This Idea Must Die cover art

This Idea Must Die

Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

This Idea Must Die

By: John Brockman
Narrated by: David Colacci, Susan Ericksen
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

Each year John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org, challenges some of the world's greatest scientists, artists, and philosophers to answer a provocative question crucial to our time. In 2014 he asked 175 brilliant minds to ponder: What scientific idea needs to be put aside in order to make room for new ideas to advance? The answers are as surprising as they are illuminating.

In This Idea Must Die:

  • Steven Pinker dismantles the working theory of human behavior
  • Sherry Turkle reevaluates our expectations of artificial intelligence
  • Andrei Linde suggests that our universe and its laws may not be as unique as we think
  • Martin Rees explains why scientific understanding is a limitless goal
  • Nina Jablonski argues to rid ourselves of the concept of race
  • And much more.

Profound, engaging, thoughtful, and groundbreaking, This Idea Must Die will change your perceptions and understanding of our world today...and tomorrow.

©2015 Edge Foundation, Inc. (P)2015 Tantor Logic & Language Philosophy Physics Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Computer Science Artificial Intelligence Cosmology Mathematics Thought-Provoking Mental Health Health

Listeners also enjoyed...

 This Idea is Brilliant cover art
What to Think About Machines That Think cover art
The Human Instinct cover art
Know This cover art
Possible Minds cover art
What Should We Be Worried About? cover art
This Explains Everything cover art
The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It cover art
From Bacteria to Bach and Back cover art
Does Altruism Exist? cover art
Anathem cover art
Guns, Germs and Steel cover art
The Selfish Gene cover art
The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith cover art
Ignorance cover art
The Believing Brain cover art

Critic reviews

"Physics, statistics, robotics, linguistics, medicine--all are zestfully scrutinized in this exuberant, mind-blowing gathering of innovative thinkers." ( Booklist)
All stars
Most relevant
This book contains some excellent concepts and good insight into improving scientific processes in the future.

On the downside however is that these are grouped together in very similar themes which quickly can become monotonous. You may, as I did, find you have inadvertently switched off and missed listening for several minutes at a time.

Very informative but a tough listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.