
The Science of Discworld
Revised Edition
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Narrated by:
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Stephen Briggs
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Michael Fenton Stevens
About this listen
In the 'fantasy' universe of the phenomenally bestselling Discworld series, everything runs on magic and common sense. The world is flat and million-to-one chances happen nine times out of ten. Our world seems different - it runs on rules, often rather strange ones. Science is our way of finding out what those rules are. The appeal of Discworld is that it mostly makes sense, in a way that particle physics does not. The Science of Discworld uses the magic of Discworld to illuminate the scientific rules that govern our world. When a wizardly experiment goes adrift, the wizards of Unseen University find themselves with a pocket universe on their hands: Roundworld, where neither magic nor common sense seems to stand a chance against logic. Roundworld is, of course, our own universe. With us inside it(eventually). Guided (if that's the word) by the wizards, we follow its story from the primal singularity of the Big Bang to the Internet and beyond. We discover how puny and insignificant individual lives are against a cosmic backdrop of creation and disaster. Yet, paradoxically, we see how the richness of a universe based on rules has led to a complex world and at least one species that tried to get a grip on what was going on. . .
©1999 Terry and Lyn Pratchett, Joat Enterprises, Jack Cohen (P)2012 Random House AudioGoListeners also enjoyed...
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Once upon a time, in the magical land of San Francisco, there lived a not-so-ordinary girl named Laurel Pettigrew. She was supposed to be the Chosen One. The plan was simple: She would vanquish the great evil Tybus in an epic battle. But destiny had other ideas, and Laurel's performance in the whole heroics department was a colossal flop. Now, instead of being a legendary hero, Laurel's the resident pariah of the magic realm. And what’s worse, the dark wizard Tybus swooped in, took over the realm, and forced all supernatural creatures to live under his tyrannical rule.
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Overall
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Performance
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As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, Halloween approaches. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio. From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut, join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales.
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Wonderful narration. Mediocre stories.
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What listeners say about The Science of Discworld
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Samuel
- 01-03-13
Combines Knowledge Bombs with humor and Discworld
If there is any trilogy I can recommend to a fan of humor, fantasy or Discworld, it would inevitably be the Science of Discworld series.
Co-written by Pratchett (Narrative) Stewart (Science) and Cohen (Science), The science of Discworld offers an amusing but insightful perspective into our beliefs, our knowledge, and our behaviors.
One friend of mine described it as the Ketamine of the book world. You begin to analyse yourself for the behaviors mentioned in the book, and to grasp at how ultimate and expansive this universe is.
Great work of scientific art.
Enjoy :).
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2 people found this helpful
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- Marcus
- 01-24-15
Science and lies to children
Mostly focuses on the science of our universe, with a side of wizard shenanigans. Some rather heavy detail in the science part so you will need basic understanding science to get most of it. The wizards parts are classic Pratchett, and therefore very entertaining.
The narrators are excellent and Stevens does a good job performing the science parts while Briggs handles story.
Contains a balanced view of opposing scientific theories, and will forever be remembered for the "Lies to children" term.
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- Siri
- 10-26-14
The science
Discworld and its magic, meat Round world and its science. How can you not love it?
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- Nighteyes
- 06-25-24
meh
it doesn't feel much like a Discworld book because of all the science stuff...
I think I'll have to give the science series a pass
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