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Great Scientific Ideas that Changed the World
From "The Great Courses" Series; Set of 36 lectures on 18 Audiocassette Tapes Taught by Steven L. Goldman, LeHigh University in the areas of Science and Mathematics; In 3 Cassette Hardcases.
Audio CD
Published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 25, 2025
I have only watched these three sessions of the course:
19. The Cell Theory of Life
20. The Germ Theory of Disease
21. The Gene Theory of Inheritance
19. The Cell Theory of Life
20. The Germ Theory of Disease
21. The Gene Theory of Inheritance
November 17, 2019
This 36 part audio series is authored by the most informative and exciting expert I’ve so far encountered in the Great Courses library. Beginning with “knowhow” of the ancients with its capacity to advance human control, and “knowledge” of scientific modernity as a change-driver in society, Steven L. Goldman weaves a story about the enlargement of ideas I couldn’t leave. Mathematics, instruments, the university, “techno-progress,” time, atoms, energy, cells, the universe, statistical predictability, evolution, quantum, and reality, it’s all there. I produced 37 pages of notes that I read at night to help me sleep in The Age of Trump and his GOPP (Grand Old Putin Party.) Goldman gives me hope in the notion that science can’t help but live on, even if America loses it to our own 21st century Imams in talk radio, just as Islam did in the 11th and 12th centuries when they too turned out the lights. Goldman can lecture about how paint dries, and I…don’t…care. I will listen, sure to be dazzled.
March 14, 2025
Interesting overview of the great scientific ideas, occasionally rather slow.
November 12, 2014
As I review these lectures (video download) the ESA is about to land the Philae probe (launched from Rosetta) on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko after a 500 million km journey. The timing of my finishing Dr Goldman's lecture series could not have been better.
First, a quick review for those considering purchasing this series: this is not a purely science-based course, even though it's all about science. These are not about the history of great scientific advances, either. These are largely about the philosophy of the evolution of human thought regarding the complex relationship between pure science and 'know how' (i.e. as in I know how to do that), and the exploration of ideas. Science, as it relates to 'techno-science' is driven by societies...mostly looking for a better mouse trap. So how does this better mouse trap relate to the charm of a strange quark? THAT is what these lectures is about. Pretty hard to wrap your head around that concept. These lectures make you work (hence the broccoli from the #1 reviewer)...and the presenter doesn't help much.
Second, Dr Goldman is a brilliant man and a great teacher (just read his student reviews from Lehigh), but, his rapid-fire delivery tends to wear a person down a bit, causing the mind to wander. For instance, I couldn't help but notice the clock on the table behind his lectern...many of his lecture began around 8:30 and continues (covering several lectures) until well passed 11:00. This professor, largely not referring to his notes, was able to talk continuously, on subject for nearly two hours...introducing names, dates and concepts without missing a beat. Pretty impressive...but probably not a great teaching method.
Lastly, the Philae landing on the comet is exactly the type of human accomplishment that Dr Goldman would showcase as the culmination of a techno-science event, that could not have happened without the pure science of a Plato combined with the minds of men who could get this spectacular gadget to work after such an incredible journey. Just imagine....
Bottom line: I struggled with this one. The material is brilliant, the approach is inventive, but the presenter made me nervous. I recommend this one with the caveat...wait for a great sale (I scored this one at $0.55/lecture). The audio version may be the way to go.
First, a quick review for those considering purchasing this series: this is not a purely science-based course, even though it's all about science. These are not about the history of great scientific advances, either. These are largely about the philosophy of the evolution of human thought regarding the complex relationship between pure science and 'know how' (i.e. as in I know how to do that), and the exploration of ideas. Science, as it relates to 'techno-science' is driven by societies...mostly looking for a better mouse trap. So how does this better mouse trap relate to the charm of a strange quark? THAT is what these lectures is about. Pretty hard to wrap your head around that concept. These lectures make you work (hence the broccoli from the #1 reviewer)...and the presenter doesn't help much.
Second, Dr Goldman is a brilliant man and a great teacher (just read his student reviews from Lehigh), but, his rapid-fire delivery tends to wear a person down a bit, causing the mind to wander. For instance, I couldn't help but notice the clock on the table behind his lectern...many of his lecture began around 8:30 and continues (covering several lectures) until well passed 11:00. This professor, largely not referring to his notes, was able to talk continuously, on subject for nearly two hours...introducing names, dates and concepts without missing a beat. Pretty impressive...but probably not a great teaching method.
Lastly, the Philae landing on the comet is exactly the type of human accomplishment that Dr Goldman would showcase as the culmination of a techno-science event, that could not have happened without the pure science of a Plato combined with the minds of men who could get this spectacular gadget to work after such an incredible journey. Just imagine....
Bottom line: I struggled with this one. The material is brilliant, the approach is inventive, but the presenter made me nervous. I recommend this one with the caveat...wait for a great sale (I scored this one at $0.55/lecture). The audio version may be the way to go.
August 23, 2011
Prof. Goldman tells a story about the evolution of modern science in the West. An important theme in this Teaching Company course is how our understanding of reality has evolved, moving away from things (atoms) and timeless absolutes (e.g, Platonic Forms) and toward a "process metaphysics" (e.g., immaterial fields) where universal patterns, not things, are seen as the highest truths. Regarding the latter, Prof. Goldman notes the energy relationships at work in field theory and the increasing evidence that reality is shaped by top-down wholes that mold the function of parts, and structures where relationships among parts and the whole, not parts per se, are the key.
Goldman spends too much time on the precursors to the development of Western Science (e.g., Greek roots, role of writing, books, medieval universities). Implicit throughout these lectures, Goldman's science leans heavily toward its technical applications and the human relevance it provides (science as knowing how vs. science as knowing). A certain amount of selectivity is necessary, but it's striking that certain scientific topics such as plate tectonics didn't make the cut. Goldman makes a point repeatedly in these lectures that science is about ideas, not discoveries. That point seemed obscure and overdone. Finally, Goldman argues that science is predominantly a Western phenomenon. For comparison, it would be interesting to listen to a course on non-Western contributions to science.
Goldman spends too much time on the precursors to the development of Western Science (e.g., Greek roots, role of writing, books, medieval universities). Implicit throughout these lectures, Goldman's science leans heavily toward its technical applications and the human relevance it provides (science as knowing how vs. science as knowing). A certain amount of selectivity is necessary, but it's striking that certain scientific topics such as plate tectonics didn't make the cut. Goldman makes a point repeatedly in these lectures that science is about ideas, not discoveries. That point seemed obscure and overdone. Finally, Goldman argues that science is predominantly a Western phenomenon. For comparison, it would be interesting to listen to a course on non-Western contributions to science.
August 16, 2012
Goldman starts slowly, beginning with the invention of writing, and works in rough chronological order through the notable scientific ideas which have shaped the modern West. When he comes to the end of his series of lectures you will have been introduced to a dizzying array of scientific theories, discoveries, and ideas. Copernican cosmology, Newtonian physics, quantum mechanics, chaos theory, molecular biology, relativity, evolution, and many more. You will learn how the laws of thermodynamics prove that time cannot run backwards, how self organizing systems challenge the concept of entropy, why it is that we don't really "know" scientific truths, how mathematics so successfully describes our world. He will also introduce you to bizarre concepts such as: Energy and matter are really the same thing; space and time are really illusions; our universe may be just one of a near infinity of universes; information content is irrelevant to information management. All in all, a thought-provoking series of lectures.
January 23, 2016
Excellent!! I learned so so much! A course I highly recommend!
June 7, 2019
This course focuses on the ideas behind an assortment of scientific theories and inventions.
It's important to note that Professor Goldman doesn't go into great detail about each discovery, but rather the chain of events that lead to the manifestation of that idea, which eventually lead into the mechanization of that concept or acceptance of that theory. For example, Darwin/Wallace's Theory of Evolution first started out as an idea. They did not discover Natural Selection. It was an idea that began its rumblings during the Roman Empire.
A lot of what I learned was mind-blowing indeed. One of the last lectures points out that all of life is just microbes interacting with each other. The idea of the computer was also very interesting. However, there was a lot mathematical information as well that I found a bit difficult to follow. It wasn't jargon heavy but the concepts were complex.
Professor Goldman seemed to be in a hurry or was rushed while giving the lectures. He didn't setup each lecture with an introduction and made listening a bit hectic since he would just jump right into whatever subject he was going over. Other teachers in The Great Courses have set up a thesis before beginning their lesson. This was not the case here.
Overall, I found the course interesting. There is a lot to go over and absorb. Science is damn awesome!
It's important to note that Professor Goldman doesn't go into great detail about each discovery, but rather the chain of events that lead to the manifestation of that idea, which eventually lead into the mechanization of that concept or acceptance of that theory. For example, Darwin/Wallace's Theory of Evolution first started out as an idea. They did not discover Natural Selection. It was an idea that began its rumblings during the Roman Empire.
A lot of what I learned was mind-blowing indeed. One of the last lectures points out that all of life is just microbes interacting with each other. The idea of the computer was also very interesting. However, there was a lot mathematical information as well that I found a bit difficult to follow. It wasn't jargon heavy but the concepts were complex.
Professor Goldman seemed to be in a hurry or was rushed while giving the lectures. He didn't setup each lecture with an introduction and made listening a bit hectic since he would just jump right into whatever subject he was going over. Other teachers in The Great Courses have set up a thesis before beginning their lesson. This was not the case here.
Overall, I found the course interesting. There is a lot to go over and absorb. Science is damn awesome!
August 5, 2022
Interesting progression of ideas that one would not think of as Scientific. For example, paper. Ties these 36 lectures into a conclusion that these scientific ideas changed society.
For me it was best to listen to these lectures at 160% speed to keep my mind from wandering based on the little nuggets he dropped with each scientific advancement.
For me it was best to listen to these lectures at 160% speed to keep my mind from wandering based on the little nuggets he dropped with each scientific advancement.
March 15, 2017
Good survey of the history of science from the invention of language to nano technology.
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June 12, 2020So intense! I am not finishing it because without someone else to talk about it leaves my brain too full!
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May 17, 2024
UPDATE. I just finished this course and updating my raiting to 4. It grows on you. After some time I actually liked it. The professor is very knowledgeable and you get so much information that I will relisten it again.
What an exciting subject and how boring you can make it :( I was super excited to listen to this course, but it got me disappointed.
I am sure he is great professor and know what he is talking about and there probably quite a few people who will enjoy it, but since these are Great Courses which are supposed to be for a large audience, I think this course fails to meet that goal big time. It is very scientific and not enough entertaining. I have listened for 2 hours now and while there are some nice ideas, it is presented in such a manner that it is hard to concentrate on it.
What an exciting subject and how boring you can make it :( I was super excited to listen to this course, but it got me disappointed.
I am sure he is great professor and know what he is talking about and there probably quite a few people who will enjoy it, but since these are Great Courses which are supposed to be for a large audience, I think this course fails to meet that goal big time. It is very scientific and not enough entertaining. I have listened for 2 hours now and while there are some nice ideas, it is presented in such a manner that it is hard to concentrate on it.
December 24, 2014
18 hours of a story of history of science
what really bothered me is that the lecturer was hyper moving and some times a stammer
what really bothered me is that the lecturer was hyper moving and some times a stammer
December 2, 2016
Interesting approach to the history of science. Sometimes the ideas are complex and I needed to listen to them more than once. I actually started this course twice before I actually got through it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews