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30 Saniyede Serisi
Théories en 30 secondes
Les 50 théories scientifiques les plus intrigantes, expliquées en moins d'une minute.
160 pages
First published January 1, 2009
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1755 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
October 28, 2016
I am a fan of this series. Here we have a collection of fifty scientific theories explained as concisely as possible through text and illustrations. The book is divided into seven broad sections: the macrocosm, the microcosm, human evolution, mind & body, planet Earth, the universe, and 'the knowledge', along with a few biographies on famous scientists like Stephen Hawking and James Lovelock. Cosmology and physics figure heavily, but there is also geology, biology, psychology, and information theory. As someone who is largely illiterate in science I can't evaluate how well it meets its goal, but each entry piqued my curiosity and left me with an impression nonetheless, which is all a book like this should really set out to achieve.
January 1, 2024
I thought I understood basic things ... Now I question if I have ever understood them at all.
I came for the clear explanations of everyday concepts but I stayed for the fantastic artwork.
I came for the clear explanations of everyday concepts but I stayed for the fantastic artwork.
December 26, 2010
This is a pretty book and a good idea, but it doesn't amount to much. Each theory is presented in around 300 words of text with afterthoughts in sidebars. It seeks to cover physics, cosmology, the Earth, biology, the mind, etc. The text is written by relevant scientists: John Gribbin, Sue Blackmore, Mark Ridley, etc. The content is generally okay, but it can't give more than the most superficial glimpse of what each field is concerned with.
I had quibbles with the text; here's a couple of examples:
* Gribbin, describing panspermia, asserts: "It seems certain that some [prebiotic chemicals]... fell on to the young Earth and kick-started life." Certain? Since when?
* Jim Al-Khalili says that the Uncertainty Principle allows one property (speed or position) to be "measured to infinite accuracy", when in fact the UP imposes a finite limit on the accuracy obtainable.
* We are informed that in the film "A Beautiful Mind" the "mathematical content... was greatly simplified." This is a bit rich in a science book that only dares include one equation in the entire text, and that's E=mc^2!
However, my biggest beef with this book was the illustrations, which occupy the facing page beside each theory. Here was an opportunity to enrich the text with informative diagrams providing clear and practical insight into each subject: perhaps the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram, or RNA transcription at work. Instead, each illustration is little more than a decorative collage of clip-art, with inane captions: "if you believe in quantum theory" (as if 'belief' were an appropriate concept in this context). The one accompanying the article on Selfish Genes is incoherent rubbish. Beside Global Warming is not a graph but a travesty of a graph, by an illustrator who has evidently not grasped that the units on a linear axis must be evenly spaced!
Whilst its overviews are broadly okay, there is little to be learnt here if you're moderately familiar with science, and little that will stick in your mind if you aren't. There are other books that seek to provide an overview (Bryson's, for instance), and I should think most would do a better job than this one. It's barely coffee-table science.
I had quibbles with the text; here's a couple of examples:
* Gribbin, describing panspermia, asserts: "It seems certain that some [prebiotic chemicals]... fell on to the young Earth and kick-started life." Certain? Since when?
* Jim Al-Khalili says that the Uncertainty Principle allows one property (speed or position) to be "measured to infinite accuracy", when in fact the UP imposes a finite limit on the accuracy obtainable.
* We are informed that in the film "A Beautiful Mind" the "mathematical content... was greatly simplified." This is a bit rich in a science book that only dares include one equation in the entire text, and that's E=mc^2!
However, my biggest beef with this book was the illustrations, which occupy the facing page beside each theory. Here was an opportunity to enrich the text with informative diagrams providing clear and practical insight into each subject: perhaps the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram, or RNA transcription at work. Instead, each illustration is little more than a decorative collage of clip-art, with inane captions: "if you believe in quantum theory" (as if 'belief' were an appropriate concept in this context). The one accompanying the article on Selfish Genes is incoherent rubbish. Beside Global Warming is not a graph but a travesty of a graph, by an illustrator who has evidently not grasped that the units on a linear axis must be evenly spaced!
Whilst its overviews are broadly okay, there is little to be learnt here if you're moderately familiar with science, and little that will stick in your mind if you aren't. There are other books that seek to provide an overview (Bryson's, for instance), and I should think most would do a better job than this one. It's barely coffee-table science.
January 21, 2013
Personally I like my science related books to be 100% objective, this book failed to meet that criteria. I really don't think we needed the author's opinions, mere facts and results of experiments are enough on their own. It was a pretty basic book about main theories in various branches of science, all the information was kept simple and brief, which is probably the aim of the author but that didn't appeal to me and I found it to be rather boring. I guess I wasn't a part of the targeted reader type, oh well.
This book got 2 stars instead of 3 only because, considering its price, the illustrations were disappointing too.
This book got 2 stars instead of 3 only because, considering its price, the illustrations were disappointing too.
January 15, 2022
Very interesting book. Scientific theories every adult should be aware of explained in easy to understand language. As the introduction says itself: a good source of topics to talk about at dinner parties. Funny at the same time. Great illustrations. I love the design, paper and layout of the book. Definitely a keep for a family library.
April 12, 2018
Amazing kickstart to expand scientific knowledge. Recommended.
April 14, 2023
J'ai fait des découvertes mais je ne trouve pas que le livre permet de bien comprendre les théories présentées. Je crois que la science est trop complexe pour être résumée en 30 secondes. Tout de même, c'est bon de connaître le nom des théories les plus importantes de notre monde.
February 9, 2025
(Nederlandse editie)
De interessantste wetenschappelijke theorieën kort uitgelegd. Leuk om 1 à 2 te lezen voor het slapengaan. Niet alle theorieën vond ik even goed uitgelegd/uitgewerkt, maar tegelijkertijd weer veel geleerd :)
De interessantste wetenschappelijke theorieën kort uitgelegd. Leuk om 1 à 2 te lezen voor het slapengaan. Niet alle theorieën vond ik even goed uitgelegd/uitgewerkt, maar tegelijkertijd weer veel geleerd :)
June 26, 2022
Sehr gut verständlich und interessant geschrieben, eine Empfehlung für jeden mit Interesse am Thema 😊
April 11, 2023
Good book for now and then to refresh your memory or even learn about new theories summarized on single pages
February 8, 2014
A very intriguing reference to "the 50 most thought-provoking theories in Science." Containing a series of brief synopses of some very interesting and indeed thought-provoking theories from the more well known Theory of Relativity, Laws of Motion, and Global Warming; to the lesser known (at least to me) Out of Africa theory, Gaia theory, and the Small World hypothesis (which is now a study I wish to be a part of).
This book is an excellent reference for some pretty big ideas that can be delved into with more depth for those interested. There is even a list of resources including books, magazines/articles, and websites the reader can visit for more information.
Definitely worth it for the armchair scientist.
This book is an excellent reference for some pretty big ideas that can be delved into with more depth for those interested. There is even a list of resources including books, magazines/articles, and websites the reader can visit for more information.
Definitely worth it for the armchair scientist.
November 17, 2011
When it comes to big science, very few things are conclusively known. From Quantum Mechanics to Natural Selection, what we have instead are theories - ideas explain why things happen the way they do. We don't know for certain these are correct - no one ever saw the Big Bang - but with them we can paint beautiful, breathtaking pictures of everything from human behaviour to what the future may hold. Profiling the key scientists behind each theory, "30-Second Theories" presents each entry in a unique, eye-catching full-colour design, with thought-provoking extras and stylish illustrations. It is essential for anyone keen on expanding their mind with science's most thrilling ideas.
July 23, 2018
It's my second book from 30-Second series, and the last one. The first book in this series i read was 30-Second Brain edited by Anil Seth, which contained a lot of information (I learned a lot of interesting stuff about the brain) but was very dull overall. This one is worse. This book simplifies the concepts so much that nothing left in the end. I was more disappointed, because Mark Ridley, Jim Al-Khalili, Susan Blackmore, John Gribbin, Bill McGuire were among the contributors in this book. The only useful idea that i got out of this book is this: 'Science shouldn't be communicated in soundbites'.
March 28, 2015
I must say the three stars are deceiving. The theories are presented in a very brief and simple way, which makes this book perfect for leaving it by the living room table, so guests can entertain themselves while you are away. It also serves as an entrance door to popular science, since you can always look for more complex books on the subjects you are more interested in.
March 7, 2017
While I really enjoyed the book, it was quite shallow. To be fair, any deeper expectation towards a book that tries to convey the idea of a modern scientific theory in 30 seconds are bound to not be met.
September 27, 2015
This book does not explain theories in detail; rather, it sparks the reader's interest and leads one to go and find out more.
January 13, 2017
Very informative, interesting format with the short text formats.
I read the Dutch translation.
I read the Dutch translation.
December 12, 2019
Explication très rapide de plusieurs théories (regroupé en en 7 thèmes: Le macrocosme, Le microscome, L'évolution humaine, Le corps et l'esprit, La planète Terre, L'Univers, Le savoir)
Chaque théorie est en 2 page: une avec une explication rapide et une autre avec une illustration qui est en général inutile a la compréhension. Le choix de ces illustration est adhérant. Déjà que 3 minutes de text pour expliquer quelque chose c'est peu (mais c'est le but d'un livre avec un tel nom) mais mettez au moins des illustration qui servent a la compréhension (et des sources! Des liens vers les etudes, trouvailles, recherches)
Ex de la seconde page "Les lois du mouvement": juste une image d'une fusée qui décolle. avec pour légende "envoyez-moi sur la lune grâce au lois du Mouvement de Newton !"... inutile. Du coup on a 1 page sur 2 qui ne sert a rien... A croire que c'était seulement pour faire un bouquin plus gros.
Une très bonne idée au départ mais une execution vraiment bof. les explications sont vraiment trop générales et superficielles pour certaines théories. Des choses sont dites sans source spécifique pour pouvoir en savoir plus.
De plus, sur certaines pages, au lieu de s'en tenir au recherches et études scientifique, les auteurs donnent leur avis et oublient d'être objectif. Si j'achète un bouquin général sur les théorie scientifique c'est pas pour avoir l'avis de l'auteur sur la question.
Chaque théorie est en 2 page: une avec une explication rapide et une autre avec une illustration qui est en général inutile a la compréhension. Le choix de ces illustration est adhérant. Déjà que 3 minutes de text pour expliquer quelque chose c'est peu (mais c'est le but d'un livre avec un tel nom) mais mettez au moins des illustration qui servent a la compréhension (et des sources! Des liens vers les etudes, trouvailles, recherches)
Ex de la seconde page "Les lois du mouvement": juste une image d'une fusée qui décolle. avec pour légende "envoyez-moi sur la lune grâce au lois du Mouvement de Newton !"... inutile. Du coup on a 1 page sur 2 qui ne sert a rien... A croire que c'était seulement pour faire un bouquin plus gros.
Une très bonne idée au départ mais une execution vraiment bof. les explications sont vraiment trop générales et superficielles pour certaines théories. Des choses sont dites sans source spécifique pour pouvoir en savoir plus.
De plus, sur certaines pages, au lieu de s'en tenir au recherches et études scientifique, les auteurs donnent leur avis et oublient d'être objectif. Si j'achète un bouquin général sur les théorie scientifique c'est pas pour avoir l'avis de l'auteur sur la question.
February 23, 2022
I have read e g the book about ancient Rome in the series and liked. I'm not sure I liked this one so much (Swedish translation). There was sometimes a malplaced humour (but maybe that makes the topics easier for some). Also I think that the difference between theories that's actually backed up by organised observations could have been more distinctively separated from theories not so much, or even not at all, backed up by organised observations. The latter case shouldn't even be called "theories" from a scientific standpoint even if "theories" is used much more loosely in everyday speech. There were a lot of good texts and short definitions though. The problem is when it's not obvious which theories actually are describing the actual world we live in.
September 5, 2022
Si ce livre atteint un seul objectif, c'est de nous faire réaliser à quel point on ne sait que peu de choses de la science fondamentale! Au cours des pages, 50 théories scientifiques, de la physique à l'astrophysique, en passant par la psychologie, la biologie ou les théories générales.
Chaque sujet est présenté en une page dans un court texte qui résume de façon très sommaire la théorie étudiée. Certains sujets sont bien connus, comme la théorie des jeux, mais les sujets plus pointus comme la physique quantique ou l'astrophysique, laissent le lecteur complètement étourdi!
En somme, c'est un livre qu'on peut lire 20 fois sans tout comprendre, mais qui pousse à vouloir en apprendre plus et à étendre notre champ de connaissances.
Chaque sujet est présenté en une page dans un court texte qui résume de façon très sommaire la théorie étudiée. Certains sujets sont bien connus, comme la théorie des jeux, mais les sujets plus pointus comme la physique quantique ou l'astrophysique, laissent le lecteur complètement étourdi!
En somme, c'est un livre qu'on peut lire 20 fois sans tout comprendre, mais qui pousse à vouloir en apprendre plus et à étendre notre champ de connaissances.
October 22, 2022
Paul Parsons edits yet another book I have in this series. The book attempts to explain complex ideas in language that a layperson can understand. The cover has images of Schrodinger's Cat, a map of a person's head, Einstein's famous equation, and a drawing of intersecting circles.
The book focuses on scientific theories. A theory is a hypothesis or idea supported by evidence. As I mentioned in another review, Gravity is a theory. Evolution is a theory. That doesn't make them false. Theories are the best explanations we have to fit the data scientists collect. If there is a better explanation, we use that one as long as it suits the evidence.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
The book focuses on scientific theories. A theory is a hypothesis or idea supported by evidence. As I mentioned in another review, Gravity is a theory. Evolution is a theory. That doesn't make them false. Theories are the best explanations we have to fit the data scientists collect. If there is a better explanation, we use that one as long as it suits the evidence.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
January 1, 2021
This book gives you exactly what you ask for: An explanation of a theory in 30 seconds. So why complain about it? It is simple, yes, but how else are you going to talk about a complicated theory in half a minute?
Actually aside from 30-second theories, this book also gives you "3 second thrash" which is a statement that will shake your world in a sentence and a "3 minute thought" which will provide something for you to think about. I don't really care about the biographies because I can never learn dates anyway but that's cool too. I personally would love to continue reading this series because while it's bite-sized, it's knowledgable and fun!
Actually aside from 30-second theories, this book also gives you "3 second thrash" which is a statement that will shake your world in a sentence and a "3 minute thought" which will provide something for you to think about. I don't really care about the biographies because I can never learn dates anyway but that's cool too. I personally would love to continue reading this series because while it's bite-sized, it's knowledgable and fun!
December 24, 2021
What first looked like a quaint smart idea, quickly was revealed to not be so smart after all... The book aim is stated at the foreword: “The great concepts of science can be conveyed briefly - maybe even in 30 seconds”– I find this no easy task and, unfortunately, I also don’t find it successfully achieved… For each theory, either one is already familiar with it and the summary presentation adds nothing of value, or one had hitherto been oblivious to it, in which case one shall remain unknowledgeable due to the shallowness of the summary.
December 26, 2025
Teorier på 30 sekunder
-Bogen er kun fra 2016 men allerede forældet, så selv jeg bemærkede det. Påstod at ingen neanderthaler-gener findes i europæere. Det er ikke korrekt.
-Stor forskel på hvor godt hvert afsnit er skrevet. Nogle bliver man klogere af, andre er håbløse og bruger begreber som "præbiotiske stoffer" (af John Gribbin).
-Klart emner der interesserer mig mere end andre:
--Mindre interessante: Makrokosmos, mikrokosmos, universet
--Mere interessante: Menneskers evolution, krop og sjæl, planeten jorden og viden (spilteori og memer)
-Bogen er kun fra 2016 men allerede forældet, så selv jeg bemærkede det. Påstod at ingen neanderthaler-gener findes i europæere. Det er ikke korrekt.
-Stor forskel på hvor godt hvert afsnit er skrevet. Nogle bliver man klogere af, andre er håbløse og bruger begreber som "præbiotiske stoffer" (af John Gribbin).
-Klart emner der interesserer mig mere end andre:
--Mindre interessante: Makrokosmos, mikrokosmos, universet
--Mere interessante: Menneskers evolution, krop og sjæl, planeten jorden og viden (spilteori og memer)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2021
It is a good book to read as an introduction to astrophysics and some other sciences, including some food for thought and interesting anecdotes. Better as a present for curious teenagers or as a way to rediscover things you learnt some time ago. However, it runs short if you are a little bit familiar with science. I would rather recommend other books such as Hawking’s Short History of Time or Bryson’s Short Story of Almost Everything.
June 16, 2024
Опять беру рандомную книжку на отзыв (спасибо goodreads). Кому-то повезло, я ставлю 5 звёзд 😂 в Букмейте наткнулась на книгу "Какие-то штуки", автор Стас Зелень. Долго не хотела её читать, так как 1) здесь, в гудридсе, её не было и 2) комикс с улиткой как-то не привлекал. Но тут открыла и каааак залипла. Ржала в голос. Офигенная смесь науки и юмора. Даже Докинса автор вплëл. Я прям кайфанула. Давно не получала такого удовольствия от чтения. Мой рекомендасьëн 1000000%.
September 10, 2017
Though covering 50 theories using one page each resulted in high level overviews, it still introduced me to new pieces of information in the text that I found interesting enough to further research on my own. Plus it was good to brush up on all these items and bring some definitions to things I've only vaguely heard of before.
January 11, 2018
Un libro sencillo, lleno de teorías científicas, hecho para quienes quieran ponerse al tanto de la actualidad en la ciencia, cabe mencionar que solo habla de cosas que están en su mayoría comprobadas, tiene pocas teorías que aun son hipótesis.
En fin un libro excelente para todo publico, facil de leer y lleno de cosas por descubrir.
En fin un libro excelente para todo publico, facil de leer y lleno de cosas por descubrir.
March 30, 2018
An excellent short book providing insight into a whole host of complex and more well known theories about humans, knowledge, evolution, earth, the universe. It’s an easy read and a book that will remain a useful reference material for quickly familiarising oneself with key principles across a range of these topics
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews