The Nature of Matter: Understanding the Physical World

By: David W. Ball, The Great Courses

Narrated by: David W. Ball

Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Matter is the raw material of the universe. Discover how the immense variety of matter - stars, mountains, plants, people - is generated by a limited number of chemical elements that combine in simple, well-defined ways. Consider carbon, a relatively common atom with many faces: diamond, which is the hardest known mineral; graphite, which is among the softest known substances; and carbon nanotubes, which are 300 times stronger than steel and have remarkable electrical properties.

In the 24 engaging lectures of The Nature of Matter, no scientific background is needed to appreciate such miracles of everyday life as a bouncing rubber ball or water's astonishing power to dissolve. Moreover, the study of matter has led directly to such inventions as semiconductor circuits for computers, new fabrics for clothes, and powerful adhesives for medicine and industry. These discoveries were hard won by scientific sleuths, but we can all sit back and enjoy the details - just as we delight in the solution to a good detective story. Since prehistoric times, knowledge of materials has driven the development of civilization. The Stone Age was succeeded by the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Industrial Age, and now the age of silicon - the element that is the basis of the semiconductor revolution.

Where will new methods and materials take us next? Professor Ball notes that the "fun part about being a chemist is that we still have lots of combinations of these raw materials to explore". Join this outstanding teacher and researcher on this exciting journey of discovery into the substance of everyday life.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2015 The Great Courses (P)2015 The Teaching Company, LLC

bettered my understanding

I now better understand of what stuff is made. Mist interesting is how molecules can be manipulated to produce different things.

An amazing job!

This covered so much territory and made me wish I paid more attention in chemistry... loved it.

refreshing material

informative and storytelling

it was nice refreshing experience for some subjects and enjoyed new subjects

An overview of matter

The course presents an overview of the nature of matter. Half of the course deals in classical chemistry terms. The other half of the course deals with applied materials science and covers topics like polymers, recycling, super conductors, transistors, etc. If you want a course that is all hard core chemistry, you might do better looking elsewhere.

Excellent

Excellent program. Well presented and fascinating to listen too. Great subject matter. Highly recommend to explain the knowledge of the world around us.

Great for college chem students!

Awesome narration and really enjoyable to listen to in the car. I definitely recommend it to any first year chem student.

Great for a technical audience

What made the experience of listening to The Nature of Matter: Understanding the Physical World the most enjoyable?

The book covered a very wide variety of chemistry subjects, from sub-atomic, atomic, and molecular interactions to the science of building materials, foods, dyes, aerospace materials, and more. Very educational and well organized. Parts of it were somewhat technical: at least an introductory college level. If you think a chapter is slightly dry, just wait for the later chapters.

David Ball knows his stuff.

I enjoyed this book. Mr. Ball did an excellent job writing and narrating this course. Definitely recommended.

Putting the pieces together

I am going to re-listen to this most excellent series of lectures that has linked so many disparate aspects of the physical world through clear insightful description of the basics then followed with rational permutations that make the many cases a logical confirmation of those basic principles. These are so information rich I need a second pass to gain a more detailed understanding of this material.

Useless managers

Who is the useless manager at audible that makes reviews required? Stars are enough