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Great Scientific Breakthroughs of the 20th Century
December 2, 2005
Alan Lightman professor, humanities, MIT
Christopher Lydon former radio host, The Connection

Alan Lightman and Christopher Lydon discuss the 25 most important scientific discoveries of the 20th century. The last century brought us washing machines and the Internet, relativity and the Big Bang. What are the 25 most important scientific discoveries of the 20th century? Explore the nature of discovery and creativity in science as well as the human dramas and intellectual journeys behind the most fascinating breakthroughs in modern science.

Listen to a complementary interview with Alan Lightman on Thoughcast.org, a podcast and public radio interview program on authors, academics and intellectuals.

Health & Science
Energy | Physics
WGBH
Museum of Science, Boston
Audio-only
Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Aerial Age
Peter L. Jakab
00:41:56
Peter L. Jakab explains how the Wright brothers were able to achieve something that had eluded other capable engineers and scientists for centuries.
Was Einstein Right?
Clifford Will
01:01:05
Clifford Will discusses how the most celebrated scientific theory of the 20th century held up under the exacting scrutiny of planetary probes, radio telescopes and atomic clocks.
Understanding the Universe: An Evening with Frank Wilzcek
Frank Wilczek
01:03:57
The 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics winner, Frank Wilczek, explains the universe, synthesis the Grand Unification of Forces, and shares his vision of a new Golden Age in physics– all for the layperson, in an event celebrating the publication of his new book, The Lightness of Being: Mass, Ether and the U
Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Oil Shock
Matthew Simmons
01:08:38
Oil industry analyst Matthew Simmons draws on his extensive experience in the global energy market to assess the future of Saudi Arabia's oil production capacity.
Transit of Venus: Passing the Sun
David A. Aguilar
00:58:02
David A. Aguilar and Jay M. Pasachoff discuss June 8th, 2004, when we on Earth will witness Venus passing in front of the Sun for the first time in 122 years. This phenomenon, known as the transit of Venus, is one of the rarest of planetary alignments.
Throwing Fire: Projectile Technology Through History
Alfred W. Crosby
00:36:38
Alfred Crosby reads from his latest book, and explores how the global environment can be radically altered by collective human behaviors.
Image of Ghost (Vintage Contemporaries)
Author: Alan Lightman
Publisher: Vintage (2008)
Binding: Paperback, 256 pages
Image of Einstein's Dreams
Author: Alan Lightman
Publisher: Vintage (2004)
Binding: Paperback, 144 pages
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