The Science Of Discworld Revised Edition

Oct 4, 2024 3:22 PM

Author:Terry Pratchett,Ian Stewart,Jack Cohen,Michael Fenton Stevens,Stephen Briggs

In the 'fantasy' universe of the phenomenally bestselling Discworld series, everything runs on magic and common sense. The world is flat and million-to-one chances happen nine times out of ten. Our world seems different - it runs on rules, often rather strange ones. Science is our way of finding out what those rules are. The appeal of Discworld is that it mostly makes sense, in a way that particle physics does not. The Science of Discworld uses the magic of Discworld to illuminate the scientific rules that govern our world.

When a wizardly experiment goes adrift, the wizards of Unseen University find themselves with a pocket universe on their hands: Roundworld, where neither magic nor common sense seems to stand a chance against logic. The Universe, of course, is our own. And Roundworld is Earth. As the wizards watch their accidental creation grow, we follow the story of our universe from the primal singularity of the Big Bang to the Internet and beyond. Through this original Terry Pratchett story (with intervening chapters from Cohen and Stewart) we discover how puny and insignificant individual lives are against a cosmic backdrop of creation and disaster. Yet, paradoxically, we see how the richness of a universe based on rules, has led to a complex world and at least one species that tried to get a grip of what was going on.

Reviews

The hard science is as gripping as the fiction

—— The Times

An irreverent but genuinely profound romp through the history and philosophy of science, cunningly disguised as a collection of funny stories about wizards and mobile luggage. More that that, it offers a fresh look at the place that humans hold in the history of the planet

—— Richard Wentk , Frontiers

A rare and revealing insight into the world of this closed nation's "priviligentsia", a sector of society about which very little information is available.

—— The Times Online

(Suki Kim) lived under constant surveillance, fearful that she might slip up.

—— Daily Mail

A glimpse into the North Korean mind.

—— Francis Wheen, Mail on Sunday

It is a witty, light-footed, anecdote-rich history of the recent art of talking to terrorists

—— Justin Webb , The Times

Thoughtful, well-structured, intelligent and well-informed

—— Conor Gearty , Irish Times

Intelligent and insightful book on conflict resolution

—— Andrew Lynch , Sunday Business Post

[An] absorbing and authoritative study

—— Michael Ignatieff , Sunday Times

Collini writes beautifully

—— Chris Patten , Financial Times

Collini puts his finger on the nub of the problem facing universities. Collini's book is a must-read

—— AC Grayling , Literary Review

The Internet has fundamentally changed the architecture of business and society. This terrific book shows you how to live, learn, and thrive in a networked world.

—— Joi Ito, Director, MIT Media Lab

In times of change and uncertainty...adaptability creates stability. It is insights like this that make The Startup of You such a compelling new way to approach your life. Hoffman and Casnocha have distilled the essence of entrepreneurship into a potion for personal success, regardless of your career plans.

—— John Etchemendy, Provost, Stanford University

The same extraordinary vision and timing that enabled Reid to found LinkedIn is once again on display with his book The Start-up of You. His central thesis, that every individual can benefit from acting as the entrepreneur of their own life and career, has never been more important than it is in today's increasingly globalized, competitive, and networked world.

—— Jeff Weiner, CEO, LinkedIn

A fascinating insight to the workings of Silicon Valley and the characters therein and how they interact with each other

—— RecruitmentViews.com

There is much helpful advice but the main themes are to make sure your network is as strong as it can be so that it helps you to also make sure you are in a place that has opportunities for you

—— Citywealth Magazine

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