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The Reality Bubble
- How Science Reveals the Hidden Truths that Shape Our World
- Narrated by: Ziya Tong
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
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The Reality Bubble
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Publisher's Summary
WINNER OF THE 2020 LANE ANDERSON AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 RBC TAYLOR PRIZE
From one of the world's most engaging science journalists, a groundbreaking and wonder-filled look at the hidden things that shape our lives in unexpected and sometimes dangerous ways.
Our naked eyes see only a thin sliver of reality.
We are blind in comparison to the X-rays that peer through skin, the mass spectrometers that detect the dead inside the living, or the high-tech surveillance systems that see with artificial intelligence.
And we are blind compared to the animals that can see in infrared, or ultraviolet, or in 360-degree vision. These animals live in the same world we do, but they see something quite different when they look around.
With all of the curiosity and flair that drives her broadcasting, Ziya Tong illuminates this hidden world, and takes us on a journey to examine ten of humanity's biggest blind spots.
First, we are introduced to the blind spots we are all born with, to see how technology reveals an astonishing world that exists beyond our human senses. It is with these new ways of seeing that today's scientists can image everything from an atom to a black hole.
In Section Two, our collective blind spots are exposed. It's not that we can't see, Tong reminds us. It's that we don't. In the 21st century, there are cameras everywhere, except where our food comes from, where our energy comes from, and where our waste goes. Being in the dark when it comes to how we survive makes it impossible to navigate our future.
Lastly, the scope widens to our civilizational blind spots. Here, the blurred lens of history reveals how we inherit ways of thinking about the world that seem natural or inevitable but are in fact little more than traditions, ways of seeing the world that have come to harm it.
This vitally important new book shows how science, and the curiosity that drives it, can help civilization flourish by opening our eyes to the landscape laid out before us. Fast-paced, utterly fascinating, and deeply humane, The Reality Bubble gives voice to the sense we've all had -- that there is more to the world than meets the eye.
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What the critics say
“This book will tear through your preconceptions like a meteor through space. Ziya Tong is a wonderfully erudite companion on a tour of reality, from the very smallest to the size of the universe and everything in between. It’s an incredibly illuminating and challenging but ultimately empowering book, and reading it delivers a shock almost on the level as when Neo took the red pill in The Matrix. Prepare to have your bubble well and truly burst.” (Rowan Hooper, New Scientist)
“The Reality Bubble grabs your metaphoric lapels and rattles your mental cage. Page after page, Ziya Tong provides clear lenses for looking at the world, and entertainingly insists we use them - like, now, please. If you don’t want to destabilize your conceptions of space, time, biology, and geography, I suggest you back away slowly.” (Adam Rogers, WIRED)
What listeners say about The Reality Bubble
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nathan Nychyporuk
- 2020-08-28
This is the most important book to hear right now
This book was extremely well written and planned. Everything that is said in the book came from a very factual perspective and is 100% relevant to our current times. It is so important to understand our role on earth and in mankind! There were a few spots in the book where the information was overwhelming, but I'm convinced this was the case because it was challenging my worldviews and asking me to be more open minded about how the world is currently operating. Recommend this to anyone living on earth right now.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Felipe Almeida
- 2020-10-31
very interesting overview
interesting book but a great overview of various topics, from philosophy of science to climate change. Not at all a hard book. Possible a bit boring for those with good overall knowledge in science but with some interesting chapters even for those.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2021-01-05
LOVED this book!
I've listened to this book three times. Not only is it full of interesting and awe-inspiring information about the world, it is exceptionally well-written and the narrator (the author) is the best I've heard in any audible book - expressive, upbeat, beautiful tone to her voice. I loved it and would recommend it to any thinking person who wants to gain a deeper and broader perspective on life and the world around us.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- snickels
- 2022-07-12
A book everyone the world over should read.
Provides a view of our blind spots and a more realistic perspective that is not so erogante. It provides some insight on the worlds true questions we should pose and seek answers to and work towards solving. It also provides an interesting view of science for those that may be skeptical.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- B
- 2022-03-07
Learned every minute of it
What a fascinating listen. I'll never think the same about electricity, meat, ownership, time, sight, space, pollution and so many other topics of every day life. I got this on sale or included in membership, but would be well worth full price or credit. It's an enlightening education on biological, societal and civilizational blind spots.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-09-28
Exhilarating, depressing, and hopeful
Tong is a brilliant, rollicking storyteller with a mastery of a multitude of topics that she makes sing with urgency. I loved the theme- everything that really matters is hidden in plain sight! Worth every moment of listening.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Charlie
- 2024-10-09
Wow!
Very very interesting and informative. Keeps you thinking wow! I recommend this book to anyone that is interested in what really goes on In the world.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alicia
- 2019-06-09
Great listen. 10/10
Narrator was great, very well written. Several chapters taught me a great deal. Highly recommend!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2019-08-17
A great book on the importance of perspective
I really enjoyed this book. Though a bit repetitive, this book is thought-provoking an interesting with little nuggets and factoids even on topics I thought I knew inside out. It bounces back and forth but given the subject matter, I didn't mind the fluidity from subject to subject. Despite how grim some of the topics get, there is something slightly uplifting in the book and its end helps put into perspective our unique positions and roles.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- C. C. M.
- 2021-01-18
where is the emergency brake?
I thought the book was well written and well narrated also. Unfortunately, I also found it deeply disturbing. Undoubtably that was the effect the author was going for and she achieved it profoundly!
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