When Einstein walked with Gödel : excursions to the edge of thought

First Title Value for Searching:

Personal Author:

Holt, Jim, 1954-

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

xi, 368 pages ; 24 cm.

General Note:

Includes index.

Summary:

"A collection of essays on philosophy, mathematics, and science, and the people who pursue them"--

Contents:

Part I: The moving image of eternity. When Einstein walked with Gödel ; Time--the grand illusion? -- Part II: Numbers in the brain, in platonic heaven, and in society. Numbers guy: the neuroscience of math ; The Riemann Zeta conjecture and the laughter of the primes ; Sir Francis Galton, the father of statistics...and eugenics -- Part III: Mathematics, pure and impure. A mathematical romance ; The avatars of higher mathematics ; Benoit Mandelbrot and the discovery of fractals -- Part IV: Higher dimensions, abstract maps. Geometrical creatures ; A comedy of colors -- Part V: Infinity, large and small. Infinite visions: Georg Cantor v. David Foster Wallace ; Worshipping infinity: why the Russians do and the French don't ; The dangerous idea of the infinitesimal -- Part VI: Heroism, tragedy, and the computer age. The Ada perplex: was Byron's daughter the first coder? ; Alan Turing in life, logic, and death ; Dr. Strangelove makes a thinking machine ; Smarter, happier, more productive -- Part VII: The cosmos reconsidered. The string theory wars: is beauty truth? ; Einstein, "Spooky action," and the reality of space ; How will the Universe end? -- Part VII: Quick studies: a selection of shorter essays. Little big man ; Doom soon ; Death: bad? ; The looking-glass war ; Astrology and the demarcation problem ; Gödel takes on the U.S. Constitution ; The law of least action ; Emmy Noether's beautiful theorem ; Is logic coercive? ; Newcomb's problem and the paradox of choice ; The right not to exist ; Can't anyone get Heisenberg right? ; Overconfidence and the Monty Hall problem ; The cruel law of eponymy ; The mind of a rock -- Part IX: God, sainthood, truth, and bullshit. Dawkins and the deity ; On moral sainthood ; Truth and reference: a philosophical feud ; Say anything.

Subject Term:

Essays

Publication Info:

New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018.

Subject:

Essays

Collected papers (Anthologies)

Papers, Collected (Anthologies)

SAILS ISBN:

9780374146702

Available:

Library	Shelf Number	Shelf Location	Status
Searching... Fall River Main	814.6 H758	Stacks	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Foxboro - Boyden Library	814.6 HOLT	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Hanson Public Library	814.6 HOL	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mansfield Public Library	814.6 H	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Seekonk Public Library	814.6 HOLT	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

From Jim Holt, the New York Times bestselling author of Why Does the World Exist? , comes an entertaining and accessible guide to the most profound scientific and mathematical ideas of recent centuries in When Einstein Walked with Gödel : Excursions to the Edge of Thought .

Does time exist? What is infinity? Why do mirrors reverse left and right but not up and down? In this scintillating collection, Holt explores the human mind, the cosmos, and the thinkers who've tried to encompass the latter with the former. With his trademark clarity and humor, Holt probes the mysteries of quantum mechanics, the quest for the foundations of mathematics, and the nature of logic and truth.

Along the way, he offers intimate biographical sketches of celebrated and neglected thinkers, from the physicist Emmy Noether to the computing pioneer Alan Turing and the discoverer of fractals, Benoit Mandelbrot. Holt offers a painless and playful introduction to many of our most beautiful but least understood ideas, from Einsteinian relativity to string theory, and also invites us to consider why the greatest logician of the twentieth century believed the U.S. Constitution contained a terrible contradiction--and whether the universe truly has a future.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Inspired by the unlikely friendship of gregarious physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955) and gloomy logician Kurt Gödel (1906-1978), who met at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study in 1943, Holt (Why Does the World Exist?) fills his fantastic essay collection with stories about eccentric geniuses and groundbreaking ideas at the intersection of science and philosophy. Two criteria link the essays: the first is "the depth, power, and sheer beauty of the ideas they convey," and the second is what Holt calls the "human factor"-specifically that the ideas originated in the minds of people who led highly dramatic or even absurd lives. Einstein's theory of relativity upended everyday notions about the world, in the same way that Gödel's incompleteness theorems subverted notions about the abstract world of mathematics, and both men certainly lived dramatic lives-particularly Gödel, who starved himself to death under the delusional suspicion that everyone was trying to poison him. The men's friendship provides a framework that leads readers to Victorian school teacher Edwin Abbott, whose satirical novella Flatland presages a look at other dimensions; computing pioneers Ada Lovelace and Alan Turing; fractal discoverer Benoit Mandelbrot; and Francis Galton, the creator of modern statistics, among others. Holt delivers this feast of wild genius, oddball thinkers, and sheer creativity in his signature accessible style of writing and playful tone. Agent: Chris Calhoun, Chris Calhoun Agency. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

A collection of incisive essays that make learning about science fun.Holt (Why Does the World Exist?: An Existential Detective Story, 2012, etc.), who writes about philosophy, science, and math for the New York Times, gathers two decades of previously published essays that represent the "most thrilling (and humbling) intellectual achievements I've encountered in my life." His goal is to "enlighten" newcomers and experts alike, and he succeeds. The essays are mostly personality-driven, filled with brilliant, strange, and eccentric men and women in the sciences. Holt is an excellent synthesizer of data. In "Smarter, Happier, More Productive," he ranges among Woody Allen, Sven Birkerts, Nicholas Carr, and Henri Poincaré (not just a genius mathematician, but also a "lovely prose stylist") to delve into whether the internet "may be an enemy of creativity." As the author writes, "I've avoided the snares of the digital age. And I still can't get anything done." In "How Will the Universe End?" Holt pits a group of cosmologists, including Freeman Dyson and Michio Kaku, up against each other in a battle of end-day theories. Holt's essay on Alan Turing is particularly affecting. The man who solved the "most important logic problem of his time," the Nazi's Enigma code, was arrested for homosexuality, suffered chemical castration, and committed suicide at the age of 41. Ada Lovelace, Lord Byron's daughter, died at 36; the author describes her as the "cult goddess of cyber feminism" for her groundbreaking work in computer programming. A cluster of eclectic "Quick Studies" briefly touch on such things as the mind of a rock and the case of the puzzling Monty Hall problem. In "Doom Soon," Holt notes, "the North Star could go supernova at any moment. In fact, the dread event might already have happened."Prepare to be wined, dined, and entertained by quantum mechanics, group theory, topology, the infinitesimal, the infinitely small, and the string theory generation, among other topics.

Library Journal Review

Philosopher and New York Times writer Holt (Why Does the World Exist?) takes a collection of profound ideas, from theories on the infinite to how the universe will end, and presents them in a creative and thought-provoking way. He writes that the goal of the book "is to enlighten the newcomer while providing a novel twist that will please the expert." The wide range of topics includes ethics, epistemology, logic, and physics, along with Holt's insight into some of the great thinkers' personal traits and oddities. For example, the mathematician Kurt Gödel thought there was a conspiracy to poison him, which, in turn, led to his death from starvation. This combination makes each chapter distinct, and each could be read on its own. VERDICT Holt's latest is as stimulating as his previous work; he has a talent for explaining complex ideas in a concise yet accessible way. Recommended for readers with an interest in the history of ideas, philosophy, mathematics, and science. [See Prepub Alert, 11/12/17.]-Scott Duimstra, Capital Area Dist. Lib., Lansing, MI © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Georg Cantor v. David Foster Wallace

Preface	p. ix
Part I The Moving Image of Eternity
1 When Einstein Walked with Gödel	p. 3
2 Time-the Grand Illusion?	p. 15
Part II Numbers in the Brain, in Platonic Heaven, and in Society
3 Numbers Guy: The Neuroscience of Math	p. 23
4 The Riemann Zeta Conjecture and the Laughter of the Primes	p. 36
5 Sir Francis Galton, the Father of Statistics ... and Eugenics	p. 51
Part III Mathematics, Pure and Impure
6 A Mathematical Romance	p. 69
7 The Avatars of Higher Mathematics	p. 79
8 Benoit Mandelbrot and the Discovery of Fractals	p. 90
Part IV Higher Dimensions, Abstract Maps
9 Geometrical Creatures	p. 105
10 A Comedy of Colors	p. 118
Part V Infinity, Large and Small
11 Infinite Visions	p. 131
12 Worshipping Infinity: Why the Russians Do and the French Don't	p. 138
13 The Dangerous Idea of the Infinitesimal	p. 149
Part VI Heroism, Tragedy, and the Computer Age
14 The Ada Perplex: Was Byron's Daughter the First Coder?	p. 169
15 Alan Turing in Life, Logic, and Death	p. 181
16 Dr. Strangelove Makes a Thinking Machine	p. 194
17 Smarter, Happier, More Productive	p. 203
Part VII The Cosmos Reconsidered
18 The String Theory Wars: Is Beauty Truth?	p. 219
19 Einstein, "Spooky Action," and the Reality of Space	p. 230
20 How Will the Universe End?	p. 241
Part VIII Quick Studies: A Selection of Shorter Essays	p. 255
Little Big Man
Doom Soon
Death: Bad?
The Looking-Glass War
Astrology and the Demarcation Problem
Gödel Takes On the U.S. Constitution
The Law of Least Action
Emmy Noether's Beautiful Theorem
Is Logic Coercive?
Newcomb's Problem and the Paradox of Choice
The Right Not to Exist
Can't Anyone Get Heisenberg Right?
Overconfidence and the Monty Hall Problem
The Cruel Law of Eponymy
The Mind of a Rock
Part IX God, Sainthood, Truth, and Bullshit
21 Dawkins and the Deity	p. 299
22 On Moral Sainthood	p. 306
23 Truth and Reference: A Philosophical Feud	p. 314
24 Say Anything	p. 333
Further Reading	p. 345
Acknowledgments	p. 351
Index	p. 353

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Summary

Summary

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Kirkus Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents