-
Why Sh-t Happens
- The Science of a Really Bad Day
- Narrated by: Phil Gigante
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Why Sh-t Happens
Buy for $19.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
Your laptop mysteriously crashes. There's a fresh red wine stain on the carpet. An overhead bird targets your windshield. Sh-t, as they say, happens - to all of us. But have you ever thought about why such accidents occur? It's not just bad luck. What causes the mishaps that can ruin your day?
In Why Sh-t Happens, esteemed scientist Peter J. Bentley tackles the realm of everyday disaster through a highly empirical approach informed by wit and humor. Bentley brilliantly explores accident on a molecular level, arming you with an essential understanding of what went wrong and explaining how to prevent future bouts of misfortune.
Science is respected, trusted, and according to Bentley, widely misunderstood. When your car engine is damaged by the wrong gasoline or the milk goes bad in the fridge, science is not to blame, but rather can provide an explanation. As he makes his way, mishap by mishap, through an imaginary day in which Murphy's Law reigns supreme, Bentley reveals the scientific truths from which our daily aggravations originate.
Sh-t will always happen, and now you will know exactly why. Enter, if you dare, the most accident-prone day of your life.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Ask Your Science Teacher
- Answers to Everyday Questions
- By: Larry Scheckel
- Narrated by: Joel Richards
- Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 88
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 74
Curiosity stirs the soul of every human. Who has not wondered about how the human body works? Can we drown from drinking too much water? What is a black hole? Can black holes allow us to time travel? Is spontaneous human combustion possible? Do identical twins have the same fingerprints? How do scientists age dinosaur bones? How does gravity make things fall? Why do sunflowers always face the sun? What about a man flying with wings? How big would those wings have to be? How tall can a human grow? Why are tennis balls fuzzy? What happens to the white when snow melts?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A fun listen for lovers of science!`
- By Stitch on 04-15-13
By: Larry Scheckel
-
The Disappearing Spoon
- And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
- By: Sam Kean
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,055
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,785
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,794
Reporter Sam Kean reveals the periodic table as it’s never been seen before. Not only is it one of man's crowning scientific achievements, it's also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The infectious tales and astounding details in The Disappearing Spoon follow carbon, neon, silicon, and gold as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, the arts, poison, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great Book, Great Narration, But...
- By Henny Button on 09-18-10
By: Sam Kean
-
Packing for Mars
- The Curious Science of Life in the Void
- By: Mary Roach
- Narrated by: Sandra Burr
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 4,549
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,484
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 3,477
Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? Have sex? Smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Everything You Always Wanted to Know - and More
- By Roy on 09-22-10
By: Mary Roach
-
Physics of the Future
- How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100
- By: Michio Kaku
- Narrated by: Feodor Chin
- Length: 15 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,659
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,261
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,262
In Physics of the Future, Michio Kaku - the New York Times best-selling author of Physics of the Impossible - gives us a stunning, provocative, and exhilarating vision of the coming century based on interviews with over 300 of the world’s top scientists who are already inventing the future in their labs. The result is the most authoritative and scientifically accurate description of revolutionary developments taking place....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting Content, Irritating Reader
- By Dirk Turgid on 12-15-11
By: Michio Kaku
-
Unstoppable
- Harnessing Science to Change the World
- By: Bill Nye
- Narrated by: Bill Nye
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,585
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,380
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,363
Just as World War II called an earlier generation to greatness, so the climate crisis is calling today's rising youth to action: to create a better future. In Unstoppable, Bill Nye crystallizes and expands the message for which he is best known and beloved. That message is that with a combination of optimism and scientific curiosity, all obstacles become opportunities, and the possibilities of our world become limitless.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Couldn't stop listening!
- By Kevin Lewis on 11-12-15
By: Bill Nye
-
What If?
- Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
- By: Randall Munroe
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 14,090
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12,550
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12,474
Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and love have a large and passionate following. Fans of xkcd ask Munroe a lot of strange questions. What if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90 percent of the speed of light? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? If there were a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Hope You got an A in Math and Physics...
- By Rod on 09-13-14
By: Randall Munroe
-
Ask Your Science Teacher
- Answers to Everyday Questions
- By: Larry Scheckel
- Narrated by: Joel Richards
- Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 88
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 74
Curiosity stirs the soul of every human. Who has not wondered about how the human body works? Can we drown from drinking too much water? What is a black hole? Can black holes allow us to time travel? Is spontaneous human combustion possible? Do identical twins have the same fingerprints? How do scientists age dinosaur bones? How does gravity make things fall? Why do sunflowers always face the sun? What about a man flying with wings? How big would those wings have to be? How tall can a human grow? Why are tennis balls fuzzy? What happens to the white when snow melts?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A fun listen for lovers of science!`
- By Stitch on 04-15-13
By: Larry Scheckel
-
The Disappearing Spoon
- And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
- By: Sam Kean
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,055
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,785
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,794
Reporter Sam Kean reveals the periodic table as it’s never been seen before. Not only is it one of man's crowning scientific achievements, it's also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The infectious tales and astounding details in The Disappearing Spoon follow carbon, neon, silicon, and gold as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, the arts, poison, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great Book, Great Narration, But...
- By Henny Button on 09-18-10
By: Sam Kean
-
Packing for Mars
- The Curious Science of Life in the Void
- By: Mary Roach
- Narrated by: Sandra Burr
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 4,549
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,484
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 3,477
Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? Have sex? Smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Everything You Always Wanted to Know - and More
- By Roy on 09-22-10
By: Mary Roach
-
Physics of the Future
- How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100
- By: Michio Kaku
- Narrated by: Feodor Chin
- Length: 15 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,659
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,261
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,262
In Physics of the Future, Michio Kaku - the New York Times best-selling author of Physics of the Impossible - gives us a stunning, provocative, and exhilarating vision of the coming century based on interviews with over 300 of the world’s top scientists who are already inventing the future in their labs. The result is the most authoritative and scientifically accurate description of revolutionary developments taking place....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting Content, Irritating Reader
- By Dirk Turgid on 12-15-11
By: Michio Kaku
-
Unstoppable
- Harnessing Science to Change the World
- By: Bill Nye
- Narrated by: Bill Nye
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,585
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,380
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,363
Just as World War II called an earlier generation to greatness, so the climate crisis is calling today's rising youth to action: to create a better future. In Unstoppable, Bill Nye crystallizes and expands the message for which he is best known and beloved. That message is that with a combination of optimism and scientific curiosity, all obstacles become opportunities, and the possibilities of our world become limitless.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Couldn't stop listening!
- By Kevin Lewis on 11-12-15
By: Bill Nye
-
What If?
- Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
- By: Randall Munroe
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 14,090
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12,550
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12,474
Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and love have a large and passionate following. Fans of xkcd ask Munroe a lot of strange questions. What if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90 percent of the speed of light? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? If there were a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Hope You got an A in Math and Physics...
- By Rod on 09-13-14
By: Randall Munroe
-
What If? 2
- Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
- By: Randall Munroe
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,134
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 979
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 971
The millions of people around the world who loved What If? still have questions, and those questions are getting stranger. Thank goodness xkcd creator Randall Munroe is here to help. Planning to ride a fire pole from the Moon back to Earth? The hardest part is sticking the landing. Hoping to cool the atmosphere by opening everyone’s freezer door at the same time? Maybe it’s time for a brief introduction to thermodynamics. Want to know what would happen if you rode a helicopter blade, made a lava lamp out of lava, or jumped on an erupting geyser? Okay, if you insist.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting book, horrible narrator
- By Peter on 02-18-24
By: Randall Munroe
-
Liquid Rules
- The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives
- By: Mark Miodownik
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,237
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,936
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,938
We all know that without water we couldn't survive, and that sometimes a cup of coffee or a glass of wine feels just as vital. But do we really understand how much we rely on liquids, or the destructive power they hold? Set over the course of a flight from London to San Francisco, Liquid Rules offers listeners a fascinating tour of these formless substances, told through the language of molecules, droplets, heartbeats, and ocean waves.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting book!
- By Wayne on 08-04-19
By: Mark Miodownik
-
Your Inner Fish
- A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
- By: Neil Shubin
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,025
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 764
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 768
To better understand the inner workings of our bodies and to trace the origins of many of today's most common diseases, we have to turn to unexpected sources: worms, flies, and even fish.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Your Inner Fish
- By Mel on 02-03-08
By: Neil Shubin
-
For the Love of Physics
- From the End of the Rainbow to the Edge of Time - A Journey Through the Wonders of Physics
- By: Walter Lewin, Warren Goldstein
- Narrated by: Kent Cassella
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 821
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 697
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 698
As Carl Sagan did for astronomy and Brian Green did for cosmology, Walter Lewin takes listeners on a marvelous journey in For the Love of Physics, opening our eyes as never before to the amazing beauty and power with which physics can reveal the hidden workings of the world all around us. "I introduce people to their own world," writes Lewin, "the world they live in and are familiar with but don't approach like a physicist - yet."
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Stay on Topic Please
- By peter on 11-05-11
By: Walter Lewin, and others
-
Life’s Ratchet
- How Molecular Machines Extract Order from Chaos
- By: Peter M. Hoffman
- Narrated by: Paul Hodgson
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 446
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 385
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 380
The cells in our bodies consist of molecules, made up of the same carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms found in air and rocks. But molecules, such as water and sugar, are not alive. So how do our cells - assemblies of otherwise "dead" molecules - come to life, and together constitute a living being? In Life’s Ratchet, physicist Peter M. Hoffmann locates the answer to this age-old question at the nanoscale.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
For biologists to learn single molecule biophysics
- By A Synthetic Biologist on 09-04-14
By: Peter M. Hoffman
-
Caesar's Last Breath
- Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us
- By: Sam Kean
- Narrated by: Ben Sullivan
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,607
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,443
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,438
The fascinating science and history of the air we breathe. It's invisible. It's ever present. Without it, you would die in minutes. And it has an epic story to tell. In Caesar's Last Breath, New York Times best-selling author Sam Kean takes us on a journey through the periodic table, around the globe, and across time to tell the story of the air we breathe, which, it turns out, is also the story of earth and our existence on it.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Very enjoyable until the ridiculous conclusion
- By Grant M. on 10-01-17
By: Sam Kean
-
The Book of General Ignorance
- By: John Mitchinson, John Lloyd
- Narrated by: uncredited
- Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 428
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 322
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 322
Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British best seller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, The Book of General Ignorance is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting.
- By A. Hawkbird on 12-07-08
By: John Mitchinson, and others
-
Ask an Astronaut
- My Guide to Life in Space
- By: Tim Peake
- Narrated by: Robin Ince, Tim Peake - introduction
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 564
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 509
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 509
Based on his historic mission to the International Space Station, Ask an Astronaut is Tim Peake's guide to life in space and his answers to the thousands of questions he has been asked since his return to Earth. With explanations ranging from the mundane (how do you wash your clothes or go to the bathroom while in orbit?) to the profound (do humans have a duty to explore the unknown?), all written in Tim's characteristically warm style, Tim shares his thoughts on every aspect of space exploration.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Inspiring
- By Evelyn Canas on 03-06-18
By: Tim Peake
-
Science Matters
- Achieving Scientific Literacy
- By: Robert M. Hazen, James Trefil
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 334
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 187
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 184
Knowledge of the basic ideas and principles of science is fundamental to cultural literacy. But most books on science are often too obscure or too specialized to do the general listener much good.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Everything I thought I knew, brilliantly told.
- By Joshua on 09-18-09
By: Robert M. Hazen, and others
-
Madness from the Inconstant Moon
- A Collection of Short Works from Larry Niven
- By: Larry Niven
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 423
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 379
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 376
Madness from the Inconstant Moon is a collection of early short science fiction works by Larry Niven, the multiple Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of the Ringworld series. This classic collection includes "The Inconstant Moon", the basis for a forthcoming film by The Arrival producer Shawn Levy.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Collection of Gems
- By devilinlaw79 on 09-12-21
By: Larry Niven
-
Hawke's Green Beret Survival Manual
- Essential Strategies For: Shelter and Water, Food and Fire, Tools and Medicine, Navigation and Signa
- By: Mykel Hawke
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 164
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 161
Green Beret and outdoor survival expert Mykel Hawke provides the most practical and accessible survival skills and information necessary for anyone to survive an unexpected situation in the outdoors. These are the most tried-and-true methods based on Hawke’s 25-year career as a captain in the US Army Green Berets, founder of the survival training company Spec Ops Inc, and popular survival expert on a wide range of television shows. Geared to the untrained civilian, Hawke provides essential and easy-to-apply information.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great content, brutal to get through the narration
- By Tony De La Rosa on 08-08-15
By: Mykel Hawke
-
It's Not Rocket Science
- By: Ben Miller
- Narrated by: Ben Miller
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 105
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 95
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 95
Black holes. DNA. The Large Hadron Collider. Ever had that sneaking feeling that you are missing out on some truly spectacular science? You do? Well fear not, for help is at hand. Ben Miller was working on his Physics PhD at Cambridge when he accidentally became a comedian. But first love runs deep, and he has returned to his roots, to share with you all his favourite bits of science. This is the stuff that you really need to know, not only because it matters, but because it will quite simply amaze and delight you.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Entertaining
- By Ingwe on 04-03-13
By: Ben Miller
Related to this topic
-
How to Invent Everything
- A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler
- By: Ryan North
- Narrated by: Ryan North
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 430
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 365
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 364
What would you do if a time machine hurled you thousands of years into the past...and then broke? How would you survive? With this book as your guide, you'll survive - and thrive - in any period in Earth's history. Best-selling author and time-travel enthusiast Ryan North tells you how to invent all the modern conveniences we take for granted - from first principles. This manual contains all the science, engineering, art, philosophy, facts, and figures required for even the most clueless time traveler to build a civilization from the ground up.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Get the book
- By Tim McNerney on 11-26-18
By: Ryan North
-
What Einstein Didn't Know
- Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions
- By: Robert L. Wolke
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 209
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 186
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 185
How does soap know what's dirt? How do magnets work? Why do ice cubes crackle in your glass? And how can you keep them quiet? These are questions that torment us all. Now Robert L. Wolke, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, provides definitive - and amazingly simple - explanations for the mysteries of everyday life.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A funny thing happened on the way to a great book
- By Joseph on 10-01-12
By: Robert L. Wolke
-
How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls
- Animal Movement and the Robots of the Future
- By: David Hu
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 44
Insects walk on water, snakes slither, and fish swim. Animals move with astounding grace, speed, and versatility: how do they do it, and what can we learn from them? In How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls, David Hu takes listeners on an accessible, wondrous journey into the world of animal motion. From basement labs at MIT to the rain forests of Panama, Hu shows how animals have adapted and evolved to traverse their environments, taking advantage of physical laws with results that are startling and ingenious.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fun, entertaining, hilarious, and informative
- By Susan T on 11-04-19
By: David Hu
-
The Knowledge
- How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch
- By: Lewis Dartnell
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 512
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 436
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 431
Regarded as one of the brightest young scientists of his generation, Lewis Dartnell proposes that the key to preserving civilization in an apocalyptic scenario is to provide a quickstart guide, adapted to cataclysmic circumstances. The Knowledge describes many of the modern technologies we employ, but first it explains the fundamentals upon which they are built. The Knowledge is a brilliantly original guide to the fundamentals of science and how it built our modern world as well as a thought experiment about the very idea of scientific knowledge itself.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
We might be screwed, but... science!
- By Ryan on 11-28-15
By: Lewis Dartnell
-
Soonish
- Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything
- By: Kelly Weinersmith, Zach Weinersmith
- Narrated by: Kelly Weinersmith, Zach Weinersmith
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,303
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,169
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,162
In this smart and funny book, celebrated cartoonist Zach Weinersmith and noted researcher Dr. Kelly Weinersmith give us a snapshot of what's coming next - from robot swarms to nuclear fusion powered-toasters. By weaving their own research and interviews with the scientists who are making these advances happen, the Weinersmiths investigate why these technologies are needed, how they would work, and what is standing in their way.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Really Good-ish!
- By See Reverse on 04-16-18
By: Kelly Weinersmith, and others
-
Surviving the Extremes
- A Doctor's Journey to the Limits of Human Endurance
- By: Kenneth Kamler MD
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 71
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 71
Physiological constraints confine our bodies to less than one-fifth of the earth's surface. Beyond that fraction lie the extremes. What happens when we go to them? Dr. Kenneth Kamler has spent years observing exactly what happens. A vice president of the legendary Explorers Club, he has climbed, dived, sledded, floated, and trekked through some of the most treacherous and remote regions in the world. A consultant for NASA, Yale University, and the National Geographic Society, he has explored undersea caves, crossed the frozen Antarctic wastelands, and more.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Egotist.
- By Sam Square on 09-08-24
-
How to Invent Everything
- A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler
- By: Ryan North
- Narrated by: Ryan North
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 430
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 365
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 364
What would you do if a time machine hurled you thousands of years into the past...and then broke? How would you survive? With this book as your guide, you'll survive - and thrive - in any period in Earth's history. Best-selling author and time-travel enthusiast Ryan North tells you how to invent all the modern conveniences we take for granted - from first principles. This manual contains all the science, engineering, art, philosophy, facts, and figures required for even the most clueless time traveler to build a civilization from the ground up.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Get the book
- By Tim McNerney on 11-26-18
By: Ryan North
-
What Einstein Didn't Know
- Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions
- By: Robert L. Wolke
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 209
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 186
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 185
How does soap know what's dirt? How do magnets work? Why do ice cubes crackle in your glass? And how can you keep them quiet? These are questions that torment us all. Now Robert L. Wolke, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, provides definitive - and amazingly simple - explanations for the mysteries of everyday life.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A funny thing happened on the way to a great book
- By Joseph on 10-01-12
By: Robert L. Wolke
-
How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls
- Animal Movement and the Robots of the Future
- By: David Hu
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 44
Insects walk on water, snakes slither, and fish swim. Animals move with astounding grace, speed, and versatility: how do they do it, and what can we learn from them? In How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls, David Hu takes listeners on an accessible, wondrous journey into the world of animal motion. From basement labs at MIT to the rain forests of Panama, Hu shows how animals have adapted and evolved to traverse their environments, taking advantage of physical laws with results that are startling and ingenious.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fun, entertaining, hilarious, and informative
- By Susan T on 11-04-19
By: David Hu
-
The Knowledge
- How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch
- By: Lewis Dartnell
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 512
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 436
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 431
Regarded as one of the brightest young scientists of his generation, Lewis Dartnell proposes that the key to preserving civilization in an apocalyptic scenario is to provide a quickstart guide, adapted to cataclysmic circumstances. The Knowledge describes many of the modern technologies we employ, but first it explains the fundamentals upon which they are built. The Knowledge is a brilliantly original guide to the fundamentals of science and how it built our modern world as well as a thought experiment about the very idea of scientific knowledge itself.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
We might be screwed, but... science!
- By Ryan on 11-28-15
By: Lewis Dartnell
-
Soonish
- Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything
- By: Kelly Weinersmith, Zach Weinersmith
- Narrated by: Kelly Weinersmith, Zach Weinersmith
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,303
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,169
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,162
In this smart and funny book, celebrated cartoonist Zach Weinersmith and noted researcher Dr. Kelly Weinersmith give us a snapshot of what's coming next - from robot swarms to nuclear fusion powered-toasters. By weaving their own research and interviews with the scientists who are making these advances happen, the Weinersmiths investigate why these technologies are needed, how they would work, and what is standing in their way.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Really Good-ish!
- By See Reverse on 04-16-18
By: Kelly Weinersmith, and others
-
Surviving the Extremes
- A Doctor's Journey to the Limits of Human Endurance
- By: Kenneth Kamler MD
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 71
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 71
Physiological constraints confine our bodies to less than one-fifth of the earth's surface. Beyond that fraction lie the extremes. What happens when we go to them? Dr. Kenneth Kamler has spent years observing exactly what happens. A vice president of the legendary Explorers Club, he has climbed, dived, sledded, floated, and trekked through some of the most treacherous and remote regions in the world. A consultant for NASA, Yale University, and the National Geographic Society, he has explored undersea caves, crossed the frozen Antarctic wastelands, and more.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Egotist.
- By Sam Square on 09-08-24
-
The Second Book of General Ignorance
- Everything You Think You Know Is (Still) Wrong
- By: John Lloyd, John Mitchinson
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 90
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 89
Just when you thought that it was safe to start showing off again, John Lloyd and John Mitchinson are back with another busload of mistakes and misunderstandings. Here is a new collection of simple, perfectly obvious questions you'll be quite certain you know the answers to. Whether it's history, science, sports, geography, literature, language, medicine, the classics, or common wisdom, you'll be astonished to discover that everything you thought you knew is still hopelessly wrong.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
It's all stuff from QI
- By Bonnie Kennedy on 04-07-21
By: John Lloyd, and others
-
The Book of General Ignorance
- By: John Mitchinson, John Lloyd
- Narrated by: uncredited
- Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 428
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 322
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 322
Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British best seller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more, The Book of General Ignorance is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting.
- By A. Hawkbird on 12-07-08
By: John Mitchinson, and others
-
Biomimicry
- Innovation Inspired by Nature
- By: Janine M. Benyus
- Narrated by: Callie Beaulieu
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 56
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 44
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 44
Biomimicry is rapidly transforming life on earth. Biomimics study nature's most successful ideas over the past 3.5 million years, and adapt them for human use. The results are revolutionizing how materials are invented and how we compute, heal ourselves, repair the environment, and feed the world. Janine Benyus takes listeners into the lab and in the field with maverick thinkers as they: discover miracle drugs by watching what chimps eat when they're sick; learn how to create by watching spiders weave fibers; and many more examples.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Dated but good
- By stephen taylor on 09-05-21
By: Janine M. Benyus
-
The Disappearing Spoon
- And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
- By: Sam Kean
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,055
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,785
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,794
Reporter Sam Kean reveals the periodic table as it’s never been seen before. Not only is it one of man's crowning scientific achievements, it's also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The infectious tales and astounding details in The Disappearing Spoon follow carbon, neon, silicon, and gold as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, the arts, poison, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great Book, Great Narration, But...
- By Henny Button on 09-18-10
By: Sam Kean
-
Extreme Medicine
- How Exploration Transformed Medicine in the Twentieth Century
- By: Kevin Fong
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 261
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 219
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 222
Little more than 100 years ago, maps of the world still boasted white space: places where no human had ever trod. Within a few short decades the most hostile of the world's environments had all been conquered. Likewise, in the 20th century, medicine transformed human life. Doctors took what was routinely fatal and made it survivable. As modernity brought us ever more into different kinds of extremes, doctors pushed the bounds of medical advances and human endurance. Extreme exploration challenged the body in ways that only the vanguard of science could answer.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
EXTREME MEDICINE
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 07-25-14
By: Kevin Fong
-
That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles
- 65 All New Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life
- By: Dr. Joe Schwarcz
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
Interesting anecdotes and engaging tales make science fun, meaningful, and accessible. Separating sense from nonsense and fact from myth, these essays cover everything from the ups of helium to the downs of drain cleaners and provide answers to numerous mysteries, such as why bug juice is used to color ice cream and how spies used secret inks. Mercury in teeth, arsenic in water, lead in the environment, and aspartame in food are discussed.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Very cavalier attitude
- By Paula on 11-14-14
By: Dr. Joe Schwarcz
-
Life on the Edge
- The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology
- By: Johnjoe McFadden, Jim Al-Khalili
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 395
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 342
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 340
Life is the most extraordinary phenomenon in the known universe; but how did it come to be? Even in an age of cloning and artificial biology, the remarkable truth remains: Nobody has ever made anything living entirely out of dead material. Life remains the only way to make life. Are we still missing a vital ingredient in its creation?
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
More woo than new
- By Gary on 09-09-15
By: Johnjoe McFadden, and others
-
Life’s Ratchet
- How Molecular Machines Extract Order from Chaos
- By: Peter M. Hoffman
- Narrated by: Paul Hodgson
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 446
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 385
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 380
The cells in our bodies consist of molecules, made up of the same carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms found in air and rocks. But molecules, such as water and sugar, are not alive. So how do our cells - assemblies of otherwise "dead" molecules - come to life, and together constitute a living being? In Life’s Ratchet, physicist Peter M. Hoffmann locates the answer to this age-old question at the nanoscale.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
For biologists to learn single molecule biophysics
- By A Synthetic Biologist on 09-04-14
By: Peter M. Hoffman
-
Ignition!
- An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants
- By: John Drury Clark, Isaac Asimov - foreward
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 667
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 550
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 547
Ignition! is the story of the search for a rocket propellant which could be trusted to take man into space. This search was a hazardous enterprise carried out by rival labs who worked against the known laws of nature, with no guarantee of success or safety. John Drury Clark writes with irreverent and eyewitness immediacy about the development of the explosive fuels strong enough to negate the relentless restraints of gravity. The resulting volume is as much a memoir as a work of history, sharing a behind-the-scenes view of an enterprise that eventually took men to the moon.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Science man lists names of chemicals for 9 hours
- By Adrian on 05-06-19
By: John Drury Clark, and others
-
Grunt
- The Curious Science of Humans at War
- By: Mary Roach
- Narrated by: Abby Elvidge
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,305
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 2,070
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,066
Grunt tackles the science behind some of a soldier's most challenging adversaries - panic, exhaustion, heat, noise - and introduces us to the scientists who seek to conquer them. Mary Roach dodges hostile fire with the U.S. Marine Corps Paintball Team as part of a study on hearing loss and survivability in combat. She visits the fashion design studio of U.S. Army Natick Labs and learns why a zipper is a problem for a sniper.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
I Usually Love Mary Roach, But--
- By Gillian on 12-07-16
By: Mary Roach
-
The Complete (Short) Guide to Absolutely Everything
- Adventures in Math and Science
- By: Adam Rutherford, Hannah Fry
- Narrated by: Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
Geneticist Adam Rutherford and mathematician Hannah Fry guide listeners through time and space, through our bodies and brains, showing how emotions shape our view of reality, how our minds tell us lies, and why a mostly bald and curious ape decided to begin poking at the fabric of the universe.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Humour and understandability.
- By Chris B on 09-08-24
By: Adam Rutherford, and others
-
How to Speak Science
- Gravity, Relativity, and Other Ideas That Were Crazy Until Proven Brilliant
- By: Bruce Benamran, Stephanie Delozier Strobel
- Narrated by: Braden Wright
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 219
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 196
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 192
As smartphones, supercomputers, supercolliders, and AI propel us into an ever more unfamiliar future, How to Speak Science takes us on a rollicking historical tour of the greatest discoveries and ideas that make today's cutting-edge technologies possible. Wanting everyone to be able to "speak" science, YouTube science guru Bruce Benamran explains - as accessibly and wittily as in his acclaimed videos - the fundamental ideas of the physical world: matter, life, the solar system, light, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, special and general relativity, and much more.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wowzers!
- By Ralph Temblador on 02-15-21
By: Bruce Benamran, and others
What listeners say about Why Sh-t Happens
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Jess
- 12-22-10
Fantastic
I have been looking for a book that could keep my brain in motion and also allow me to laugh at the sillyness of life.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful