Incompleteness
The Proof and Paradox of Kurt Gödel
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Incompleteness
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Narrated by:
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Tom Perkins
About this listen
"A gem . . . An unforgettable account of one of the great moments in the history of human thought." -Steven Pinker
Probing the life and work of Kurt Gödel, Incompleteness indelibly portrays the tortured genius whose vision rocked the stability of mathematical reasoning—and brought him to the edge of madness.
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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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4 out of 5 stars
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fascinating insight into the real drama of physics
- By Ryan on 09-07-10
By: David Lindley
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The Dream of Reason, New Edition
- A History of Western Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance
- By: Anthony Gottlieb
- Narrated by: Anthony Gottlieb
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 66
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 59
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
Already a classic, this landmark study of early Western thought now appears in a new edition with expanded coverage of the Middle Ages. Author Anthony Gottlieb looks afresh at the writings of the great thinkers, questions much of conventional wisdom, and explains his findings with unbridled brilliance and clarity. From the pre-Socratic philosophers through the celebrated days of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, up to Renaissance visionaries like Erasmus and Bacon, philosophy emerges here as a phenomenon unconfined by any one discipline.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Bias spoils the work.
- By MC on 08-21-20
By: Anthony Gottlieb
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Significant Figures
- The Lives and Work of Great Mathematicians
- By: Ian Stewart
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 253
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 211
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 211
In Significant Figures, acclaimed mathematician Ian Stewart introduces the visionaries of mathematics throughout history. Delving into the lives of twenty-five great mathematicians, Stewart examines the roles they played in creating, inventing, and discovering the mathematics we use today. Through these short biographies, we get acquainted with the history of mathematics.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Beware
- By Anton Kurtz on 12-08-18
By: Ian Stewart
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The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved
- How Mathematical Genius Discovered the Language of Symmetry
- By: Mario Livio
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 67
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
For thousands of years mathematicians solved progressively more difficult algebraic equations, until they encountered the quintic equation, which resisted solution for three centuries. Working independently, two prodigies ultimately proved that the quintic cannot be solved by a simple formula. The first popular account of the mathematics of symmetry and order, The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved is told not through abstract formulas but in a beautifully written and dramatic account of the lives and work of some of the greatest and most intriguing mathematicians in history.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Historical Perspective Appreciated
- By Michael Hanrahan on 01-22-20
By: Mario Livio
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The Devil's Delusion
- Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions
- By: David Berlinski
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 654
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 561
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 562
Militant atheism is on the rise. In recent years, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens have produced a steady stream of best-selling books denigrating religious belief. These authors are merely the leading edge of a larger movement that includes much of the scientific community. In response, mathematician David Berlinski, himself a secular Jew, delivers a biting defense of religious thought.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Riddled With Problems
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By: David Berlinski
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Philosophy: 100 Essential Thinkers
- The Ideas That Have Shaped Our World
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- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 114
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 93
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Story4 out of 5 stars 93
This engaging and accessible book invites the listener to explore the questions and arguments of philosophy through the work of 100 of the greatest thinkers within the Western intellectual tradition - covering philosophical, scientific, political, and religious thought over a period of 2500 years.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Unpretentious, honest, with a big picture
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By: Philip Stokes
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The Metaphysical Club
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- Narrated by: Henry Leyva
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 304
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 167
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 163
Hardly a club in the conventional sense, the organization referred to in the title of this superb literary hybrid (part history, part biography, part philosophy) consisted of four members and probably existed for less than nine months.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Great American Experiment
- By Victoria on 12-08-03
By: Louis Menand
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The King of Infinite Space
- Euclid and His Elements
- By: David Berlinski
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
Geometry defines the world around us, helping us make sense of everything from architecture to military science to fashion. And for over 2,000 years, geometry has been equated with Euclid's Elements, arguably the most influential book in the history of mathematics. In The King of Infinite Space, renowned mathematics writer David Berlinski provides a concise homage to this elusive mathematician and his staggering achievements.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Funniest Highest and Fullest math overview
- By Francisco Garcia on 12-12-22
By: David Berlinski
-
Deep Thought
- 42 Fantastic Quotes That Define Philosphy
- By: Gary Cox
- Narrated by: Richard Mitchley
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
As Douglas Adams points out, if there is no final answer to the question "what is the meaning of life?" 42 is as good or bad an answer as any other. Indeed, 42 quotes might be even better! Gary Cox guides us through 42 of the most misunderstood, misquoted, provocative, and significant quotes in the history of philosophy, providing witty and compelling commentary along the way.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Best philosophy intro ever
- By Fabian on 04-14-18
By: Gary Cox
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There Is a God
- How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind
- By: Antony Flew, Roy Abraham Varghese - contributor
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 79
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 77
In There Is a God, one of the world's preeminent atheists discloses how his commitment to "follow the argument wherever it leads" led him to a belief in God as Creator. This is a compelling and refreshingly open-minded argument that will forever change the atheism debate.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Disappointing
- By Rebekah Hull on 08-03-21
By: Antony Flew, and others
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A Brief History of Infinity: The Quest to Think the Unthinkable
- Brief Histories
- By: Brian Clegg
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space.' Douglas Adams, Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.We human beings have trouble with infinity - yet infinity is a surprisingly human subject. Philosophers and mathematicians have gone mad contemplating its nature and complexity - yet it is a concept routinely used by schoolchildren. Exploring the infinite is a
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3 out of 5 stars
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Really not great in Audio, not great otherwise
- By Michael on 03-29-13
By: Brian Clegg
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The Invention of Science
- A New History of the Scientific Revolution
- By: David Wootton
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 22 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 134
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 120
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 121
In this fascinating history spanning continents and centuries, historian David Wootton offers a lively defense of science, revealing why the Scientific Revolution was truly the greatest event in our history. The Invention of Science goes back 500 years in time to chronicle this crucial transformation, exploring the factors that led to its birth and the people who made it happen. Wootton argues that the Scientific Revolution was actually five separate yet concurrent events that developed independently.
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2 out of 5 stars
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A Good Read Spoiled
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By: David Wootton
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Why Does the World Exist?
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- By: Jim Holt
- Narrated by: Steven Menasche
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 299
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 257
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Story4 out of 5 stars 253
Author Jim Holt explores the greatest metaphysical mystery of all: why is there something rather than nothing? This runaway best seller, which has captured the imagination of critics and the public alike, traces our latest efforts to grasp the origins of the universe. Holt adopts the role of cosmological detective, traveling the globe to interview a host of celebrated scientists, philosophers, and writers.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Fatal Reader Flaw
- By Let's Be Reasonable on 05-09-14
By: Jim Holt
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A Most Elegant Equation
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- By: David Stipp
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 305
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 273
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Story4 out of 5 stars 270
Bertrand Russell wrote that mathematics can exalt "as surely as poetry". This is especially true of one equation: ei(pi) + 1 = 0, the brainchild of Leonhard Euler, the Mozart of mathematics. More than two centuries after Euler's death, it is still regarded as a conceptual diamond of unsurpassed beauty. Called Euler's identity, or God's equation, it includes just five numbers but represents an astonishing revelation of hidden connections.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Good treatment of the subject
- By Kindle Customer on 04-09-18
By: David Stipp
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In Defense of History
- By: Richard J. Evans
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 44
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 36
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Story5 out of 5 stars 35
Richard J. Evans shows us how historians manage to extract meaning from the recalcitrant past. To materials that are frustratingly meager, or overwhelmingly profuse, they bring an array of tools that range from agreed-upon rules of documentation to the critical application of social and economic theory, all employed with the aim of reconstructing a verifiable, usable past. Evans defends this commitment to historical knowledge from the attacks of postmodernist critics who deny the possibility of achieving any kind of certain knowledge about the past.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Enlightening
- By David A on 07-03-18
By: Richard J. Evans
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Does time exist? What is infinity? Why do mirrors reverse left and right but not up and down? In this scintillating collection, Holt explores the human mind, the cosmos, and the thinkers who’ve tried to encompass the latter with the former. With his trademark clarity and humor, Holt probes the mysteries of quantum mechanics, the quest for the foundations of mathematics, and the nature of logic and truth. Along the way, he offers intimate biographical sketches of celebrated and neglected thinkers, from the physicist Emmy Noether to the computing pioneer Alan Turing and the discoverer of fractals, Benoit Mandelbrot.
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By: Charles Seife
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A History of Pi
- By: Petr Beckmann
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 31
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
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Story4 out of 5 stars 26
The history of pi, says the author, though a small part of the history of mathematics, is nevertheless a mirror of the history of man. Petr Beckmann holds up this mirror, giving the background of the times when pi made progress - and also when it did not, because science was being stifled by militarism or religious fanaticism.
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5 out of 5 stars
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one of the best history books
- By Michael Wharton on 05-19-22
By: Petr Beckmann
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The Prime Number Conspiracy
- The Biggest Ideas in Math from Quanta
- By: Thomas Lin - editor, James Gleick - foreword
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 121
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 100
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 97
These stories from Quanta Magazine map the routes of mathematical exploration, showing listeners how cutting-edge research is done, while illuminating the productive tension between conjecture and proof, theory and intuition. Listeners of The Prime Number Conspiracy are headed on "breathtaking intellectual journeys to the bleeding edge of discovery strapped to the narrative rocket of humanity's never-ending pursuit of knowledge," says Quanta editor-in-chief Thomas Lin.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Better [more relevant] than you might expect.
- By James S. on 09-30-19
By: Thomas Lin - editor, and others
What listeners say about Incompleteness
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bill
- 02-29-24
In depth explanation of a profound theorem and its relationship with greatest thinkers
Accessible yet in depth exploration of a very profound theorem. Situates the discussion within the philosophy of mathematics. The discussion on the interactions with Wittgenstein is particularly interesting as is the interaction with Eisenstein.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christopher Hayler
- 09-12-24
great read
really fascinating story, mind bending ideas and great story telling, goes into details that are over my head but that math types would appreciate
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Mark Pumphrey
- 10-29-24
drones on and on for hours!
the author failed to talk in depth about the subject and instead filled the book with repeated prose about nothing.
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1 person found this helpful