Download the Top 100 Audiobooks in Science & Technology, Physics

The Spinning Magnet Audiobook by Alanna Mitchell

Listen to this audiobook in full for free on http://hotaudiobook.com [http://hotaudiobook.com] Title: The Spinning Magnet Subtitle: The Force That Created the Modern World - and Could Destroy It Author: Alanna Mitchell Narrator: P.J. Ochlan Format: Unabridged Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins Language: English Release date: 01-30-18 Publisher: Penguin Audio Genres: Science & Technology, Physics Publisher's Summary: An engrossing history of the science of one of the four fundamental physical forces in the universe, electromagnetism, right up to the latest indications that the poles are soon to reverse and destroy the world's power grids and electronic communications A cataclysmic planetary phenomenon is gathering force deep within the Earth. The magnetic North Pole will eventually trade places with the South Pole. Satellite evidence suggests to some scientists that the move has already begun, but most still think it won't happen for many decades. All agree that it has happened many times before and will happen again. But this time it will be different. It will be a very bad day for modern civilization. Award-winning science journalist Alanna Mitchell tells in The Spinning Magnet the fascinating history of one of the four fundamental physical forces in the universe, electromagnetism. From investigations into magnetism in 13th-century feudal France and the realization 600 years later in the Victorian era that electricity and magnetism were essentially the same, to the discovery that Earth was itself a magnet, spinning in space with two poles and that those poles aperiodically reverse, this is a utterly engrossing narrative history of ideas and science that listeners of Stephen Greenblatt and Sam Kean will love. The recent finding that Earth's magnetic force field is decaying 10 times faster than previously thought, portending an imminent pole reversal, ultimately gives this story a spine-tingling urgency. When the poles switch, a process that takes many years, Earth is unprotected from solar radiation storms that would, among other things, wipe out all electromagnetic technology. No satellites, no Internet, no smartphones - maybe no power grid at all. Such potentially cataclysmic solar storms are not unusual. The last one occurred in 2012, and we avoided returning to the Dark Ages only because the part of the sun that erupted happened to be facing away from Earth. One leading US researcher is already drawing maps of the parts of the planet that would likely become uninhabitable.

The Ascent of Gravity Audiobook by Marcus Chown

Listen to this audiobook in full for free on http://hotaudiobook.com [http://hotaudiobook.com] Title: The Ascent of Gravity Subtitle: The Quest to Understand the Force That Explains Everything Author: Marcus Chown Narrator: Adjoa Andoh Format: Unabridged Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins Language: English Release date: 11-07-17 Publisher: Random House Audio Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes Genres: Science & Technology, Physics Publisher's Summary: Why the force that keeps our feet on the ground holds the key to understanding the nature of time and the origin of the universe. Gravity is the weakest force in the everyday world, yet it is the strongest force in the universe. It was the first force to be recognized and described, yet it is the least understood. It is a "force" that keeps your feet on the ground, yet no such force actually exists. Gravity, to steal the words of Winston Churchill, is "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma". And penetrating that enigma promises to answer the biggest questions in science: What is space? What is time? What is the universe? And where did it all come from? Award-winning writer Marcus Chown takes us on an unforgettable journey from the recognition of the "force" of gravity in 1666 to the discovery of gravitational waves in 2015. And, as we stand on the brink of a seismic revolution in our worldview, he brings us up to speed on the greatest challenge ever to confront physics. Members Reviews: Fine survey for laymen but flawed This is yet another fine book that is a light survey of the history of the science, this one focusing on gravity for the layman. There is a bit of Newton, Orbits, Tides, Eclipses, General Relativity, and some String Theory. This survey of science is just fine, expressing the winding road of scientific progress well and covering some interesting aspects of lunar orbits and tides that most people don't know. The book tries hard to be approachable by non-technical readers. This included some completely fictional vignettes about various scientists. I found these vignettes annoying at best, and they don't really add anything real. A few other nits....Chown claims total eclipses have only occurred for the last 150 million years and will only occur for the next 150 million years...I am not sure where this comes from. Total eclipses will stop eventually as the moon moves away but it seems they will likely continue for much longer than that, and it seems total eclipses have been happening for billions of years. Although Chown points out the historical fallacy of epicycles to explain the orbits of planets, the author does not so clearly point out our current theories are very much like epicycles. Chown suggests that the next transformative breakthrough theory of gravity will not be from some lone genius with a deep insight (like Newton or Einstein) but instead a group of scientists. This seems quite unlikely to me. The key will likely be a deep insight making clear several key assumptions of science are wrong. Such insights seem much more likely to occur to a single (anti-social) genius than to a group of scientists. I did not like the narration much. The narration is clear but I found the accents used for most of the quotes REALLY annoying and there was a over enthusiasm I found tedious.

Science and Spiritual Practices Audiobook by Rupert Sheldrake

Listen to this audiobook in full for free on http://hotaudiobook.com [http://hotaudiobook.com] Title: Science and Spiritual Practices Subtitle: Transformative experiences and their effects on our bodies, brains and health Author: Rupert Sheldrake Narrator: Rupert Sheldrake Format: Unabridged Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins Language: English Release date: 11-02-17 Publisher: Coronet Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 16 votes Genres: Science & Technology, Physics Publisher's Summary: By the author of The Science Delusion, a detailed account of how science can authenticate spirituality. In this pioneering book, Rupert Sheldrake shows how science helps validate seven practices on which all religions are built and which are part of our common human heritage: The effects of spiritual practices are now being investigated scientifically as never before, and many studies have shown that religious and spiritual practices generally make people happier and healthier. Rupert Sheldrake summarises the latest scientific research on what happens when we take part in these practices and suggests ways that listeners can explore these fields for themselves. For those who are religious, Science and Spiritual Practices will illuminate the evolutionary origins of their own traditions and give a new appreciation of their power. For the nonreligious, this book will show how the core practices of spirituality are accessible to all, even if they do not subscribe to a religious belief system. This is a book for anyone who suspects that in the drive towards radical secularism, something valuable has been left behind. Rupert Sheldrake believes that by opening ourselves to the spiritual dimension, we may find the strength to live more wholesome and fulfilling lives. Members Reviews: Not as advertised - more spiritualist than science I was disappointed in this one. When I saw the title and description several weeks ago I got very excited and waited for it to become available but I feel like the title of this book is misleading. The title of this book is 'Science and Spiritual Practices: Transformative experiences and their effects on our bodies, brains and health' but the majority of the information in this book seems to be a history of different spiritual practices or the author's own experiences and opinions of those practices. A few sections fulfilled my expectations: The sections on Meditation and on Singing and Chanting mentions studies that I found really interesting and were great. Other parts of the book seem more spiritual than scientific. This would be fine if I weren't going into this book with an expectation based on the title. If this were instead advertised as the author's own belief on fulfilling spiritual practices and his application of his term 'morphic resonance' (I'll talk about that later) - then I would have listened to those sections with a different frame of mind. Midway through the book I found myself listening to a section about if the Sun had consciousness or if atoms and smaller life forms had consciousness. Again, this would be fine if I were reading a book advertised as Spiritualism or Neo-Spiritualism but that's not what I came here for- what does the question of 'does the sun have consciousness?' have to do with spiritual practices and their shown effect on health? During the chapter on nature I found myself in an entire section where the author proposes (in great length) that orchard owners could rent out parts of their land for the use of families so those families can have access to the type of natural spots he had as a child.

How to Build a Universe Audiobook by Prof. Brian Cox, Robin Ince, Alexandra Feachem

Listen to this audiobook in full for free on http://hotaudiobook.com [http://hotaudiobook.com] Title: How to Build a Universe Subtitle: An Infinite Monkey Cage Adventure Author: Prof. Brian Cox, Robin Ince, Alexandra Feachem Narrator: Prof. Brian Cox, Robin Ince, Alexandra Feachem, Eric Idle - foreword Format: Unabridged Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins Language: English Release date: 10-19-17 Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 9 votes Genres: Science & Technology, Physics Publisher's Summary: From the hosts of the legendary BBC Radio 4 programme comes this irreverent celebration of scientific marvels - a hectic leap through the grand and bizarre ideas conjured up by human imagination, from dark matter to consciousness via neutrinos and earthworms. Prof Brian Cox and Robin Ince take the musings of the great and the good of British science, producing an insight into the multifaceted subjects involved in building a universe, with pearls of wisdom from leading scientists and comedians peppered throughout. Covering thousands of concepts and conundrums, they tackle everything from the big bang to parallel universes, fierce creatures to extraterrestrial life, brain science to artificial intelligence. Bringing together the best, most unusual and hilarious of the inquisitive minds that help us shape and understand our world, from Neil deGrasse Tyson and Dara Ó Briain to Sir Patrick Stewart, Tim Minchin, Stephen Fry and more, How to Build a Universe is an illuminating and inspirational celebration of science - sometimes silly, sometimes astounding and very occasionally facetious. Critic Reviews: "A witty and irreverent look at the world according to science." (Independent) "Cox's romantic, lyrical approach to astrophysics all adds up to an experience that feels less like homework and more like having a story told to you. A really good story, too." (Guardian) "He bridges the gap between our childish sense of wonder and a rather more professional grasp of the scale of things." (Independent) Members Reviews: Must listen to the entire book - brilliant The book stumbles a bit in the beginning, and you start to wonder if its going to be any good, as the book starts with a lengthy comedy bit which is a bit half-baked (hence only 4 stars. But once they get into the meat of the science it is a really great book to listen to. I particularly like the way they present the information so that a lay person can understand it without dumbing it down. I also like the discussions about the need to be skeptical of the pseudo sciences, and the deep analysis that Brian makes on the scientific methods and why they are important. From the Big Bang to the heat-death of the universe in the unimaginably distant future, its all covered. Im a fan of the monkey cage podcasts, and Im glad Ive bought this book too. Gonna start at the beginning again and enjoy it once more Superb Funny, educational, confusing, chaotic and wonderful. Robin Ince plays many parts in this fantastic chaos of delight. Professor Cox makes the heat death of the Universe strangely comforting. Interesting personalities and content Robin and Brian and their editor offer interesting perspectives on fascinating scientific phenomena. Good value.

The Quantum Labyrinth Audiobook by Paul Halpern

Listen to this audiobook in full for free on http://hotaudiobook.com [http://hotaudiobook.com] Title: The Quantum Labyrinth Subtitle: How Richard Feynman and John Wheeler Revolutionized Time and Reality Author: Paul Halpern Narrator: Brian Troxell Format: Unabridged Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins Language: English Release date: 10-17-17 Publisher: Hachette Audio Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 56 votes Genres: Science & Technology, Physics Publisher's Summary: The story of the unlikely friendship between the two physicists who fundamentally recast the notion of time and history In 1939, Richard Feynman, a brilliant graduate of MIT, arrived in John Wheeler's Princeton office to report for duty as his teaching assistant. A lifelong friendship and enormously productive collaboration was born, despite sharp differences in personality. The soft-spoken Wheeler, though conservative in appearance, was a raging nonconformist full of wild ideas about the universe. The boisterous Feynman was a cautious physicist who believed only what could be tested. Yet they were complementary spirits. Their collaboration led to a complete rethinking of the nature of time and reality. It enabled Feynman to show how quantum reality is a combination of alternative, contradictory possibilities and inspired Wheeler to develop his landmark concept of wormholes, portals to the future and past. Together, Feynman and Wheeler made sure that quantum physics would never be the same again. Critic Reviews: "Readers soon see that Feynman achieved his breakthroughs in physics by collaborating with his mentor, John Wheeler.... With the same clarity that has attracted readers to Einstein's Dice and Schrödinger's Cat and his other books of popular science, Halpern retraces the way this unlikely pair smashed traditional understandings of time...a compelling reminder that even the most triumphant science comes from vulnerable humans." (Booklist) "Go to any physics meeting and ask each person there for their list of the top ten most influential physicists of the 20th century. Lots of different names will appear, but everybody will name Einstein (of course!). Nearly all will mention Feynman and Wheeler, too. After [listening to] Halpern's thought-provoking book, you'll understand why." (Paul J. Nahin, Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering at University of New Hampshire and author of In Praise of Simple Physics) Members Reviews: A biography of two mad geniuses This is a book about John Wheeler and his apprentice and equally extraordinary physicist Richard Feynman. I story of friendship, escapades, and truly world changing discoveries in physics that span over half a century. Always a Richard Feynman fan for his extravagance and crazy ideas, little did I know that his mentor John Archibald Wheeler was the crazy one when it came to ideas. His students mentioned throughout the book list a who's who in the particle physics world. Although this book focuses on the two. It is a snippet of history post Niels Bohr, and Albert Einstein and the discovery of the quantum world. The new comers can be considered the second generation of particle physicists and the discovery of QED, the relevance of the Arrow of Time, the theories they developed trying to understand particle physics beyond the observable, and the barriers to the unknown. The is mostly a story of people, not maths and equations, something I always liked. I'm sure books will continue to be written about them for a long time to go.