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Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time
- Narrated by: Sean Carroll
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
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Publisher's 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.
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What listeners say about Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Michael
- 07-24-13
Get From Eternity to Here instead
These lectures were OK but they were almost completely a not as good rehash of the materials in the professors book From Eternity to Here. The book was quite good but took a few shortcuts describing entropy that made it difficult to fully understand. The lectures take even more shortcuts. There is not much point to the lectures after reading the book. Other than that, the lectures are pretty good, but the structure of the book is better and more carefully presented. So, get the book instead. If you like repetition, then do the lectures before the book.
104 people found this helpful
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- aimee
- 01-02-15
Awesome!
Very well spent time learning about the physics of Time. The narration was excellent and the scientific concepts very accessible for a non-scientist.
11 people found this helpful
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- Guilherme
- 01-16-14
Making an is not as easy as it seems.
Physics is no easy subject, at least to me. Quantum theory harder still. However the author does a terrific job making theoretical physics accessible for the regular person. On top of that, there is just so much interresting stuff in this book that it is almost impossible to get everything in only one listen, specially while you are driving. I'm planning to listen it at least once again.
It is a book for those people who like me are absolutely fascinated by physics but just don't get what does those weird equations mean. If I had a teacher like that on high school I would probably had studied physics on college.. but you don't find teacher like him on highschools. =( It is the first time I can say I understand what entropy really is. I read many times on wikipedia and other books, and I thought I did understand, now i know I do.
There is still a long way to go before humanity is able to fully grasp the misteries of the big bang. And maybe the future that looks rather bleak may have a way out, to survive the end of the universe... hopefully
13 people found this helpful
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- Adam
- 05-27-14
More about entropy and less about time.
What made the experience of listening to Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time the most enjoyable?
He gets very very technical and detailed. I got a lot out of each lecture.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time?
I appreciated that he deconstructed this idea of the "laws of physics" being absolute. The second law of thermodynamics in particular.
What about Professor Sean Carroll’s performance did you like?
Great lecturer. Has an engaging way of speaking and he prepared these lectures in a very accessible way.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Time is not what you think.
Any additional comments?
I said above that it's more about entropy than time. But, in the first lecture he points out that entropy is the best way to think about time. And he carries this through all the way to the end.
This was the most dense of the Great Courses Lectures I've listened to so far. Probably worth a second and third listen. You will get a lot out of it.
19 people found this helpful
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- David
- 12-02-14
Fascinating topic, but needs editing
Would you consider the audio edition of Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time to be better than the print version?
N/A (I have not read the print version)
What did you like best about this story?
The coverage of the material was well done. It is a fascinating topic to begin with, and the speaker clearly knows his field. He presents many aspects of time, and provides the listener with an intriguing journey. Furthermore, his style of speaking is entertaining and engaging. You won't be bored!
Have you listened to any of Professor Sean Carroll’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have not listened to any of his other lectures.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
N/A
Any additional comments?
I had two difficulties with these lectures. The first and least important is that the presenter seems to be speaking, rather than reading, which is fine--except that he makes frequent grammatical mistakes so that his sentences sound sometimes unprofessional. He would have done better to have written everything out clearly, and then followed his notes more closely.The more substantial problem is that the presenter frequently uses the teaching style of giving what he knows to be incorrect information; not telling the listener that it is incorrect; and then sometime later (perhaps many lectures later) correcting his earlier misinformation.For example: When he first introduces entropy (one of the central themes of the lectures), he defines it as a measure of the amount of disorder (paraphrasing here). As a physicist myself, I knew that this popular idea is entirely incorrect, and was appalled that he was actually putting it out there without comment. Sure enough, roughly 10 lectures later he provides an entirely different definition of entropy (the correct one), and tells the reader that what he said before was not correct. I consider this method of teaching to be at best unfortunate, and at worst inexcusably sloppy.I would not say that this problem overrides all of the good in these lectures (hence the 4-star rating), but Professor Carroll should definitely know better.Summary: A fascinating topic, presented by an engaging speaker. Just don't believe everything he says, until you're sure you've reached the end!
43 people found this helpful
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- Mike
- 04-01-16
Smooth like coffee and cream
Dr Sean Carroll has obvious and full command over the subject matter, and I like a guy who's upfront about the limitations of his field and pet projects. Awesome course.
One small hint for listeners, as I struggled with this until the final chapter... when he says the process of mixing coffee and cream is literally irreversible, he's not talking about the ability to unmix the particles, which IS physically possible. Rather, he means the actual macroscopic event of you mixing coffee cannot be undone in reverse. With that, enjoy your coffee and cream. And enjoy the course!
3 people found this helpful
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- Jesse
- 02-12-16
great book
if you are debating whether or not to get this book, just do it. you won't regret it. I highly recommend.
3 people found this helpful
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- CHET YARBROUGH
- 10-29-14
THE FOURTH DIMENSION
Time, as a fourth dimension, is a mystery that Professor Sean Carroll partly unravels in a lecture series titled Mysteries of Modern Physics. Carroll helps Physics’ dilettantes, like this essayist, broaden understanding of the mechanics of the universe; albeit at the cost of some confusion and a headache.
Carroll defines words that are commonly understood by Physics’ students and vaguely or not understood by everyone else. He defines time’s arrow, entropy, and the second law of thermodynamics. Each definition offers insight to the mystery of time.
Time remains a mystery at the end of Carroll’s lectures. Travel to the future seems a possibility but travel to the past, a logical impossibility. Carroll speculates on the idea of a multiverse from periodic reversals in the arrow of time that creates new universes from new big bangs. There is much more in Carroll’s lectures that tickle the synapses and light up dendrites of a listener’s mind.
7 people found this helpful
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- David RVA
- 12-06-19
Possibly the best Physics audio book I own
I really cannot say enough positive things about this book. The book covers Physics in a general scope (Classical Physics) and then it goes into "Modern Physics" in greater detail. I relearned things with greater clarity which helped be grasp Modern Physics theories better than ever before.
My only complaint about this audio book is that it was only 12 hours in length. I was left hungry for more. FEED ME MORE PHYSICS!!!
2 people found this helpful
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- Joe
- 11-23-16
worth your while
In this course you will explore the physics of time, how they relate to entropy and the Big Bang, and how understanding time leads us to try to understand the nature of the laws of physics. I have read several of the Great Courses classes now, particularly on physics. Many of them repeat essentials about Special and General Relativity, the nature of quantum mechanics, dark matter, dark energy, and the forces of nature. With that in mind, they tend to cover much of the same ground. This has been a completely different course. Here we spend quite a bit of time on entropy, the big bang, and how theories on the beginning of time also has consequences for multi-verse theories.
The instructor spends a little too much time on the introduction and calendars and perhaps labors on entropy for a bit too long. But with that said, he is an engaging teacher, the subject really evolves over time, and goes places I did not expect. Really worth the time you invest in it. Hang on until the second half especially, where it gets really interesting.
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- Jim Vaughan
- 10-30-13
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.
21 people found this helpful
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- Mash Jamtoes
- 11-06-15
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 :-)
5 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-04-17
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.
3 people found this helpful
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- Polaris
- 06-13-17
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.
2 people found this helpful
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- jeffrey
- 01-12-15
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
4 people found this helpful
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- Jack worsfold
- 12-18-20
Quite simply superb
If you want a course that can take you from one end of time to the beginning of a universe read this. Carolls presentation is subtle, unfussed but engaging and informative. A triumph and well worth every penny. Some concepts may stretch you in this title, but bear with it. I love this course and plan to listen to it again soon...
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- D B.
- 10-06-19
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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- Collins76
- 08-01-19
Excellent
Brilliant book, stirs the imagination !! 2nd time thru, may need to go back again. So many ideas!!
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- slipperychimp
- 02-07-19
Superb in structure, delivery and content
If you are an 'armchair physicist' or someone completely new to the topic, wondering "what is time?" - I would recommend this series just the same. Each hour(ish) long chapter progresses the listener and deepens ones understanding, excellent explanations and the right level of detail for someone like me who has no formal physics education.
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- Simon
- 11-02-18
Simply one of the finest books to elaborates Time
Having read hundreds of books on the subject, this is simply the most clear, most detailed and most structered out there. This should be the first book you read as a foundation to launch into the subject. The orator is the author which makes such a huge difference to the presentation. He is clear and articulate and does not grate.
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 02-06-19
Good!!
It takes a bit of overdoing the basic things but its all necessary if your going to grasp the concept that he is talking about, awesome series
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- jaise
- 12-19-18
fantastic topic.Mind blowing in places
Fantastic story with figures that makeas science fiction look and sound like a dreary, boring yarn. How such knowledge is worked out is almost as unbelievable.
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- Razer Fanboy
- 05-23-18
I just keep listening to it over and over again.
Can feel my brain going from a dense low entropy state to rapid expansion 😜
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- Kerry Freeman
- 08-08-17
A well related story of times past and present.
Sean Carroll relates his obviously vast knowledge of the universe in relation to time. Brilliant.
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- Netwin Waldro
- 11-16-16
Mindblowing
Wait till the last lecture. If that doesn't blow your mind, nothing will. I'm glad to be fortunate enough to have lived this long to hear this series, no kidding.
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- Omar
- 11-16-18
Pop science and philosophy
Pretty sure that the majority of this lecture will appear comical and wrong in a hundred years time. It's a mixture of popular science and philosophical speculation, neither of which teach you very much. Nevertheless I did learn the occasional thing and finished the book.