Marcelo Gleiser is Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy and Professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College. Gleiser proposes a new metaphor to use when thinking about knowledge in general and science specifically.
Human knowledge is an island that grows as our knowledge grows (and sometimes shrinks some when we find out our knowledge is not true). The island grows but is always surrounded by water and never reaches a boundary. We can continue to learn more but never learn everything. Some would find despair in this but Gleiser doesn't.
There are three sections in the book. In the first, Gleiser talks about the evolution of humanity's knowledge about the origin of the Earth and the Universe. The second is titled From Alchemy to the Quantum: the Elusive Nature of Reality. He talks about atoms, heat, light and quantum physics. He describes the limits of what we can know. The third and shortest part is titled Mind and Meaning. This section is devoted to whether mathematics is an invention or a discovery, consciousness and a conclusion.
Gleiser sees science as a way to search for meaning. It is an open ended search that will never end. He does not see science as the only way of finding meaning. Not all scientists would agree with him that there is a limit to how much we can know.
I found the metaphor of knowledge as an island an apt one. Sure, all islands don't grow but they can. This book provided great food for thought. While some of the science may be a review I would recommend this to people who are interested in science or philosophy.
Human knowledge is an island that grows as our knowledge grows (and sometimes shrinks some when we find out our knowledge is not true). The island grows but is always surrounded by water and never reaches a boundary. We can continue to learn more but never learn everything. Some would find despair in this but Gleiser doesn't.
There are three sections in the book. In the first, Gleiser talks about the evolution of humanity's knowledge about the origin of the Earth and the Universe. The second is titled From Alchemy to the Quantum: the Elusive Nature of Reality. He talks about atoms, heat, light and quantum physics. He describes the limits of what we can know. The third and shortest part is titled Mind and Meaning. This section is devoted to whether mathematics is an invention or a discovery, consciousness and a conclusion.
Gleiser sees science as a way to search for meaning. It is an open ended search that will never end. He does not see science as the only way of finding meaning. Not all scientists would agree with him that there is a limit to how much we can know.
I found the metaphor of knowledge as an island an apt one. Sure, all islands don't grow but they can. This book provided great food for thought. While some of the science may be a review I would recommend this to people who are interested in science or philosophy.
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