Author: Tom McNichol
Narrator: Malcolm Hillgartner
Unabridged: 6 hr 29 min
Format: Digital Audiobook
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Published: 05/01/2008
Genre: Science - History
Long before there was VHS versus Betamax, Windows versus Macintosh, or BluRay versus HDDVD, the first and nastiest standards war was fought over how electricity would be transmitted around the world: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). The savage showdown between AC and DC changed the lives of billions of people, shaped the modern technological age, and set the stage for all standards wars to follow. AC/DC tells the littleknown story of how Thomas Edison bet wrong in that war, eventually losing control over the operating system for his future inventionsnot to mention the company he founded, which would later become General Electric. Todays Digital Age wizards can take lessons from Edisons fierce battle: control an inventions technical standard and you control the market.
Since the beginning of time, science has shaped human history, culture and daily life. Learn about fascinating stories like how dreams changed the world of science, the origins of tattoo culture, how early civilizations supplied their drinking water...
How does the physics we know today—a highly professionalized enterprise, inextricably linked to government and industry—link back to its origins as a liberal art in Ancient Greece? What is the path that leads from the old philosophy of n...
Samuel Birley Rowbotham (1816–1884) wrote Zetetic Astronomy: Earth Not a Globe under the pseudonym Parallax. His work was originally published as a 16-page pamphlet (1849), and later expanded into a book (1865). The term “zetetic&rd...
What does the history of science reveal about sex and sexuality? Explore the relationship between body and sexual identity with a Harvard-educated expert. Prior to the seventeenth century, Western attitudes toward sexuality came primarily from ...
In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted Pluto out of planethood. Far from the sun, tiny, and eccentric in orbit, it’s a wonder Pluto has any fans. Yet during the mounting debate over Pluto’s status, Americans rallied ...
Learn all about The Apollo Program, black holes, space exploration and more in The Seeker Space Collection!The Apollo ProgramIn a race against time, the Apollo Program challenged our scientific capabilities and redefined the boundaries of humanity. ...
What can Galileo’s extraordinary life and profound legacy teach us today?Galileo's story is a touchstone in debates about science and religion, but our preconceptions inevitably color the way we see the issues. To understand who Galileo was, w...
“I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks, but for the ledger of our daily work.” – Neil Armstrong “Some things just can't be described. And stepping onto the moon was one of them.” &nd...
History of science, since time immemorial, has embraced clearly defined interdisciplinary methods and perspectives, and other fields of human endeavor are beginning to buy into the pace set by sciences. Understanding science has become a more comple...