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It's Not Rocket Science
- Narrated by: Ben Miller
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
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Publisher's summary
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.
"Let me show you another, perhaps less familiar side of Science; her beauty, her seductiveness and her passion. And let's do it quickly, while Maths isn't looking." (Ben Miller)
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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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The Universe in Your Hand
- A Journey Through Space, Time, and Beyond
- By: Christophe Galfard
- Narrated by: Ray Chase
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Christophe Galfard's mission in life is to spread modern scientific ideas to the general public in entertaining ways. Using his considerable skills as a brilliant theoretical physicist and successful young-adult author, The Universe in Your Hand employs the immediacy of simple, direct language to show us, not explain to us, the theories that underpin everything we know about our universe.
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Awesome
- By AJ on 02-28-17
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A Little History of the World
- By: E. H. Gombrich
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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E. H. Gombrich's world history, an international best seller now available in English for the first time, is a text dominated not by dates and facts but by the sweep of experience across the centuries, a guide to humanity's achievements, and an acute witness to its frailties.
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an enlightening book; very well read
- By A.B.Oxford on 06-03-06
By: E. H. Gombrich
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The Universe in the Rearview Mirror
- How Hidden Symmetries Shape Reality
- By: Dave Goldberg
- Narrated by: Chris Sorensen
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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A physicist speeds across space, time, and everything in between showing that our elegant universe from the Higgs boson to antimatter to the most massive group of galaxies is shaped by hidden symmetries that have driven all our recent discoveries about the universe and all the ones to come. Why is the sky dark at night? Is it possible to build a shrink-ray gun? If there is antimatter, can there be antipeople? Why are past, present, and future our only options? Are time and space like a butterfly's wings? No one but Dave Goldberg, the coolest nerd physicist on the planet, could give a hyper-drive tour of the universe like this one.
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Good, but for whom?
- By Michael on 08-31-13
By: Dave Goldberg
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When the Earth Had Two Moons
- Cannibal Planets, Icy Giants, Dirty Comets, Dreadful Orbits, and the Origins of the Night Sky
- By: Erik Asphaug
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1959, the Soviet probe Luna 3 took the first photos of the far side of the Moon. Even in their poor resolution, the images stunned scientists: The far side is an enormous mountainous expanse, not the vast lava plains seen from Earth. Subsequent missions have confirmed this in much greater detail. How could this be, and what might it tell us about our own place in the universe? As it turns out, quite a lot. When the Earth Had Two Moons is an astonishing exploration of planet formation and the origins of life by one of the world’s most innovative planetary geologists.
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Poorly written, poorly narrated
- By RickyF on 05-11-23
By: Erik Asphaug
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The Science of Rick and Morty
- The Unofficial Guide to Earth's Stupidest Show
- By: Matt Brady
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Blending biology, chemistry, and physics basics with accessible - and witty-prose, The Science of Rick and Morty equips you with the scientific foundation to thoroughly understand Rick's experiments from the show, such as how we can use dark matter and energy, just what is intelligence hacking, and whether or not you can really control a cockroach's nervous system with your tongue. Perfect for longtime and new fans of the show, this is the ultimate segue into discovering more about our complicated and fascinating universe.
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Some good science in here?
- By Darin Harbert on 02-06-20
By: Matt Brady
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Five Billion Years of Solitude
- The Search for Life Among the Stars
- By: Lee Billings
- Narrated by: Lee Billings
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Since its formation nearly five billion years ago, our planet has been the sole living world in a vast and silent universe. Now, Earth's isolation is coming to an end. Over the past two decades, astronomers have discovered thousands of "exoplanets" orbiting other stars, including some that could be similar to our own world. Studying those distant planets for signs of life will be crucial to understanding life's intricate mysteries right here on Earth. In a firsthand account of this unfolding revolution, Lee Billings draws on interviews with top researchers.
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Bloated
- By Dr A on 01-09-14
By: Lee Billings
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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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A Brief Welcome to the Universe
- A Pocket-Sized Tour
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, J. Richard Gott
- Narrated by: Neil Hellegers
- Length: 4 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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A Brief Welcome to the Universe offers a breathtaking tour of the cosmos, from planets, stars, and galaxies to black holes and time loops. Best-selling authors and acclaimed astrophysicists Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott take listeners on an unforgettable journey of exploration to reveal how our universe actually works. Propelling you from our home solar system to the outermost frontiers of space, this book builds your cosmic insight and perspective through a marvelously entertaining narrative.
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A brief welcome for everyone
- By Ashley F on 08-24-24
By: Neil deGrasse Tyson, and others
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Coming of Age in the Milky Way
- By: Timothy Ferris
- Narrated by: Timothy Ferris
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Abridged
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Humans have long sought to comprehend the enormities of cosmic space and time. Here, best selling science writer Timothy Ferris tells the story of that quest. He interweaves the majestic themes of astronomy, physics, religion, and philosophy with fresh and lasting portraits of the men and women who created what has been called our society's most precious treasure - its conception of the universe at large.
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Brief survey of discovery from Columbus to now
- By serine on 01-23-16
By: Timothy Ferris
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Catching Stardust
- Comets, Asteroids and the Birth of the Solar System
- By: Natalie Starkey
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Icy, rocky, sometimes dusty, always mysterious – comets and asteroids are among the Solar System's very oldest inhabitants, formed within a swirling cloud of gas and dust in the area of space that eventually hosted the Sun and its planets. Locked within each of these extra-terrestrial objects is the 4.6-billion-year wisdom of Solar System events, and by studying them at close quarters using spacecraft we can coerce them into revealing their closely-guarded secrets. This offers us the chance to answer some fundamental questions about our planet and its inhabitants.
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Chasing star stuff always results in technological advances
- By Richard Duede on 12-30-18
By: Natalie Starkey
What listeners say about It's Not Rocket Science
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Brendan Bevan
- 06-09-16
entertaining, witty, intelligent
it is always nice when a very bright science geek is entertaining as well. word
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1 person found this helpful
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- Atira
- 05-05-16
High School students should be REQUIRED to read
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This book does a great job at "dumbing down" the complexities of science while also keeping it entertaining. As a science lover myself, I find it hard to get the people around me to understand and enjoy science the way I do. There's this common belief that it's only interesting and fun to me because I have a science degree but in reality it can and should be interesting and fun to all. Science literacy is the key to human advancement and I feel as of late that many people are relying on media and public opinion for science understanding and that is a recipe for disaster. In this book Ben Miller uses comedy and easily relatable metaphors to describe the foundations of many areas of science. These very important principles play a huge part in an individual's understanding and opinion on popular science issues. I also love the way he remains neutral throughout the book, never giving the impression that he is trying to force an agenda (which is a big issue these days as many people in the public believe science and the government are working together to screw us all) while also providing enough information for individuals to dive into research further any topics they are interesting in learning more about. I believe this book should not only be a recommendation but a requirement for everyone.
What did you like best about this story?
The comedic way he leaves out the "boring details" and gets right to the fun stuff
What about Ben Miller’s performance did you like?
The upbeat tempo of the book. I read a lot of science books and often times they can get boring and dry and this book had the fun vibe that you get from popular science figures such as Bill Nye.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
If science was a 3 course meal, we're skipping straight to the dessert.
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- Natural Vision Photography
- 08-07-17
Best one yet!
I'm really interested in space and science but I'm by no means a scientist. This book was the best yet of science books I've tried. I really enjoyed the content and the the humor sprinkled in made it a fun listen. I highly recommend this book.
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- chemprof
- 02-20-16
great overview, accurate, fun!
really enjoyed this book, a charming tour through modern physics through the eyes of a Cambridge PhD student turned comedy sketch artist. I particularly enjoyed the overview which goes to the heart of so many mysteries of modern physics!
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- Sage Man
- 08-06-16
An entertaining overall story of science
Ben Miller tackles some complicated subjects of science like DNA with simplicity and humor. This approach helps one understand and retain the information.
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- Ingwe
- 04-03-13
Entertaining
Any additional comments?
Quick and entertaining, especially for a science book. Only hits a few subjects & with no new revelations, but Ben Miller's wit (whom I'm a fan of from his British comedy work) definitely makes it a worthwhile and enjoyable read.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Richard
- 07-12-15
Delightful and Filled With Meaning
Would you listen to It's Not Rocket Science again? Why?
I plan to revisit this book just for the humor embedded in the author's unique manner of presenting a select set of scientific frontiers to his audience in such a delightful way. It was amazing that he covered such a wide range of topics, from genetics to evolution to aerospace in just one volume. Common Ben, let's have another.
What did you like best about this story?
A nearly lettered (and clearly accomplished) PhD-Physicist abandoning his career close to the finish line to become a comedian/scientific communicator shows extreme vision in thinking free of the customary boundaries envelope. I hold a doctorate degree in a scientific field but this delightful piece jolted me out of the cognition box I've been stuck with in such a memorable manner. Bravo!
What about Ben Miller’s performance did you like?
His ability to clarify, synthesize and humorize.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Definitely. And I did.
Any additional comments?
Wow, what a narration! This is the only audio book I know of in which the author-as-narrator combo worked out just great. Usually that doesn't click. It's rare that a gifted writer can also score a perfect A Plus as a narrator. His jaunty British accent, to my American ear, was delightful instead of distractive. We Statesiders have much to learn about the colorful and comical nuances of our mother language as spoken in the epicenter of its birth.
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- Max
- 07-20-13
Similar to "A Short History of Nearly Everything"
If you enjoyed "A Short History of Nearly Everything", you'll love "It's Not Rocket Science"! The author is also a comedian so the facts he presents are often accompanied with a laugh. He has some very interesting tid-bits of information that are thrilling to both scientists and non scientists alike. In my opinion, a British accent makes any audiobook more enjoyable and Ben Miller has a fantastic voice. Overall and excellent book and well worth the time and money! 5 stars
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3 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 08-13-12
Nice Survey
What made the experience of listening to It's Not Rocket Science the most enjoyable?
The humour and foundations that the author demonstrates are very nice. While I might dispute some of his "indisputable" assumptions, it was an entertaining listen.
Any additional comments?
errata - He cites that Einstein published General Relativity in 1905. He actually published Special Relativity that year; it took 21 more years to produce GR.
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1 person found this helpful
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- mike
- 04-25-19
Baking cakes?
If I wanted to listen to someone rave on and on about baking sponge cake I would get a book on baking sponge cake...or buy this. Not my cuppa tea.
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