The Science of Sci-Fi
From Warp Speed to Interstellar Travel
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The Science of Sci-Fi
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Narrated by:
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Erin Macdonald
About this listen
Science fiction allows us to go places we can only dream of seeing - other worlds, distant stars, entirely different galaxies. While not every story is concerned with the hard science behind space travel and other futuristic ventures, fiction can give us amazing insight into what we could be capable of and what we dream of doing.
In the 10 lectures of The Science of Sci-Fi: From Warp Speed to Interstellar Travel, Professor Erin Macdonald interweaves real science and the achievements of the imagination to reveal the truth that underlies our favorite stories and sheds light on what the future may hold. From faster-than-light travel to journeys through time itself, science fiction makes humanity seem limitless. So, what scientific boundaries are we pushing against as we seek to fly among the stars?
Beginning with an overview of the physics of time and space as we know them, Professor Macdonald shows how stories extrapolate current knowledge to create visions of the future and how likely - or unlikely - these fictional journeys could be. What would happen if a spaceship flew into a wormhole, as it does in the film Galaxy Quest? Or, if you prefer video games, what would happen if you fired a rocket launcher on the Moon like the soldiers of Mass Effect? Could we ever break the bounds of light speed as they do in Star Wars and move across the universe without spending decades trying to make it to a distant exoplanet? Is the transporter technology of Star Trek really possible?
As you look closely at artificial gravity, inertial dampeners, tachyons, red matter, time dilation, and other sci-fi mainstays through the theories of some of science’s greatest thinkers, you will find that your favorite science fiction stories become even more astonishing.
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Our favorite moments from The Science of Sci-Fi
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- Lecture 1, Chapter 2 Gravity and Space-time
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About the Professor
Dr. Erin Macdonald is an astrophysicist, science fiction consultant, aerospace engineer, and host of the online series, Dr. Erin Explains the Universe. Her specialty is in general relativity, having previously worked in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration searching for gravitational waves. She has since found her home in science fiction, consulting with writers, teaching STEM through popular culture, and fulfilling her life goal of becoming a warp drive expert.
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- Length: 24 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,723
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,505
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,487
How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent course
- By Doug B. on 05-23-19
By: Michael E. Wysession, and others
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The Selfish Gene
- By: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,928
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,543
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,465
Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands to rethink their beliefs about life.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Better than print!
- By Anonymous User on 07-31-12
By: Richard Dawkins
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Letters from an Astrophysicist
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Vikas Adam, Piper Goodeve, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,127
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,837
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Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe. Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by unveiling his candid correspondence with people across the globe who have sought him out in search of answers. In this hand-picked collection of 100 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Dear Neil...
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Chemistry and Our Universe
- How It All Works
- By: Ron B. Davis, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ron B. Davis
- Length: 30 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 519
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 411
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 407
Chemistry and Our Universe: How It All Works is your in-depth introduction to this vital field, taught through 60 engaging half-hour lectures that are suitable for any background or none at all. Covering a year’s worth of introductory general chemistry at the college level, plus intriguing topics that are rarely discussed in the classroom, this amazingly comprehensive course requires nothing more advanced than high-school math. Your guide is Professor Ron B. Davis, Jr., a research chemist and award-winning teacher at Georgetown University.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great Professor, Hard to Follow.
- By Anonymous User on 05-14-19
By: Ron B. Davis, and others
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Welcome to the Universe
- An Astrophysical Tour
- By: Michael A. Strauss, J. Richard Gott, Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,371
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,210
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,205
Welcome to the Universe is a personal guided tour of the cosmos by three of today's leading astrophysicists. Inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton, this book covers it all - from planets, stars, and galaxies to black holes, wormholes, and time travel.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
All About What We Know About the Universe - ALL
- By J.B. on 02-17-17
By: Michael A. Strauss, and others
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Brain Energy
- A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
- By: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Narrated by: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,151
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,007
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,003
We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis, and mental illnesses are on the rise. But what causes mental illness? And why are mental health problems so hard to treat? Drawing on decades of research, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer outlines a revolutionary new understanding that for the first time unites our existing knowledge about mental illness within a single framework: mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. Brain Energy will transform the field of mental health, and the lives of countless people around the world.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Arguing brain health theory to medical profession
- By Maya H Saric on 03-10-23
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The Learning Brain
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Thad A. Polk PhD Carnegie Mellon University
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,280
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,120
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,104
One of the most complicated and advanced computers on Earth can't be purchased in any store. This astonishing device, responsible for storing and retrieving vast quantities of information that can be accessed at a moment's notice, is the human brain. How does such a dynamic and powerful machine make memories, learn a language, and remember how to drive a car? What habits can we adopt in order to learn more effectively throughout our lives? The answers to these questions are merely the tip of the iceberg in The Learning Brain.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Slow, useful, unconvincing
- By Tintin on 03-02-19
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Napoleon's Hemorrhoids…And Other Small Events That Changed History
- By: Phil Mason
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,195
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,060
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,056
Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon's Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason's many revelations, you'll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You'll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
They just throw the facts too fast
- By Concerned_llama on 12-11-20
By: Phil Mason
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Cosmic Queries
- StarTalk’s Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We’re Going
- By: James Trefil, Lindsey N. Walker - editor, Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lauren Fortgang
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 894
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 762
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 755
In this illuminating audiobook, Tyson and coauthor James Trefil, a renowned physicist and science popularizer, take on the big questions that humanity has been posing for millennia - How did life begin? What is our place in the universe? Are we alone? - and provide answers based on the most current data, observations, and theories.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Not worth it
- By Anonymous User on 03-15-21
By: James Trefil, and others
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Inspired
- How to Create Tech Products Customers Love, Second Edition
- By: Marty Cagan
- Narrated by: Marty Cagan
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,678
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,181
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,155
How do today's most successful tech companies - Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla - design, develop, and deploy the products that have earned the love of literally billions of people around the world? Perhaps surprisingly, they do it very differently from the vast majority of tech companies. In Inspired, technology product management thought leader Marty Cagan provides listeners with a master class in how to structure and staff a vibrant and successful product organization and how to discover and deliver technology products that your customers will love.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Great book, terrible audio wanted to ask a refund
- By Srikanth Ramanujam on 11-15-18
By: Marty Cagan
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The Quantum Universe
- (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does)
- By: Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw
- Narrated by: Samuel West
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 100
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 89
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 88
In The Quantum Universe, Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw approach the world of quantum mechanics in the same way they did in Why Does E=mc2? and make fundamental scientific principles accessible - and fascinating - to everyone.The subatomic realm has a reputation for weirdness, spawning any number of profound misunderstandings, journeys into Eastern mysticism, and woolly pronouncements on the interconnectedness of all things. Cox and Forshaw's contention? There is no need for quantum mechanics to be viewed this way.
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1 out of 5 stars
-
Not suitable as an audio book
- By Anonymous User on 03-29-22
By: Brian Cox, and others
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Malcolm X. Marcus Garvey. Charles Hamilton Houston. Diane Nash. For every well-known figure of the Civil Rights Movement, there are dozens of lesser-known, yet no less significant, activists who helped advance America’s social views and helped shape race relations in this country. Most listeners have only skimmed the surface of these deeply complex, influential, and world-changing figures. Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries of The Ohio State University delves into their stories, presenting an intimate study of the men and women who led half a century of social change.
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A Master Storyteller
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At the end of his career, Albert Einstein was pursuing a dream far more ambitious than the theory of relativity. He was trying to find an equation that explained all physical reality - a theory of everything. Experimental physicist and award-winning educator Dr. Don Lincoln takes you on this exciting journey in The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality. Suitable for the intellectually curious at all levels and assuming no background beyond basic high-school math, these 24 half-hour lectures cover recent developments at the forefront of particle physics and cosmology.
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Consider these commonly held scientific beliefs: Planetary orbits are fixed ellipses; we only use 10 percent of our brains; nothing travels faster than light; a thrown object’s trajectory is a parabola. They seem correct, but they’re all misconceptions that aren’t entirely accurate. There’s much more to the story than you think. These magnificent 24 lectures are devoted to busting myths, clearing up confusion, and giving you scientific epiphanies that could change how you think about your everyday world.
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2 out of 5 stars
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This title may do more harm than good for some readers.
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Sherlock Holmes: Beyond the Elementary
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Every hero works to soothe the fears of the people during their period in history. Heroes are not only brave, but they’re also able to navigate the convoluted corridors of society, and to see through the respectable pretense of others to detect the evil that lies within. So, who better to take on the foggy, crime-ridden streets and strict social mores of Victorian London than the iconic literary detective Sherlock Holmes? In Sherlock Holmes: Beyond the Elementary, you’ll investigate the history behind Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s whip-smart, charismatic detective.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Very dry and academic
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The Messengers
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A mysterious plague ushers in an intergalactic war that ravages the galaxy for decades. A soldier and a pilot are tasked to deliver a package. A messenger and a refugee decide to work together on a dying alien planet. A love letter is lost that could be the key to a new future. A dark comedy about the messages we carry in our bones.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Ouch - couldn't get passed the voices..
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Conspiracies & Conspiracy Theories
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The stuff of conspiracy theories makes for great, entertaining stories in movies, books, and television. And there is no shortage of subjects: from who really killed JFK to the truth behind 9/11. And then, there are subjects from alien invasions to the Moon landing was simulated - theories that are truly out of this world, which according to some, is flat. Many of these crazy concepts have jumped off the pages or screens to become so pervasive in our culture that thousands - even millions - subscribe to them as reality.
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No chapter titles!!???
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Thermodynamics: Four Laws That Move the Universe
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4 out of 5 stars
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Excellent Course; Particularly as Review
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By: Jeffrey C. Grossman, and others
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Being Human: Life Lessons from the Frontiers of Science
- By: Robert Sapolsky, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: The Great Courses
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,624
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,426
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,417
Understanding our humanity - the essence of who we are - is one of the deepest mysteries and biggest challenges in modern science. Why do we have bad moods? Why are we capable of having such strange dreams? How can metaphors in our language hold such sway on our actions? As we learn more about the mechanisms of human behavior through evolutionary biology, neuroscience, anthropology, and other related fields, we're discovering just how intriguing the human species is.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Somewhat Interesting but not Quite as Advertised
- By Anonymous User on 10-05-13
By: Robert Sapolsky, and others
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Light Falls
- Space, Time, and an Obsession of Einstein
- By: Brian Greene
- Narrated by: Brian Greene, Paul Rudd, Peter Ganim, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,773
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,405
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,397
Best-selling author, superstar physicist, and cofounder of the World Science Festival Brian Greene (The Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos) and an ensemble cast led by award-winning actor Paul Rudd (Ant-Man) perform this dramatic story tracing Albert Einstein's discovery of the general theory of relativity.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An enjoyable deviation from standard Non-Fiction
- By Heath on 10-25-16
By: Brian Greene
What listeners say about The Science of Sci-Fi
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
- John Sestak
- 04-02-20
Take The Course
Erin does a fantastic job matching the reality of current science to the science we take for granted in our favorite science fiction stories, movies, TV shows. She is very knowledgeable, plus a serious Sci-Fi fan!! And that marriage makes this book a great listen!
I learned a great deal about basic physics and was retaught things that I had learned years ago in high school and college. Erin explained things in a very straight forward manner which isn't always easy to do with Physics. And when she applied our current knowledge to how the Sci-Fi science might actually work, she did a great job in offering possibilities and explanations.
I thoroughly enjoyed the listen and I believe anyone else would that has any interest in these areas!!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-22-20
Interesting
Very interesting and informative. The only issue with this book is the overuse of the word „Fun“.
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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
- Alex B.
- 07-20-21
Incredible!!
This was am amazing reading that I will never forget or erase from my device! I absolutely loved the meshing of sci-fi to science fact and I thought it was done very well. Thank you so much for creating this. I would be very interested in reading/listening to more like it!
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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
- Anonymous User
- 02-03-21
Such an unexpected pleasure!
I happened onto this title and am now sharing it with many.
I’ve little experience with Sci-Fi or much science education. However, blessed with a curious mind, this book can be a portal to both.
What an imaginative and practical way to explain many high level scientific topics!
I now actually want to check out many of the movies and programs referenced and keep Googling some of the topics.
It could take several ‘listens’ just to recall some of the terms she used.
Entertaining and time well spent. A+++
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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
- Anonymous User
- 08-06-20
Geek Like Me
This series is wonderful and inspiring. As a practical scientist (engineer) I know enough to go "Yeah, knew that" but I also thought "wow" when learning about the new advances and all of the thought experiments used to develop and grow the science. Erin teaches the state of current physics with all or our beloved science fiction technobable connected (and not connected) in the stars.
Erin's voice work is warm, friendly and inviting. While her presentation is fun, playful and inspiring.
Definitely on my list to relisten.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 01-15-20
Just right for my taste
A good amount of current physics described at an appropriate level for most who are SciFi buffs. You still will not be able to find any way to make a Warp drive, but this provides some insight into how SciFi shows attempt to make things sound plausible.
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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
- Anonymous User
- 03-18-20
Science explanation mixed with humor
How could I not like a great course where the author sprinkles in examples from my favorite shows like Babylon 5, Star Trek, and the Expanse? I wish that I listened this to great course lecture before embarking on Einstein His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson because I struggled with the science. Professor MacDonald's lecture imparted a better understanding of Einstein's basic theories.
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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
- Anonymous User
- 05-28-20
perfect narrator
I could listen to this book over and over she was great. I picture her quite beautiful but nerdy big bang nerdy though so cool lol
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 09-14-20
Great fun, both for science nerds and scifi geeks!
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I appreciated Dr Erin's enthusiasm for the topic. She explained complex topics will with perfect examples from tv shows we've all seen.
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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
- Anonymous User
- 03-29-20
Don’ need to be a scientist
Pretty clear explanations for a non-scientist with no background in the topics. It merits repeated listening.
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