The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries

By: Neil deGrasse Tyson, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Length: 3 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Everything we now know about the universe - from the behavior of quarks to the birth of galaxies - has come from people who've been willing to ponder the unanswerable. And with the advent of modern science, great minds have turned to testing and experimentation rather than mere thought as a way of grappling with some of the universe's most vexing dilemmas.

So what is our latest picture of some of the most inexplicable features of the universe? What still remains to be uncovered and explored by today's scientists?

"We know a lot about the universe. But there's even more that we don't know," says astrophysicist and professor Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium, an award-winning lecturer, and one of the world's foremost experts on the secrets of the universe. This course, which has been honored with a 2013 Telly Award for Outstanding Educational Program, features six self-contained lectures that transport you on a marvelous journey to the frontiers of the known (and unknown) universe and introduce you to tantalizing questions being addressed by the world's top scientists. Engaging and fascinating, this lecture series is a wonderful entrée to scientific pursuits that lie at the very heart of the history and nature of our universe.

Disclaimer: Please note that this recording may include references to supplemental texts or print references that are not essential to the program and not supplied with your purchase.

©2012 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2012 The Great Courses

The Inexplicable Explained

Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of best known physicists working today because of his ability to explain mind-blowingly complex science to civilians. In this short lecture series, he attempts to apply his unique ability to explain things to things he himself calls inexplicable -- atomic and sub-atomic particles, black holes, dark matter and dark energy, the multiverse, genesis, the origin of the universe, et. al.

And he largely succeeds. In such a short course, he does not have the luxury of giving us background on every building block of science, so it certainly helps to come into this already knowing something about the periodic table, for example, or the general theory of relativity -- not at the Ph.D. level, just at the high school level. Even so, there is something here for everyone who has ever been curious about our origins and how we've come to know what we do know about it and how we are attempting to expand our knowledge into areas that remain mysterious and seem unsolvable.

Greate Mysteries--Solved, Unsolved, Unimaginable

Mysteries of the universe, solved and unsolved. . . hmm.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is such an enthusiastic lecturer, I can imagine he could make just about any topic fascinating. He talks about some of the greatest mysteries of our universe, a few that have been already solved and others that we are currently struggling with and may never in our lifetimes find the answers to. He talks about mysteries that keep him up at night and some that defy current imagination. He talks about the existence of mysteries that we don't even have the intelligence or current knowledge to wonder about.

Should we even worry or fret or care about mysteries we cannot solve or even imagine? What was it like when the universe was formed? How about when it will eventually die? Are there parallel universes? What in the heck is dark matter or dark energy? Why should we even care?

If any of these questions interest you, I suggest you get this selection from The Great Courses. It is guaranteed to feel too short for you, no matter what your knowledge base or curiosity index is. It is guaranteed to be fascinating, anyway.

Now, I have to check and see if I can find any other books by deGrasse Tyson. He is a wonderful lecturer! He is worth pursuing further.

A journey with a genius

Professor Neil deGrasse Tyson is known to stand out because of his staying in touch with the world around him, and knows how to break down and explain sophisticated models and theories to the layman.

In this course, he explains the greatest mysteries of modern science. Definitely worth listening to, probably more than once.

There's no time at the speed of light? Wow. Cool.

This book expanded my perceptions.
No time at the speed of light, multiple universes happening all at once and finding out that our definition of what is 'the universe' has changed at least twice during my lifetime, is
pretty amazing stuff.
But also humbling. We may never truly comprehend or define "the universe", and we will likely never be able to accept how inconsequential we are to it.

What can you say about Dr. Tyson? Fantastic!!

This brief course provides some intriguing insights about our universe that should interest anyone.

Dr. Tyson is well-known - and for good reason. He is clear and down to earth (so to speak), while covering scientifically complicated topics.
Highly recommended!

A light introduction to cosmology and the universe.

This short course covers:
1. History's Mysteries. A primer on how we got to where we are now.
2. The Spooky Universe. A look at quantum physics and particles.
3. Inexplicable Life. A look at life and its origins.
4. Inexplicable Physics. Introduction to physics.
5. Inexplicable Space. What we know about our universe.
6. Inexplicable Cosmos. A look at space and the cosmos. With a look at how it all might end.

None of these topics are covered comprehensively. If you are looking to study this field, then this is little more than a recruiting tract.

All the same it is a good introduction to what should be the basic understanding anyone should have about science.

Short but informative

loved it, one of my favorite lectures, i hope he'll do more. it's only about 6 hours but it have a lot of cool and interesting information.

A History of Physics from Aristotle to Present

I was a bit apprehensive about these lectures when I first saw them, but I figured for $1.95 Why not? They were the deal of the day that day.
I missed his show the cosmos, but had heard some dust up about him intentionally using false information on the show as people were debating how ethical it was. Prof. Neil deGrass has also been a rather outspoken persona often cited by followers of the "New Atheism". I have an interest in physics, science and the history and philosophy of science, but don't have much time for Christian bashing, and I was afraid that was what I was going to get. Actually, there was very little of that, and that was nice. Where he did touch on Christianity he showed himself to have little understanding of what he was talking about.
The lectures were entertaining, and educational. They were, however, rather short. I was surprised when they were over. Lectures such as these could have covered a lot more material and gone further into depth. I enjoyed the humility he showed in delivering the lectures and explaining how much we just don't know.

Enjoyable but too short.

I enjoyed it but there really isn't a whole lot of content and it was mostly things I already knew but retold in a more engaging way.

Mini "Universe"

Covers a lot of science that you see in the Discovery channel's TV series. Fun to listen to nevertheless. Neil is a fine successor to Carl, who would have been proud of his efforts.