The first half of this book is a witty primer, a guided tour of the Islands of Truth that maps out everything you need to know about science from Newton to the present. The second half dives into the Oceans of Ignorance that surround what is known. Filled with anecdotes, diagrams, and colorful everyday examples, it is certain to make people look at the world in a new way.
Acclaimed The Science of Discworld centred around an original Pratchett story about the wizards of Discworld.
"In the high-energy magic facility of Unseen University, the wizards have created a miniature cosmos that includes Roundworld, known to us as Earth. As they bicker over the meaning of this - to them - unfeasible and bizarre planet, we go on a tour of Big Science. From astrophysics to quantum mechanics, the interleaved chapters give us a briefing on the history and the present state of play of our scientific learning, while stressing alway the limits of our knowledge--. The tone is intelligent and humorous (think Horizon with laughs) and demands an intellectual engagement on the part of the reader. The result is a book in which the hard science is as gripping as the fiction--one for anyone with an interest in where science comes from and where it is going." - The Times
The fourth book in the Science of Discworld series deals with the really big questions: God, the Universe and Everything Else. Pratchett's brilliant new Discworld story JUDGEMENT DAY is annotated with very big footnotes (interleaving chapters) by mathematician Ian Stewart and biologist Jack Cohen, to bring you a mind-mangling combination of fiction, science and philosophy.
The discovery of wheeled objects buried in the icy surface of Jupiter's eighth moon leads to the even more bizarre revelation that Jupiter is in fact populated by a mysterious race of aliens. Reprint.
They know the creatures who lived there escaped the impending Big Freeze by inventing the space elevator - they even intervened to rid the planet of a plague of elves, who attempted to divert humanity onto a different time track. Can the God of Evolution come to humanity's aid and ensure Darwin writes a very different book?
In the fourth installment of the Science of Discworld series, Terry Pratchett presents a story that grapples with profound questions, enriched by extensive footnotes from mathematician Ian Stewart and biologist Jack Cohen. The narrative follows Marjorie Daw, a dedicated librarian, who unknowingly finds herself at the center of a crisis affecting both her world and Roundworld. On Discworld, tensions rise as the Wizards of Unseen University confront the consequences of their past mistakes in Quantum ThaumoDynamics, which inadvertently created Roundworld. Facing legal action from the Omnians, who argue that the Wizards' actions undermine their religion, the situation escalates. As a zombie and a priest prepare for a legal showdown, Marjorie is unexpectedly thrust into the multiverse's chaos. The story explores themes of divinity, the universe, and existence itself, featuring elements like world-bearing elephants, quantum gravity, evolutionary design, and dark matter. Readers can anticipate a whimsical yet thought-provoking journey that delves into the intricacies of reality and the quest for knowledge, all while maintaining Pratchett's signature humor and wit.