How the Universe Got Its Spots Audiobook By Janna Levin cover art

How the Universe Got Its Spots

Diary of a Finite Time in a Finite Space

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How the Universe Got Its Spots

By: Janna Levin
Narrated by: Janna Levin
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In this audiobook, astrophysicist Janna Levin blends memoir and visionary science to provide a groundbreaking personal account of her life and ideas

Is the universe infinite or just really big? With this question, cosmologist Janna Levin announces the central theme of this book, which established her as one of the most direct, unorthodox, and creative voices in contemporary science. As Levin sets out to determine how big “really big” may be, she offers a rare intimate look at the daily life of an innovative physicist, complete with jet lag and the tensions between personal relationships and the extreme demands of scientific exploration. Nimbly explaining geometry, topology, chaos, and string theory, Levin shows how the pattern of hot and cold spots left over from the big bang may one day reveal the size of the cosmos. The result is a thrilling story of cosmology by one of its leading thinkers.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Janna Levin (P)2022 Princeton University Press Astronomy & Space Science Cosmology Physics Science Mathematics Black Hole Astronomy

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Critic reviews

"[A] lovely, utterly original book. . . . This intimate account of the life and thought of a physicist is one of the nicest scientific books I have ever read—personal and honest, clear and informative, entertaining and difficult to put down."—Alejandro Gangui, American Scientist

"Gorgeously written."—Mary Carmichael, Newsweek

"Highly original. . . . Few scientists are capable of putting their understanding and experiences into words as effectively."—Peter Coles, Nature

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Most relevant  
Copernicus lived from 1473 to 1601? No, 1543. Even numbers must obey nature. Great narration and voice. Super interesting story. i like the diary style mixing life and science.

Numbers

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I liked the book but would have loved it if it were more about cosmology than an journalisric book. I do love it when the author reads their books for audiobooks, with this book I got more info about Janna moving around, drinking wine and name dropping of friends, can't get enough talk about black holes and the size of the universe which is why I got this book. 3 out of 5

good not great

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Although it gets off to a bit of a slow start with the fundamentals of cosmology, Dr. Levin ultimately offers some fascinating and challenging, yet beautifully described insights into the geometry and topology of spacetime. By intermixing elements from her own life during the process of writing, she has crafted a truly compelling narrative. Bravo.

A refreshingly personal take on cosmology

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This is my second read through. First audio book. I really love this book. It’s super heart breaking the parts about Janna and Warren

Fantastic

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I especially liked the way she describes her honest experiences working as a woman in stem, without preaching feminism, while portraying a convincing argument for universe finality.

A necessary read for any physics nerd

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Oh my God! I thought we lived inside the globe when I was a little kid too! I wonder how common this is. Yeah, I'm loving this book so far. I'm still just getting into it, but she's not reading voice, and I've seen plenty of interviews with her, so I'm invested.

Loving this

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