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Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time cover art

Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time

By: Sean Carroll, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Sean Carroll
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Summary

Time rules our lives, woven into the very fabric of the universe - from the rising and setting of the sun to the cycles of nature, the thought processes in our brains, and the biorhythms in our day. Nothing so pervades our existence and yet is so difficult to explain.

But now, in a series of 24 riveting lectures, you can grasp exactly why - as you take a mind-expanding journey through the past, present, and future, guided by a noted author and scientist. Designed for nonscientists as well as those with a background in physics, the lectures show how a feature of the world that we all experience - a process known as entropy - connects us to the instant of the formation of the universe, and possibly to a multiverse that is unimaginably larger and more varied than the known cosmos.

Drawing on such exciting ideas as black holes, cosmic inflation, and dark energy, the lectures also address a momentous question that until recently was considered unanswerable: What happened before the big bang? And while the focus is on physics, Professor Carroll also examines philosophical views on time, how we perceive and misperceive time, the workings of memory, and serious proposals for time travel, as well as imaginative ways that time has been disrupted in fiction.

"What is time?" asked Saint Augustine 1,600 years ago. "If no one asks me, I know. But if I wish to explain it to someone who asks, I know not." These lectures will move you much closer to an answer.

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

©2012 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2012 The Great Courses

What listeners say about Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time

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Everything you ever wanted to know about time...

I have previously taken a number of "Great Courses" series, from "The Teaching Company" - they are almost always excellent, and to be able to get them through Audible, represents very good value.

This course on Time is no exception. Professor Caroll has the perfect voice for explaining complex concepts in physics - slightly geeky sounding, but very easy to listen to, and immediately likeable. While he explains all the concepts he uses, so there is no need to have any background in Physics, I found some grounding helpful, as he gets into some quite complex stuff, fairly quickly.

The lectures cover all aspects of Time, from "why am I always late" to measurement and the "longditude problem", the "block" or "salami" models of time, Relativity, space-time and time dilation, black holes, the early universe, and a lot on thermodynamics! The main question, which the series attempts to answer is "why is there an arrow of time?" going always from the past to the future.

The various explanations for the arrow of time, (such as the probablistic explanation for the second law of thermodynamics) are prised apart, to show their circularity, such that it seems to come down to explaining the nature of the early universe, and the "past hypothesis". Without giving more away, this becomes the central intellectual puzzle, which drives us on towards the end.

If, like me, you like these kind of "ultimate questions", and you enjoy concepts in Physics, (without delving into Maths), I can thoroughly recommend this course.

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21 people found this helpful

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Absolutely amazing.

A really good set of lectures that clearly describe very complex ideas in a way that is accessible and interesting for all. I've read numerous books on the subject and the only thing I've achieved is a headache, but these lectures actually explain it in a way that is understandable. I only had a quizzical Google open once during the whole thing and that was for one of the very infrequent maths bits so I don't think that really counts. My new Audible objective is to ditch the shooty-shooty zombie books and listen to Sean Caroll until I've either listened to everything he's done or my hair goes fuzzy and I start smoking a pipe. Really can't recommend this enough. However, the one thing to keep in mind during and after the lectures is to not to try starting a discussion on anything included in these lectures with your mates in the pub, you'll fail and get upset. other than that it's quite astoundingly good.

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Wow!

Fascinating stuff. I wasn't sure whether to get this because I thought maybe Time was a bit more of a narrow field than what I was looking for.

Don't think I've ever been as wrong in an assumption before. Everything is touched upon; Relativity, Quantum theory, Black Holes, Time Travel, Mulitverses, Dark Energy, and broken eggs. There are lots of broken eggs :-)

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5 people found this helpful

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Good listen

If you could sum up Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time in three words, what would they be?

I've listened to a few of these course type formats and find it easy to follow. The fact that each lesson is only 30 minutes makes easier to stop and start.

The material was interesting and the tack that the instructor takes to explain it was thought provoking

What other book might you compare Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time to, and why?

Other lecture type books

What about Professor Sean Carroll’s performance did you like?

His energy and pace

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

what a stupid question

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4 people found this helpful

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Excellent course on the arrow of time

There are quite a few good lecture series available on Audible but for me, this course is absolutely exceptional. Prof Carroll develops a coherent and riveting narrative around the mystery of the arrow of time, branching out into many areas of physics but always returning to thermodynamics and entropy. At the same time, there is a lot in here about how science is done and how it arrives at answers,

He leads the listener along this path with extraordinary clarity whilst addressing profound and subtle problems. I have a physics degree but found this course challenging and mind-expanding. I think it would be accessible to any intelligent and interested listener.

Prof Carroll has an engaging and straightforward style. His openmindedness to philosophy is also welcome - in this field, surely an important partner to physics.

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2 people found this helpful

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Thoroughly Boring.

This book is not about science, it’s philosophical logic. The narrative is repetitive to the point of frustration in the extreme. Got to the beginning of part two and lost the will to live!

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1 person found this helpful

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Excellent

Count how many times he says Entropy

Apparently that review isn't enough and I need to type at least 15 words.

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Brilliant

Stupendously good. Twelve words remaining. Nine words remaining. Six words remaining. Three words remaining.

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Interesting

Well delivered and can be v followed without physics background - worth a listen abc abc

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This is exceptional.

The best course available. Fascinating. 12 hours and I’m sad it’s come to an end. But that’s time.

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