Mathematics Audiobooks | Science & Technology

Born and raised in a small town in Prussia, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) began his career in philology (the study of language), and served as a professor at the University of Basel. In 1879, he was forced to leave due to health issues, which afflicted him throughout his life. Supported by his university pension and aided by friends, he spent the next decade as an independent author, writing the books for which he would become famous, including Thus Spake Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil, and On the Genealogy of Morals. In 1889, at the age of 44, Nietzsche had a mental breakdown from which he never recovered, dying in 1900. Yet in just ten years, he produced a body of work that would mark him as one of the most influential philosophers of all time. In Simply Nietzsche, Professor Peter Kail traces the development of Nietzsche’s thought through the various phases of his life. Emphasizing the philosopher’s critique of modern morality and his revolutionary conception of the self, he also discusses key motifs of Nietzsche’s thought, such as the death of God, the will to power, and the eternal recurrence. Even those who have never read Nietzsche or are unsure of why he’s important have heard his name. With Prof. Kail as a guide, Simply Nietzsche provides an unparalleled and accessible introduction to the life and ideas of this most remarkable thinker.

Peter Kail (Author), Victoria Meakin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Simply Descartes

René Descartes was born in La Haye en Touraine, France, on March 31, 1596. He attended a Jesuit college and studied law for two years, but he soon gave up formal academics to immerse himself in “the great book of the world.” In 1618, he joined the army, where he became interested in military engineering and expanded his knowledge of physics and mathematics. Then, one night in 1619, he experienced what he described as divine visions, which inspired him to create a new mathematics-based philosophy. He spent the next 30 years writing a series of works that radically transformed mathematics and philosophy and, by the time of his death in 1650, he was recognized as one of Europe’s greatest philosophers and scientists. In Simply Descartes, Professor Kurt Smith offers the general reader an opportunity to get better acquainted with the philosophy of the man who, as much as any individual, helped shape our contemporary way of thinking. Written in simple, nonacademic language and based on the best recent scholarship, Simply Descartes is the ideal introduction to Descartes’ life and work—from the famous Cogito (“I think, therefore I am”) to the development of analytic geometry, to the nature of God. Not to mention which, if you’ve ever wondered whether all living things are nothing more than fancy machines, or whether life is really a Matrix-like dream, you’ll be amazed to discover that a 17th-century philosopher was asking (and answering) the same things!

Kurt Smith (Author), Esmée Cook (Narrator)

Audiobook

Simon Singh's Numbers: A BBC Radio Mathematics Adventure

Simon Singh takes a quirky look at some of the most important numbers in mathematics Physicist and popular science author Simon Singh explores the numbers and concepts that lie at the heart of some of the trickiest problems in mathematics, revealing their history, significance and unique qualities. Beginning with zero - which, amazingly, wasn't invented until 400 BC and then took thousands of years to catch on - he goes on to serve up a slice of pi, uncover the hidden beauty of the Golden Ratio, reveal the reality behind the imaginary number, and explain why some infinities are bigger than others... Are 7 shuffles sufficient to randomise a pack of cards? Are 4 colours enough to paint any map, so neighbouring countries have different colours? And could really big prime numbers help us to devise more secure encryption codes? Listen to these 15 programmes and find out... You'll also hear about G, the number that defines the universe; learn how game theory was used to boost profits for the Treasury when 3G phone licences were sold; and discover what makes 1729 - the first 'taxicab number' - so special. Whether you're a maths geek or simply curious about the weird and wonderful world of numbers, this lively, engaging series will surprise and delight. Production credits Presented by Simon Singh Produced by Adrian Washbourne With: Dave Gorman, Ian Stewart, John Barrow, Adam Spencer, Charles Seife, Marcus du Sautoy, Robin Wilson, Rob Eastaway, David Blatner, Ron Knott, Greg Chaitin, Ken Appel, Thomas Bass, Persi Diaconis, Dave Bayer, Karl Sabbagh, Thomas Hales, Ken Binmore, Sylvia Nasar, Robert Matthews, Julie Roskies, Eleanor Robson, Mark Nigrini, Julie Litman, Janna Levin, Marcus Chown, Duncan Watts, Paul Hoffman, Martin Rees, Robert Kanigel, Cristian Calude First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 11-15 March 2002 (Five Numbers), 27-31 October 2003 (Another Five Numbers), 23 August-20 September 2005 (A Further Five Numbers) ©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Simon Singh (Author), Dave Gorman, Full Cast, Marcus Du Sautoy, Paul Hoffman, Simon Singh, Sylvia Nasar (Narrator)

Audiobook

Significant Figures: The Lives and Work of Great Mathematicians

In Significant Figures, acclaimed mathematician Ian Stewart introduces the visionaries of mathematics throughout history. Delving into the lives of twenty-five great mathematicians, Stewart examines the roles they played in creating, inventing, and discovering the mathematics we use today. Through these short biographies, we get acquainted with the history of mathematics from Archimedes to Benoit Mandelbrot, and learn about those too often left out of the cannon, such as Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (c. 780-850), the creator of algebra, and Augusta Ada King (1815-1852), Countess of Lovelace, the world's first computer programmer. Tracing the evolution of mathematics over the course of two millennia, Significant Figures will educate and delight aspiring mathematicians and experts alike.

Ian Stewart (Author), Roger Clark (Narrator)

Audiobook

Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Absolutely Everything

Brought to you by Penguin. How should a democracy choose its representatives? How does disease spread? How do computers teach themselves chess, and why is chess easier for them than analyzing a sentence? What should your kids study in school if they really want to learn to think? All of these are questions about geometry. Jordan Ellenberg reveals the mathematics behind some of the most important scientific, political and philosophical conundrums we face. The word 'geometry', from the Greek, means 'measuring the world'. If anything, geometry doesn't just measure the world - it explains it. Shape shows us how. © Jordan Ellenberg 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Jordan Ellenberg (Author), Jordan Ellenberg (Narrator)

Audiobook

Scorecasting

In Scorecasting, University of Chicago behavioral economist Tobias Moskowitz teams up with veteran Sports Illustrated writer L. Jon Wertheim to overturn some of the most cherished truisms of sports, and reveal the hidden forces that shape how basketball, baseball, football, and hockey games are played, won and lost. Drawing from Moskowitz's original research, as well as studies from fellow economists such as bestselling author Richard Thaler, the authors look at: the influence home-field advantage has on the outcomes of games in all sports and why it exists; the surprising truth about the universally accepted axiom that defense wins championships; the subtle biases that umpires exhibit in calling balls and strikes in key situations; the unintended consequences of referees' tendencies in every sport to 'swallow the whistle,' and more. Among the insights that Scorecasting reveals: Why Tiger Woods is prone to the same mistake in high-pressure putting situations that you and I areWhy professional teams routinely overvalue draft picks The myth of momentum or the 'hot hand' in sports, and why so many fans, coaches, and broadcasters fervently subscribe to itWhy NFL coaches rarely go for a first down on fourth-down situations--even when their reluctance to do so reduces their chances of winning.In an engaging narrative that takes us from the putting greens of Augusta to the grid iron of a small parochial high school in Arkansas, Scorecasting will forever change how you view the game, whatever your favorite sport might be. From the Hardcover edition.

L. Jon Wertheim, Tobias J. Moskowitz, Tobias Moskowitz (Author), Zach McLarty (Narrator)

Audiobook

Scale: The Universal Laws of Growth, Innovation, Sustainability, and the Pace of Life, in Organisms,

Visionary physicist Geoffrey West is a pioneer in the field of complexity science, the science of emergent systems and networks. The term “complexity” can be misleading, however, because what makes West’s discoveries so beautiful is that he has found an underlying simplicity that unites the seemingly complex and diverse phenomena of living systems, including our bodies, our cities and our businesses. Fascinated by aging and mortality, West applied the rigor of a physicist to the biological question of why we live as long as we do and no longer. The result was astonishing, and changed science: West found that despite the riotous diversity in mammals, they are all, to a large degree, scaled versions of each other. If you know the size of a mammal, you can use scaling laws to learn everything from how much food it eats per day, what its heart-rate is, how long it will take to mature, its lifespan, and so on. Furthermore, the efficiency of the mammal’s circulatory systems scales up precisely based on weight: if you compare a mouse, a human and an elephant on a logarithmic graph, you find with every doubling of average weight, a species gets 25% more efficient—and lives 25% longer. Fundamentally, he has proven, the issue has to do with the fractal geometry of the networks that supply energy and remove waste from the organism’s body. West’s work has been game-changing for biologists, but then he made the even bolder move of exploring his work’s applicability. Cities, too, are constellations of networks and laws of scalability relate with eerie precision to them. Recently, West has applied his revolutionary work to the business world. This investigation has led to powerful insights into why some companies thrive while others fail. The implications of these discoveries are far-reaching, and are just beginning to be explored. Scale is a thrilling scientific adventure story about the elemental natural laws that bind us together in simple but profound ways. Through the brilliant mind of Geoffrey West, we can envision how cities, companies and biological life alike are dancing to the same simple, powerful tune.

Geoffrey West (Author), Bruce Mann (Narrator)

Audiobook

Rubik’s Cube: How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube, Including Rubik’s Cube Algorithms

If you want to impress your family and friends by solving the Rubik's Cube while staying calm and collected, then keep reading.... The Rubik's Cube seems like an innocent, colorful, and perfect gift for kids, something that will keep them busy for hours on end... Until you're faced with helping them solve it a few minutes later. That's when you realize the fiendish difficulty involved and feel a rising sense of panic as your plan backfires. Does it sound familiar? Rubik's Cube: How to Solve a Rubik's Cube, Including Rubik's Cube Algorithms includes: - An easy-to-follow step-by-step guide with full-color images so you can solve the Rubik's Cube with ease - A detailed explanation on how the pieces fit and move together - Secret maneuvers the expert solvers don't want you to know about - maneuvers that will allow you to move any given piece to any position on the cube without perturbing everything else - Links to exclusive accompanying videos made for this audiobook only that you can watch if you ever get stuck - Possibly the easiest way to solve the Rubik's Cube - And much more! If you've tried solving the Rubik's Cube before but not been able to, it's not your fault. In fact, even if you've been looking for guidance, you may have come across Rubik's Cube guides that have obtuse or incomplete instructions. As mentioned earlier, when you get this amazing guide, you will also have access to accompanying videos that will prove that this remarkable solving method works - from start to finish (every step of the way).

Clark Cornell (Author), Angela Julian (Narrator)

Audiobook

Relativity: A Very Short Introduction

If you move at high speed, time slows down, space squashes up, and you get heavier. Travel fast enough and you could weigh as much as a jumbo jet, be flattened thinner than a CD without feeling a thing-and live forever! As for the angles of a triangle, they do not always have to add up to 180 degrees. And then, of course, there are black holes. These are but a few of the extraordinary consequences of Einstein's theory of relativity. It is now over a hundred years since he made these discoveries, and yet the general public is still largely unaware of them. Filled with illuminating anecdotes and fascinating accounts of experiments, this book aims to introduce the interested lay person to the subject of relativity in a way which is accessible and engaging and at the same time scientifically rigorous. With relatively few mathematical equations-nothing more complicated than the Pythagoras's Theorem-this VSI packs a lot time into very little space, and for anyone who has felt intimidated by Einstein's groundbreaking theory, it offers the perfect place to start.

Russell Stannard (Author), Nick Sullivan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Randomness Explained

Randomness is a concept used (and less formally) in mathematics to imply that there is no way to accurately predict an event (to know what will happen before it takes place) or to sense a trend. Anything that is randomly selected for no conscious purpose can be assumed to be simply by chance factor. An illustration of an occurrence random event is a financial windfall, a lottery win. A computer can generate lists of seemingly random numbers. It is difficult for humans to do the same, since the brain functions in patterns. If someone is asked to keep repeating heads or tails at random, a considerate human observer or a reasonably programmed computer may eventually tell which one the person is likely to say next because the computer recognizes the patterns. The user can click on Random Page on a website such as English Wikipedia to get a random article. The odds of being on anyone's webpage are the same as on every other webpage.

Introbooks Team (Author), Tracy Tupman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Quantum Physics for Beginners

FOR SOME IT LOOKS LIKE MAGIC, FOR OTHERS IT IS A PURE SCIENCE… - Have you ever felt an interest in the work of Planck, Einstein or Bohr? - Would you like to understand why everything is energy and what energy really is? - Or maybe, you want to dive deep into the fascinating science of quantum physics, understand the basics and more advanced aspects? If you answered 'Yes' to at least one of these questions, then keep reading… For hundreds of years, scientists of quantum physics have been telling things that looked unrealistic at the time they were living in. These scientists understood that everything is energy and discovered the most unbelievable laws that you are probably already familiar with. Today these scientists are called geniuses and the knowledge they discovered at that time is recognized and well appreciated. In this book, you will learn the core of quantum physics, everything that these wise men have discovered. The knowledge you are going to put into your head will be explained in an elementary terms and examples so you don't have to think too much about it and spend a lot of time trying to understand it. Here is just a short brief of this book: - Complete quantum physics guide for beginners - Fundamental principles and laws - The material and non-material world made simple - 4 sciences that quantum physics apply to - How is Q.P being used in today's world? And much much more… This is a fascinating topic, something unknown to most people. I think you are very interested in it, so don't wait. Scroll up, click on 'Buy Now' and dive deep into the unknown world of Quantum Physics!

John Kaplan (Author), Warren Sandwell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Pull Don’t Push

You need to hear the bad news first: the results of STEM outreach to girls haven’t improved in twenty years. The good news? This book will tell you why, and how to fix it. Currently, dated narratives push girls away in fear, and blind spots result in missed opportunities to pull them in. While efforts to increase diversity in science and mathematics have succeeded, outreach has largely ignored engineering—where there is still only one woman for every five men. This is especially troubling because engineering offers vastly more jobs than other STEM fields. Plus, girls are telling us they’re eager for the kind of work engineering offers—yet we fail to help them connect the dots. As a woman enjoying a career in STEM, author Julie Newman is committed to changing this. With extensive research and actionable steps, Pull, Don’t Push clarifies the challenges facing STEM outreach and will help you create a new framework for your efforts. Following the guidelines in this book could literally put a million women into STEM jobs within the next decade. Learn how to stop pushing girls away and instead pull them toward unexplored paths to fulfillment.

Julie Newman (Author), Julie Newman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mathematics Audiobooks in Science & Technology