The Science Of Discworld II: The Globe

Ian Stewart, Jack Cohen, Terry Pratchett

Ebury Publishing, Jun 30, 2011 - Science - 368 pages

The acclaimed Science of Discworld centred around an original Pratchett story about the Wizards of Discworld. In it they accidentally witnessed the creation and evolution of our universe, a plot which was interleaved with a Cohen & Stewart non-fiction narrative about Big Science. In The Science of Discworld II our authors join forces again to see just what happens when the wizards meddle with history in a battle against the elves for the future of humanity on Earth. London is replaced by a dozy Neanderthal village. The Renaissance is given a push. The role of fat women in art is developed. And one very famous playwright gets born and writes The Play. Weaving together a fast-paced Discworld novelette with cutting-edge scientific commentary on the evolution and development of the human mind, culture, language, art, and science, this is a book in which 'the hard science is as gripping as the fiction'. (The Times)

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - Berly - LibraryThing

This book alternates between a storyline on Roundworld, with Discworld characters, and chapters discussing quantum physics, evolution, psychology, religion, time, multiverses, culture, and philosophy ...

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - nonesuch42 - LibraryThing

The wizards are at it again. Will Roundworld ever be free of Discworldian influence? Probably not. This book has the same pop science alternating with story as the first Science of Discworld book. And ...

About the author

Professor Ian Stewart is the author of many popular science books. He is the mathematics consultant for New Scientist and a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick. He was awarded the Michael Faraday Prize for furthering the public understanding of science, and in 2001 became a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Dr Jack Cohen is an internationally-known reproductive biologist, and lives in Newent, Gloucestershire. Jack has a laboratory in his kitchen, helps couples get pregnant by referring them to colleagues, invents biologically realistic aliens for science fiction writers and, in his spare time, throws boomerangs. Jack, who has more letters to his name than can be repeated here, writes, lectures, talks and campaigns to promote public awareness of science, particularly biology. He is mostly retired.

Terry Pratchett was the acclaimed creator of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of over fifty bestselling books which have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood for services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any. www.terrypratchettbooks.com

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Science Of Discworld II: The Globe
• Authors: Ian Stewart, Jack Cohen, Terry Pratchett
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: Ebury Publishing, 2011
• ISBN: 140702261X, 9781407022611
• Length: 368 pages
• Subjects: History / Social History; Science / Essays; Science / General; Science / Life Sciences / Evolution