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A review by crzyarrow
Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists by Richard Wolfson
5.0
I really liked this lecture series, but I am definitely going to have to listen to it again to fully grasp the material. The first part of series actually gives focus to "classical" physics, which I thought was a very clever way of introducing the material. You never really learn about the history behind physics or why scientists thought the things they did before new theories were developed. I found that part really interesting and it gave the sections about modern physics much more depth in my opinion. When the narrator branches into modern physics he explains why it happened and the thought processes behind the geniuses (particularly Einstein) who developed it.
Later in the series things start to get more complicated (at least for me) when he starts breaking down quantum mechanics. Though I understand what the narrator is saying, I have a really hard time wrapping my mind around a reality based on probabilistic behavior. That's the section that I want to listen to again. There is also a section on string theory, which I do remember watching a video on in high school. The narrator then wraps up the whole series by discussing attempts to combined all laws of physics into one main law and why they have all failed thus far.
The narrator does a fantastic job breaking things down to a non-physicist's level, but these are still some very complex concepts when you dig into them. I did take some physics in high school, but I don't think it was completely necessary to get something out of this course (although it probably made it easier). The narrator is extremely enthusiastic, which makes for a fun listen when it could have been very boring. I think what I liked the most was that he openly and clearly describes the limitations of the various theories and methods of experimentation, which I found fascinating. If you're kind of a nerd and want to learn more about physics this is a good series to listen to.
Later in the series things start to get more complicated (at least for me) when he starts breaking down quantum mechanics. Though I understand what the narrator is saying, I have a really hard time wrapping my mind around a reality based on probabilistic behavior. That's the section that I want to listen to again. There is also a section on string theory, which I do remember watching a video on in high school. The narrator then wraps up the whole series by discussing attempts to combined all laws of physics into one main law and why they have all failed thus far.
The narrator does a fantastic job breaking things down to a non-physicist's level, but these are still some very complex concepts when you dig into them. I did take some physics in high school, but I don't think it was completely necessary to get something out of this course (although it probably made it easier). The narrator is extremely enthusiastic, which makes for a fun listen when it could have been very boring. I think what I liked the most was that he openly and clearly describes the limitations of the various theories and methods of experimentation, which I found fascinating. If you're kind of a nerd and want to learn more about physics this is a good series to listen to.