The great unknown : seven journeys to the frontiers of science /
"A captivating journey to the outer frontiers of human knowledge by the popular presenter of Netflix's The Story of Math Ever since the dawn of civilization we have been driven by a desire to know-- to understand the physical world and the laws of nature. But are there limits to human know...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
Viking,
[2016]
New York, New York : [2016] |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | "A captivating journey to the outer frontiers of human knowledge by the popular presenter of Netflix's The Story of Math Ever since the dawn of civilization we have been driven by a desire to know-- to understand the physical world and the laws of nature. But are there limits to human knowledge? This tantalizing question has inspired scientists and functioned as a spur to innovation. Now, Marcus du Sautoy invites us to join him on a journey to the outer reaches of human understanding as there are still lots of deep mysteries waiting to be solved. Are some things beyond the predictive powers of science? Or are those challenges simply the next big discovery waiting to happen? Du Sautoy takes us into the minds of science's greatest innovators and reveals the fraught circumstances of their discoveries. He reminds us that major breakthroughs were often ridiculed at the time of their discovery. And he carries us on a whirlwind tour of seven 'Edges' of knowledge-- chaos theory, matter, quantum physics, the universe, time, consciousness and infinity--grounding a deeply personal exploration in simple concepts like the roll of dice, the notes of a cello, or how a clock measures time"-- "A captivating journey to the outer frontiers of human knowledge by the popular presenter of Netflix's The Story of Math Ever since the dawn of civilization we have been driven by a desire to know--to understand the physical world and the laws of nature. But are there limits to human knowledge? This tantalizing question has inspired scientists and functioned as a spur to innovation. Now, Marcus du Sautoy invites us to join him on a journey to the outer reaches of human understanding as there are still lots of deep mysteries waiting to be solved. Are some things beyond the predictive powers of science? Or are those challenges simply the next big discovery waiting to happen? Du Sautoy takes us into the minds of science's greatest innovators and reveals the fraught circumstances of their discoveries. He reminds us that major breakthroughs were often ridiculed at the time of their discovery. And he carries us on a whirlwind tour of seven "Edges" of knowledge - chaos theory, matter, quantum physics, the universe, time, consciousness and infinity --grounding a deeply personal exploration in simple concepts like the roll of dice, the notes of a cello, or how a clock measures time"-- "A captivating journey to the outer frontiers of human knowledge by the popular presenter of Netflix's The Story of Math. Ever since the dawn of civilization we have been driven by a desire to know--to understand the physical world and the laws of nature. But are there limits to human knowledge? This tantalizing question has inspired scientists and functioned as a spur to innovation. Now, Marcus du Sautoy invites us to join him on a journey to the outer reaches of human understanding as there are still lots of deep mysteries waiting to be solved. Are some things beyond the predictive powers of science? Or are those challenges simply the next big discovery waiting to happen? Du Sautoy takes us into the minds of science's greatest innovators and reveals the fraught circumstances of their discoveries. He reminds us that major breakthroughs were often ridiculed at the time of their discovery. And he carries us on a whirlwind tour of seven Edges of knowledge--chaos theory, matter, quantum physics, the universe, time, consciousness and infinity--grounding a deeply personal exploration in simple concepts like the roll of dice, the notes of a cello, or how a clock measures time"-- |
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| Item Description: | This WorldCat-derived record is shareable under Open Data Commons ODC-BY, with attribution to OCLC "First published in Great Britain as 'What we cannot know' by 4th Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers"--Title page verso "First published in Great Britain as 'What we cannot know' by 4th Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers"--Title-page verso "First published in Great Britain as What we cannot know by 4th Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers"--Title page verso |
| Physical Description: | 450 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 431-435) and index Includes bibliographical references and index |
| ISBN: | 0735221804 9780735221802 |