the reader a good perspective of what a Final theory needs to be.
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- Rob
- 04-10-21
An authors self ingratiating exercise masquerading as a fancy textbook.
There was some worthwhile information but could only make halfway through before his opinions on everything became too much to deal with. Even his voice is arrogant despite little original thought.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Les Ross
- 08-22-17
Out of date
Science doesn't stop. Quickly upon starting to listen one is tripped up by statements evidencing that things have moved on and what is being heard acquires the shade of unreliability and being behind the curve.
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