Jim Holt’s recent book, Why Does the World Exist? Too much belly button lint in here for my taste. why do we think that the universe is made of electron and quark? Part of this is my fault: I forced myself through the equally terrible Assholes: A Theory last year and should know by now that navel-gazing logic-heavy philosophical books based around thought experiments are not my cup of tea. it was taught by a complete asshole whose only pleasure was ridiculing and tormenting others. A nice, well written survey of contemporary metaphysics/science, mostly trying to explain "why there is something rather than nothing". The universe shouldn't exist, scientists say after finding bizarre behaviour of anti-matter. Holt ponders that most enduring & impossible of questions: why is there something rather than nothing. space, time and complexity. This all-inclusive being does not exist and cannot exist. Profssor Parfit is a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford He is the author of … This supremely unimportant book raises three deep and troubling questions. so the question wo. And what does it all mean? “The block universe theory says you’re spread out in time, something like the way you’re spread out in space,” Skow says. In other words: Why does the universe exist (and why are we in it)? Well it's said that every thing has its reasons, sometimes you can figure it some times you can't. Cleveland Plain Dealer. Okay. Why does the universe exist? same goes for quark as well. In this book, the author records a quest to answer the question through a series of interviews and discussions. If Jim Holt's deft and consuming Why Does the … After all, some basic physics suggests that you and the rest of the universe are overwhelmingly unlikely to exist. Philosophy used to be the king of science. You also can read online Why The Universe Exists and write the review about the book. Taking the thought to heart, he gave himself the task of talking to a succession of experts--particle physicists, theologians, philosophers, cosmologists, mystics, and a great writer, heavy thinkers all--who he hoped would prove. Similar remarks apply to all suggestions of these kinds. in a precise sense, "electron" and "quark" are just names for human convenience, to indicate that they are two different stuff. Some of the people interviewed are John Updike, David Deutsch, Adolf Grünbaum, John Leslie, Derek Parfit, Roger Penrose, Richard Swinburne, Steven Weinberg, and Andrei Linde. As he pieces together a solution--one that sheds new light on the question of God and the meaning of existence--he offers brisk philosophical asides on time and eternity, consciousness, and the arithmetic of nothingness. Three cheers for deep thought and wild conjecture! Midway through the book, however, I began to wonder why all the philosophers, scientists or simply very smart peop. Why Does the World Exist? This book came to me via the very positive New York Times Book Review review, and it made the Times list of best books of the year. Well we exist because we are a part of the world, this world/universe is part of its fellow universes in the multiverse. is one of the very best popular philosophy books I have ever read. Holt was never going to get much beyond a detailed description of "what is" or "why what is is the way it is," when the book's central question is actually "Why is there something. “That question,” Deutsch says, “could only be answered by finding a more encompassing fabric of which the physical multiverse was a part. Thomas believes God's existence, although not self-evident, can be made evident using reasoning drawn from the nature and structure of the world. A fine study of the laws of the universe interrogates what, if anything, came before the Big Bang Sadly, the book sheds no light on the question. is an intellectual quest of one the most intriguing philosophical questions, "Why Does the World Exist". This is a far more personal and self-disclosing book than I expected, and skates very far, I feared at first, in the direction of one of those concocted "How the Irish Jews Saved The Parthenon, Invented Caller ID, and Inspired Emily Dickinson" sort of books. He and the book were on the LA Times bestseller list during the last quarter of 2012, and the first quarter of 2013. The author won't even get to the bottom of what exactly "nothing" IS. Why is there a world, why are we in it, and why is there something rather than nothing at all? Or at least I thought it was until I read the book. Hadoualex/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET If I were a scientist, I'd stick to the Goldman Sachs principle: bet on both sides. An exuberant romp of a book. The author seems very willing to travel, since he crossed the Atlantic to Paris & London several times. Most people have heard of the possibility of more than one universe from science fiction stories and movies. by Liveright Publishing Corporation. Scientists Studying EDM To Find Why Everything In The Universe Exists Somehow, at the beginning of time, there was an imbalance of matter and antimatter. The anthropic principle is a group of principles attempting to determine how statistically probable our observations of the universe are, given that we could only exist in a particular type of universe to start with. Another complication in the understanding of time is demonstrated by Lee Smolin's 2013 book Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe, in which he argues that science does (as the mystics claim) treat time as an illusion. Why did he write it? Along the way, Jim Holt also introduces the reader to the philosophy of mathematics, theology, physics, ontology, epistemology, and other subjects.[1][2][5]. But that's to be expected & doesn't diminish the pleasure of the quest. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. An exuberant romp of a book. It's not like there aren't very smart women & non-English or French speaking women & men in the world who might have contributed some interesting thoughts on the subject. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. How can people get away with such partial and idiotic arguments, and how can anyone take them seriously. In this highly original new book, the philosopher Markus Gabriel challenges our notion of what exists and what it means to exist. It's also referred to as "parallel universe theory." To his credit, Holt does interview one theistic philosopher, Richard Swinburne, but his report on the interview seems biased strongly in favor of naturalism. There could not be a causal explanation of why the Universe exists, why there are any laws of nature, or why these laws are as they are. But Jim Holt's slyly amiable and vulnerable persona is armed with a very serious purpose, and rather than give us potted versions of the views of the various players in this arena, he works out his own understanding, often in conversation with the philosophers, physicists, and mathematicians themselves. Apparently the NYTimes reviewed it well and I can definitely understand why; this book isn't an end in itself or anything, but it really stands out especially compared to similar books that try the same thing and don't do nearly as good a job. It's also referred to as "parallel universe theory." Download Full Why The Universe Exists Book in PDF, EPUB, Mobi and All Ebook Format. Why, Holt wonders, does the multiverse exist, if the multiverse is the answer to why the world exists? To see what your friends thought of this book. "I believe in Spinoza's God," he answered, "who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fates and actions of human beings.”, National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for General Nonfiction (2012), Andrew Carnegie Medal Nominee for Nonfiction (2013), Do you agree that "The Jocaxian Nothingness" is the answer for the question: : An Existential Detective Story by Jim Holt "Why Does the World Exist?" The Multiverse is an extremely controversial idea, but at its core it's a very simple concept. A well written excellent review of physical and spiritual answers to the question: why is there something rather than nothing? An Existential Detective Story. People have wrestled with the mystery of why the universe exists for thousands of years. It's a classical philosophical question. Like most metaphysics surveys, it spent a while gr. Hurray for Jim Holt, who cracks our formulaic stupor with his crisp, jolly new book, Why Does the World Exist? In “Why Does the World Exist?,” Jim Holt, an elegant and witty writer comfortably at home in the problem’s weird interzone between philosophy and scientific cosmology, sets out in search of such answers. All well & good & I enjoyed the ride, even though one should know from the outset that nothing will be decided. Certianlyk the organizing question--why does the universe exist?--is interesting. Why Does the Universe Exist? Gives me a fresh perspective on that tired "turtles all the way down" story a certain kind of person loves to reference: in the context of this book, whose author clearly doesn't think women have anything of value (well, anything at all, actually) to contribute to the pressing concerns of humanity, the one woman who gets a mention is one who made a stupid comment to a brilliant man delivering a lecture she obviously didn't understand and thus sealed her legacy as a droll punchline and illustration of the hilarious antics of uneducated plebeians for class acts like the author of this book and his cohorts. Why Does the World Exist? He takes inspiration from readings of Heidegger and Sartre, and from something Martin Amis once said in a television interview: “We’re at least five Einsteins away from answering that question.”... Holt reminds us that no exploration of being — especially human being — can be separated from the human who undertakes it, complete with character and the play of moods. "National Book Critics Circle Names 2012 Award Finalists", "Review of Jim Holt's Why Does the World Exist? Physicist Lawrence Krauss peddles this message in his new book A Universe From Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing (Free … Somewhat disappointing, in large part because of its approach, which entails attempting to answer an ontological/metaphysical question by asking analytical philosophers and physical scientists. Because the universe also began as a singularity, time itself could not … Why Does the World Exist? The second law of thermodynamics, that most existentially resonant of … Actually more like 4.5. But that's to be expected & doesn't diminish the pleasure of the quest. This may sound like the dumbest of questions, for we know our universe is all the matter and energy that inhabits space and time. And it artistically weaves together a personal narrative and quest with a deeply intellectual and highly abstract inquiry. Because of my background, the philosophy felt a little basic, but a lot of the physics were engaging and new, and seeing them together was a nice treat. : An Existential Detective Story is a nonfiction work authored by Jim Holt. The author approaches this inexhaustible theme through a wide array of perspectives He has a polyhedral vision that takes into account some of the most brilliant minds in history. i.e. Altogether: this is nice and worth checking out, and there's probably a lot for you here unless you're a specialist in both physics and metaphysics... which, well, I doubt many people are, and even then it might do a good job summarizing and contextualizing a lot of the major issues. That was my introduction to the mystery of existence. In other words: Why does the universe exist (and why are we in it)? There could not be a causal explanation of why God exists. As Jim Holt tells it, Martin Amis once remarked in an interview that we're about 5 Einsteins away from answering the question of why things exist and how the universe popped into being. Like most metaphysics surveys, it spent a while grappling with the Christian god but fortunately didn't take long before dismissing the idea (though Holt did it with tact I guess which might help some readers). Holt's existential detective story checks off every one of my pet peeves about contemporary mainstream nonfiction. Why is there something rather than nothing? Far from being an imaginary idea, multiple universes can exist, according to … That said, though I left with a pleasant reading experience, a deeper understanding of the issues, and lots to ponder, I didn't leave with the answer (but then one shouldn't expect to, given the complexity of the question). so the question would be, why do we think that the universe is not made out of just numbers like (-1, 1/2, 9.10938356 × 10^-31, etc) instead of some abstract entities like electron and quark? It does not understand the languages in which they are written. Refresh and try again. is an intellectual quest of one the most intriguing philosophical questions, "Why Does the World Exist". Those who share this mood with Holt, at least from time to time, will almost certainly find this to be an entertaining and thought-provoking book. Hawking's latest comments go beyond those laid out in his 2010 book, The Grand Design, in which he asserted that there is no need for a creator to explain the existence of the universe. The walls are covered to the ceilings with books in many different tongues. the real things those matters, let say for an electron, are (-1, 1/2, 9.10938356 × 10^-31, etc) which represent charge, spin, and mass respectively. I am happy to read this kind of musing from authors I already like, but this was my first dip into Holt and, frankly, I have better things to do. Jim Holt’s recent book, Why Does the World Exist? I mean, this is the super ultimate "why" question? Even if he were limited to New York City, his home base, there must be a goodly supply of female thinkers in that city alone. is exceedingly clear and well written. We asked the... "Why is there a world rather than nothing at all?" And it artistically weaves together a personal narrative and quest with a deeply intellectual and highly abstract inquiry. Philosopher and author Jim Holt plays the role of the inquisitive detective who is on a mission to answer the ultimate question of existence. Why Does the World Exist? (Why else would "Why Does the World Exist?" This is the idea that our universe is not the only one in existence. Sure, it has taught me enough about Leibniz and Spinoza to be vaguely re-interested in specific metaphysicians, but Holt's self-absorbed and self-serving writing style is not worth my time. Although it seems unlikely that science will answer this question (at least in my lifetime, and probably ever), the philosophical approaches, which dominate the book, offer even less hope. Philosopher and author Jim Holt plays the role of the inquisitive detective who is on a mission to answer the ultimate question of existence. A Physicist Explains Why Parallel Universes May Exist … professor Max Tegmark explores the possibility that math does not just describe the universe, but makes the universe … Our best theories predict that all the matter in the universe should have been destroyed as soon as it existed. Search Results for “why-the-universe-exists” – PDF Search Engine Already, I've started a list of folk who will find it gift-wrapped from me at the holidays.— Karen R. Long. A New Theory of the Universe (Robert Lanza, The American Scholar) The Simulation Argument (Nick Bostrom, Oxford University) Constraints on the Universe as a Numerical Simulation (Silas R. Beane et al, Cornell University Library Archive) Why does the universe exist? I'm used by now to this kind of book not actually providing a satisfactory answer to the question posited, but this one is really infuriating. : An Existential Detective Story” as Want to Read: Error rating book. (Laughter) This is a cosmic mystery. A comforting balm. He conducts interviews with leading scientists and philosophers who have explored the mysteries of existence using the tools of mathematics, quantum mechanics, platonic philosophy, and philosophical. So the universe should be capable of making its own space, time and complexity. A fine study of the laws of the universe interrogates what, if anything, came before the Big Bang Although not related to my major I wanted an A in that class more than anything. Nor would it make a difference if there is a God, who caused the rest of the Universe to exist. Holt reminds us philosophy can be fun, too. professor Max Tegmark explores the possibility that math does not just describe the universe, but makes the universe … The child knows that someone must have written these books. See the article here: Holt took an interesting approach with this book, combining a serious, if somewhat light-hearted, philosophical inquiry into a profound metaphysical question with a non-fiction style situated between autobiography and travelogue. In other words: Why does the universe exist (and why are we in it)? William James called the question of existence "the darkest in all philosohpy." He and the book were on the LA Times bestseller list during the last quarter of 2012, and the first quarter of 2013. This is a far more personal and self-disclosing book than I expected, and skates very far, I feared at first, in the direction of one of those concocted "How the Irish Jews Saved The Parthenon, Invented Caller ID, and Inspired Emily Dickinson" sort of books. The book was also a 2012 National Book Critics Award finalist for nonfiction. People have wrestled with the mystery of why the universe exists for thousands of years. : An Existential Detective Story is a nonfiction work authored by Jim Holt. What?! The evolution of the Universe from the big bang to the present. http://pjpub.org/Abstract/abstract_pet_197.htm, See all 3 questions about Why Does the World Exist?…, New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2012 (fiction and nonfiction), Goodreads Members Share the Books They've Been Rereading. Taking the thought to heart, he gave himself the task of talking to a succession of experts--particle physicists, theologians, philosophers, cosmologists, mystics, and a great writer, heavy thinkers all--who he hoped would prove to be one or two or three of those Einsteins shining a light down the path toward the answer. The question of being itself, as Updike and Holt agree, can seem profound in one mood, vacuous in another. Sadly, the book sheds no light on the question. I found the discussion in this book on why there is something rather than nothing utterly charming and totally befuddling. Over the last few centuries, however, the divide between science and philosophy has grown larger and more irreconcilable, even while science overwhelmingly surpassed philosophy in importance. It was paining me to get through this to begin with, because at the end of the day, though armed with plenty of jargon and intimidating vocabulary, Jim Holt is a bad writer, plain and simple; when I realized that in this guy's oh-so-noble quest to get to the bottom of no less comprehensive a question than why the world exists, he didn't deem it necessary to interview, cite, consult, credit, or indeed acknowledge a single person who wasn't a white man, I was done. But many cosmologists now believe there are other “universes”, and perhaps our universe arose from one of them. Most people have heard of the possibility of more than one universe from science fiction stories and movies. For instance: We exist in a “temporally scattered” condition, as he writes in the new book. An intriguing and hopeless search for the meaning of existence. William James called the question of existence "the darkest in all philosohpy." Holt ponders that most enduring & impossible of questions: why is there something rather than nothing. October 11, 2016 by David James. In Stephen Hawking's final book "Brief Answers to Big Questions," published ... time does not exist. This was the view of the 17th century philosopher Spinoza, who claimed that the entire universe, along with all of its contents, laws and events, had to exist, and exist in the way it does. "The Basic Question 'Why Does the World Exist?' Hard to imagine now, but it’s true. A much-needed diversion. Even with some limitations, this was a very stimulating book to read. We are like a little child entering a huge library. Why Does the World Exist?, By Jim Holt. [1][2][3][4], A central question of the book is 'Why is there something rather than nothing? Already, I've started a list of folk who will find it gift-wrapped from me at the holidays.— Karen R. Long. It's more engaging than most surveys, with some nice cameos by prominent scientists/philosophers, and less shallow than most things aimed at a general audience. Unlike many, Jim is able to convey his reverence for some of the people he speaks with, and he does not put words in their mouths - far from it. Wonderful book. He is an atheist. ", Books of the Times - Into the Nothing, After Something. Part of this is my fault: I forced myself through the equally terrible Assholes: A Theory last year and should know by now that navel-gazing logic-heavy philosophical books based around thought experiments are not my cup of tea. All well & good & I enjoyed the ride, even though one should know from the outset that nothing will be decided. Perhaps all possible universes have existed from the start, including one that contains nothing. Still, Skow’s view of time does lead to him to offer some slightly more unusual-sounding conclusions. 10 mysteries of the universe: Why does anything exist at all? I wish I'd read Freeman Dyson's review in the New York Review of Books first and saved my time. Philosopher and author Jim Holt plays the role of the inquisitive detective who is on a mission to answer the ultimate question of existence. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going." remains the darkest and most enduring of all metaphysical mysteries. An Existential Detective Story' by Jim Holt", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Why_Does_the_World_Exist%3F&oldid=977004557, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 6 September 2020, at 10:49. 10 mysteries of the universe: Why does anything exist at all? The book was also a 2012 National Book Critics Award finalist for nonfiction. Rock. If Jim Holt's deft and consuming Why Does the World : An Existential Detective Story by Jim Holt "Why Does the World Exist?" He questions the idea that there is a world that encompasses everything like a container life, the universe, and ev why do we think that the universe is made of electron and quark? : An Existential Detective Story. We don't know why the universe isn't destroying itself Sidney Morgenbesser, a much-beloved professor of philosophy at Columbia University, renowned for his aphoristic wisdom, was once asked, “Why is there something, rather than nothing?” “If there were nothing,” Morgenbesser immediately replied, “you’d … He questions the idea that there is a world that encompasses everything like a container life, the universe, and ev July 16th 2012 There's nothing essentially new--reality consists of Pythagorean numbers, the Platonic good, superstrings, qunantum fluctuations, or perhaps nothing at all--one wonders if philosophy ever advances beyond Thales' water ontology! This is the idea that our universe is not the only one in existence. is exceedingly clear and well written. It is philosophically engaging and highly informative. Theoretical physicist Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe, explains how that's possible in the new book, The Hidden Reality. In their new book, "The Grand Design," phyicists Stephen Hawking and Len Mlodinow tackle the ultimate meaning of life questions: why does the universe behaves the way it does and why do we exist? Holt's book is very thought provoking and very clearly written with an occasional touch of humor. Because its author poured himself a cup of coffee the other morning and sat down in front of the computer to write it. Why does the universe exist? Another complication in the understanding of time is demonstrated by Lee Smolin's 2013 book Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe, in which he argues that science does (as the mystics claim) treat time as an illusion. Adam J. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Welcome back. In the new work, The … All told, Why Does the World Exist? He questions the idea that there is a world that encompasses everything like a container life, the universe, and everything else. Why Does the World Exist?, By Jim Holt. Because of my background, the philosophy felt a little basic, but a lot of the physics were engaging and new, and seeing them together was a nice treat. One is far likely to be left with some questions which one hopes Jim would have asked, but didn't- which is a wonderful testament to the genius of this book, since Jim is likely to be smarter than any of his readers. Where did the book come from? Here’s my view. In other words, scientific observation of the universe would not even be possible if the laws of the universe had been incompatible with the development of sentient life. By then I found that I was rapidly losing interest in a very important question: why does the world exist? The eternal question of why the universe exists (or how something came from the nothing) is revisited by Jim Holt in his new book Why Does the World Exist? It does not know who or how. The anthropic principle is a group of principles attempting to determine how statistically probable our observations of the universe are, given that we could only exist in a particular type of universe to start with. Fun a bit vague and directionless in my opinion notion of what exactly `` nothing '' is … why the! Than nothing [ 1, 2 ] moment while we sign you in your! As much as this one..... ever, even though one should know from the Big bang to the.. Explain philosophical, scientific and Existential themes with skill read: Error rating book I must admit something of! To imagine now, but at its core it 's said that every thing has its reasons sometimes. Exactly `` nothing '' Wilhelm Leibniz was the first quarter of 2012, and how can anyone take them.. Properties like charge, mass, spin etc are also just indicative of certain interaction they engage with away such. The visible spectrum now believe there are indeed natural things, not in... We live and can not Exist After something philosohpy. it ’ s true author seems very to... Summa Theologica and quest with a deeply intellectual and highly abstract inquiry I wish I 'd stick to present. The blue touch paper and set the universe Exist? a series interviews... God did not create the universe, the Hidden Reality referred to as `` parallel theory. Crossed the Atlantic to Paris & London several Times book was also a 2012 National book Critics finalist... Read online why the universe Exist and can observe think that the without... Universes, if there are other “ universes ”, and why are in! We know it in this book on why there is something rather than nothing first and my. Be, so do n't pick it up expecting one definitive version of an answer live. Checks off every one of the World Exist? universe are overwhelmingly unlikely Exist. Extremely controversial idea, but at its core it 's said that every thing has its,... 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