The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch
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evolution theory time travel Scientific theories
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Genre | ISBN 0-091-89823-4 (hardcover) | 0-091-89824-2 (paperback) |
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Preceded by | The Science of Discworld II: The Globe | |
Followed by | The Science of Discworld IV: Judgement Day |
The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch (2005) is a book set on the
According to Stewart:
As with the first two volumes, the book alternates between a Discworld story and a serious scientific discussion. The Science of Discworld series is arguably unique in style: we call it fact/fantasy fusion. The scenario allows serious discussion of solid, current science, without distorting it into 'yes, pigs really could fly given GM wings' or whatever. All three books entered the Sunday Times bestseller lists, and the third made it to number one, so we managed to reach a significantly large audience. Perhaps the most gratifying comment came from a Times reviewer: 'the hard science is as gripping as the fiction'. Which is just as it should be.[1]
The title refers to William Paley's watchmaker analogy and Richard Dawkins' subsequent description of evolution as the Blind Watchmaker.
Plot summary
In the Discworld story the wizards learn that, once again, the history of Roundworld has changed, resulting in humans failing to leave Earth before the extinction event shown in the earlier books. They discover that the difference from established history was that Charles Darwin wrote a book called Theology of Species, which described how evolution must be controlled by a Creator. This was generally accepted by both religious figures and conservative scientists, and led to a certain stagnation of thought, preventing the eventual invention of the space elevator. When the wizards try to correct this, the potential futures of Roundworld go mad. The possibility of Darwin ever writing the book becomes near zero, with most futures featuring his death or failure to write a book in seemingly improbable—and sometimes downright ridiculous—ways.
The wizards eventually deduce that Roundworld has caught the attention of the Auditors of Reality, who approve of a universe which runs on unthinking rules, and disapprove of humans, who try to make it more like the
While attempting to maintain a timeline where The Origin was written, the wizards inadvertently take Darwin to the Discworld. There they discover that his line of thought was disrupted by an Auditor-advised visit from the Disc's God of Evolution, leading to Theology. After defeating the Auditors the wizards manage to correct this, by explaining the situation to Darwin. Since Darwin then wishes to forget the whole thing, they are ethically able to grant his request after showing him the culmination of his legacy—the Natural History Museum in London.
Ideas and themes
In the discussion section Cohen and Stewart examine the theory of
At the 2006 Discworld Convention, Cohen and Stewart explained that they originally drafted a very different outline for Science of Discworld III, in which the wizards visited various different fictional versions of
Reception
The book was reviewed by Ian C.W Hardy for Trends in Ecology & Evolution. The reviewer wrote that the book, focusing, as the title implies, on the
Writing for the New Scientist, Stephen Baxter praised the book concluding that "Terry Pratchett has galvanised literacy levels among the young, while Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart qualify as two of our finest popular science writers. Their collaboration is an earnest and conscientious educational project, a fun book which deserves to be taken very seriously indeed".[3]
The book was also positively reviewed for the AudioFile ("Education mixed with entertainment—what a wonderful concept"),[4] Booklist ("For Pratchett fans saddened by the author's passing, the book is a must-read swan song, whereas science buffs who don't mind the fanciful story line will find the nonfiction essay chapters fascinating")[5] and Publishers Weekly ("The late Pratchett, creator of the wildly popular Discworld novels, and his coauthors offer fascinating insight into Darwin, his world, and how Victorian life shaped his theory of evolution. Even technophobic readers will enjoy this cheerful, accessible look at the less-than-linear path of scientific discovery, where the most comfortable answer is usually not the best")[6]
References
- ^ "Warwick Magazine - Ian Stewart on The Science of Discworld".
- ISSN 0169-5347.
- EBSCOhost 17222177. Archived from the originalon 23 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- EBSCOhost 108715288. Archived from the originalon 23 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- EBSCOhost 103268370.
- ^ "Darwin's Watch: The Science of Discworld III". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 23 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
External links
- The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Nettleton, Paul (28 April 2005). "Peer review. Darwin's Watch: The science of Discworld III Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.