Lost Discoveries
The Ancient Roots of Modern Science from the Babylonians to the Mayans
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Narrated by:
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Peter Johnson
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By:
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Dick Teresi
About this listen
In the tradition of Daniel Boorstin, the co-founder of Omni delivers an original work of history that demonstrates why modern science rests on a foundation built by ancient and medieval non-European societies.
Lost Discoveries explores the mostly unheralded scientific breakthroughs from the ancient world - Babylonians, Egyptians, Indians, Africans, New World, and Oceanic tribes, among others, and from the non-European medieval world. By example, the Egyptians developed the concept of the lowest common denominator and the Indians developed the use of zero and negative numbers. The Chinese observed, reported, and dated eclipses between 1400 and 1200 B.C. The Chinese also set the stage for later Hindu scholars, who refined the concept of particles and the void. Five thousand years ago, Sumerians were able to assert that the earth was circular. Islamic scientists fixed problems in Ptolemy's geocentric cosmology. The Quechuan Indians of Peru were the first to vulcanize rubber.
This first comprehensive, authoritative, popularly written, multicultural history of science fills in a crucial gap in the history of science.
Lost Discoveries is also available in print from Simon and Schuster.
©2002 by Dick Teresi(P)2002 Random House, Inc.
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"If you think that modern science is rooted in the golden age of Greece, you owe it to yourself to [hear this] book." (Library Journal)
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- By: James Gleick
- Narrated by: Allan Corduner
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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James Gleick has long been fascinated by the making of science: how ideas order visible appearances, how equations can give meaning to molecular and stellar phenomena, how theories can transform what we see. In Chaos, he chronicled the emergence of a new way of looking at dynamic systems; in Genius, he portrayed the wondrous dimensions of Richard Feymnan's mind.
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BRUTAL
- By Andrew on 05-25-05
By: James Gleick
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The Golden Ratio
- The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonishing Number
- By: Mario Livio
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Throughout history, thinkers from mathematicians to theologians have pondered the mysterious relationship between numbers and the nature of reality. In this fascinating book, Mario Livio tells the tale of a number at the heart of that mystery: phi, or 1.6180339887.... This curious mathematical relationship, widely known as "The Golden Ratio", was discovered by Euclid more than 2,000 years ago. Since then it has shown a propensity to appear in the most astonishing variety of places.
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Tedious Listen
- By Amanda Halsdorff on 10-25-14
By: Mario Livio
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Magicians of the Gods
- The Forgotten Wisdom of Earth’s Lost Civilization
- By: Graham Hancock
- Narrated by: Graham Hancock
- Length: 14 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Graham Hancock's multi-million bestseller Fingerprints of the Gods remains an astonishing, deeply controversial, wide-ranging investigation of the mysteries of our past and the evidence for Earth's lost civilization. Twenty years on, Hancock returns with the sequel to his seminal work filled with completely new scientific and archaeological evidence, which has only recently come to light.
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"Brilliant" is an understatement.
- By Brian on 11-13-15
By: Graham Hancock
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America Before
- The Key to Earth's Lost Civilization
- By: Graham Hancock
- Narrated by: Graham Hancock
- Length: 17 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Stunning new archaeological discoveries in North America together with new genetic evidence have launched a revolution in our understanding of the remote past of our species and of the origins of civilization. Graham Hancock, the internationally best-selling author has been overwhelmingly vindicated by recent discoveries. America Before: The Key to Earth's Lost Civilization is a mind-dilating exploration of the mystery of ancient civilizations, amazing archaeological discoveries, and profound implications for how we lead our lives today.
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Fun to Think About
- By Amazon Customer on 04-26-19
By: Graham Hancock
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The Invention of Science
- A New History of the Scientific Revolution
- By: David Wootton
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 22 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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In this fascinating history spanning continents and centuries, historian David Wootton offers a lively defense of science, revealing why the Scientific Revolution was truly the greatest event in our history. The Invention of Science goes back 500 years in time to chronicle this crucial transformation, exploring the factors that led to its birth and the people who made it happen. Wootton argues that the Scientific Revolution was actually five separate yet concurrent events that developed independently.
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A Good Read Spoiled
- By David A. Donnelly on 12-23-16
By: David Wootton
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Euclid's Window
- The Story of Geometry from Parallel Lines to Hyperspace
- By: Leonard Mlodinow
- Narrated by: Robert Blumenfeld
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Through Euclid's Window Leonard Mlodinow brilliantly and delightfully leads us on a journey through five revolutions in geometry, from the Greek concept of parallel lines to the latest notions of hyperspace. Here is an altogether new, refreshing, alternative history of math revealing how simple questions anyone might ask about space -- in the living room or in some other galaxy -- have been the hidden engine of the highest achievements in science and technology.
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Wow!
- By Eric on 08-13-10
By: Leonard Mlodinow
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A Most Improbable Journey
- A Big History of Our Planet and Ourselves
- By: Walter Alvarez
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Big History, the field that studies the entire known past of our universe to give context to human existence, has so far been the domain of historians. Geologist Walter Alvarez - best known for his Impact Theory explaining dinosaur extinction - makes a compelling case for a new, science-first approach to Big History.
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Learned so much
- By Niki on 12-09-18
By: Walter Alvarez
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Chariots of the Gods
- By: Erich von Däniken
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Erich von Däniken's Chariots of the Gods is a work of monumental importance---the first book to introduce the shocking theory that ancient Earth was visited by aliens. This world-famous best seller has withstood the test of time, inspiring countless books and films, including the author's own popular sequel, The Eye of the Sphinx.
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Answers? No. But if you wish to think it's great!
- By Neal on 09-10-12
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The Yugas
- Keys to Understanding Our Hidden Past, Emerging Energy Age and Enlightened Future
- By: Joseph Selbie, David Steinmetz, Swami Kriyananda - foreword
- Narrated by: Paul Brion
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Today's view of history cannot account for ancient anomalies, such as the Pyramids and advanced knowledge contained in India's Vedas. But in 1894, an Indian sage gave us an explanation not only for our hidden past but for the trends of today and for our future enlightenment - the 24,000-year yuga cycle.
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Excellent book but one slight problem
- By Z on 02-19-19
By: Joseph Selbie, and others
What listeners say about Lost Discoveries
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Dara
- 09-05-12
A Great Mix of History, Anthropology, & Science
Would you listen to Lost Discoveries again? Why?
Yes. The book is a great piece of scientific history which turns many popular misconceptions of scientific history on their heads.
Who was your favorite character and why?
The Peter Johnston has a great voice reminiscent of Carl Sagan. He kept me interested the whole way through and conveyed the text very clearly.
Have you listened to any of Peter Johnson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I haven't heard any of Mr. Johnston's other performances, but I hope to hear more in the future.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes. It was too interesting to stop listening to.
Any additional comments?
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in anthropology, history, or the sciences.
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Overall
- Jeffery
- 12-11-05
Depends on what your looking for
I liked the history of ancient discoveries by non-Western cultures. The problem that I had was the author's constant reference back to what Western civilization had not done. One must keep in mind that yes, indeed, Western science was a "late bloomer," but in keeping with trend of the author, don't Western science since Newton blow every other culture out of the water?
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Igor R. Efimov
- 10-16-09
Excellent reading for a history buff
The book is well researched, meticulous, pays attention to details, perhaps a bit too much in some parts. But it gives a broad and comprehensive review of history of ideas which led to discovery of reason and birth of science. It is not an easy reading for a sleepy traveler. But for a prepared mind it opens the history of human thought unbiased by both proponents and opponents of world domination by a single cultural tradition. Human mind has been forged by multitude of cultures and civilizations - this book tells loud and clear.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Kaleem A Kamboj
- 06-06-03
Excellent!!!
Amazing insight to the missing pieces of the puzzle; fills the vacuum left by European scholarship.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Virginia
- 07-24-16
Highly informative!
If you are looking for a no-nonsense guide to non-Western science history, look no further. Lost Discoveries was slightly more entertaining than a textbook, so I wouldn't recommend it for the timid or casual reader. But in it you will find a wealth of fascinating stories and well-researched, colorful details. A staple for anyone with a passion for science history, I absolutely loved it!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Kevin
- 01-29-05
A worthwhile challenge
This is definately one of the more challenging audio books I've encountered and probably not meant for someone with simply a passing interest in the history of math and science. It took me months to finish, if only because I found myself going back and listening again to parts that required tremendous concentration. This is one of those selections that I really enjoyed, but probably should have opted for the text so that I could underline!
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20 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Anne
- 02-08-04
Excellent!
As a scientist, I am pleased to recommend this book. The science is fascinating and presented in a very clear manner. The long view of how the discoveries intersect and build on each other is very interesting. The reader is talented and keeps ones interest. The recording is very good.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Enrique
- 02-20-08
Interesting at first, then a little dry
I enjoyed listening to is for the most part. There were some parts that were dry, but overall it was fine.
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- Robert
- 02-22-16
Interesting history
The history presented is interesting and thought provoking. The narrator is good but the actual writing is a bit dry.
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Overall
- David
- 11-26-04
Great work and presentation
This is a great book and will be rewardimg for the readers of the more scientific and mathmatical literature. If you like the works of Hawking,Einstein,and their peers, as well as the genera of articulate historical, geographical, and cosmological writings...this book is for you. If you are well read in science, math and history...Get This Book!
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13 people found this helpful