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What we cannot know : explorations at the edge of knowledge / Marcus du Sautoy.
Author
Du Sautoy, Marcus
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Format
Book
Language
English
Published/Created
London : 4th Estate, 2016.
©2016
Description
440 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Availability
Copies in the Library
Location
Call Number
Status
Location Service
Notes
Firestone Library - Stacks
BD161 .D86 2016
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Details
Subject(s)
Knowledge, Theory of.
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Discoveries in science
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Summary note
Britain's most famous mathematician takes us to the edge of knowledge to show us what we cannot know. Is the universe infinite? Do we know what happened before the Big Bang? Where is human consciousness located in the brain? And are there more undiscovered particles out there, beyond the Higgs boson? In the modern world, science is king: weekly headlines proclaim the latest scientific breakthroughs and numerous mathematical problems, once indecipherable, have now been solved. But are there limits to what we can discover about our physical universe? In this very personal journey to the edges of knowledge, Marcus du Sautoy investigates how leading experts in fields from quantum physics and cosmology, to sensory perception and neuroscience, have articulated the current lie of the land. In doing so, he travels to the very boundaries of understanding, questioning contradictory stories and consulting cutting edge data. Is it possible that we will one day know everything? Or are there fields of research that will always lie beyond the bounds of human comprehension? And if so, how do we cope with living in a universe where there are things that will forever transcend our understanding? In What We Cannot Know, Marcus du Sautoy leads us on a thought-provoking expedition to the furthest reaches of modern science. Prepare to be taken to the edge of knowledge to find out if there's anything we truly cannot know.
Bibliographic references
Includes bibliographical references (pages 425-429) and index.
Contents
Edge zero: The known unknows
First edge: The casino dice
Second edge: The cello
Third edge: The pot of uranium
Fourth edge: The cut-out Universe
Fifth edge: The wristwatch
Sixth edge: The chatbot app
Seventh edge: The Christmas cracker.
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ISBN
9780007576661 ((hardback))
0007576668 ((hardback))
9780007576586 ((paperback))
0007576587 ((paperback))
9780007516667
0007516665
LCCN
2016435025
OCLC
948411322
Statement on language in description
Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage.
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