Bill Bryson's Appliance of Science

by Bill Bryson

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Audiobook, History

Audible Audio

Published February 23, 2018

About the author

Bill Bryson is a bestselling American-British author known for his witty and accessible nonfiction books spanning travel, science, and language. He rose to prominence with Notes from a Small Island (1995), an affectionate portrait of Britain, and solidified his global reputation with A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003), a popular science book that won the Aventis and Descartes Prizes. Raised in Iowa, Bryson lived most of his adult life in the UK, working as a journalist before turning to writing full-time. His other notable works include A Walk in the Woods, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, and The Mother Tongue. Bryson served as Chancellor of Durham University (2005–2011) and received numerous honorary degrees and awards, including an honorary OBE and election as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society. Though he announced his retirement from writing in 2020, he remains one of the most beloved voices in contemporary nonfiction, with over 16 million books sold worldwide.

Reviews

[Zack Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best thing I have read/heard from this author. His tone and arrogance annoy me usually. Road to Lil debbling or whatever it was called, was grilling to finish. It felt like reading an overdrawn insult from a curmudgeon. That was the last book of his that I have read. This, however, was informative, positive and clearly presented. It may have benefited that there were other voices/perspectives to present the things he believes important. Being that I am generally indifferent to genres and will read anything put in front of me, I doubt this is the last thing I will read from this author. But I am more optimistic than readings before.

[Saravanan Mani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminded me a lot of Neil McGregor's history of the world in a 100 objects. Bryson presents an interesting outline of events surrounding scientific objects. The gaps in the program are due to the very brief length of the series. If not a hundred objects, this program deserves at least another dozen or so objects.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Podcast. 5 short interviews from between 15 t0 about 20 minutes with 5 different curators discussing little known inventions and and discoveries.

Ep 1: Mapping the earth
Ep 2: The Pioneers of Radio
Ep 3: Life-saving clocks
Ep 4: Giant telescopes and fusion power
Ep 5: Unlikely medical inventions

Well worth listening to!

[Kylie Abecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative and interesting. I had to go back over the information in order to devour it properly and will definitely have to go back to this a few more times in order to save even half of what is included.

[Nuno · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is too short! Only five episodes (about 20 minutes each) where Bill gives curators form the Science Museum the chance to talk about some of the objects in their possession. Interesting stuff if you're into science.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Bryson and presenters call this a museum for your ears and it’s absolutely fantastic. It reminded how much I loved Neil MacGregor’s “A History of the World in 100 objects” from BBC radio at the British Museum.

Very highly recommended!

[Sheila Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating stuff. Great to hear directly from the curators of the Science Museum. These are 5 programmes from a podcast (or radio programme - I don’t know which) so be prepared for repeated introductions to each session.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally I enjoy books talking about science for a popular audience. (Science for English Majors, I like to call it.) This failed to fully pique my interest. Maybe it was the particular items the museum curators chose, or perhaps it was the solemnity of the proceedings.

[Abdrahman Gamal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A science museum in your ears, which celebrates the forgotten heroes who made our today's scientific achievements possible.
Here's to the underdogs of science.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting at exploring different scientific ideas and discoveries.

[Alyson Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little series, throughly enjoy it!

[Any Length · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative and captivating audio book.

[Jessica-sim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and well produced. But of course way too short! Time to revisit some other books by Bill Bryson

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting, but the start was a bit boring for my liking.

[Athanasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, good production, very good content

[Debalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nice set of audible original presentations. I love some of these audible original series on science, meditation and other topics. Highly recommend.

[John Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this audible series author, Bill Bryson takes a look at some exhibits in the Science Museum in London. I found this series very interesting I liked how they looked at the scientists and the historical context of the exhibits too and now I cant wait to go back there and take another look at these exhibits in a new light.

[Hilary Cockshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Frieda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very interesting and informative. Especially the last section on imaging used in the medical field. As someone with a benign pituitary tumor, and having gone for many MRIs, CT scans, I couldn't imagine having to lie there for time it needed! 15 hours!!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Podcast series of 5 episodes discussing objects at the Science of Museum in London. I love factoids and it was cool.