Carroll explores what our intuitive understanding of time is, and how physics in the form of relativity and thermodynamics offer a deeper understanding of how time's arrow arises. Beginning with the simple observation that eggs can be made into omelettes but omelettes can't easily be made into eggs, Carroll takes us on a scientific roller-coaster all the way to the multiverse.
Brief Answers to the Big Questions is a wonderful collection of the late Stephen Hawking's musings on the "Big Questions". Not everyone will agree with all of his views, but it's difficult not to be inspired by the cosmic journey Hawking transports you through, and the heartfelt optimism he has for the future of humanity.
If we do wish to take the theory seriously, as we should since it is so powerfully accurate, then we are led to the Many-Worlds Interpretation as the most "face-value" interpretation.
This book is a collection of Hawking's thoughts and reflections on ten "Big Questions" touching on the existence of God, the origins of the universe, and the future of the human race. Not everyone will agree with Hawking's conclusions, but his engaging prose and novel ideas are certainly worth the read.
Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar is a delightful little book that generates the "a-ha!" moment of understanding philosophical concepts through jokes. The central premise of the book is that philosophy and jokes both "tease the mind in similar ways".
If we accept quantum mechanics as an accurate description of the world at the microscopic level, then we must translate its mathematical framework into an interpretation.
Many laymen will already have heard of this theory in popular science and sci-fi shows, but may be unsure of how plausible it really is. Is the MWI a serious academic proposal? Or is it just a fanciful interpretation that lends itself well to convoluted plot lines in TV shows?
I've seen a lot of accounts on twitter, and instagram that write weekly book reviews, but they tend to focus on fiction. There are so many fascinating books on science and philosophy that expose mind-bending ideas and truths about our world, so I thought it would be a great idea to start writing some reviews of them!
Many Worlds theory is undeniably a serious academic field, yet most know very little about it other than that it claims there are more worlds than this one, and that it has something to do with quantum theory. I hope you will enjoy learning a bit about what this theory is and why it deserves to be taken seriously.
