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Bill Bryson's Appliance of Science

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Bill Bryson's Appliance of Science

Written by: Bill Bryson
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About this listen

Sunday Times best-selling author of A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson, teams up with The Science Museum to celebrate the ideas and inventions of the incurably curious.

Across this five-episode series, Bill Bryson, with the help of The Science Museum's curators, takes us object-by-object through some of the museum's lesser known inventions and discoveries - and the human stories behind them.

Discover how a teenage inventor, a pig's head, a lump of plywood and a famous British record label made medical history or how some inventions simply happen by accident. This 'museum for your ears' looks at how experimentation, competition, hard work and a desire to change our lives for the better have contributed to the progress of mankind.

This is an Audible Original Podcast. Free for members. You can download all 5 episodes to your Library now.

©2017 Audible, Ltd. (P)2017 Audible, Ltd. History & Culture
Episodes
  • Ep. 1: Mapping the Earth

    Ep. 1: Mapping the Earth
    Feb 27 2018

    An object that helped create the first map of Britain and one at the forefront of climate-change research. Bill tells the stories of the Great Theodolite that was used on the principle triangulation of Britain, and AATSR (Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer) that measures the temperature of the sea from space.

    Both objects tell a story about why collaboration is so important in the field of scientific discovery from the teams that put together the first maps to the international fight against climate change. He is joined in this episode by Alex Rose, curator of Earth Sciences at the Science Museum.

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    16 mins
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  • Ep. 2: The Pioneers of Radio

    Ep. 2: The Pioneers of Radio
    Feb 27 2018
    Bill tells the story of the Italian Navy Detector that was devised by a humble scientist, Jagadish Chandra Bose, who could be regarded as one of India's greatest minds. And the more famous, Guillermo Marconi, and his quest to invent the Marconi Short-Wave Beam Transmitter. He is joined by John Liffen, the Science Museum's Curator of Communications.
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    22 mins
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  • Ep. 3: Life-Saving Clocks

    Ep. 3: Life-Saving Clocks
    Feb 27 2018
    Bill is joined by David Rooney, the Science Museum's Curator of Time, Navigation and Transport, who tells the story of the John Harrison Clock and the inventor's quest to solve the longitude problem.
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    14 mins
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What listeners say about Bill Bryson's Appliance of Science

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Profile Image for Megan & Darren

Bits and pieces from the London Museum of Science

one of the things that is always fascinated me of a big museums is what don't we get to see, and what stories don't we get to hear about. this behind-the-scenes look at curators favourite items makes me want to go back.

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Great!

I am really like this podcast. nice content. fantastic and excellent narration in this content.

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Great!

I am really like this podcast. nice content. fantastic and excellent narration in this content.

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Great!

I am really like this podcast. nice content. fantastic and excellent narration in this content.

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Profile Image for Deryk J Ball

Bryson delivers vocally as fabulously he writes

I have yet to be disappointed with any of Bill Bryson's work. I was a bit surprised when he opened with his first few lines of script, as I had never heard him vocally. Having never considered his vocal characteristics when reading his work I am excited to read anything of his that hasn't found it's way to me.
Thank you Bill.

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