Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
Audiobook6 hours
The World According to Physics
Written by Jim Al-Khalili
Narrated by Jim Al-Khalili
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
()
About this audiobook
This audiobook narrated by quantum physicist, New York Times bestselling author, and BBC host Jim Al-Khalili offers an illuminating look at what physics reveals about the world
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. Using wonderful examples and thought-provoking analogies, Al-Khalili illuminates the physics of the extreme cosmic and quantum scales, the speculative frontiers of the field, and the physics that underpins our everyday experiences and technologies, bringing the reader up to speed with the biggest ideas in physics in just a few sittings. Physics is revealed as an intrepid human quest for ever more foundational principles that accurately explain the natural world we see around us, an undertaking guided by core values such as honesty and doubt. The knowledge discovered by physics both empowers and humbles us, and still, physics continues to delve valiantly into the unknown.
Making even the most enigmatic scientific ideas accessible and captivating, this deeply insightful book illuminates why physics matters to everyone and calls one and all to share in the profound adventure of seeking truth in the world around us.
Author
Jim Al-Khalili
Jim Al-Khalili OBE is an Iraqi-born British theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster. He is currently Professor of Theoretical Physics and Chair in the Public Engagement in Science at the University of Surrey. He has hosted several BBC productions about science, including BBC Radio 4's The Life Scientific.
More audiobooks from Jim Al Khalili
What the Future Looks Like: Scientists Predict the Next Great Discoveries and Reveal How Today's Breakthroughs Are Already... Paradox: The Nine Greatest Enigmas in Physics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Joy of Science Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Related to The World According to Physics
Related audiobooks
Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why Does E=MC² and Why Should We Care? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Universe: Leading Scientists Explore the Origin, Mysteries, and Future of the Cosmos Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What is Life?: With Mind and Matter and Autobiographical Sketches Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Quantum Entanglement Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quantum Space: Loop Quantum Gravity and the Search for the Structure of Space, Time, and the Universe Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Origin of the Universe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quantum Physics: What Everyone Needs to Know Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Conjuring the Universe: The Origins of the Laws of Nature Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Three Laws of Nature: A Little Book on Thermodynamics Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Three Roads to Quantum Gravity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alice and Bob Meet the Wall of Fire: The Biggest Ideas in Science from Quanta Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Breakfast with Einstein: The Exotic Physics of Everyday Objects Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fundamentals of Physics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hidden In Plain Sight: The Simple Link Between Relativity and Quantum Mechanics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beyond Weird Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Cell: Discovering the Microscopic World that Determines Our Health, Our Consciousness, and Our Future Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Possibility Principle: How Quantum Physics Can Improve the Way You Think, Live, and Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quantum Mechanics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To Explain the World: The Discovery of Modern Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Physics For You
The Layman's Guide To Quantum Reality Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quantum Physics: What Everyone Needs to Know Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Science of Interstellar Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Holographic Universe: The Revolutionary Theory of Reality Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Travels in Time: Star Talk Radio Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quantum Spirituality: Science, Gnostic Mysticism, and Connecting with Source Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quantum Entanglement Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Magick of Physics: Uncovering the Fantastical Phenomena in Everyday Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beyond Weird Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Relativity of Einstein Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Holes: The Key to Understanding the Universe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track: The Letters of Richard P. Feynman Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Field Updated Ed: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Little Book of Aliens Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Quantum Revelation: A Radical Synthesis of Science and Spirituality Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Brief History of Black Holes: And why nearly everything you know about them is wrong Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Midnight in Chernobyl: The Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related podcast episodes
Plasma Physics: From Black Holes to Radio Reception: Plasma Physics: From Black Holes to Radio Reception 0% found this document usefulThe Physics of Reality: Melvyn Bragg examines the attempt to reconcile Quantum Theory and classical physics. 100% found this document usefulCarlo Rovelli on rethinking the nature of time: Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli on why time is not what it seems 100% found this document usefulMilo Beckman, "Math Without Numbers" (Dutton, 2020): An interview with Milo Beckman 0% found this document usefulBrian Greene: Brian Greene studies the universe at the largest and smallest scales imaginable. 100% found this document usefulCarl Friedrich Gauss: How the Gaussian or normal distribution underpins modern medicine. 100% found this document usefulJoseph Fourier: How Joseph Fourier's mathematics transformed our understanding of heat, light and sound. 100% found this document usefulThe Complete Idiot's Guide to String Theory: The Complete Idiot's Guide to String Theory 100% found this document usefulNewton and Leibniz: An astronaut and an investment analyst pay homage to the enormous power of the calculus. 100% found this document usefulEvariste Galois: How the maths begun by Evariste Galois describes the particles that make up our universe. 100% found this document usefulKinetic Theory: Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how we know gas molecules move rather than keep still. 0% found this document usefulWhat If We Became a Type II Civilization? - Guest: Michio Kaku 0% found this document usefulCarlo Rovelli: Quantum Weirdness!?: Carlo Rovelli: Quantum Weirdness!? 0% found this document usefulJanus Point -— Groks Science Show 2020-12-16 0% found this document usefulCombatting Anti-Science with Richard Dawkins 0% found this document usefulPierre-Simon Laplace: Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the great French mathematician behind metrication. 0% found this document useful
Related articles
Your Guide to the Many Meanings of Quantum Mechanics NautilusArticle
Your Guide to the Many Meanings of Quantum Mechanics
Sep 3, 2020
5 min readElectrons May Very Well Be Conscious NautilusArticle
Electrons May Very Well Be Conscious
May 14, 2020
5 min readIs Quantum Theory About Reality or What We Know? NautilusArticle
Is Quantum Theory About Reality or What We Know?
Apr 24, 2017
7 min readWhat Einstein May Have Gotten Wrong The AtlanticArticle
What Einstein May Have Gotten Wrong
Apr 12, 2020
12 min readWhat Keeps Black Holes From Expanding Everywhere? The AtlanticArticle
What Keeps Black Holes From Expanding Everywhere?
Dec 10, 2018
Black holes are somehow able to grow constantly without changing their size. Physics might finally be able to explain why.
4 min readNeil deGrasse Tyson Responds To Claims Of Sexual Harassment NPRArticle
Neil deGrasse Tyson Responds To Claims Of Sexual Harassment
Dec 2, 2018
2 min readAlien Life Could Thrive On Newly Discovered ‘Water World’ Planets BBC Science Focus MagazineArticle
Alien Life Could Thrive On Newly Discovered ‘Water World’ Planets
Oct 6, 2021
1 min readIn 'Something Deeply Hidden,' Sean Carroll Argues There Are Infinite Copies Of You NPRArticle
In 'Something Deeply Hidden,' Sean Carroll Argues There Are Infinite Copies Of You
Sep 13, 2019
4 min readHas Physics Made Philosophy and Religion Obsolete? The AtlanticArticle
Has Physics Made Philosophy and Religion Obsolete?
Apr 23, 2012
4 min readString Theorist Brian Greene Wants To Help You Understand The Cold, Cruel Universe Time Magazine International EditionArticle
String Theorist Brian Greene Wants To Help You Understand The Cold, Cruel Universe
Feb 21, 2020
5 min readThe Admiral of the String Theory Wars: After a decade, Peter Woit still thinks string theory is a gory mess. NautilusArticle
The Admiral of the String Theory Wars: After a decade, Peter Woit still thinks string theory is a gory mess.
May 7, 2015
Watching Peter Woit lecture on quantum mechanics to a class at Columbia University—speaking softly, tapping out equations on a blackboard—it’s hard to imagine why a Harvard physicist once publicly compared him to a terrorist and called for his death.
8 min readHow Quantum Physics Will Change Cybersecurity NewsweekArticle
How Quantum Physics Will Change Cybersecurity
Jul 21, 2017
4 min readIs Quantum Physics Linked To Consciousness? Independent on SaturdayArticle
Is Quantum Physics Linked To Consciousness?
Jan 16, 2021
WHILE most of us have only heard about quantum physics by watching the Big Bang Theory, a week doing nuclear physics in matric led to a fascination for quantum physics – and whether it plays a role in the workings of the brain – for UKZN PhD student
3 min readThe Metaphysical Baggage of Physics: Lee Smolin argues that time is more fundamental than physical laws. NautilusArticle
The Metaphysical Baggage of Physics: Lee Smolin argues that time is more fundamental than physical laws.
Jan 30, 2014
An issue on time would not be complete without a conversation with Lee Smolin. High school dropout, theoretical physicist, and founding member of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada, Smolin’s life and work reflect many
7 min readThe Quest for Unity Is Not Something Physics Is Cut Out to Do NautilusArticle
The Quest for Unity Is Not Something Physics Is Cut Out to Do
Apr 2, 2017
5 min readMind the Gap Between Science and Religion NautilusArticle
Mind the Gap Between Science and Religion
Sep 16, 2019
3 min read“It’s A Wonderful, Dynamic Process Of Human Discovery” All About SpaceArticle
“It’s A Wonderful, Dynamic Process Of Human Discovery”
Nov 4, 2021
5 min readMind, Matter And Materialism NPRArticle
Mind, Matter And Materialism
Mar 26, 2017
5 min readWhy Science Needs Metaphysics: Science can’t tell us whether science explains everything. NautilusArticle
Why Science Needs Metaphysics: Science can’t tell us whether science explains everything.
Oct 1, 2015
Technology cannot keep pace with theoretical predictions about subatomic reality coming from physics. The same applies to our ability to observe the far reaches of the universe. Theory outstrips data and can become more extravagant with the claims it
6 min readAre We Getting the Real Stuff in Popular Science? NautilusArticle
Are We Getting the Real Stuff in Popular Science?
Sep 21, 2022
13 min read'The Dialogues' Takes On Physics And Reality In Words And Pictures NPRArticle
'The Dialogues' Takes On Physics And Reality In Words And Pictures
Feb 23, 2018
5 min readAn Overdose of Copernicus? Our Universe Might Yet Be Special NautilusArticle
An Overdose of Copernicus? Our Universe Might Yet Be Special
May 23, 2013
4 min read'A Big Bang In A Little Room' Explores How Scientists Could Create A New Universe NPRArticle
'A Big Bang In A Little Room' Explores How Scientists Could Create A New Universe
Jul 19, 2017
4 min readFlashback: Human Uniqueness: Shining a light on the spark that separates man from beast. NautilusArticle
Flashback: Human Uniqueness: Shining a light on the spark that separates man from beast.
Mar 6, 2014
A physicist and a philosopher walk into a lab… no, this isn’t the start of a joke. It’s an everyday occurrence in the lab of Andrew Briggs, Professor of Nanomaterials at Oxford University. While working on how to exploit quantum mechanics to better s
4 min read“There’s Nothing Mutually Exclusive About Being A Scientist” All About SpaceArticle
“There’s Nothing Mutually Exclusive About Being A Scientist”
Apr 18, 2024
4 min readWhy Physics Can’t Tell Us What Life Is NautilusArticle
Why Physics Can’t Tell Us What Life Is
Oct 21, 2020
There is just something obviously reasonable about the following notion: If all life is built from atoms that obey precise equations we know—which seems to be true—then the existence of life might just be some downstream consequence of these laws tha
11 min readScientific Theory And The Multiverse Madness NPRArticle
Scientific Theory And The Multiverse Madness
Jan 22, 2018
4 min readEven Physicists Find the Multiverse Faintly Disturbing: It’s not the immensity or inscrutability, but that it reduces physical law to happenstance. NautilusArticle
Even Physicists Find the Multiverse Faintly Disturbing: It’s not the immensity or inscrutability, but that it reduces physical law to happenstance.
Jan 12, 2017
How do you feel about the multiverse?” The question was not out of place in our impromptu dinner-table lecture, yet it caught me completely off-guard. It’s not that I’ve never been asked about the multiverse before, but explaining a theoretical const
14 min readWhere Did Time Come From, and Why Does It Seem to Flow? NautilusArticle
Where Did Time Come From, and Why Does It Seem to Flow?
Jul 18, 2017
6 min readQuantum Mechanics 101 All About SpaceArticle
Quantum Mechanics 101
Dec 5, 2019
7 min read
Reviews for The World According to Physics
Rating: 4.631578947368421 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
114 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5True to its title, the book covered a large swathe of topics. Language used is pretty simple. Joy to read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5You want to fall in love with physics. This is the book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Very well done. Pleasant and insightful read. Looking forward to more