Get up again at 6.50 in the morning to go to Milan by train has its advantages: I have time to read again: P The Today's review covers The Science of Discworld (see 2 posts below) written by the brilliant Terry Pratchett, in collaboration with Ian Stewart, professor of mathematics at the University of Warwick (English town by the name ridiculous: P), and Jack Cohen, a biologist specialized in embryology.
The book begins with an experiment gone bad Unseen University in Ankh-Morpork. A magical reactor designed to heat the cold ass magicians during the harsh winter is producing a disproportionate amount of energy: the only way to avoid sweeping away the entire city and channel to something. This is something the Project.
Mages are like that, once activated, the Project, to observe the birth of a strange universe enclosed by a glass sphere: there is no presence of narrativium and turtles, the worlds tend to be balls of rock and ice and not supported by reliable records elephants balanced on a turtle's shell (as all the worlds that are observed should be), and common sense seems to have been replaced by silly concepts such as logic, physics and evolution.
course in this particular universe is a planet revolving around a yellow sun (ridicolo!!) And it is here that the poor and unfortunate Scuotivento, promoted to professor of geography cruel and unusual, is delivered virtually ( luckily for him) to observe (between ice ages and catastrophic impacts from comets) his strange life forms.
The book is quite different from the classic books by Pratchett. For the chapters that follow the events and rambling thoughts of Wizards of the university, faced with this universe that does not want to learn a little common sense, alternating chapters written by Ian Jack and telling in a more detailed technical, but always serious and comprehensive The birth of our universe, our planet and our ancestors (from "so please"). At first glance one might think that the concepts presented are set in a simplistic and superficial, however, is a mistake, it happened to me several times of having to read a page to truly understand the meaning and to find that there is a reading to do before going to bed after a tiring day you completely deprived of all forces. Despite all
is a really interesting read that gives a quick but comprehensive overview of the last 14 billion years, also dispelling myths and beliefs that are now part of our cultural background. The chapters of Pratchett then, are a great and entertaining interlude to introduce, through the absurd reasoning of the magicians, the topic dealt with in the next chapter.
The translation of the Italian version stands at good levels, with some typo here beyond, but flows that is a pleasure. The translator seems to have been documented before starting work and also added personal notes to clarify the facts that have occurred since the publication (1999), and re-updating (2002), the book (for example, downgrading Pluto's happened a few years ago).
A recommended reading. Do not be scared by the first chapter and read it with a clear mind!
The book is quite different from the classic books by Pratchett. For the chapters that follow the events and rambling thoughts of Wizards of the university, faced with this universe that does not want to learn a little common sense, alternating chapters written by Ian Jack and telling in a more detailed technical, but always serious and comprehensive The birth of our universe, our planet and our ancestors (from "so please"). At first glance one might think that the concepts presented are set in a simplistic and superficial, however, is a mistake, it happened to me several times of having to read a page to truly understand the meaning and to find that there is a reading to do before going to bed after a tiring day you completely deprived of all forces. Despite all
is a really interesting read that gives a quick but comprehensive overview of the last 14 billion years, also dispelling myths and beliefs that are now part of our cultural background. The chapters of Pratchett then, are a great and entertaining interlude to introduce, through the absurd reasoning of the magicians, the topic dealt with in the next chapter.
The translation of the Italian version stands at good levels, with some typo here beyond, but flows that is a pleasure. The translator seems to have been documented before starting work and also added personal notes to clarify the facts that have occurred since the publication (1999), and re-updating (2002), the book (for example, downgrading Pluto's happened a few years ago).
A recommended reading. Do not be scared by the first chapter and read it with a clear mind!
