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The Matter of Everything

Twelve Experiments that Changed Our World

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The Matter of Everything

By: Suzie Sheehy
Narrated by: Suzie Sheehy
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About this listen

Bloomsbury presents The Matter of Everything written and read by Suzie Sheehy.

The astonishing story of twentieth-century physics, told through the twelve experiments that changed our world

A 2022 BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR: NEW SCIENTIST * WATERSTONES * SUNDAY TIMES

'A splendid idea, vividly carried out: I enjoyed this book enormously’ PHILIP PULLMAN
'A rich history of beautiful discoveries' ROBIN INCE
'An all-action thriller, laced with some of the most profound ideas humans have ever had’ BRIAN ENO

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How did a piece of gold foil completely change our understanding of atoms?
What part did a hot air balloon play in the discovery of cosmic rays?
How did the experiments in the run-up to the Large Hadron Collider lead to the invention of the World Wide Web?

Asking questions has always been at the heart of physics, our unending quest to understand the Universe and how everything in it behaves. How do we know all that we know about the world today? It’s not simply because we have the maths – it’s because we have done the experiments.

Accelerator physicist Suzie Sheehy introduces us to the creative and curious people who, through a combination of genius, persistence and luck, staged the ground-breaking experiments of the twentieth century. From the serendipitous discovery of X-rays in a German laboratory, to the scientists trying to prove Einstein wrong (and inadvertently proving him right), The Matter of Everything takes us on a journey through the history of experiments that transformed our world.

©2022 Suzie Sheehy (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc History History & Philosophy Physics Science Mathematics Inspiring Black Hole Discovery
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A step by step adventure on how we know what we know about particle physics and how it has radically changed our lives for the better.
This books unravels what the questions and processes were, and who made them, to explain the very small.
It explains particle physics and its relevance in a way that is both simple to grasp and inspiring to anyone interested in science.

Simple questions that changed our lives

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This is a wonderfully researched and informative book, full of great information and anecdotes about the scientific process and those involved in these discoveries.

It is an excellently constructed journey through the complex history of our research and discoveries into what the universe is made of. A complex journey is made comprehensible but without sacrificing the scientific details lovers of science want.

And on top of all that the narration is perfect, something uncommon for narrators of their own work. It is read with clarity and enthusiasm.

Frankly I’m already looking forward to Suzie’s next book, whatever and whenever that may be. I found this one to be virtually faultless.

A great new voice in popular science writing

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loved it. very well written and read by the author. a good balance of knowledge for those who understand parts of the physics that led us to where we are today (with great tid bits along the way) but also put in great context for those who may not be across more detailed physics

Great overview & insight of getting where we are

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I've only ever once requested a refund for an Audible title, and that was for an author-narrated book. In that single case, the writer perhaps shouldn't have been offered a microphone. The title was a good seller in other formats, so it wasn't the subject matter that was the problem.

I'm very happy to say that the title being reviewed here, "The Matter of Everything", is the opposite of that other book. Suzie Sheehy seems to be the perfect choice to narrate her writing. The author's understanding of and enthusiasm for her field of expertise beams through her writing style, and her delivery matched that, keeping me engaged for the entirety of the recording.

I sometimes failed to get my head around the science being presented in the book, but that was in no way any fault of Suzie's. The matters (pardon the pun) Suzie has researched, had practical experience in, and previously had to communicate to experts and novices alike are some of the most complex concepts discovered in the past two hundred years. The inability of a novice such as I to grasp all of them, despite the clear writing style and delivery here, is probably not unexpected. I'm also happy to accept that it might be a case of me having to know my limits and read about less lofty topics.

Suzie, I hope that you have other titles in you that will be put into print and narrated by yourself. Short of that, I at least hope you will have many opportunities to bring your communication skills to bear in relating the work of others to us mortals.

Informative, engaging and a pleasure to listen to.

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