Existential physics: a scientist's guide to life's biggest questions

Hossenfelder (Lost in Math, 2018) elegantly illustrates complex ideas in straightforward, lay-friendly language. A theoretical physicist based at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Hossenfelder takes readers on a riveting cerebral journey through surprisingly confounding differences between scientific method and storytelling. For example, many theories attempt to explain our universe's initial moment of creation. But are they fundamentally scientific or just dressed-up conjecture and stories with mathematics as support? When science and story are entangled in this way, how are we to make sense of our place in the universe? Hossenfelder responds to these queries with originality and new perspectives, addressing concepts of time (past, present, and future), universe origin stories, quantum mechanics, determinism, language, math, information, the predictability of knowledge, free will, consciousness, and much more. In addition to her own powerful voice, Hossenfelder includes enlightening interviews with David Deutsch, Roger Penrose, and Zeeya Merali, all luminaries in the field. Most chapters close with "The Brief Answer," which succinctly frames Hossenfelder's big ideas. Existential Physics is spectacular, and a must-read for all who ponder the purpose of existence.

Physicist Hossenfelder (Lost in Math) considers what "physics says about the human condition" in this smart survey. She uses the term "ascientific" for ideas that are beyond the reach of science--the "hypothesis of God," the existence of additional universes, the belief that subatomic particles are conscious--and explores fascinating questions about predictability ("Instead of worrying about simulating human brains, we should pay more attention to who gets to ask questions of artificial brains"), the meaning of life (passing on knowledge, as she sees it), and the existence of free will ("the future is determined by the past"), sometimes offering provocative conclusions: "It sounds crazy, but the idea that the past and future exist in the same way as the present is compatible with all we currently know." Readers will want to have a basic knowledge of physics before entering, and will be quickly convinced by Hossenfelder's case that the fact that "physics has something to say about our connection to the universe is not so surprising." And though she asserts that "physicists are really good at answering questions, but really bad at explaining why anyone should care," her curiosity and clever prose prove that doesn't have to be the case. Budding physics buffs, take note. (Aug.)

Physicist and self-described "general explainer" Hossenfelder (Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray) offers another excellent book on physics for general readers. She asks what people can learn about themselves through the current understanding of the fundamental laws of nature? What can physics tell one about consciousness, creation, and time? Hossenfelder uses current and historical research to show the deep connections between philosophy and the scientific method. She relates how physicists struggle with language and metaphor in sharing how quantum mechanics addresses big questions with wider audiences. She intersperses short chapters organized by topic with interviews of Nobel Prize winners, Royal Society members, popular science authors and science journalists who answer questions about both spiritual beliefs and scientific pursuits. She concludes with the applications of quantum mechanics to real-life problems such as weather forecasting, development of nuclear power, and regulation of economic systems. VERDICT Recommended for readers interested in philosophy of science and the sorts of questions that current science can and can't answer.--Catherine Lantz

A German physicist digs into a host of existential quandaries. In her 2018 book, Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray, Hossenfelder, research fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, excoriated her colleagues for falling in love with theories that bear little relation to reality. In her second book, she turns her gimlet eye on popular beliefs. More than other scientific fields, notes the author, physics asks profound questions about the meaning of everything, including life and death, the origin of the universe, and the nature of reality. Religious leaders ask the same questions, as do philosophers, gurus, mystics, alternative healers, and outright quacks. Unlike many other science writers, Hossenfelder is less interested in denouncing pseudoscience than revealing that many spiritual ideas are compatible with modern physics. Natural laws contradict others, and still others are "ascientific"--i.e., neither true nor false but unprovable: "Science has nothing to say about it. At least, science in its current state." Some fashionable beliefs are "more appealing the less you understand physics," but Hossenfelder avoids low-hanging fruit (Deepak Chopra and Elon Musk make fleeting appearances), preferring to interview and often argue with fellow physicists, including Nobel laureates. Casting her net widely, she investigates God and spirituality, free will, universal consciousness, dualism (whether the mind is separate from the body), the Big Bang theory about the origin of the cosmos, the possible existence of parallel universes, and whether we live in a computer simulation. As the author notes, the "simulation hypothesis" annoys her because it represents "a bold claim about the laws of nature that doesn't pay any attention to what we know about the laws of nature." Separating reality from nonsense has preoccupied philosophers for centuries. Nonsense remains as popular as ever, but readers who wonder how to tell a good from a bad explanation can now consult two good books: David Deutsch's The Beginning of Infinity and this one. An intriguing book fully of highly opinionated and convincing arguments. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Hossenfelder (Lost in Math, 2018) elegantly illustrates complex ideas in straightforward, lay-friendly language. A theoretical physicist based at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Hossenfelder takes readers on a riveting cerebral journey through surprisingly confounding differences between scientific method and storytelling. For example, many theories attempt to explain our universe's initial moment of creation. But are they fundamentally scientific or just dressed-up conjecture and stories with mathematics as support? When science and story are entangled in this way, how are we to make sense of our place in the universe? Hossenfelder responds to these queries with originality and new perspectives, addressing concepts of time (past, present, and future), universe origin stories, quantum mechanics, determinism, language, math, information, the predictability of knowledge, free will, consciousness, and much more. In addition to her own powerful voice, Hossenfelder includes enlightening interviews with David Deutsch, Roger Penrose, and Zeeya Merali, all luminaries in the field. Most chapters close with "The Brief Answer," which succinctly frames Hossenfelder's big ideas. Existential Physics is spectacular, and a must-read for all who ponder the purpose of existence. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

Physicist and self-described "general explainer" Hossenfelder (Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray) offers another excellent book on physics for general readers. She asks what people can learn about themselves through the current understanding of the fundamental laws of nature? What can physics tell one about consciousness, creation, and time? Hossenfelder uses current and historical research to show the deep connections between philosophy and the scientific method. She relates how physicists struggle with language and metaphor in sharing how quantum mechanics addresses big questions with wider audiences. She intersperses short chapters organized by topic with interviews of Nobel Prize winners, Royal Society members, popular science authors and science journalists who answer questions about both spiritual beliefs and scientific pursuits. She concludes with the applications of quantum mechanics to real-life problems such as weather forecasting, development of nuclear power, and regulation of economic systems. VERDICT Recommended for readers interested in philosophy of science and the sorts of questions that current science can and can't answer.—Catherine Lantz

Physicist and self-described "general explainer" Hossenfelder (Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray) offers another excellent book on physics for general readers. She asks what people can learn about themselves through the current understanding of the fundamental laws of nature? What can physics tell one about consciousness, creation, and time? Hossenfelder uses current and historical research to show the deep connections between philosophy and the scientific method. She relates how physicists struggle with language and metaphor in sharing how quantum mechanics addresses big questions with wider audiences. She intersperses short chapters organized by topic with interviews of Nobel Prize winners, Royal Society members, popular science authors and science journalists who answer questions about both spiritual beliefs and scientific pursuits. She concludes with the applications of quantum mechanics to real-life problems such as weather forecasting, development of nuclear power, and regulation of economic systems. VERDICT Recommended for readers interested in philosophy of science and the sorts of questions that current science can and can't answer.—Catherine Lantz

Physicist Hossenfelder (Lost in Math) considers what "physics says about the human condition" in this smart survey. She uses the term "ascientific" for ideas that are beyond the reach of science—the "hypothesis of God," the existence of additional universes, the belief that subatomic particles are conscious—and explores fascinating questions about predictability ("Instead of worrying about simulating human brains, we should pay more attention to who gets to ask questions of artificial brains"), the meaning of life (passing on knowledge, as she sees it), and the existence of free will ("the future is determined by the past"), sometimes offering provocative conclusions: "It sounds crazy, but the idea that the past and future exist in the same way as the present is compatible with all we currently know." Readers will want to have a basic knowledge of physics before entering, and will be quickly convinced by Hossenfelder's case that the fact that "physics has something to say about our connection to the universe is not so surprising." And though she asserts that "physicists are really good at answering questions, but really bad at explaining why anyone should care," her curiosity and clever prose prove that doesn't have to be the case. Budding physics buffs, take note. (Aug.)