Audiobooks Narrated by Adam Hart-Davis

The Eureka Years: A BBC history of science

Science's long history is studded with 'eureka years', when radical and brilliant ideas emerged from the maelstrom of mad, bad and dangerous thinking to transform the way we look at ourselves and our universe. Veteran broadcaster and polymath Adam Hart-Davis guides us through 16 of these pivotal years, examining the ways in which they revolutionised our scientific understanding. He begins with 1665, uncovering the truth behind the legendary story of Newton's discovery of gravity; and explores how two industrial breakthroughs in 1769 - the spinning frame and the steam engine - were connected with a robot that could apparently play chess. In 555 BC, he asks if Pythagoras really came up with the mathematical theorem that bears his name; and in 1965, he considers how the Cold War and advances in military technology fuelled the race to the moon. Back in 1650, Adam finds out how the opening of England's first coffeehouse signalled the beginning of a new age of reason; while another everyday invention - the motorcar - sped onto the scene in 1893 thanks to groundbreaking developments by Henry Ford, Karl Benz and Gottfried Daimler. And in 1905, a young man called Albert Einstein changed our view of space and time with one of the most important ideas in modern physics - how's that for a 'eureka year'! Plus, special episode 'The Eureka Year at Christmas' delves into the technology of the festive season, as Adam finds a dazzling description of the first Christmas tree lit by electric light bulbs, peers at X-rays of teddy bear skeletons and pulls a cracker in the name of scientific investigation. Full of amazing stories, told with Adam Hart-Davis' trademark enthusiasm and humour, this entertaining series guides us through some of the astounding moments that changed our world. © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Presented by Adam Hart-Davis Produced by John Byrne and Mary Ward-Lowery First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 9-30 October 2004 (Series 1), 14-28 January 2006 (Series 2), 29 August-19 September 2007 (Series 3), 11 July-1 August 2008 (Series 4), 26 December 2008 ('The Eureka Years at Christmas')

Adam Hart-Davis (Author), Adam Hart-Davis (Narrator)

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Books do Furnish a Life: An electrifying celebration of science writing

'Richard Dawkins is a thunderously gifted science writer.' Sunday Times Including conversations with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Steven Pinker, Matt Ridley and more, this is an essential guide to the most exciting ideas of our time and their proponents from our most brilliant science communicator. Books Do Furnish a Life is divided by theme, including celebrating nature, exploring humanity, and interrogating faith. For the first time, it brings together Richard Dawkins' forewords, afterwords and introductions to the work of some of the leading thinkers of our age - Carl Sagan, Lawrence Krauss, Jacob Bronowski, Lewis Wolpert - with a selection of his reviews to provide an electrifying celebration of science writing, both fiction and non-fiction. It is also a sparkling addition to Dawkins' own remarkable canon of work.

Richard Dawkins (Author), Adam Hart-Davis, Christopher Hitchens, Lalla Ward, Lawrence Krauss, Matt Ridley, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker (Narrator)

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Adam Hart-Davis Presents: The Eureka Years

Adam Hart-Davis presents all four programmes from the complete third series on BBC Radio 4The long history of science is illuminated by eureka moments - occasional and startling breakthroughs that change the way we think about ourselves and our universe. Adam Hart-Davis (What The Romans Did For Us) presents this third series of 'eureka years' for BBC Radio 4. In it he tells the story of unique moments in four particular years - 1965, 1866, 1628 and 1905 - when great leaps were made in our understanding of astronomy, medicine, biology, space and time. In 1965, Adam examines how mankind¿s peculiar gift for self-destruction fuelled the race to the moon. He leafs through a book published in 1628, which described, for the first time, how blood circulates around the human body. In 1866, Charles Darwin was already a controversial celebrity, but an obscure priest growing peas in an Austrian monastic garden was about to lay the groundwork for modern genetics. And in 1905, a young man called Albert Einstein changed our understanding of space and time, and had the most remarkable year of his life - how's that for a 'eureka year'! With his irrepressible enthusiasm for science and a talent for telling great stories, Adam Hart-Davis guides us through some astonishing moments that really did change our world. Listen to our fascinating interview with Adam Hart-Davis on the Audible.co.uk Podcast. ©2014 Audible, Inc. (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Adam Hart-Davis (Author), Adam Hart-Davis (Narrator)

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