Brilliant Blunders

From Darwin to Einstein - Colossal Mistakes by Great Scientists That Changed Our Understanding of Life and the Universe

By: Mario Livio

Narrated by: Jeff Cummings

We all make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. Not even some of the greatest geniuses in history, as Mario Livio tells us in this marvelous story of scientific error and breakthrough.

Charles Darwin, William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), Linus Pauling, Fred Hoyle, and Albert Einstein were all brilliant scientists. Each made groundbreaking contributions to his field - but each also stumbled badly. Darwin’s theory of natural selection shouldn’t have worked, according to the prevailing beliefs of his time. Not until Gregor Mendel’s work was known would there be a mechanism to explain natural selection. How could Darwin be both wrong and right? Lord Kelvin, Britain’s leading scientific intellect at the time, gravely miscalculated the age of the Earth. Linus Pauling, the world’s premier chemist (who would win the Nobel Prize in chemistry) constructed an erroneous model for DNA in his haste to beat the competition to publication. Astrophysicist Fred Hoyle dismissed the idea of a "Big Bang" origin to the universe (ironically, the caustic name he gave to this event endured long after his erroneous objections were disproven). And Albert Einstein, whose name is synonymous with genius, speculated incorrectly about the forces that hold the universe in equilibrium - and that speculation opened the door to brilliant conceptual leaps.

These five scientists expanded our knowledge of life on Earth, the evolution of the Earth itself, and the evolution of the universe, despite and because of their errors. As Mario Livio luminously explains, the scientific process advances through error. Mistakes are essential to progress.

Brilliant Blunders is a singular tour through the world of science and scientific achievement - and a wonderfully insightful examination of the psychology of five fascinating scientists.

©2013 Marie Livio (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Very complete and different perspective on genius

Very interesting perspective on science and human mindset, showing even genius make mistakes as we do.

Fascinatingly dry as an overcooked Turkey.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I'd start with Einstein and cosmology and finish with Darwin.

What do you think your next listen will be?

The Mezzanine by Nicholson Baker

What about Jeff Cummings’s performance did you like?

I didn't find anything to dislike.

Did Brilliant Blunders inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to make a salami and cheese sandwich while listening. Does that count?

Any additional comments?

It's a good book and fascinating subject, but brother does it need gravy.

Audible Blunders

What does Jeff Cummings bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jeff Cummings often blunders in his pronunciations of both scientific words such as helical, and of the names of many well known scientists.

A wonderful trip through modern science

This is a wonderful complement to "Farewell to Reality". Both books are written by fully rounded and grounded scientists. Both are full of insights and highlight the human dimension of the science industry. This title builds the history and backdrop on the intellectual and social levels describing the achievements of modern science that we often take for granted and think they were always there for everyone.

Science by Humans

I feel smarter for having listened to this. Wonderfully explained concepts that have previously flown over my head, put into enjoyably human context.