The World Itself
Description
There is a wonderfully weird but real world out there, and we are a part of it. It is time for physics to take life seriously.
Can we ever truly comprehend the universe before we fully understand consciousness and the wonders, and limits, of the mind? Ulf Danielsson, an acclaimed theoretical physicist who has dedicated his career to probing the deepest mysteries of nature, thinks not. As he dismantles the arguments of esteemed mathematicians and scientists, who would substitute their mathematical models for reality and equate the mind to a computer, he makes a lucid and passionate case that it is nature, full of beauty and meaning, which must compel us. In challenging established worldviews, he also takes a fresh look at major philosophical debates, including the notion of free will.
Fearless, provocative, and witty, The World Itself is essential reading for anyone curious about the profound questions surrounding life, the universe, and everything.
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Ulf Danielsson is a prize-winning physicist with a PhD from Princeton University whose research concentrates on dark energy and string theory with a special focus on applications in cosmology. A member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and professor of theoretical physics at Uppsala University, he has delivered lectures throughout the world based on his award-winning popular science books, which have been translated into several languages. The World Itself: Consciousness and the Everything of Physics is his first book to appear in English.
Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Introduction: Reality Is Real! by Carlos Fiolhais
- 1. Everything Is Physics
- 2. Living Beings Are Not Machines
- 3. The Universe Is Not Mathematics
- 4. There Is a Difference Between Model and Reality
- 5. Computers Are Not Conscious
- 6. Not Everything Can Be Calculated
- 7. Man Is Not Unique
- 8. Does Free Will Exist?
- Acknowledgments
- Recommended Reading
