Between Inner Space and Outer Space: Essays on Science, Art, and Philosophy

Description

In this fascinating-and entertaining collection of essays, acclaimed cosmologist and writer John D. Barrow addresses the many questions that we ponder in our quest to discover the universe. Key topics are: the popularity of Big Science, and physics and cosmology in particular; life on other planets; issues of time and space and quantum reality; the ancient foundations of science, mathematics, and their most modern expression—complexity theory; and how science relates to religion and aesthetics. Taken as a whole, these thought-provoking essays provide a rich introduction to contemporary scientific debate. John D. Barrow is Professor of Mathematical Sciences in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University, and Director of the Millennium Mathematics Project, a new programme to raise the profile of mathematics amongst young people and the general public. His principal area of scientific research is cosmology, and he is the author of several highly acclaimed books about the nature and significance of modern developments in physics, astronomy, and mathematics, including The Left Hand of Creation, The Anthropic Cosmological Principle, The World Within the World (a revised edition of which, entitled The Universe that Discovered Itself, is to be published in 2000), Theories of Everything, Pi in the Sky, The Origin of the Universe, The Artful Universe, and Impossibility. Between Inner Space and Outer Space Preface Acknowledgements Contents Part 1 The popularisation of science 1 As well as science what do you know? 2 In the world’s image 3 Falling between two cultures Part 2 Life in the Universe 4 Anthropic principles in cosmology 5 Sizing up the Universe 6 Are there any laws of physics? 7 Long-distance calls 8 The truth is in the choosing Part 3 Theories of everything—even gravity 9 Theories of everything 10 Limits of science 11 Of the utmost gravity 12 Getting it together Part 4 Mathematics 13 Why is the Universe mathematical? 14 It’s all Platonic pi in the sky 15 Counter culture 16 Rational vote doomed Part 5 Simplicity and complexity 17 Complexity 18 Where the wild things are 19 Patterns emerging from a complex world 20 Chance and determinism 21 Outlook moderate to fair; winds, changeable 22 Why is the world comprehensible? Part 6 Aesthetics 23 Survival of the artiest 24 Musical cheers and the beautiful noise 25 Stars in their ancient eyes Part 7 Time 26 Cosmological time 27 Universe began in no time at all 28 Arrows and some banana skins Part 8 Quantum reality 29 In the best of all possible worlds 30 Great Dane 31 Complementary concepts 32 Much ado about nothing Part 9: Religion and science 33 Doubting castles in the air 34 Immortal, invisible... not really there? 35 Accepting Pascal’s wager 36 Getting something from nothing Part 10: Cosmology 37 An explosion into time and space 38 What COBE saw 39 Is the Universe open or closed? 40 The origin of the Universe 41 Battle of the giants 42 They came from inner space Index