A Short History of Nearly Everything

AgustusM · 02-13-2004, 01:35 PM

anyone else read this?

I am almost done and allthough it is facinating and I have learned quite a bit. The thing I have learned more then anything else is "They" don't know very much.

A great deal of the scientific dogma we have is based on a very underwhelming amount of evidence.

Also an alternative title for this book could have been "What we thought we knew, which turned out to be wrong, what we think we know now, and frankly most of this is just an educated guess"

proabably wouldn't have sold as well.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846

moriarty · 02-13-2004, 01:58 PM

It's a good book, but then again I like most of Bryson's stuff .

If you like that one, you should also read one of his earlier books (name escaping me) where he basically talks about why American English is different that European English. Sounds boring I know, but it has alot of good historical stories.

Flasch186 · 02-13-2004, 02:01 PM

ive got the handy history answer book and that si not only educational but an entertaining read as well.

AgustusM · 02-13-2004, 02:05 PM

my wife is reading one of the "funny" ones - we tend to read in bed for about an hour every night before going to sleep and she is over there cackling away. I will definitely have to read one one of those later.

I was just astounded as to how many holes and mis-information in so many scientific theories that are generally "accepted"

I guess I shouldn't be, we as a society can barely agree on what happened yesterday so I don't know why I should expect we could agree on the mysteries of existence.

3ric · 02-13-2004, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moriarty

It's a good book, but then again I like most of Bryson's stuff .

If you like that one, you should also read one of his earlier books (name escaping me) where he basically talks about why American English is different that European English. Sounds boring I know, but it has alot of good historical stories.

That must be "Mother Tongue" you mean - it's a very good book about the English language in general.

kserra · 02-13-2004, 02:22 PM

During a long road trip, I bought the book on CD and the wife and I listened as we headed down south...

We love books like this, and it's such a great way to pass the time on the trip...listen to the book for a while, put in some good tunes, go back to the book...excellent...

I too found it remarkable how what we know is really completely off...instead of making me cynical about science however, it gives me great hope for the future...it's obvious we know little of the way things work today, yet compared to even 50 years ago, we've come so far...to think where our minds and curiosity will lead us in another 50 years makes it worth sticking around for a while...

I highly suggest you check out your local library and see what books they have on tape or CD... I'm a bit of a philosphy lover and my library had the Great Minds series on Existentialism...again, an excellent way to travel...

Kevin

sabotai · 02-13-2004, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgustusM

my wife is reading one of the "funny" ones - we tend to read in bed for about an hour every night before going to sleep and she is over there cackling away. I will definitely have to read one one of those later.

I was just astounded as to how many holes and mis-information in so many scientific theories that are generally "accepted"

I guess I shouldn't be, we as a society can barely agree on what happened yesterday so I don't know why I should expect we could agree on the mysteries of existence.

Question, is this book about things that are thought to be accepted scientific theories by the general public (which are not), or is it about flawed scientific theories that are accepted as truth by scientists? (Big difference)

A book you would probably like, if it's the former (and even later) is a book called Bad Astronomy by Phil Plait. It's basically about astronomy stuff that the general public beleives as fact which are misconceptions.

AgustusM · 02-13-2004, 02:55 PM

I am reading this one in the traditional sense, but I use to have a daily 2 hour commute in some horrific traffic. When I was doing that I rented audio books all the time. I have probably read hundreds of books that way.

I am abig fan of the audio book format.

AgustusM · 02-13-2004, 02:58 PM

sabotai

It is kind of a combination. Probably the best part of the book is not just - "here is the theory" it is more of the history of how we came to know what we know.

in other words back in year X scientist Y discovers theory Z and the later a new scientist proves what a bunch of crap that all was and now we believe this.

don't get me wrong very interesting, but troubling at the same time.

moriarty · 02-13-2004, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3ric

That must be "Mother Tongue" you mean - it's a very good book about the English language in general.

Actually, I think it was "Made in America", but now I'm curious about "Mother Tongue".

Desnudo · 02-13-2004, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgustusM

anyone else read this?

I am almost done and allthough it is facinating and I have learned quite a bit. The thing I have learned more then anything else is "They" don't know very much.

A great deal of the scientific dogma we have is based on a very underwhelming amount of evidence.

Also an alternative title for this book could have been "What we thought we knew, which turned out to be wrong, what we think we know now, and frankly most of this is just an educated guess"

proabably wouldn't have sold as well.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846

Considering that some cutting edge scientists now believe that there are as many as ten dimensions (why 10?) and infinite outcome multiple universes, I'd say we have a way to go. But I guess that's how science has always been. I'm sure people will laugh at some of the theories getting tossed around these days, just as we find humor in scientific theories of the past.

Flasch186 · 02-13-2004, 06:40 PM

then again, isnt this a book about a book in fact. So why is this book any more accurate than the book it is writing about?

corbes · 02-13-2004, 06:47 PM

I'm reading it right now. More accurately I'm in the middle, put it down about a week ago, and haven't picked it back up since.

It's very interesting. All the stories follow AgustusM's format, so it gets a little tedious, but interesting.

I've read A Walk in the Woods, too, and thought it was very funny. A friend of mine who hiked the Appalachian Trail also read it, and thought it sucked.

Daimyo · 02-13-2004, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgustusM

in other words back in year X scientist Y discovers theory Z and the later a new scientist proves what a bunch of crap that all was and now we believe this.

don't get me wrong very interesting, but troubling at the same time.

I don't think that is troubling at all. I would be much more troubled if it went "in year X institution Y put forth dogma Z and then later someone proved what a bunch of crap that all was and was executed"

GMO · 02-14-2004, 03:53 PM

If you like non-fiction type reading, the book 'Language Visible' by David Sacks is a good book. It's a history of the alphabet, from A to Z.
For example the letter A started as a picture of the head of an ox.

02-13-2004, 02:01 PM	#3
Flasch186 Coordinator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Jacksonville, FL	ive got the handy history answer book and that si not only educational but an entertaining read as well. __________________ Jacksonville-florida-homes-for-sale Putting a New Spin on Real Estate! ----------------------------------------------------------- Commissioner of the USFL USFL

02-13-2004, 06:40 PM	#12
Flasch186 Coordinator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Jacksonville, FL	then again, isnt this a book about a book in fact. So why is this book any more accurate than the book it is writing about? __________________ Jacksonville-florida-homes-for-sale Putting a New Spin on Real Estate! ----------------------------------------------------------- Commissioner of the USFL USFL

02-13-2004, 01:58 PM	#2
moriarty College Starter Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: A negative place	It's a good book, but then again I like most of Bryson's stuff . If you like that one, you should also read one of his earlier books (name escaping me) where he basically talks about why American English is different that European English. Sounds boring I know, but it has alot of good historical stories.

02-13-2004, 02:05 PM	#4
AgustusM College Prospect Join Date: Dec 2003	my wife is reading one of the "funny" ones - we tend to read in bed for about an hour every night before going to sleep and she is over there cackling away. I will definitely have to read one one of those later. I was just astounded as to how many holes and mis-information in so many scientific theories that are generally "accepted" I guess I shouldn't be, we as a society can barely agree on what happened yesterday so I don't know why I should expect we could agree on the mysteries of existence.

02-13-2004, 02:22 PM	#6
kserra H.S. Freshman Team Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Brighton, MI	During a long road trip, I bought the book on CD and the wife and I listened as we headed down south... We love books like this, and it's such a great way to pass the time on the trip...listen to the book for a while, put in some good tunes, go back to the book...excellent... I too found it remarkable how what we know is really completely off...instead of making me cynical about science however, it gives me great hope for the future...it's obvious we know little of the way things work today, yet compared to even 50 years ago, we've come so far...to think where our minds and curiosity will lead us in another 50 years makes it worth sticking around for a while... I highly suggest you check out your local library and see what books they have on tape or CD... I'm a bit of a philosphy lover and my library had the Great Minds series on Existentialism...again, an excellent way to travel... Kevin

02-13-2004, 02:55 PM	#8
AgustusM College Prospect Join Date: Dec 2003	I am reading this one in the traditional sense, but I use to have a daily 2 hour commute in some horrific traffic. When I was doing that I rented audio books all the time. I have probably read hundreds of books that way. I am abig fan of the audio book format.

02-13-2004, 02:58 PM	#9
AgustusM College Prospect Join Date: Dec 2003	sabotai It is kind of a combination. Probably the best part of the book is not just - "here is the theory" it is more of the history of how we came to know what we know. in other words back in year X scientist Y discovers theory Z and the later a new scientist proves what a bunch of crap that all was and now we believe this. don't get me wrong very interesting, but troubling at the same time.

02-13-2004, 06:47 PM	#13
corbes College Benchwarmer Join Date: Nov 2003	I'm reading it right now. More accurately I'm in the middle, put it down about a week ago, and haven't picked it back up since. It's very interesting. All the stories follow AgustusM's format, so it gets a little tedious, but interesting. I've read A Walk in the Woods, too, and thought it was very funny. A friend of mine who hiked the Appalachian Trail also read it, and thought it sucked.

02-14-2004, 03:53 PM	#15
GMO Mascot Join Date: May 2003	If you like non-fiction type reading, the book 'Language Visible' by David Sacks is a good book. It's a history of the alphabet, from A to Z. For example the letter A started as a picture of the head of an ox.

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