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12 Essential Scientific Concepts cover art

12 Essential Scientific Concepts

By: The Great Courses, Indre Viskontas
Narrated by: Indre Viskontas
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Summary

Science is such a vast arena of knowledge that people looking for a better grasp of its secrets often wonder where to begin. The answer: with the essentials. Now, finally satisfy your desire for scientific inquiry in a way that makes this enormous field accessible, understandable, and undeniably captivating.

Professor Viskontas boils down the scientific world into 12 key concepts every educated person should know. Devoting two lectures to each concept to give you more time to engage with it, her 24-lecture series is an engaging and enlightening introduction to everything from the behavior of subatomic particles to the latest theories about the Big Bang.

Throughout, you'll get accessible looks at key building blocks of scientific knowledge, including brain plasticity, fluid mechanics, electromagnetism, genetics, quantum theory, emergence, evolution, thermodynamics, the Big Bang, and the nature of matter. Each concept is presented in a clear, concise way that will inform and delight you, and that will give you the opportunity to probe the invisible life of living cells, visit the universe seconds after its birth, and much more.

Concepts that may have eluded you in school, that you may not be familiar with, or that you simply never appreciated for their intricate beauty are now brought to vivid life in a way that sticks. Welcome to the world of science - reduced to its powerful essence.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2014 The Great Courses (P)2014 The Teaching Company, LLC

What listeners say about 12 Essential Scientific Concepts

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Just get through the first chapter...

If you could sum up 12 Essential Scientific Concepts in three words, what would they be?

The first chapter is narrated in such a oh so sweet over enthusiastic manner that I was almost sick listening to it. However, the narrator must have reviewed this or gained some feedback as this level of exuberance was thankfully curbed in the subsequent chapters. The content is definitely worth the effort.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

One of the most captivating & thought provoking books ever

The narrator is extremely fluent, I would almost go as far to say too fluent, whereby trying to process the information imparted during the lecture requires extreme concentration: otherwise you end up playing the chapter four or five times before you have a full understanding of the concepts. That said, I was totally and utterly captivated.
The analogies brought skilfully to bare throughout the course were extremely useful; simply bringing a complex concept to the Lehman.
The subject matter was very diverse, but seemed to follow a well thought out storyline with one concept naturally leading on to and augmenting the next.
Having initially completed many particle physics courses, I found that previously learned concepts where expanded upon within this course which in itself was paradoxically, diverse. Therefore I would recommend this book to anyone from those with even the most scant scientific knowledge, to those who seek the more esoteric experience.
D.

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Good Summary

If you are looking for an overview of the latest concepts this is a good listen.

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1 person found this helpful

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Fascinating, informative and entertaining.

I look forward to revisiting these lectures soon after further background reading. I would definitely recommend.

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  • BB
  • 21-06-14

Very dull to listen to.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Some interesting thoughts but I gave up as so dull to listen to

Any additional comments?

Not one for a long car journey

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    4 out of 5 stars

Great revision package, but lose the woke anti science drift.

The lecturer has a strong upbeat style and has a rare ability to zero in on the essence of what matters. So many old concepts came alive again. However she should drop the woke anti science nonsense, the bike lane San Francisco cool and the enthusiasm for nano robots. Otherwise very good.

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Great lectures

Exciting voice and very catching delivery. The information was in dearth enough to engage a scientist who is informed only in one area but simple enough for the layperson to gather an overview. thank you

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Technical but enthusiatic

I listened to it at 1.5 which was too fast to grasp the detail, but learnt finally about string theory, so worth it

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A stunning summary of key scientific conceots

I loved every minute. Quantum theory always both screws up my brain and excites me. How can there not be many worlds!!! Indre is a brilliant and inspiring lecturer.

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Like the Curate's Egg

Good in parts. Some subjects covered well, some not so good and further research needed.

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