The Science of Discworld

Books by Terry Pratchett (+ quotes) (62 items)
list by Reginleif

Depending on what you are interested in some parts of this book are rather dry. It tries to describe a possible scientific "why" of this world(earth). It does this through the bumbling observations of Discword's unseen university where they accidentally create a new universe inside a magic bubble. A universe without magic.

It alternates from the point of view of the professors and... read more

Description: In the fantasy universe of the phenomenally best-selling Discworld series, everything runs on magic and common sense. The world is flat and million-to-one chances happen nine times out of ten. Our world seems different - it runs on rules, often rather strange ones. Science is our way of finding out what those rules are. The appeal of Discworld is that it mostly makes sense, in a way that particle physics doesn't. "The Science of Discworld" uses the magic of Discworld to illuminate the scientific rules that govern "our" world. When a wizardly experiment goes adrift, the wizards of Unseen University find the In the fantasy universe of the phenomenally best-selling Discworld series, everything runs on magic and common sense. The world is flat and million-to-one chances happen nine times out of ten. Our world seems different - it runs on rules, often rather strange ones. Science is our way of finding out what those rules are. The appeal of Discworld is that it mostly makes sense, in a way that particle physics doesn't.

"The Science of Discworld" uses the magic of Discworld to illuminate the scientific rules that govern "our" world. When a wizardly experiment goes adrift, the wizards of Unseen University find themselves with a pocket universe on their hands: Roundworld, where neither magic nor common sense seems to stand a chance against logic.

Roundworld is, of course, our own universe. With us inside it (eventually). Guided (if that's the word) by the wizards, we follow the story from the primal singularity of the Big Bang to the Internet and beyond. We discover how puny and insignificant lives are against a cosmic backdrop of creation and disaster. Yet, paradoxically, we see how the richness of a universe based on rules has led to a complex world and at least one species that tried to get a grip on what was going on...
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