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The Search for Exoplanets: What Astronomers Know
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At the end of his career, Albert Einstein was pursuing a dream far more ambitious than the theory of relativity. He was trying to find an equation that explained all physical reality - a theory of everything. Experimental physicist and award-winning educator Dr. Don Lincoln takes you on this exciting journey in The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality. Suitable for the intellectually curious at all levels and assuming no background beyond basic high-school math, these 24 half-hour lectures cover recent developments at the forefront of particle physics and cosmology.
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Charles Darwin's theory of organic evolution-the idea that life on earth is the product of purely natural causes, not the hand of God-set off shock waves that continue to reverberate through Western society, and especially the United States. What makes evolution such a profoundly provocative concept, so convincing to most scientists, yet so socially and politically divisive? These 12 eye-opening lectures are an examination of the varied elements that so often make this science the object of strong sentiments and heated debate.
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"It doesn't take an Einstein to understand modern physics," says Professor Wolfson at the outset of these 24 lectures on what may be the most important subjects in the universe: relativity and quantum physics. Both have reputations for complexity. But the basic ideas behind them are, in fact, simple and comprehensible by anyone. These dynamic and illuminating lectures begin with a brief overview of theories of physical reality starting with Aristotle and culminating in Newtonian or "classical" physics. After that, you'll follow along as Professor Wolfson outlines the logic that led to Einstein's profound theory of special relativity and the simple yet far-reaching insight on which it rests. With that insight in mind, you'll move on to consider Einstein's theory of general relativity and its interpretation of gravitation in terms of the curvature of space and time.From there, you'll embark on a dazzling exploration of how inquiry into matter at the atomic and subatomic scales led to quandaries that are resolved-or at least clarified-by quantum mechanics, a vision of physical reality so profound and so at odds with our experience that it nearly defies language.By bringing relativity and quantum mechanics into the same picture, you'll chart the development of fascinating hypotheses about the origin, development, and possible futures of the entire universe, as well as the possibility that physics can produce a "theory of everything" to account for all aspects of the physical world. But the goal throughout these lectures remains the same: to present the key ideas of modern physics in a way that makes them clear to the interested layperson.
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Gravity controls everything from the falling of an apple to the rising of ocean’s tides to the motions of the heavens above. If you’ve ever wondered how this most puzzling force works across our entire universe, you will be delighted by this 24-part course that is accessible to any curious person, regardless of your science education. No other product on the market presents the subject of gravity in as much detail as this course, which will follow the past 400 years of research and experimentation in the field.
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The Nature of Matter: Understanding the Physical World
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 48
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In the 24 engaging lectures of The Nature of Matter, no scientific background is needed to appreciate such miracles of everyday life as a bouncing rubber ball or water's astonishing power to dissolve. Moreover, the study of matter has led directly to such inventions as semiconductor circuits for computers, new fabrics for clothes, and powerful adhesives for medicine and industry.
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At the end of his career, Albert Einstein was pursuing a dream far more ambitious than the theory of relativity. He was trying to find an equation that explained all physical reality - a theory of everything. Experimental physicist and award-winning educator Dr. Don Lincoln takes you on this exciting journey in The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality. Suitable for the intellectually curious at all levels and assuming no background beyond basic high-school math, these 24 half-hour lectures cover recent developments at the forefront of particle physics and cosmology.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 14
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Charles Darwin's theory of organic evolution-the idea that life on earth is the product of purely natural causes, not the hand of God-set off shock waves that continue to reverberate through Western society, and especially the United States. What makes evolution such a profoundly provocative concept, so convincing to most scientists, yet so socially and politically divisive? These 12 eye-opening lectures are an examination of the varied elements that so often make this science the object of strong sentiments and heated debate.
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Quite superb.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
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Gravity controls everything from the falling of an apple to the rising of ocean’s tides to the motions of the heavens above. If you’ve ever wondered how this most puzzling force works across our entire universe, you will be delighted by this 24-part course that is accessible to any curious person, regardless of your science education. No other product on the market presents the subject of gravity in as much detail as this course, which will follow the past 400 years of research and experimentation in the field.
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No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life
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What is life? What is my place in it? What choices do these questions obligate me to make? More than a half-century after it burst upon the intellectual scene - with roots that extend to the mid-19th century - Existentialism's quest to answer these most fundamental questions of individual responsibility, morality, and personal freedom, life has continued to exert a profound attraction.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Like being in an intro lecture to philosophy
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What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it - I'll be ordering more
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Ripples in Spacetime
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Ripples in Spacetime is an engaging account of the international effort to complete Einstein's project, capture his elusive ripples, and launch an era of gravitational-wave astronomy that promises to explain, more vividly than ever before, our universe's structure and origin. The quest for gravitational waves involved years of risky research and many personal and professional struggles that threatened to derail one of the world's largest scientific endeavors.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Outstanding
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Understanding our humanity - the essence of who we are - is one of the deepest mysteries and biggest challenges in modern science. Why do we have bad moods? Why are we capable of having such strange dreams? How can metaphors in our language hold such sway on our actions? As we learn more about the mechanisms of human behavior through evolutionary biology, neuroscience, anthropology, and other related fields, we're discovering just how intriguing the human species is.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 8
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Nothing has had a more profound impact on the development of modern civilization than thermodynamics. Thermodynamic processes are at the heart of everything that involves heat, energy, and work, making an understanding of the subject indispensable for careers in engineering, physical science, biology, meteorology, and even nutrition and culinary arts. Get an in-depth tour of this vital and fascinating science in 24 enthralling lectures suitable for everyone from science novices to experts who wish to review elementary concepts and formulas.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great content but not ideal for audio
- By whatisiswhat on 13-01-19
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In Parallel Worlds, world-renowned physicist and best-selling author Michio Kaku - an author who "has a knack for bringing the most ethereal ideas down to earth" (Wall Street Journal) - takes listeners on a fascinating tour of cosmology, M-theory, and its implications for the fate of the universe.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 220
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Every day of your life is spent surrounded by mysteries that involve what appear to be rather ordinary human behaviors. What makes you happy? Where did your personality come from? Why do you have trouble controlling certain behaviors? Why do you behave differently as an adult than you did as an adolescent?Since the start of recorded history, and probably even before, people have been interested in answering questions about why we behave the way we do.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good start
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The American Civil War
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Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Spectacularly great history.
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Sci-Phi: Science Fiction as Philosophy
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 62
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The science fiction genre has become increasingly influential in mainstream popular culture, evolving into one of the most engaging storytelling tools we use to think about technology and consider the shape of the future. Along the way, it has also become one of the major lenses we use to explore important philosophical questions. The origins of science fiction are most often thought to trace to Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, a story born from a night of spooky tale-telling by the fireside that explores scientific, moral, and ethical questions that were of great concern in the 19th century - and that continue to resonate today.
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5 out of 5 stars
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If you love sci fi you should listen to this book.
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Capitalism vs. Socialism: Comparing Economic Systems
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Ever since we produced our course Thinking About Capitalism, customers have expressed interest in a follow-up course that could help them understand socialism in the same way. After much consideration, we determined that it actually would be more beneficial to create a course that compares and contrasts the two major global economic theories, examining them in ways that move past the polemics many of us are used to and looking at these systems as they relate to one another and the world at large.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A history of why capitalism was best all along!
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Our Mathematical Universe
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Max Tegmark leads us on an astonishing journey through past, present and future, and through the physics, astronomy, and mathematics that are the foundation of his work, most particularly his hypothesis that our physical reality is a mathematical structure and his theory of the ultimate multiverse. In a dazzling combination of both popular and groundbreaking science, he not only helps us grasp his often mind-boggling theories, but he also shares with us some of the often surprising triumphs and disappointments that have shaped his life as a scientist.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Test Your Little Grey Cells
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The Science of Information: From Language to Black Holes
- By: Benjamin Schumacher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Benjamin Schumacher
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3
The Science of Information: From Language to Black Holes covers the exciting concepts, history, and applications of information theory in 24 challenging and eye-opening half-hour lectures taught by Professor Benjamin Schumacher of Kenyon College. A prominent physicist and award-winning educator at one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, Professor Schumacher is also a pioneer in the field of quantum information, which is the latest exciting development in this dynamic scientific field.
Summary
As recently as 1990, it seemed plausible that the solar system was a unique phenomenon in our galaxy. Thanks to advances in technology and clever new uses of existing data, now we know that planetary systems and possibly even a new Earth can be found throughout galaxies near and far.
We are living during a new golden age of planetary discovery, with the prospect of finding many worlds like Earth. Most of the thousands of planets we've detected can't be imaged directly, but researchers are able to use subtle clues obtained in ingenious ways to assemble an astonishing picture of planetary systems far different from our own. We are in the midst of an astronomical revolution, comparable to the Copernican revolution that established our current view of the solar system - and we invite you to take part.
Embark on this unrivaled adventure in 24 lectures by a veteran planet hunter. Designed for everyone from armchair explorers to serious skywatchers, The Search for Exoplanets follows the numerous twists and turns in the hunt for exoplanets - the false starts, the sudden breakthroughs, and the extraordinary discoveries. Explore systems containing super-Earths, mini-Neptunes, lava worlds, and even stranger worlds. You also get behind-the-scenes information on the techniques astronomers used to find evidence of planets at mind-boggling distances from our home base. Learn how astronomers determine how many planets are in a system as well as how large they are and the characteristics of their atmospheres. You will feel like Dr. Watson in the presence of Sherlock Holmes as Professor Winn extracts a wealth of information from a spectrum, a light graph, a diffraction pattern, and other subtle clues.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
What members say
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- Diwotti
- 10-05-16
A wonderful listen. Highly recommended!
Would you consider the audio edition of The Search for Exoplanets: What Astronomers Know to be better than the print version?
I'm just an ordinary chap with an interest in many subjects including astronomy. I found this audible book very informative and even very exciting in places. Professor Winn explains everything with clarity and enthusiasm. I will, in the near future, revisit this audible book and listen to it again. Highly recommended!
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Michael McDaid
- 05-12-15
Coming to a planet near you
This was a well structured romp through the very topical and exciting field of extra solar planetary science by a research scientist working in the field. As such it was highly informative, detailed and broad ranging, covering the historical background and recent (at the time of presentation) developments in this fast changing area. Pretty much everything you need to know to follow current and future discoveries is here.
The course does not require extensive prior knowledge or higher mathematics, but neither does it try to oversimplify...it attains a kind of intellectual Goldilocks level of comfort! The performance as also excellent making this a real gem of a course for those interested in the subject matter. Strongly recommended!
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 02-01-16
Outstanding and up to date (2015) overview
Any additional comments?
I find exoplanets fascinating and it is changing so fast that it's great to hear the latest as well as getting all the history.
One thing that doesn't quite work is having the formulas laboriously spelt out in the audio version. Didn't really need them.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rufus
- 25-05-16
A great listen!
Really loved this Great Courses audiobook and Professor Winn has a wonderful voice for imparting information. A nice mix of general and more technical language and quite comprehensive. Nice sounding audio which ain’t always the case.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M
- 21-03-17
Fascinating introduction to the subject
Prof Joshua Winn has obvious passion for his field of the study of exoplanets, that is planets that exist outside of our solar system. It has always fascinated me how these science guys know so much about these distant worlds. I can now say, thanks to Prof Winn, I have a good overall understanding and I look forward to discovering my own exoplanets!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- polestar
- cardiff
- 20-03-17
Cosmic!
Detailed yet accessible account of a mind blowing story of exploration and discovery perfectly narrated.When I finished the book I started to listen to it all again just for the pleasure of it;such a good listen!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Solomon Roller
- 06-10-18
Great book if your like science.
Very interesting point of view. Great explanation of the exoplanet and how urgent it's becoming to search for them.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mark
- 08-01-16
Fun across the universe
This lecture series is interesting and fun. As a non-astronomer, with close to zero knowledge about stars and planets beyond our own solar system, I was curious to find out what could possibly be known about unimaginably distant planets, when the only data we have to inform us are tiny dots of light in the night sky. And those tiny dots of light aren’t even planets, they are stars, so how the heck can we know if these stars even have planets orbiting them, when these can't be seen by the most powerful telescopes.
But, quite a lot is known, or rather, has been deduced, by a bunch of extremely clever space geeks who have analysed the light emanating from distant stars and noticed that this light changes ever-so-slightly whenever a planet crosses in front of a star. This event, called a ‘transit’, is relatively rare, because the planet has to be positioned exactly between us and the star for this to occur. So it is roughly as rare as an eclipse would be in our solar system. But, fortunately for us, there are billions of stars out there - and so even a relatively rare event will occur enough times to supply the astronomers with lots of information about the size, orbit periods (‘years’) and composition of these planets.
So there’s lots of good stuff in this lecture series, narrated in an excellent and interesting style, and, unlike other lecture series I’ve listened to, this one is right up to date - recorded in 2015.
I learnt that the majority of solar systems in the universe have two or more suns orbiting around each other, rather than just the one as in our solar system. How come we can’t see these twin or triplet stars? Because, from a great distance they appear as just one blob of light.
And I also learnt that stars are classified by their luminosity according to this sequence of letters: o,b,f,g,k,m,l,t and y, in descending order of brightness where 'o' is the brightest and 'y' is the faintest (our sun is a 'g' star). This sequence is easily committed to memory using the mnemonic 'Old Bald Fat Guys Kiss More Ladies Than You'. This proves two things: Firstly, that space geeks have a sense of humour, and secondly, that the first sentence of my review is true.
28 of 29 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Trevor
- 17-07-16
Fascinating!
If you 1) love looking at the night sky, 2) love wondering what or who is out there, and 3) take interest in technical details at least of middle-level sophistication (for example, there are five different methods of planet-hunting, each treated in detail and involving their own brief physics lessons), I would recommend this listen for sure! The professor is very well-spoken and genial. And the subject matter is treated with an eye to the future — no arrogance at all in assuming that what's known today is anything close to what we'll know some day. It's the past, present and future of the exoplanet search. One note: if you are interested especially in the search for intelligent life, you may be left wanting more. The bulk of the course is the nuts and bolts of exoplanetary science, and it so happens that many planets found are not thought to be life candidates. But all the background knowledge will help you appreciate why it's so challenging to find life candidates. Our technological challenges so far have actually seemed biased against detecting such planets. I think it's a fascinating story, well-told.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Alex
- 16-01-17
Very good! you will learn a lot
This is a great book for anyone wanting to understand what are exoplanets, where are they, how do we find them and where is that research going to take us.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rj
- 08-07-16
wow
full of detail that was very educational and I am planning on listening to it again
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Daryle C. Taylor
- 04-12-15
Wonderful and exciting
If you have an interest in science and astronomy, this is the course for you. Some of the math went over my head but it didn't take away from the enjoyment and I definitely feel better informed on the subject now. I wish I could take a test and see how much I retained but it was a wonderful introduction to this relatively new area of science.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jason
- 04-12-15
Just complex enough.
This is a great book. Don't be intimidated by the math. The formulas are given but only for the sake of a complete explanation. The ideas are clear even with my rather limited understanding of mathematics. Very up to date and interesting.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Daniel Holmlund
- 22-03-16
It's not just an Awful Lot of Space
Any additional comments?
When the astronomer and science popularist Carl Sagan wrote, “The universe is a pretty big place. If it's just us, seems like an awful waste of space,” it was still unknown whether any planets even existed outside of our solar system. With brilliant, yet child-like fascination, Professor Joshua Winn's 24 lecture series on The Search for Exoplanets, explores the tools and the techniques which have led to the discovery that most of the stars you see have distance worlds orbiting them. Learn about systems containing super-Earths, mini-Neptunes, hot Jupiters, lava worlds, worlds orbiting binary stars and how techniques such as the doppler method, the transit method, the radial velocity method and direct imaging have different strengths and weaknesses that make them suited to discovering different types of worlds.Only 12 hours long, this lecture series is very entertaining for anyone who wonders about the universe above.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- DullingWine
- 24-10-15
awe-inspiring!
Great course, literally and metaphorically. Enjoyed listening to this immensely. A very detailed survey of the field of exoplanets but I never felt lost. In fact some of the more general physics concepts here where more clearly explained than any other course I've listened to. Hugely accessible.
9 of 12 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rebecca
- 04-04-18
I recommend!
This was great! Lots of information! I watch a lot of space documentaries and they all say relatively similar stuff on exoplanets, so after a while they get pretty boring but this was excellent! I learned so much more from this because it went deeper into a variety of different subjects for exoplanets. The narrator/professor was also very good and likable
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sutapa Chattopadhyay
- 28-02-18
Great course on exoplanets, wonderfully narrated
Professor Joshua N Winn is an MIT scientist and exoplanetary researcher who lights up this course with his brilliant narrative on the search for exoplanets starting from way back. The techniques used such as astrometry, Doppler shift, transiting planets (eclipse), gravitational lensing and direct imaging are explained in great detail in a very fun way. The course is not meant for researchers but just people with a basic understanding of science, not too much, but just enough to start with Newtonian Mechanics. Loved all of this course and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know more. The new telescopes that are coming in the next few decades such as James Webb and and WFIRST-AFTA will be able to peer into space for exoplanets in the near distance as well as go into deep space. We live in very exciting times!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful