Life is Simple
How Occam's Razor Set Science Free And Unlocked the Universe
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Life is Simple
Narrated by:
Tom Lawrence
Buy Now for £12.99
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Narrated by:
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Tom Lawrence
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By:
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JohnJoe McFadden
About this listen
We begin in the turbulent times of the medieval friar, William of Occam, who first articulated the principle that the best answer to any problem is the simplest. This theory, known as Occam's razor, cut through the thickets of medieval metaphysics to clear a path for modern science. We follow the razor in the hands of the giants of science, from Copernicus, to Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, Rubin and Higgs. Its success suggests that we live in the simplest possible habitable universe and supports the revolutionary theory that our cosmos has evolved.
By highlighting the very human passion, curiosity, mistakes and struggles of those who were inspired by Occam's razor to create the modern world, Johnjoe McFadden provides new insight into what science is really about. And that the principle of simplicity is as relevant today as ever.
(P) 2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2021 JohnjoeMcFadden Limited
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Critic reviews
LIFE IS SIMPLE tells, in an entertaining and engaging way, the remarkable story of a simple idea that begins its epic journey 800 years ago with a medieval Franciscan friar and yet somehow still influences some of the most profound ideas in science today. (Jim al-Khalili)
Occam's razor, like Hobson's choice and Schrödinger's cat, is a phrase that's entered the language. We know more or less what it means without necessarily knowing anything about its inventor or realising the immense power it has as a philosophical and scientific principle. LIFE IS SIMPLE describes brilliantly the context in which William of Occam lived and worked, and the transforming effect that his simple-seeming doctrine has had on the development of our understanding of nature and the universe. (Philip Pullman)
The most sheerly enjoyable history of science of recent years (Simon Ings, The Spectator)
I read LIFE IS SIMPLE and found myself captured by the central premise: that science, though perceived as complicated, is actually the pursuit of simplicity. Johnjoe has created a fascinating book that weaves history, science and humanity together to illuminate what science really is - a topic that could not be more timely. The world is currently waking up to the complexities of science and its role in our world, and this book is an enlightening aid to that new understanding. (Michael Brooks, physicist and science writer)
In LIFE IS SIMPLE, geneticist Johnjoe McFadden offers a breezy but well-researched look at how the razor has inspired some of science's biggest ideas...his examples illustrate with persuasive power how 'simplicity continues to present us with the most profound, enigmatic and sometimes unsettling insights' into how the universe works (Scientific American)
LIFE IS SIMPLE is a history that takes you through many centuries of understanding the changing language and philosophy of science. I highly recommend you buy it (Robin Ince, broadcaster and author of The Importance of Being Interested: Adventures in Scientific Curiosity)
With flair and accessibility, McFadden walks readers through Occam's many intellectually revolutionary ideas...A dense, provocative, and satisfying foray into the history of science (Kirkus Reviews)
A compelling assessment of an idea many of us know but few deeply understand (John Keogh, Booklist)
I learned a great deal from reading this book and I thought that the concept of simplicity as the main plot of the story worked well (Bernard Lightman, Distinguished Research Professor, University of York, Canada. President History of Science Society and editor of Isis, the preeminent international History of Science journal.)
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