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The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality
At the end of his career, Albert Einstein was pursuing a dream far more ambitious than the theory of relativity. He was trying to find an equation that explained all physical reality - a theory of everything. He failed, but others have taken up the challenge in a remarkable quest that is shedding light on unsuspected secrets of the cosmos.
Experimental physicist and award-winning educator Dr. Don Lincoln of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory takes you on this exciting journey in The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality. Suitable for the intellectually curious at all levels and assuming no background beyond basic high-school math, these 24 half-hour lectures cover recent developments at the forefront of particle physics and cosmology, while delving into the history of the centuries-long search for this holy grail of science.
You trace the dream of a theory of everything through Newton, Maxwell, Einstein, Bohr, Schrödinger, Feynman, Gell-Mann, Weinberg, and other great physicists, charting their progress toward an all-embracing, unifying theory. Their resulting equations are the masterpieces of physics, which Dr. Lincoln explains in fascinating and accessible detail. Studying them is like touring a museum of great works of art - works that are progressing toward an ultimate, as-yet-unfinished masterpiece.
Listening Length: 12 hours and 21 minutes
Experimental physicist and award-winning educator Dr. Don Lincoln of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory takes you on this exciting journey in The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality. Suitable for the intellectually curious at all levels and assuming no background beyond basic high-school math, these 24 half-hour lectures cover recent developments at the forefront of particle physics and cosmology, while delving into the history of the centuries-long search for this holy grail of science.
You trace the dream of a theory of everything through Newton, Maxwell, Einstein, Bohr, Schrödinger, Feynman, Gell-Mann, Weinberg, and other great physicists, charting their progress toward an all-embracing, unifying theory. Their resulting equations are the masterpieces of physics, which Dr. Lincoln explains in fascinating and accessible detail. Studying them is like touring a museum of great works of art - works that are progressing toward an ultimate, as-yet-unfinished masterpiece.
Listening Length: 12 hours and 21 minutes
13 pages, Audible Audio
Published December 5, 2018
49 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
About the author
Don Lincoln
14 books42 followersDon Lincoln is a Senior Scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). He is also a Guest Professor of High Energy Physics at the University of Notre Dame. He received his Ph.D. in Experimental Particle Physics from Rice University.
Dr. Lincoln’s research has been divided between Fermilab’s Tevatron Collider, until its close in 2011, and the CERN Large Hadron Collider, located outside Geneva, Switzerland. The author of more than 1,000 scientific publications, his most noteworthy accomplishments include serving on the teams that discovered the top quark in 1995 and confirmed the Higgs boson in 2012. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
His writing at a popular level includes many articles as well as four books: Understanding the Universe, The Quantum Frontier, The Large Hadron Collider, and Alien Universe. His enthusiasm for science education earned him the 2013 Outreach Prize from the High Energy Physics Division of the European Physical Society.
Dr. Lincoln has given hundreds of lectures on four continents to a broad range of audiences. He is a blogger for the website of the PBS television series NOVA, and he also writes a weekly column for the online periodical Fermilab Today.
Dr. Lincoln’s research has been divided between Fermilab’s Tevatron Collider, until its close in 2011, and the CERN Large Hadron Collider, located outside Geneva, Switzerland. The author of more than 1,000 scientific publications, his most noteworthy accomplishments include serving on the teams that discovered the top quark in 1995 and confirmed the Higgs boson in 2012. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
His writing at a popular level includes many articles as well as four books: Understanding the Universe, The Quantum Frontier, The Large Hadron Collider, and Alien Universe. His enthusiasm for science education earned him the 2013 Outreach Prize from the High Energy Physics Division of the European Physical Society.
Dr. Lincoln has given hundreds of lectures on four continents to a broad range of audiences. He is a blogger for the website of the PBS television series NOVA, and he also writes a weekly column for the online periodical Fermilab Today.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 1, 2022
It has been a minute since I Iast studied physics and a lot has changed since then. Back in the early '90s there was no talk of subatomic particles like quarks, bosons, fermions etc. in the physics courses that constituted part of my biochemistry programs. No need to cover dark matter when my physics classes were really intended to support my understanding of chemistry. So, it was time for an update on particle physics far beyond anything I learned before. This series of lectures was very interesting and mostly new material for me. It was basically a course about the universe, its composition, and what forces keep it together and help us predict its behaviour. Don Lincoln himself narrates, as they are his lectures, and he's a great narrator. He fumbles here and there, which just makes the narration feel more like a conversation. It's a very approachable series of lectures. The accompanying PDF helped me follow along; I really needed it. Recommended for anyone interested in the elusive "theory of everything".
July 4, 2020
This is one of the many of the 'The Great Courses' lecture series' that you can buy on audible. It is like the others given by one of the experts in the field. The topic at hand is the old age attempt at finding a single unifying theoretical description of all forces and materials in the universe. This topic is pretty much as ambitious as a research project can get. The approach here is to explain what strategies and frameworks modern-day physicists are using to come to such a powerful theory. And of course, it is not to start anew but to use the progress since Gallileo-newton to concoct a new theory. As habitual readers of such topics will likely anticipate, the goal here is to unify General relativity and quantum mechanics. To make sense of the big and the small within a single explanation.
In this, you'll hear about such topics as the four forces, the standard model, general relativity, dark matter and energy, the big bang and topics such as string theory and loop quantum gravity. All of which are seminal topics in understanding our modern perspective on cosmology, and particle physics.
The negative side about the audible adaptation is it will soon become apparent to the listener, that the speaker assumes you can see him, given his apparent scribblings of equations on the board and the hand gestures he talks about doing
All in all, it was a quick listen and nice refresher on a topic which is not in my central focus
In this, you'll hear about such topics as the four forces, the standard model, general relativity, dark matter and energy, the big bang and topics such as string theory and loop quantum gravity. All of which are seminal topics in understanding our modern perspective on cosmology, and particle physics.
The negative side about the audible adaptation is it will soon become apparent to the listener, that the speaker assumes you can see him, given his apparent scribblings of equations on the board and the hand gestures he talks about doing
All in all, it was a quick listen and nice refresher on a topic which is not in my central focus
July 22, 2022
Very interesting and informative lectures on all that you need to make yourself up-to-date on the cosmological front.
March 27, 2019
The Theory of Everything is an extraordinarily well-presented course on the topic. The course is not for everyone. There are sections with equations - while fairly elementary for those in the field - that require decent mathematical knowledge. Plus, the course frequently tackles scientific details that are difficult to wrap one’s head around. Effectively, the course goes far beyond what one reads in popular books on the subjects.
The upshot is there is a lot new for everyone except perhaps the experts. For example, the course provides brilliant insights into the likely rationale behind the belief in the super-symmetry or the reasons behind the scientist community’s fascination with string theories. Such explanations are possible because of the arguments set out and proven with care before.
The course’s best moments are when it explains the incongruity between general relativity and quantum mechanics. This reviewer has not come across better explanations on what makes the quantum gravity so difficult to formulate, despite the endless discussions in hundreds of popular books.
While the Particle Physics sections are most detailed, and the quantum gravity explanations most illuminating, the professor has many other impressive sections/sub-sections on weak and strong nuclear forces, the basic cosmology, the dimensions that turn up in any equations that go beyond the standard model, the underlying realities of quarks, etc.
A great course for anyone interested in the topic.
The upshot is there is a lot new for everyone except perhaps the experts. For example, the course provides brilliant insights into the likely rationale behind the belief in the super-symmetry or the reasons behind the scientist community’s fascination with string theories. Such explanations are possible because of the arguments set out and proven with care before.
The course’s best moments are when it explains the incongruity between general relativity and quantum mechanics. This reviewer has not come across better explanations on what makes the quantum gravity so difficult to formulate, despite the endless discussions in hundreds of popular books.
While the Particle Physics sections are most detailed, and the quantum gravity explanations most illuminating, the professor has many other impressive sections/sub-sections on weak and strong nuclear forces, the basic cosmology, the dimensions that turn up in any equations that go beyond the standard model, the underlying realities of quarks, etc.
A great course for anyone interested in the topic.
December 22, 2019
Cosmology fascinates me. This Great Courses production of “The Theory of Everything” is college level, and I’ll need to listen to it again and study the material. That’s what I wanted - not an easy review, but something to learn. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
June 21, 2020
Great lectures, probably even better with video. Lots of visual references you miss on Audible.
July 15, 2025
This is why we have such enthusiasm for unifying theories. It's because we've seen many examples of when patterns eventually turned into understanding.
The lectures found in The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality summarize humanity's efforts to find a theory of everything - a single model that explains all known observations of the universe from a single across all energy levels and between all of the known fundamental forces.
Isaac Newton blew the world away when he put together the equations that seemed to explain and predict all observable motions of bodies. And Einstein improved on those equations and theories when those observations diverged from theory at high speeds, strong gravity, and in different reference frames. But of the past hundred years or so, our study of the most fundamental forces of the universe - the electromagnetic, weak, strong, and gravitational forces, has everyone scratching their heads.
Don Lincoln does a great job of outlining the history of these efforts and bringing us up to day on where we are today. He dives into all of the many particle discoveries and theories of the last couple of centuries. Most valuable, to me, is that he explained a few of the concepts mathematically. As someone who has a solid background in mathematics, the way that the theories correspond to reality is extremely helpful and often something that is left out in most popular science texts.
If you're read a lot of popular theoretical physics books, you won't find much new here, but Lincoln's angle might be enough to solidify a few of the most nebulous concepts.
The lectures found in The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality summarize humanity's efforts to find a theory of everything - a single model that explains all known observations of the universe from a single across all energy levels and between all of the known fundamental forces.
Isaac Newton blew the world away when he put together the equations that seemed to explain and predict all observable motions of bodies. And Einstein improved on those equations and theories when those observations diverged from theory at high speeds, strong gravity, and in different reference frames. But of the past hundred years or so, our study of the most fundamental forces of the universe - the electromagnetic, weak, strong, and gravitational forces, has everyone scratching their heads.
Don Lincoln does a great job of outlining the history of these efforts and bringing us up to day on where we are today. He dives into all of the many particle discoveries and theories of the last couple of centuries. Most valuable, to me, is that he explained a few of the concepts mathematically. As someone who has a solid background in mathematics, the way that the theories correspond to reality is extremely helpful and often something that is left out in most popular science texts.
If you're read a lot of popular theoretical physics books, you won't find much new here, but Lincoln's angle might be enough to solidify a few of the most nebulous concepts.
July 20, 2019
Incredibly illuminating - a thorough survey on where we stand on developing a grand unifying theory of physics that can help us understand the origins and nature of the universe, combining Einstein’s theory of general relativity, the latest developments in quantum mechanics, and other key building blocks of physics.
Just enough depth and specificity to be meaningful and impactful without totally losing an interested but relative layperson reader. Also includes a helpful rundown of key historical breakthroughs in physics as well as explanations of how advances are made with particle accelerators and other high-tech machines. Highly recommended.
Just enough depth and specificity to be meaningful and impactful without totally losing an interested but relative layperson reader. Also includes a helpful rundown of key historical breakthroughs in physics as well as explanations of how advances are made with particle accelerators and other high-tech machines. Highly recommended.
June 7, 2019
I truly enjoyed this course/book.
it presents knowledge in a structured way without losing itself on the jargon.
you do need solid mathematical knowledge to follow the narrator reasoning, but nothing on the expert level.
in the end for me was a nice way of reviewing things I knew and discovering emerging ideas on the field of physics.
I recommend this read to all the interested in the field of physics
it presents knowledge in a structured way without losing itself on the jargon.
you do need solid mathematical knowledge to follow the narrator reasoning, but nothing on the expert level.
in the end for me was a nice way of reviewing things I knew and discovering emerging ideas on the field of physics.
I recommend this read to all the interested in the field of physics
August 22, 2019
Really excellent lectures, with the caveat that there is enough discussion of the underlying formulas and equations that having at least a layman's background in relativity and quantum physics is strongly recommended. Barring that, the comfortable ability to let the math roll over your head and still stay engaged will do.
September 10, 2019
This was highly enjoyable. This wasn't the most accessible at times, but the teacher's style was very engaging. My biggest takeaway from this course was physicists' use of the thought experiment. Here the teacher really excelled. He conveyed not only the original experiments but his own illustrations.
April 9, 2024
I kind of knew almost everything here from science popularization books, encyclopedias and youtube videos.
Still, very good course!
Here are my notes, taken for myself using a text-to-speech tool:
To do: look up why particles are unstable to begin with
To do: look up why there aren't up-up-up hadrons. The proton, up-up-down seems the most stable hadron...but why no uuu?
To do: look up "axis of evil" in the context of the cosmic microwave background radiation
Why are other particles made up of that up and down quarks and antiquarks not stable?
Superstring theory predicts different speeds of light for different wavelengths
The fact that the wave function is symmetrical in respect to adding an arbitrary phase results in the conservation of electric charge from Noether's theorem
The masses of the individual neutrino types are not known. What is known is the difference between their masses and the sum of their masses and the fact that they should have really really small masses like less than one electron volt. Also nobody knows why they have mass.
The mass of the Higgs boson is calculated from the mass of the boson itself and the mass of the particles that it in transforms into for short periods of time. From what I understand the second component of the mass of the Higgs boson that the masses of the leptons and the quarks should be exactly equal there should be new rules not included in the standard model
The fact that neutrinos have mass is a problem for the standard model because it predicts that they should not have mass.
The higgsfield was key to the unification of the electromagnetic and the weak Force.
Regarding the discovery of the Higgs boson the author recommends the book "massive".
The author recommends reading writings from Steven Weinberg (nobel laureate).
The weak force has 3 force carriers... crazy!
The week nuclear force does not obey conservation of energy. It seems energy can be lost when stuff decays using the weak nuclear force. In addition to energy not being conserved spin is also not being conserved. The example is the decay of Carbon 14 into nitrogen 14.... wait! No! That's just the way neutrinos were discovered (regarding energy conservation). Regarding spin they're really seems to be some weird stuff going on. I wonder if it's the case that neutrinos need to be their own anti particles. " the week Force only interacts with the right-handed Particles and left-handed antiparticles".
In the standard model neutrinos are supposed to have zero mass, but it turns out their masses are just very very small. The author says that this points to crack in the standard model.
Still, very good course!
Here are my notes, taken for myself using a text-to-speech tool:
To do: look up why particles are unstable to begin with
To do: look up why there aren't up-up-up hadrons. The proton, up-up-down seems the most stable hadron...but why no uuu?
To do: look up "axis of evil" in the context of the cosmic microwave background radiation
Why are other particles made up of that up and down quarks and antiquarks not stable?
Superstring theory predicts different speeds of light for different wavelengths
The fact that the wave function is symmetrical in respect to adding an arbitrary phase results in the conservation of electric charge from Noether's theorem
The masses of the individual neutrino types are not known. What is known is the difference between their masses and the sum of their masses and the fact that they should have really really small masses like less than one electron volt. Also nobody knows why they have mass.
The mass of the Higgs boson is calculated from the mass of the boson itself and the mass of the particles that it in transforms into for short periods of time. From what I understand the second component of the mass of the Higgs boson that the masses of the leptons and the quarks should be exactly equal there should be new rules not included in the standard model
The fact that neutrinos have mass is a problem for the standard model because it predicts that they should not have mass.
The higgsfield was key to the unification of the electromagnetic and the weak Force.
Regarding the discovery of the Higgs boson the author recommends the book "massive".
The author recommends reading writings from Steven Weinberg (nobel laureate).
The weak force has 3 force carriers... crazy!
The week nuclear force does not obey conservation of energy. It seems energy can be lost when stuff decays using the weak nuclear force. In addition to energy not being conserved spin is also not being conserved. The example is the decay of Carbon 14 into nitrogen 14.... wait! No! That's just the way neutrinos were discovered (regarding energy conservation). Regarding spin they're really seems to be some weird stuff going on. I wonder if it's the case that neutrinos need to be their own anti particles. " the week Force only interacts with the right-handed Particles and left-handed antiparticles".
In the standard model neutrinos are supposed to have zero mass, but it turns out their masses are just very very small. The author says that this points to crack in the standard model.
December 5, 2019
This is one of those Great Courses series that is best experienced in video. The audio version can work if you are already familiar with the material, but the professor refers to formulas that are difficult to visualize. I took a star off for that, but what can you do?
The lectures start off with basic information, historical reasons why and how people of the past have sought out a theory of everything. I expected this. The discussion then gets detailed and while the professor attempts to keep the discussion at a user-friendly level, the math is important and it can become daunting. Just keep going and it will be OK. He eventually makes his point. However I can't imagine how anyone could figure this stuff out of this is you first rodeo with astrophysics.
In the last lectures he covers the issue of G-d. He doesn't do a very good job. I think scientists find it embarrassing that they must cover the subject at all, but intellectually speaking, astrophysics at this level sounds so impossible that believing in G-d seems possible. Indeed. It is more sensible to believe in an intelligent plan for the universe than the idea of a completely random collection of atoms colliding to create a universe as we see it today. The professor sensibly points to the Weak Anthropic Principle, that is, the universe appears to us as specially made for us because if it were not, we would not exist to note that the universe appears to be specially made for us. That seems obvious, but important. Given that observation, it still seems unlikely (approaching zero probability) that we are here to observe the universe by chance. That being so, the probability that an intelligence created the universe is almost as probabile... perhaps even more probable.
In any case, the professor doesn't delve too deeply into G-d. He neatly ignores that some of the theories he talks about are no more provable than the G-d idea. But this was a series of lectures on scientific ideas attempting to build a theory of everything. Some of those ideas will not be provable at first. They are ideas to be disproved later, or perhaps to be improved upon later. In that sense, the lectures are valuable and helpful.
I'd listen to these lectures again, or perhaps follow on video.
The lectures start off with basic information, historical reasons why and how people of the past have sought out a theory of everything. I expected this. The discussion then gets detailed and while the professor attempts to keep the discussion at a user-friendly level, the math is important and it can become daunting. Just keep going and it will be OK. He eventually makes his point. However I can't imagine how anyone could figure this stuff out of this is you first rodeo with astrophysics.
In the last lectures he covers the issue of G-d. He doesn't do a very good job. I think scientists find it embarrassing that they must cover the subject at all, but intellectually speaking, astrophysics at this level sounds so impossible that believing in G-d seems possible. Indeed. It is more sensible to believe in an intelligent plan for the universe than the idea of a completely random collection of atoms colliding to create a universe as we see it today. The professor sensibly points to the Weak Anthropic Principle, that is, the universe appears to us as specially made for us because if it were not, we would not exist to note that the universe appears to be specially made for us. That seems obvious, but important. Given that observation, it still seems unlikely (approaching zero probability) that we are here to observe the universe by chance. That being so, the probability that an intelligence created the universe is almost as probabile... perhaps even more probable.
In any case, the professor doesn't delve too deeply into G-d. He neatly ignores that some of the theories he talks about are no more provable than the G-d idea. But this was a series of lectures on scientific ideas attempting to build a theory of everything. Some of those ideas will not be provable at first. They are ideas to be disproved later, or perhaps to be improved upon later. In that sense, the lectures are valuable and helpful.
I'd listen to these lectures again, or perhaps follow on video.
November 2, 2020
Sometimes it's good to step out of your comfort zone (mine happens to be earth science) and try out something new...in this case, well, everything, or at least its theory. It's like when I was just beginning 3rd grade, but my school at the time had limited classroom space, so my class was combined with a 5th grade class. Half the time the 3rd graders got their lessons, the other half of the time the 5th graders chimed in. My 3rd grade mind just couldn't wrap my head around what those 5th graders were learning...I recognized the words and numbers, but the methodology was lost on me.
Fast forward to Dr Don Lincoln and this course. He represents the cutting edge of particle physics and the efforts to unify ALL aspects of physics (including chemistry, astrophysics, quantum mechanics and virtually all other physical sciences) into one, all-encompassing explanation (read, theory) of everything! And I'm still trying to grasp those 5th grade times tables. Well, not exactly, but I think you get the metaphor.
Dr Lincoln's clear, well-organized approach first laid the groundwork by weaving together important historical theories and pioneers in the world of physics and mechanics (guys like Newton, Einstein and Bohr), with the most recent discoveries...mostly dealing with the field of particle physics. While I cannot pretend that I understood everything Dr Don had to say, I did come away with a better understanding as to why this type of research is critical to our understanding of the world(s) around us...and those studies can and will lead to the inventions of unimaginable ideas and products that can and will lead to the betterment of all mankind.
This is a course that needs to be revisited...often, especially if you're not working at the Fermi Labs. It may not be "On Igneous Rocks" (N.L.Bowen), but it is highly recommended...even by those know-it-all 5th graders.
Use a sale and coupon to get the video version...if for no other reason than to catch Dr Don's grin at the end of every lecture!
Fast forward to Dr Don Lincoln and this course. He represents the cutting edge of particle physics and the efforts to unify ALL aspects of physics (including chemistry, astrophysics, quantum mechanics and virtually all other physical sciences) into one, all-encompassing explanation (read, theory) of everything! And I'm still trying to grasp those 5th grade times tables. Well, not exactly, but I think you get the metaphor.
Dr Lincoln's clear, well-organized approach first laid the groundwork by weaving together important historical theories and pioneers in the world of physics and mechanics (guys like Newton, Einstein and Bohr), with the most recent discoveries...mostly dealing with the field of particle physics. While I cannot pretend that I understood everything Dr Don had to say, I did come away with a better understanding as to why this type of research is critical to our understanding of the world(s) around us...and those studies can and will lead to the inventions of unimaginable ideas and products that can and will lead to the betterment of all mankind.
This is a course that needs to be revisited...often, especially if you're not working at the Fermi Labs. It may not be "On Igneous Rocks" (N.L.Bowen), but it is highly recommended...even by those know-it-all 5th graders.
Use a sale and coupon to get the video version...if for no other reason than to catch Dr Don's grin at the end of every lecture!
December 19, 2019
Very nice exposition of the development of physics from the time of Newton to the present. The overall theme is the development of theories in mechanics, electricity, magnetism, electromagnetism, relativity, quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, etc, and more importantly, how these theories have been integrated over the ages leading to a theory of everything.
Of course, at this point we are a long way from such a theory but we also have made significant progress over the years.
The lectures are very clear with an absolute minimum of mathematics and as accurate as reasonable to impart the concepts. The only area that was a little unclear was the section on symmetry in quantum mechanics and particle physics in particular, but that is also a generally more abstract area to describe.
I liked the final parts of the book where Lincoln does what can be done to describe the current state of our unknowns whether integration of QED and QCD or the momentous lack of understanding about so much of the universe in dark matter and energy.
With a background in physics I found the lecture series a nice summary of the material but can't be sure of how others with less background will appreciate the lectures.
Of course, at this point we are a long way from such a theory but we also have made significant progress over the years.
The lectures are very clear with an absolute minimum of mathematics and as accurate as reasonable to impart the concepts. The only area that was a little unclear was the section on symmetry in quantum mechanics and particle physics in particular, but that is also a generally more abstract area to describe.
I liked the final parts of the book where Lincoln does what can be done to describe the current state of our unknowns whether integration of QED and QCD or the momentous lack of understanding about so much of the universe in dark matter and energy.
With a background in physics I found the lecture series a nice summary of the material but can't be sure of how others with less background will appreciate the lectures.
April 17, 2022
How about 12+ hours of excellently presented lectures on the elusive Theory of Everything?! As the title suggests, the author Don Lincoln sheds light on the history and past achievements in physics up to today and closes the lecture series with a look of what lies ahead in our quest of finding a single unifying theory that explains literally everything.
To properly follow along with this course, it is necessary to study some of the graphics and mathematical equations presented. Both of these are extremely difficult to visualize by only listening. This fact makes this audiobook more of a "at your desk" kind of study as opposed to an audiobook one can follow along with while driving or doing other tasks. The concepts on particle physics may require some additional research and reading via external resources as the author goes over this information very quickly assuming a very high level prior understanding of the subject matter. However, Don Lincoln does make the fascinating subject accessible to everyone who is willing to put some study time into this 'Great Course'.
To properly follow along with this course, it is necessary to study some of the graphics and mathematical equations presented. Both of these are extremely difficult to visualize by only listening. This fact makes this audiobook more of a "at your desk" kind of study as opposed to an audiobook one can follow along with while driving or doing other tasks. The concepts on particle physics may require some additional research and reading via external resources as the author goes over this information very quickly assuming a very high level prior understanding of the subject matter. However, Don Lincoln does make the fascinating subject accessible to everyone who is willing to put some study time into this 'Great Course'.
July 19, 2020
This book is great for the layman, students, scientists and the curious. Don Lincoln covers everything from the flavor of neutrinos, the colour of quarks to the flatness and inflation of the universe. The material is both complex and simple; mathematical equations to analogies that clarify his explanations. Just listening to it is enough to get an understanding of the who, where and outcomes of theories from Einstein to Gell-Mann and Zweig plus numerous men and women and their discoveries in physics.
The advantage of the Audible version is hearing it from Don Lincoln; an exceptional and knowledgeable man with the gift of presentation thus making The Theory of Everything enjoyable and enlightening. Further, a PDF of the entire book allows for following along and gleaning even more comprehension of the material covered.
The advantage of the Audible version is hearing it from Don Lincoln; an exceptional and knowledgeable man with the gift of presentation thus making The Theory of Everything enjoyable and enlightening. Further, a PDF of the entire book allows for following along and gleaning even more comprehension of the material covered.
September 24, 2021
Dear DON LINCOLN,
I just listened to your The Theory of Everything Great Courses course.
Brilliant as usual. A super-great refresher on all the in-depth books I've studied on the topics before.
I remember very fondly the days of countless interactions in the Science and Philosophy forums of the 2000s.
I've read most of your books. And I remember quite appreciatively your personal private online tutorship on Understanding The Universe and The Quantum Frontier. You were unbelievably generous with your time.
I watch all your YouTube Fermilab videos also. Great stuff.
You are a great teacher. I'm immensely grateful, you've been an unbelievably influential mentor from afar to me for nearly 20 years I think. Just thought I should remind you of my gratitude.
Yours truly,
BorisOfTerreHaute Jeff Rudisel
I just listened to your The Theory of Everything Great Courses course.
Brilliant as usual. A super-great refresher on all the in-depth books I've studied on the topics before.
I remember very fondly the days of countless interactions in the Science and Philosophy forums of the 2000s.
I've read most of your books. And I remember quite appreciatively your personal private online tutorship on Understanding The Universe and The Quantum Frontier. You were unbelievably generous with your time.
I watch all your YouTube Fermilab videos also. Great stuff.
You are a great teacher. I'm immensely grateful, you've been an unbelievably influential mentor from afar to me for nearly 20 years I think. Just thought I should remind you of my gratitude.
Yours truly,
BorisOfTerreHaute Jeff Rudisel
June 11, 2023
I would be lying if I said I understood all the lessons in this audible book. My only prior knowledge of gluons, quarks, bosons, etc. came from the xbox game "Schrödinger's Cat and the Raiders of the Lost Quark."
That doesn't stop this from being an absolutely fantastic listen. The dilemma of finding a theory of quantum gravity was intriguing, especially the ones centred around extra dimensions.
It's amazing to listen to what the brightest minds of humanity have found out about the universe and what else they might find out.
One negative is that while this was from Audible, it is obvious that it was made in a visual format as the lecturer keeps highlighting certain equations on the board.
I highly recommend this for dummies like me who are interested in a theory of everything, physics, quantum mechanics, etc.
That doesn't stop this from being an absolutely fantastic listen. The dilemma of finding a theory of quantum gravity was intriguing, especially the ones centred around extra dimensions.
It's amazing to listen to what the brightest minds of humanity have found out about the universe and what else they might find out.
One negative is that while this was from Audible, it is obvious that it was made in a visual format as the lecturer keeps highlighting certain equations on the board.
I highly recommend this for dummies like me who are interested in a theory of everything, physics, quantum mechanics, etc.
June 6, 2023
This was the longest book I have tried to tackle in some time but after about 6 hours, I realized I got as much out of it as I wanted and it was time to move on. It was very good, but there were a lot of references to visuals that are lost with the audio version.
Overall, it was pretty good, but not great, as there is a thing of getting too detailed and missing the overall point. Yes, this was a book of a large collection of physic's lectures, but not really what I was expecting or needed to get from a physics lesson.
Overall, it was pretty good, but not great, as there is a thing of getting too detailed and missing the overall point. Yes, this was a book of a large collection of physic's lectures, but not really what I was expecting or needed to get from a physics lesson.
October 9, 2024
This is a very dense set of lectures and was not the easiest book to listen to while trying to do something else. I often had to pause what I was doing rewind and re listen to make sure I understood what he was saying. After reading this collection of lectures I feel like I have a better understanding of where we are currently at both with theoretical and non theoretical physics. I also feel like I can now better understand how much farther we have to go in order to get to the unified theory of everything.
December 8, 2024
This lecture series is no walk in the park for someone with just high school physics under their belt. Yet, the brilliance of the presentation makes the complex gradually unfold, transforming intimidating scientific concepts into something wonderfully digestible.
What strikes me most is the extraordinary landscape of human knowledge—our understanding of the atomic and quantum realms is breathtaking. But equally captivating is the vast unknown, those unexplored territories where brilliant scientific minds weave incredible theories that attempt to define the intricate tapestry of our universe.
Make no mistake: you'll encounter terminology that sounds like a foreign language and concepts that challenge your comprehension. But the reward is immense. By persevering through these intellectual hurdles, you'll emerge with a profound appreciation for the magnificent, mysterious world we inhabit.
This isn't just a lecture series—it's an intellectual adventure. And trust me, it's well worth every moment of mental stretching.
What strikes me most is the extraordinary landscape of human knowledge—our understanding of the atomic and quantum realms is breathtaking. But equally captivating is the vast unknown, those unexplored territories where brilliant scientific minds weave incredible theories that attempt to define the intricate tapestry of our universe.
Make no mistake: you'll encounter terminology that sounds like a foreign language and concepts that challenge your comprehension. But the reward is immense. By persevering through these intellectual hurdles, you'll emerge with a profound appreciation for the magnificent, mysterious world we inhabit.
This isn't just a lecture series—it's an intellectual adventure. And trust me, it's well worth every moment of mental stretching.
January 29, 2021
I had to push myself through on this audio course because some of the concepts were difficult for me to hold my interest on. The video format would have been better. The endeavor is inspiring and learning about where we are in the process of discovering a theory of everything is intriguing and exciting.
December 3, 2022
"The Quest" in the title is quite appropriate... suggesting not only the long journey scientists have gone to put together different theories of how the universe works but also the journey of the reader to understand all the reasonings and formulas presented in the book (unless you have an advanced physics degree). Be prepared to really focus, this is not an easy topic!
March 9, 2023
This fails utterly as an audiobook.
It's full of equations, formulas, and illustrations, none of which I can see in this format.
The topic is fascinating, but the printed version (or the video version, if there was such a thing) would not have been much help to me. I wouldn't be able to follow the math.
It's full of equations, formulas, and illustrations, none of which I can see in this format.
The topic is fascinating, but the printed version (or the video version, if there was such a thing) would not have been much help to me. I wouldn't be able to follow the math.
September 27, 2019
This taught me the most about quantum particle and general relativity physics since...... ever. The more speculative hypotheses are always clearly presented as currently lacking evidence, so none of the blurring lines with philosophy mentioned in Lost in Math. Very cool.
January 23, 2020
Amazing. Makes me want to go back to college to study physics. Highly recommended. Not entirely sure what kind of tech "prerequisites" would be beneficial for understanding the content. I thought the author did a pretty good job making the material accessible, but I'm an engineer ...
April 28, 2020
It is a great course. Useful for even an undergraduate physics major. It has some math but not very much. The clarity and intuition aspect of physics theories to explain the behavior of the real natural world is amazing. I really enjoy this course.
August 26, 2020
Fascinating! I am grateful for for the series that this program is presented by and grateful for this program. I can't claim to understand the implications or all that the math/scientific jargon implies; nevertheless less it was fascinating and I had to hear the entire presentation. Thank you!
June 21, 2019
I didn't understand much of this book but really enjoyed listening to it and the narration.
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