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We Have No Idea
- A Guide to the Unknown Universe
- Narrated by: Daniel Whiteson
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
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Publisher's summary
Prepare to learn everything we still don’t know about our strange and mysterious Universe.
Humanity's understanding of the physical world is full of gaps. Not tiny little gaps you can safely ignore - there are huge yawning voids in our basic notions of how the world works. PHD Comics creator Jorge Cham and particle physicist Daniel Whiteson have teamed up to explore everything we don't know about the Universe: The enormous holes in our knowledge of the cosmos. Armed with entertaining and lucid explanations of science, they give us the best answers currently available for a lot of questions that are still perplexing scientists, including:
- Why does the Universe have a speed limit?
- Why aren't we all made of antimatter?
- What (or who) is attacking Earth with tiny, superfast particles?
- What is dark matter, and why does it keep ignoring us?
It turns out the Universe is full of weird things that don't make any sense. But Cham and Whiteson make a compelling case that the questions we can't answer are as interesting as the ones we can.
This introduction to the biggest mysteries in physics also helpfully demystifies many complicated things we do know about, from quarks and neutrinos to gravitational waves and exploding black holes. With equal doses of humor and delight, Cham and Whiteson invite us to see the Universe as a possibly boundless expanse of uncharted territory that's still ours to explore.
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"Accessible and entertaining.... Cham and Whiteson distil the essence of the little we know - and the lots we have no idea about...a very enjoyable read. (Nature)
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What actually happens when the words, "beam me up, Scottie" are uttered? What "warps" when something travels at warp speed? Internationally renowned theoretical physicist and educator Lawrence M. Krauss provides matter-of-fact scientific explanations of the physics of Star Trek in this highly creative and informative guide for both the devoted Trekkie and the physics novice.
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Interesting Book. Quite Technical
- By Christopher B. on 12-07-04
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The World According to Physics
- By: Jim Al-Khalili
- Narrated by: Jim Al-Khalili
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Shining a light on the most profound insights revealed by modern physics, Jim Al-Khalili invites us all to understand what this crucially important science tells us about the universe and the nature of reality itself. Al-Khalili begins by introducing the fundamental concepts of space, time, energy, and matter, and then describes the three pillars of modern physics - quantum theory, relativity, and thermodynamics - showing how all three must come together if we are ever to have a full understanding of reality.
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excellent book
- By Anonymous User on 05-10-21
By: Jim Al-Khalili
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The Island of Knowledge
- The Limits of Science and the Search for Meaning
- By: Marcelo Gleiser
- Narrated by: William Neenan
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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How much can we know about the world? In this audiobook physicist Marcelo Gleiser traces our search for answers to the most fundamental questions of existence, the origin of the universe, the nature of reality, and the limits of knowledge. In so doing he reaches a provocative conclusion: Science, like religion, is fundamentally limited as a tool for understanding the world. As science and its philosophical interpretations advance, we face the unsettling recognition of how much we don't know.
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Island of knowledge
- By Joshua Kring on 07-26-15
By: Marcelo Gleiser
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Warped Passages
- Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions
- By: Lisa Randall
- Narrated by: Donna Postel
- Length: 17 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Warped Passages is an altogether exhilarating journey that tracks the arc of discovery from early 20th-century physics to the razor's edge of modern scientific theory. One of the world's leading theoretical physicists, Lisa Randall provides astonishing scientific possibilities that, until recently, were restricted to the realm of science fiction. Unraveling the twisted threads of the most current debates on relativity, quantum mechanics, and gravity, she explores some of the most fundamental questions posed by Nature.
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Physics textbook without the math
- By Victor on 05-13-18
By: Lisa Randall
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How to Speak Science
- Gravity, Relativity, and Other Ideas That Were Crazy Until Proven Brilliant
- By: Bruce Benamran, Stephanie Delozier Strobel
- Narrated by: Braden Wright
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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As smartphones, supercomputers, supercolliders, and AI propel us into an ever more unfamiliar future, How to Speak Science takes us on a rollicking historical tour of the greatest discoveries and ideas that make today's cutting-edge technologies possible. Wanting everyone to be able to "speak" science, YouTube science guru Bruce Benamran explains - as accessibly and wittily as in his acclaimed videos - the fundamental ideas of the physical world: matter, life, the solar system, light, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, special and general relativity, and much more.
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Wowzers!
- By Ralph Temblador on 02-15-21
By: Bruce Benamran, and others
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The Unknown Universe
- A New Exploration of Time, Space and Cosmology
- By: Stuart Clark
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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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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Forces of Nature
- By: Professor Brian Cox, Andrew Cohen
- Narrated by: Samuel West
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Professor Brian Cox uncovers some of the most extraordinary natural events on Earth and in the universe and beyond. From the immensity of the universe and the roundness of Earth to the form of every single snowflake, the forces of nature shape everything we see. Pushed to extremes, the results are astonishing. In seeking to understand the everyday world, the colours, structure, behaviour and history of our home, we develop the knowledge and techniques necessary to step beyond the everyday.
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Complicated in its simplicity
- By Philomath on 06-13-17
By: Professor Brian Cox, and others
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Six Not-So-Easy Pieces
- Einstein's Relativity, Symmetry, and Space-Time
- By: Richard P. Feynman
- Narrated by: Richard P. Feynman
- Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins
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No 20th-century American scientist is better known to a wider spectrum of people than Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988), physicist, teacher, author, and cultural icon. His autobiographies and biographies have been read and enjoyed by millions of readers around the world, while his wit and eccentricities have made him the subject of TV specials and even a theatrical film.
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Very Interesting, but ...
- By Doug on 01-01-06
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The Cosmic Cocktail
- Three Parts Dark Matter
- By: Katherine Freese
- Narrated by: Tamara Marston
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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The ordinary atoms that make up the known universe - from our bodies and the air we breathe to the planets and stars - constitute only 5 percent of all matter and energy in the cosmos. The rest is known as dark matter and dark energy, because their precise identities are unknown. The Cosmic Cocktail is the inside story of the epic quest to solve one of the most compelling enigmas of modern science - what is the universe made of? - told by one of today’s foremost pioneers in the study of dark matter.
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I was looking for a book about science....
- By Jeff on 03-27-15
By: Katherine Freese
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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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Knocking on Heaven's Door
- How Physics and Scientific Thinking Illuminate the Universe and the Modern World
- By: Lisa Randall
- Narrated by: Carrington MacDuffie
- Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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The latest developments in physics have the potential to radically revise our understanding of the world: its makeup, its evolution, and the fundamental forces that drive its operation. Knocking on Heaven's Door is an exhilarating and accessible overview of these developments and an impassioned argument for the significance of science. There could be no better guide than Lisa Randall.
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Too Political
- By Allan on 12-14-11
By: Lisa Randall
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Beyond Biocentrism
- Rethinking Time, Space, Consciousness, and the Illusion of Death
- By: Robert Lanza, Bob Berman
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In Beyond Biocentrism, acclaimed biologist Robert Lanza and astronomer Bob Berman take the listener on an intellectual thrill ride as they reexamine everything we thought we knew about life, death, the universe, and the nature of reality itself. The first step is acknowledging that our existing model of reality is looking increasingly creaky in the face of recent scientific discoveries.
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Here's the thing
- By Mikal on 11-09-18
By: Robert Lanza, and others
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Apparantly, the paper version is a graphic book.
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Already internationally acclaimed for his elegant, lucid writing on the most challenging notions in modern physics, Sean Carroll is emerging as one of the greatest humanist thinkers of his generation as he brings his extraordinary intellect to bear not only on the Higgs boson and extra dimensions but now also on our deepest personal questions. Where are we? Who are we? Are our emotions, our beliefs, and our hopes and dreams ultimately meaningless out there in the void?
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What listeners say about We Have No Idea
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- jeremy
- 01-17-18
A fairly good read
The book is heavily corny and the sound effects are both unnecessary and distracting. Both the corniness and of a sound effects mean that this is a book you should definitely listen to with headphones
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- Branson Tibbs
- 06-20-19
Great content but full of annoying slapstick humor
The book is filled with distracting and unfunny jokes/sound effects. The content is good but the humor is very annoying
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1 person found this helpful
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- Todd
- 04-01-23
Incredibly refreshing. Loved it.
In "We Have No Idea: A Guide to an Unknown Universe," the author takes readers on a refreshingly honest journey through the enigmatic world of physics. This book stands out in its humble acknowledgement that despite science's many accomplishments, there is still a vast amount that remains unknown. The author deftly addresses questions about dark matter, dark energy, and the events surrounding the Big Bang, emphasizing the significance of embracing uncertainty and continuing the pursuit of knowledge.
The author's explanations of complex concepts such as mass, matter, and the quantum world are a welcome departure from the often vague and unrelatable language of other scientific works. In fact, the clarity and accessibility of these explanations make a strong case for their inclusion in high school physics curricula.
"We Have No Idea" is a compelling, honest, and engaging exploration of the unknown universe that will resonate with readers who appreciate the ever-evolving nature of scientific inquiry. This book encourages curiosity and humility in the face of the many mysteries that still elude our understanding, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the vast and enigmatic world of physics.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Xerogod410
- 03-01-19
Awesome and WOW
I loved it definitely good making you want more. It left you with more questions than answers but opened your mind to new worlds.
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- Joe
- 01-24-23
Rekindles a sense of wonder about the universe
It's good once in a while to take stock of the state of knowledge about something, and this book is a good review of the known-unknowns. Rekindles a sense of wonder about the universe.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kevin
- 12-27-17
Entertaining and educational
It was Entertaining and educational. Well worth the time. I learned many things, and was left with plenty more to learn someday.
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-10-24
How my 11 year old niece started her path to astro physics
I gave her this book after hearing the authors speak. It made her laugh out loud. She wanted to be a flight attendant pre reading this. It’s still her favorite book.
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- Jeffrey Wright
- 08-30-18
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE
Physics and Space, Time ...A great learning experience, and stands traditional teaching on its head by teaching what we do not know. Which actually helps understand what we do know. Revolutionary Teaching!!
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- Joe H.
- 10-07-19
Fun read
He continues to make it a fun and humorous experience while keeping fairly informative. Good read.
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- JOSHUA
- 04-14-18
UH Oh... Somebody call the fun police!
I’d like to report multiple offenses including:
An uncountable count of punning in the first degree.. second degree.. up to 360 degrees at least..
multiple counts of mind expansion, leading to mind explosion, leading to exploded mind explosions.
At least two counts of combining corny jokes and sound effects to induce unexpected chuckles, leading to near embarrassment when I was listening with my headphones on in the elevator. Had I cared.. it could have been embarrassing.
Suspects are charmed and dangerous. Likely on the run with The Weinersmiths, Zach and Kelly.. Both on the fun police’s most wanted list. Not likely to be caught anytime soonish.
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