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Once Before Time
- A Whole Story of the Universe
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
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Publisher's summary
In 2000, Martin Bojowald, then a 27-year-old post-doc at Pennsylvania State University, used a relatively new theory called loop quantum gravity - a cunning combination of Einstein’s theory of gravity with quantum mechanics - to create a simple model of the Universe. Loop quantum cosmology was born, and with it, a theory that managed to do something even Einstein’s general theory of relativity had failed to do - illuminate the very birth of the Universe.
Ever since, loop quantum cosmology, or LQC, has been tantalizing physicists with the idea that our universe could conceivably have emerged from the collapse of a previous one. Now the theory is poised to formulate hypotheses we can actually test. If they are verified, the big bang will give way to the big bounce. Instead of a Universe that emerged from a point of infinite density, we will have one that recycles, possibly through an eternal series of expansions and contractions, with no beginning and no end.
Bojowald’s major realization was that unlike general relativity, the physics of LQC do not break down at the big bang. The greatest mystery surrounding the origin of the Universe is what cosmologists call the big bang “singularity” - the point at the beginning of the Universe, prior to the existence of space and time, when gravity, along with the temperature and density of the universe, becomes infinite. The equations of general relativity can’t cope with such infinities, and as a result big bang theory has never been able to give any explanation for the initial condition of our universe, succeeding only in describing and explaining the evolution of the Universe from that instant onward. Bojowald’s theory takes us right up to the first moment of the Universe - and then back, even before the big bang itself.
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Beginning with a detailed discussion of the role of mathematics and experimentation in validating generalizations in physics-looking closely at the reasoning of scientists such as Galileo, Kepler, Newton, Lavoisier, and Maxwell-Harriman skillfully argues that the inductive method used in philosophy is in principle indistinguishable from the method used in physics.
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Quite refreshing
- By Eric on 10-12-10
By: David Harriman
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To Explain the World
- The Discovery of Modern Science
- By: Steven Weinberg
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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In this rich, irreverent, and compelling history, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Weinberg takes us across centuries, from ancient Miletus to medieval Baghdad and Oxford, from Plato's Academy and the Museum of Alexandria to the cathedral school of Chartres and the Royal Society of London. He shows that the scientists of ancient and medieval times not only did not understand what we understand about the world--they did not understand what there is to understand or how to understand it.
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How the world created a Newton
- By Gary on 03-02-15
By: Steven Weinberg
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Our Mathematical Universe
- My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality
- By: Max Tegmark
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Max Tegmark leads us on an astonishing journey through past, present and future, and through the physics, astronomy, and mathematics that are the foundation of his work, most particularly his hypothesis that our physical reality is a mathematical structure and his theory of the ultimate multiverse. In a dazzling combination of both popular and groundbreaking science, he not only helps us grasp his often mind-boggling theories, but he also shares with us some of the often surprising triumphs and disappointments that have shaped his life as a scientist.
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Wow!
- By Michael on 02-02-14
By: Max Tegmark
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The Unknown Universe
- A New Exploration of Time, Space and Cosmology
- By: Stuart Clark
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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On March 21, 2013, the European Space Agency released a map of the afterglow of the big bang. Taking in 440 sextillion kilometers of space and 13.8 billion years of time, it is physically impossible to make a better map: We will never see the early universe in more detail. On the one hand, such a view is the apotheosis of modern cosmology; on the other, it threatens to undermine almost everything we hold cosmologically sacrosanct.
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Everything, Absolutely Everything!
- By Gillian on 03-09-17
By: Stuart Clark
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Forces of Nature
- By: Professor Brian Cox, Andrew Cohen
- Narrated by: Samuel West
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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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
- By Philomath on 06-13-17
By: Professor Brian Cox, and others
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Paradox
- The Nine Greatest Enigmas in Physics
- By: Jim Al-Khalili
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Throughout history, scientists have come up with theories and ideas that just don't seem to make sense. These we call paradoxes. The paradoxes Al-Khalili offers are drawn chiefly from physics and astronomy and represent those that have stumped some of the finest minds. With elegant explanations that bring the listener inside the mind of those who've developed them, Al-Khalili helps us to see that, in fact, paradoxes can be solved if seen from the right angle.
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Almost Useless
- By Michael on 06-19-19
By: Jim Al-Khalili
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Genesis
- The Story of How Everything Began
- By: Guido Tonelli, Erica Segre - translator, Simon Carnell - translator
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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A breakout best seller in Italy, now available for American listeners for the first time, Genesis: The Story of How Everything Began is a short, humanistic tour of the origins of the universe, earth, and life - drawing on the latest discoveries in physics to explain the seven most significant moments in the creation of the cosmos.
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This is soooo boring to listen to
- By A. Galer on 02-27-23
By: Guido Tonelli, and others
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The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics
- A Math-Free Exploration of the Science That Made Our World
- By: James Kakalios
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics, James Kakalios uses examples from comics and magazines to explain how breakthroughs in quantum mechanics led to such technologies as the World Wide Web, pocket-sized computers, mobile phones, and MRI machines.....
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The exhibits are missing from Audible
- By David on 12-13-10
By: James Kakalios
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Quantum Enigma
- Physics Encounters Consciousness
- By: Bruce Rosenblum, Fred Kuttner
- Narrated by: Christopher Grove
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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In trying to understand the atom, physicists built quantum mechanics, the most successful theory in science and the basis of one-third of our economy. They found, to their embarrassment, that with their theory, physics encounters consciousness. Authors Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner explain all this in nontechnical terms with help from some fanciful stories and anecdotes about the theory's developers. They present the quantum mystery honestly, emphasizing what is and what is not speculation.
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Wow. Very Informative and mind boggling.
- By Kevin Harper, Realtor on 08-11-17
By: Bruce Rosenblum, and others
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Six Not-So-Easy Pieces
- Einstein's Relativity, Symmetry, and Space-Time
- By: Richard P. Feynman
- Narrated by: Richard P. Feynman
- Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins
- Abridged
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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 ...
- By Doug on 01-01-06
What listeners say about Once Before Time
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Larry Benjamin
- 02-28-11
An Excellent Book
This is a five star book and the reader I found to be very good.
I have listened to many books on cosmology and quantum mechanics and this book is a must ???listen??? and read book.
I have most of the books I listen to on this subject and this book without hesitation will be added to my library.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-30-12
felt like cowley was on Xanax when he read it
Would you try another book from Martin Bojowald and/or Jonathan Cowley?
Maybe if its edited better. E.g. footnote footnote footnote . I like what Bojowald is trying to say its just lifeless and needs an editor badly
What do you think your next listen will be?
I'm looking. There's not enough good books in this category
How could the performance have been better?
he did a great job in bad science. This was unacceptable
Any additional comments?
those with any type of ADD/ADHD need not attempt unless you want to constantly hit the replay button.
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2 people found this helpful
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Performance
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Story
- Amazon Customer
- 02-19-13
Once Before Time: A Whole Story of the Universe
Would you consider the audio edition of Once Before Time to be better than the print version?
No
Who was your favorite character and why?
...
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Unfortunately, the narrator ruined a very interesting book! I was warned about this issue by several reviews, but I wanted to try it myself....
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Overall
- Herbert S.
- 06-14-11
Difficult Listen
I had to force myself to continue through this dry, disconnected, footnote riddled and meandering discourse. Very difficult to stay focused on what the author was explaining as the discourse bounced from technical ,to philosophical, to who got a nobel prize, to who published, what Greek's thought to what is thought of today. I lost the thread some place in this author's maze. If you know what existed before the big bang it all be very clear - otherwise listen to something else.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Dennis
- 12-22-10
Monotonous, Droning Narrator
The narrator sounds like a computer voice reader with an Australian accent. The voice detracts from what may be an interesting book.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Randall
- 02-10-11
Decent Subject, But Narrator Ruins It All
Well, it was just a matter of time. This is my first review after 16 audiobooks from Audible.com. I regret that it is a negative review. What I mean is that the subject matter seems different enough and relatively (a very slight pun there) interesting, but I cannot suffer through another hour of the narrator. My gosh, I have listened to books on several subjects ranging from Augustus to The Edge of Physics and have enjoyed them all in one way or another, but this book is just awful given the way it is narrated. Jonathan Cowley could not have made a book more boring if he had tried (although one gets the feeling that he did try to make it so). The narration is a constant monotone with no emphasis whatsoever on any part of the text. And to add insult to injury, he reads so S-L-O-W that the listener loses interest. It ofter seems that the narration was a first take--either that or the sound engineer and director were bored to sleep because of lack of interest in the subject matter. Sadly, the robot voice from the NWS has more inflexion. I don't know how this guy made it through the editing process, if there was one. Anyway, it is a real shame that someone who appears to be a good author with a very difficult subject matter has their book ruined by a narrator with an uninteresting voice and annoying accent which is either real or terribly overdone. A mouthful of rocks wouldn't have interfered with the narrator's diction. I really am sorry to come down so hard on this guy, but after wasting $15 on this book I wanted to warn other potential purchasers. I hope that this fair warning is not censored by the reviewer of reviews. I have enjoyed a similar books: for example The Edge of Physis has a wonderful narrator. In a similar vein, the narrators of The Black Hole War and The Disappearing Spoon are also good. But be warned here, there are many other books on similar subjects which are much more enjoyable!
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7 people found this helpful