Try free for 30 days
-
What Is Real?
- The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics
- Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
What Is Real?
Buy Now for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also picked
-
Something Deeply Hidden
- Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime
- By: Sean Carroll
- Narrated by: Sean Carroll
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 107
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 83
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 82
Sean Carroll, theoretical physicist and one of this world’s most celebrated writers on science, rewrites the history of 20th-century physics. Already hailed as a masterpiece, Something Deeply Hidden shows for the first time that facing up to the essential puzzle of quantum mechanics utterly transforms how we think about space and time. His reconciling of quantum mechanics with Einstein’s theory of relativity changes, well, everything. Most physicists haven’t even recognized the uncomfortable truth: Physics has been in crisis since 1927.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This book is bloody brilliant
- By Neety Thorsteinsson on 09-11-2019
-
Think with Pinker
- How to Be a Better Critical Thinker
- By: Steven Pinker
- Narrated by: Steven Pinker, Various, Tim Harford, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Highlights
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 14
Cognitive scientist Professor Steven Pinker has spent his life thinking about thinking, and now he wants us to join him. With the aid of his critical thinking toolkit, he hopes to help us make smarter choices, become more rational, gain a greater understanding of the confused world we live in—and maybe even become better citizens. In this fascinating series, produced in partnership with the Open University, he examines the different ways the human brain can be tripped up, from understanding probability to the difference between correlation and causation.
-
Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists, 2nd Edition
- By: Richard Wolfson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Richard Wolfson
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 358
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 316
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 310
"It doesn't take an Einstein to understand modern physics," says Professor Wolfson at the outset of these 24 lectures on what may be the most important subjects in the universe: relativity and quantum physics. Both have reputations for complexity. But the basic ideas behind them are, in fact, simple and comprehensible by anyone. These dynamic and illuminating lectures begin with a brief overview of theories of physical reality starting with Aristotle and culminating in Newtonian or "classical" physics.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great, thought provoking set of lectures.
- By Dustin McClung on 19-04-2018
-
The Frontiers of Knowledge
- What We Know About Science, History and the Mind - And How We Know It
- By: A. C. Grayling
- Narrated by: Richard Goulding
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
In very recent times humanity has learnt a vast amount about the universe, the past and itself. But through our remarkable successes in acquiring knowledge we have learned how much we have yet to learn: the science we have, for example, addresses just five per cent of the universe, pre-history is still being revealed, with thousands of historical sites yet to be explored, and the new neurosciences of mind and brain are just beginning.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent
- By Declan on 24-10-2022
-
The Big Picture
- On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself
- By: Sean Carroll
- Narrated by: Sean Carroll
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 73
Already internationally acclaimed for his elegant, lucid writing on the most challenging notions in modern physics, Sean Carroll is emerging as one of the greatest humanist thinkers of his generation as he brings his extraordinary intellect to bear not only on the Higgs boson and extra dimensions but now also on our deepest personal questions. Where are we? Who are we? Are our emotions, our beliefs, and our hopes and dreams ultimately meaningless out there in the void?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Sean's done it again 😁
- By Kindle Customer on 07-07-2020
-
Superintelligence
- Paths, Dangers, Strategies
- By: Nick Bostrom
- Narrated by: Napoleon Ryan
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 227
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 200
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 197
Superintelligence asks the questions: What happens when machines surpass humans in general intelligence? Will artificial agents save or destroy us? Nick Bostrom lays the foundation for understanding the future of humanity and intelligent life. The human brain has some capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. It is to these distinctive capabilities that our species owes its dominant position. If machine brains surpassed human brains in general intelligence, then this new superintelligence could become extremely powerful - possibly beyond our control.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Maybe it's a good book...
- By Abner on 05-03-2019
-
Something Deeply Hidden
- Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime
- By: Sean Carroll
- Narrated by: Sean Carroll
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 107
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 83
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 82
Sean Carroll, theoretical physicist and one of this world’s most celebrated writers on science, rewrites the history of 20th-century physics. Already hailed as a masterpiece, Something Deeply Hidden shows for the first time that facing up to the essential puzzle of quantum mechanics utterly transforms how we think about space and time. His reconciling of quantum mechanics with Einstein’s theory of relativity changes, well, everything. Most physicists haven’t even recognized the uncomfortable truth: Physics has been in crisis since 1927.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This book is bloody brilliant
- By Neety Thorsteinsson on 09-11-2019
-
Think with Pinker
- How to Be a Better Critical Thinker
- By: Steven Pinker
- Narrated by: Steven Pinker, Various, Tim Harford, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Highlights
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 14
Cognitive scientist Professor Steven Pinker has spent his life thinking about thinking, and now he wants us to join him. With the aid of his critical thinking toolkit, he hopes to help us make smarter choices, become more rational, gain a greater understanding of the confused world we live in—and maybe even become better citizens. In this fascinating series, produced in partnership with the Open University, he examines the different ways the human brain can be tripped up, from understanding probability to the difference between correlation and causation.
-
Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists, 2nd Edition
- By: Richard Wolfson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Richard Wolfson
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 358
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 316
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 310
"It doesn't take an Einstein to understand modern physics," says Professor Wolfson at the outset of these 24 lectures on what may be the most important subjects in the universe: relativity and quantum physics. Both have reputations for complexity. But the basic ideas behind them are, in fact, simple and comprehensible by anyone. These dynamic and illuminating lectures begin with a brief overview of theories of physical reality starting with Aristotle and culminating in Newtonian or "classical" physics.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great, thought provoking set of lectures.
- By Dustin McClung on 19-04-2018
-
The Frontiers of Knowledge
- What We Know About Science, History and the Mind - And How We Know It
- By: A. C. Grayling
- Narrated by: Richard Goulding
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
In very recent times humanity has learnt a vast amount about the universe, the past and itself. But through our remarkable successes in acquiring knowledge we have learned how much we have yet to learn: the science we have, for example, addresses just five per cent of the universe, pre-history is still being revealed, with thousands of historical sites yet to be explored, and the new neurosciences of mind and brain are just beginning.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent
- By Declan on 24-10-2022
-
The Big Picture
- On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself
- By: Sean Carroll
- Narrated by: Sean Carroll
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 73
Already internationally acclaimed for his elegant, lucid writing on the most challenging notions in modern physics, Sean Carroll is emerging as one of the greatest humanist thinkers of his generation as he brings his extraordinary intellect to bear not only on the Higgs boson and extra dimensions but now also on our deepest personal questions. Where are we? Who are we? Are our emotions, our beliefs, and our hopes and dreams ultimately meaningless out there in the void?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Sean's done it again 😁
- By Kindle Customer on 07-07-2020
-
Superintelligence
- Paths, Dangers, Strategies
- By: Nick Bostrom
- Narrated by: Napoleon Ryan
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 227
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 200
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 197
Superintelligence asks the questions: What happens when machines surpass humans in general intelligence? Will artificial agents save or destroy us? Nick Bostrom lays the foundation for understanding the future of humanity and intelligent life. The human brain has some capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. It is to these distinctive capabilities that our species owes its dominant position. If machine brains surpassed human brains in general intelligence, then this new superintelligence could become extremely powerful - possibly beyond our control.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Maybe it's a good book...
- By Abner on 05-03-2019
Publisher's Summary
The untold story of the heretical thinkers who challenged the establishment to rethink quantum physics and the nature of reality.
Every physicist agrees quantum mechanics is among humanity's finest scientific achievements. But ask what it means, and the result will be a brawl. For a century, most physicists have followed Niels Bohr's Copenhagen interpretation and dismissed questions about the reality underlying quantum physics as meaningless. A mishmash of solipsism and poor reasoning, Copenhagen endured, as Bohr's students vigorously protected his legacy, and the physics community favoured practical experiments over philosophical arguments. As a result, questioning the status quo long meant professional ruin. And yet, from the 1920s to today, physicists like John Bell, David Bohm, and Hugh Everett persisted in seeking the true meaning of quantum mechanics.
What Is Real? is the gripping story of this battle of ideas and the courageous scientists who dared to stand up for truth.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our Desktop Site.
More from the same
What listeners say about What Is Real?
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Behzad
- 26-08-2023
overall very good but rushes on sth important
Overall a great book recounting a fascinating and complex story. Explains very well some pretty technical issues in Quantum theory. However, I just wished it did a better job of explaining the more contemporary views in particular the arguments offered by David Deutsch in his books and of course by extension the arguments of philosopher Karl Popper in general (acknowledging that he did not get everything right with Quantum theory but his philosophy in general is misrepresented here). They are both mentioned very briefly and crudely at best.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Diana Prince
- 30-01-2019
Brilliant!
As good as a wholesome crime thriller! You can read it again and again and it will show you the universe in a handful of sand.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 12-12-2019
excellent book
best book on quantum theory I have read. I understand a lot more about it now and the weirdness is just weird, and not downright silly.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 31-08-2019
Fantastic survey of the observation problem, albeit biased.
Probably the best survey material and narrative on the central conceptual issues in Quantum Philosophy.
I would recommend this more to people who have already had some exposure to Quantum Physics, but may be struggling to get their head around it. In this regard you are indeed in esteemed company, as this likely means you are now accurately understanding the concepts at play.
This is not the calculation heavy physics that will be taught in most undergrad or surveys that you many see online, it is a historical narrative of Quantum foundations, albeit a biased on, as may indeed be the case with all retelling of histories.
It is biased against the Copenhagen interpretation/s, this point is acceptable as long as you understand and categories the bias and work with it. Indeed the scientific method is about the mental separation from paradigms and narrative, and the theoretical modelling of testable/repeatable hypothesis (ie observable) To this end the Copenhagen is the most scientific sound version on all the hypotheticals as it does not necessarily appeal claims to more than what can be observed (or in this case can’t) explicitly.
That said, the point of the narrative is that paradigms, however scientifically ‘sound’ are by a sort of tautological principal to be overcome and that the Copenhagen was inconsistent with itself to a grievous degree with its dogmatism.
Overall a very worth listen, could not recommend it more enthusiastically, but recommend some terminology orientation and theoretical work before hand so as you can guide yourself through it all the same, as is perhaps with all narrative information.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Veronica
- 16-11-2019
Fascinating
This was my first foray into quantum physics and I found it easy to follow (well, as easy as such a topic could be) and surprisingly entertaining.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
