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Reviews
The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe by Clifford V. Johnson, Frank Wilczek
kaylielongley's review against another edition
5.0
It is an absolute joy to experience new thoughts on cosmology in graphic novel form. Author, physics prof, and overall professional nerd Clifford Johnson worked hard to develop this story, creating conversations between scientists and strangers, all based on research. His medium? Comics. His message? Physics is ever-changing and should be talked about, in and outside the classroom and lab. Science is all about observing and asking questions, and it's built from theories and tools. Equations shouldn't be feared, they suggest answers on spacetime, kitchen chemistry, quantum mechanics, and life itself. I found this graphic novel to be the perfect display of physics, as formulas spill on to the pages and conversations fall into fun tangents. Intelligent yet fun, this book genuinely excites and encourages me to keep exploring, think scientifically, and ask questions.
bigfreakbaby's review against another edition
5.0
I love the thesis of this book - essentially that making science accessible is important and that science is relevant and worth learning about even if not for a career. The actual content was fairly cool, but I didn’t super read into the background of each section. Each part, however, is written with a ton of love for the people and ideas in the book, and a lot of thought put into how the ideas are communicated and debated. There were a few typos in my copy, dunno if that’s in all versions. I’m not necessarily saying it’s an all time great pop science book but it is super worth a read for people who aren’t in hard science (I’m not, really) or don’t think it’s relevant or interesting
andreala's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
5elementknitr's review against another edition
3.0
This is such a great idea! It's well-executed and informative and WAY over my head.
The only chapter I really understood was the one with the two kids and the grain of rice.
I didn't particularly like the way the adults talked to each other. They kept cutting each other off, and "well, actually" was bandied about quite a bit.
Towards the end, I wasn't retaining jack shit that I was reading; in one eyeball and out the other.
For science lovers or those becoming science lovers, this is a must-read. It was just... not my bag.
The only chapter I really understood was the one with the two kids and the grain of rice.
I didn't particularly like the way the adults talked to each other. They kept cutting each other off, and "well, actually" was bandied about quite a bit.
Towards the end, I wasn't retaining jack shit that I was reading; in one eyeball and out the other.
For science lovers or those becoming science lovers, this is a must-read. It was just... not my bag.
jk0323's review against another edition
2.0
I found myself repeatedly frustrated with this book that I wanted so badly to like. It is a graphic novel comprised of 11 chapters, or dialogues, about physics. The idea being to present modern physics in a conversational and layman style.
This experiment failed. The artwork is OK, struggling in particular with faces,making people look alien and angular. the dialogue is completely unrealistic and unnatural. The physics jumps from too basic to too advanced without striking a proper balance on explaining full concepts in order to grasp more advanced ones.
I hope to read a book on the standard model to bolster my understanding of particle physics, because this certainly was not geared for a beginner, instead this seems like a nov way to represent facts known to people already in the field.
The book is not without more interesting sections, a highlight being the discussing of electromagnetism, but overall very disappointed. I would NOT recommend.
This experiment failed. The artwork is OK, struggling in particular with faces,making people look alien and angular. the dialogue is completely unrealistic and unnatural. The physics jumps from too basic to too advanced without striking a proper balance on explaining full concepts in order to grasp more advanced ones.
I hope to read a book on the standard model to bolster my understanding of particle physics, because this certainly was not geared for a beginner, instead this seems like a nov way to represent facts known to people already in the field.
The book is not without more interesting sections, a highlight being the discussing of electromagnetism, but overall very disappointed. I would NOT recommend.
ricksilva's review against another edition
4.0
This is an overview of important current ideas in physics, with emphasis on cosmology, as well as a lot of material on the nature and practice of science, and some of the philosophy behind science.
All of it is presented in a series of conversations between a variety of characters, some professional scientists and some not. The conversations have the occasional awkward moment for the sake of moving the discussion along, but in general I was impressed with how naturally the conversations went, especially considering the subject matter. These were enjoyable intellectual discussions, always respectful, and full of insights and ideas. Some of the information presented gets technical, but it always quickly circles back to plain language.
There is a lot of emphasis on the idea of the multiverse, but the conversations touch on many aspects of relativity, theories-of-everything, spacetime, the relationship between science and mathematics, and even a chapter on the traditional scientific method.
The book has a diverse cast of characters, with many of them appearing in more than one dialogue. I was left wanting to learn more about several of them, past the brief glimpses we get of their lives.
Also included is a foreword by physicist Frank Wilczek, as well as extensive notes after each dialogue with recommended reading on the topics discussed.
This is a great look at science and a fascinating use of the graphic novel format.
All of it is presented in a series of conversations between a variety of characters, some professional scientists and some not. The conversations have the occasional awkward moment for the sake of moving the discussion along, but in general I was impressed with how naturally the conversations went, especially considering the subject matter. These were enjoyable intellectual discussions, always respectful, and full of insights and ideas. Some of the information presented gets technical, but it always quickly circles back to plain language.
There is a lot of emphasis on the idea of the multiverse, but the conversations touch on many aspects of relativity, theories-of-everything, spacetime, the relationship between science and mathematics, and even a chapter on the traditional scientific method.
The book has a diverse cast of characters, with many of them appearing in more than one dialogue. I was left wanting to learn more about several of them, past the brief glimpses we get of their lives.
Also included is a foreword by physicist Frank Wilczek, as well as extensive notes after each dialogue with recommended reading on the topics discussed.
This is a great look at science and a fascinating use of the graphic novel format.
diamondxgirl's review against another edition
4.0
#thedialogues poses an interesting idea: what if we incorporated science into our daily conversations the way we do politics, sports, or movies/tv shows? What would our world be like if we discussed our questions or unknowns? What if every scientist believed those outside the field were interested (and capable!) of having discussions around science?
Science can feel exclusive but The Dialogues finds a way to bring it to the lay person. Swipe to see my favorite panel, featuring two youth going through the scientific method (without even knowing it!). Their curiosity came from a meal they were eating.
Last year, we went to #SVCC, which featured a partnership with #NASA. I didn’t go to a con expecting to want to spend the entire weekend in science panels but once we engaged with NASA scientists, we couldn’t resist spending our weekend learning more. My preferred science has always been biology (my original major!) but I was way into the astrophysics being presented. The Dialogues reminded me of this experience!
I loved that the author/illustrator designed a graphic novel versus a print story (show, not tell). I also appreciated the explanations at the end of the chapter, which provided insight and further reading opportunities.
Highly recommend for everyone to plant the seed of adding science to your day! Take that curiosity into your daily conversations and watch yourself turn into a scientist!
PS who is joining us for the #Gemina part of #illuminaereadalong, starting next Monday! Reading #SFF is a great way to start a discussion about science!
Science can feel exclusive but The Dialogues finds a way to bring it to the lay person. Swipe to see my favorite panel, featuring two youth going through the scientific method (without even knowing it!). Their curiosity came from a meal they were eating.
Last year, we went to #SVCC, which featured a partnership with #NASA. I didn’t go to a con expecting to want to spend the entire weekend in science panels but once we engaged with NASA scientists, we couldn’t resist spending our weekend learning more. My preferred science has always been biology (my original major!) but I was way into the astrophysics being presented. The Dialogues reminded me of this experience!
I loved that the author/illustrator designed a graphic novel versus a print story (show, not tell). I also appreciated the explanations at the end of the chapter, which provided insight and further reading opportunities.
Highly recommend for everyone to plant the seed of adding science to your day! Take that curiosity into your daily conversations and watch yourself turn into a scientist!
PS who is joining us for the #Gemina part of #illuminaereadalong, starting next Monday! Reading #SFF is a great way to start a discussion about science!