The Periodic Table
A Very Short Introduction
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The Periodic Table
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Narrated by:
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Eric Scerri
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By:
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Eric R. Scerri
About this listen
The periodic table of elements, first encountered by many of us at school, provides an arrangement of the chemical elements, ordered by their atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties, and divided into periodic trends. In this Very Short Introduction audiobook, Eric R. Scerri looks at the trends in properties of elements that led to the construction of the table and shows how the deeper meaning of the table's structure gradually became apparent with the development of atomic theory and, in particular, quantum mechanics, which underlies the behavior of all of the elements and their compounds.
This new edition celebrates the completion of the seventh period of the table, with the ratification and naming of elements 113, 115, 117, and 118 as nihonium, moscovium, tennessine, and oganesson. Eric R. Scerri also incorporates new material on recent advances in our understanding of the origin of the elements, as well as developments concerning group three of the periodic table.
©2019 Eric R. Scerri (P)2021 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 22
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Story5 out of 5 stars 22
How much faith should we place in what scientists tell us? Is it possible for scientific knowledge to be fully "objective"? What, really, can be defined as science? In the second edition of this very short introduction, Samir Okasha explores the main themes and theories of contemporary philosophy of science and investigates fascinating, challenging questions such as these.
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3 out of 5 stars
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VSI#67
- By Darwin8u on 10-29-24
By: Samir Okasha
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Number Theory: A Very Short Introduction
- Very Short Introductions
- By: Robin Wilson
- Narrated by: Al Kessel
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall2.5 out of 5 stars 2
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Performance3 out of 5 stars 2
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Story2.5 out of 5 stars 2
Number theory is the branch of mathematics that is primarily concerned with the counting numbers. Of particular importance are the prime numbers, the "building blocks" of our number system. The subject is an old one, dating back over two millennia to the ancient Greeks, and for many years has been studied for its intrinsic beauty and elegance, not least because several of its challenges are so easy to state that everyone can understand them, and yet no one has ever been able to resolve them. But number theory has also recently become of great practical importance.
By: Robin Wilson
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Philosophical Method
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Timothy Williamson
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 16
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 15
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Story5 out of 5 stars 15
Timothy Williamson tackles some of the key questions surrounding philosophy in new and provocative ways, showing how philosophy begins in common sense curiosity, and develops through our capacity to dispute rationally with each other. Discussing philosophy's ability to clarify our thoughts, he explains why such clarification depends on the development of philosophical theories, and how those theories can be tested by imaginative thought experiments, and compared against each other by standards similar to those used in the natural and social sciences.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent what's philosophy intro
- By Matjaz Potrc on 10-05-20
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Ancient Egypt (2nd Edition)
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Ian Shaw
- Narrated by: Mike Cooper
- Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Story4 out of 5 stars 7
The ancient Egyptians are an enduring source of fascination - mummies and pyramids, curses, and rituals have captured the imagination of generations. We all have a mental picture of ancient Egypt, but is it the right one? How much do we really know about this great civilization? This second edition of Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction explores the history and culture of pharaonic Egypt, including ideas about Egyptian kingship, ancient Egyptian writing systems, and the history of Egyptology.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Not worth the time
- By Amazon Customer on 10-14-24
By: Ian Shaw
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Quantum Theory
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: John Polkinghorne
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
Quantum theory is the most revolutionary discovery in physics since Newton. This book gives a lucid, exciting, and accessible account of the surprising and counterintuitive ideas that shape our understanding of the sub-atomic world. It does not disguise the problems of interpretation that still remain unsettled 75 years after the initial discoveries. Uncertainty, probabilistic physics, complementarity, the problematic character of measurement, and decoherence are among the many topics discussed.
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4 out of 5 stars
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VSI # 69
- By Darwin8u on 10-29-24
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The Brain
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Michael O’Shea
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 14
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 13
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Story4 out of 5 stars 13
How does the brain work? How different is a human brain from other creatures' brains? Is the human brain still evolving? In this fascinating book, Michael O'Shea provides a non-technical introduction to the main issues and findings in current brain research, and gives a sense of how neuroscience addresses questions about the relationship between the brain and the mind.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent clarity, perfect level of technical
- By Harlan Findley on 11-03-23
By: Michael O’Shea
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Consciousness, 2nd Edition
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Susan Blackmore
- Narrated by: Zehra Jane Naqvi
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
Exciting new developments in brain science are continuing the debates on these issues, and the field has now expanded to include biologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers. This controversial book clarifies the potentially confusing arguments, and the major theories, while also outlining the amazing pace of discoveries in neuroscience. Covering areas such as the construction of self in the brain, mechanisms of attention, the neural correlates of consciousness, and the physiology of altered states of consciousness, Susan Blackmore highlights our latest findings.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Biased in its conclusions, judgemental of conflicting opinions while still having a lot of science in there
- By Robert B Hayes on 10-30-24
By: Susan Blackmore
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Classics
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Mary Beard, John Henderson
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 4 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 16
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16
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Story4 out of 5 stars 16
We are all classicists - we come into touch with the classics on a daily basis: in our culture, politics, medicine, architecture, language, and literature. What are the true roots of these influences, however, and how do our interpretations of these aspects of the classics differ from their original reality?
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4 out of 5 stars
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Beard guides the reader through the Classics
- By Darwin8u on 10-29-24
By: Mary Beard, and others
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Ibn Sina
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Peter Adamson
- Narrated by: David Stifel
- Length: 4 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story5 out of 5 stars 6
This book provides an introduction to the most important philosopher of the Islamic world, Ibn Sina, often known in English by his Latinized name Avicenna. After introducing the man and his works, with an overview of the historical context in which he lived, the book devotes chapters to the different areas of Ibn Sina's thought. Among the topics covered are his innovations in logic, his theory of the human soul and its powers, the relation between his medical writings and his philosophy, and his metaphysics of existence
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brief but thorough
- By Anonymous User on 06-19-24
By: Peter Adamson
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Freda McManus
- Narrated by: Deborah Balm
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
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Story5 out of 5 stars 6
This Very Short Introduction gives an overview of what CBT is, where it came from, what it does, and when it can be used. It explores how one of the driving forces behind CBT's success and continued adaptation has been its basis in empiricism, and analyses how it must continue to evolve to meet future challenges. Freda McManus also discusses how the scale of mental health problems and relative costs of traditional therapy formats have prompted investigations into alternative formats of CBT that have the potential to reach broader audiences, globally.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent information
- By Anonymous User on 08-12-24
By: Freda McManus
What listeners say about The Periodic Table
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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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
- Scott Lary
- 10-28-21
Fascinating historical Account
Some people have an aptitude for musical notes while others seek to make sense of nature and the universe via other faculties. The author of ‘The Periodic Table’ takes us on a journey of discovery which highlights personalities along with their significant contributions to the field of chemistry. Having struggled in college with both physics and chemistry I found this work refreshing in that it did not assume a prior scientific conceptual framework but rather built one step-by-step — advancing along as each discovery was unfolded. Much about the relationships between physics and chemistry and how they ‘fertilized’ each other allow me to see much more clearly just how we as a civilization have gotten to where we are now. The author’s personal Audible reading of his work gave it a credibility which otherwise would surely have been lost with any other reader. I was saddened to finish this book but look forward to any future communications I might be fortunate enough to have with the author regarding how a Unified Field Chart (UFC) of chemistry might be updated as a useful educational tool.
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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
- Kiaf
- 07-09-23
Atomic mass or atomic number
Excellent narration. First time herd of left step order and spiral, from the traditional rectangle.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Brad
- 08-22-24
Good but requires a chemistry background
Not quite like other very short introductions as this seems to assume a science background. I think the hard copy of this introduction would be more useful than audiobook. That said the performance was excellent.
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