All told, Why Does the World Exist? why do we think that the universe is made of electron and quark? Existence, as we know it in this universe, consists of a what, a where and a when. All well & good & I enjoyed the ride, even though one should know from the outset that nothing will be decided. 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. Why is there something instead of nothing? : An Existential Detective Story is a nonfiction work authored by Jim Holt. Sadly, the book sheds no light on the question. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Why Does the Universe Exist? remains the darkest and most enduring of all metaphysical mysteries. Why is there something rather than nothing? Holt ponders that most enduring & impossible of questions: why is there something rather than nothing. All well & good & I enjoyed the ride, even though one should know from the outset that nothing will be decided. In this book, the author records a quest to answer the question through a series of interviews and discussions. 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. To see what your friends thought of this book. Why does this book review exist? It is philosophically engaging and highly informative. "The Basic Question 'Why Does the World Exist?' The author won't even get to the bottom of what exactly "nothing" IS. The New York Review of Books - What Can You Really Know? Where did the book come from? Why is there something rather than nothing? Why Does the Universe Exist? 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. By Sean Carroll. The book irritated me, to say the least, and all I wanted to do was sit across a table from Holt and from everyone he interviewed (except David Deutsch and Steven Weinberg) and ask them if they were really kidding. For instance: We exist in a “temporally scattered” condition, as he writes in the new book. in a precise sense, "electron" and "quark" are just names for human convenience, to indicate that they are two different stuff. Tracking down an eccentric Oxford philosopher, a Physics Nobel Laureate, a French Buddhist monk who lived with the Dalai Lama, and John Updike just before he died, Holt pursues unexplored angles to this cosmic puzzle. 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. Physicist Lawrence Krauss peddles this message in his new book A Universe From Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing (Free … A nice, well written survey of contemporary metaphysics/science, mostly trying to explain "why there is something rather than nothing". 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. 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. : An Existential Detective Story by Jim Holt "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. Why Does the World Exist? Philosopher Jim Holt on Nothingness, the God Wars, and His New Book: “I’m a Little Unhinged”, The Philosophers Magazine - The best books of 2012, "Why Does the World Exist? :An Existential Detective Story, tackles the question that Martin Heidegger characterized as the greatest in all philosophy and William James called the darkest in all philosophy—why is there something rather than nothing? The author won't even get to the bottom of what exactly "nothing" IS. In other words: Why does the universe exist (and why are we in it)? Why does the universe exist? 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? Most people have heard of the possibility of more than one universe from science fiction stories and movies. A fine study of the laws of the universe interrogates what, if anything, came before the Big Bang 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. Why Does the World Exist? 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. Okay. It’s a peripatetic book, one that only occasionally seems really … 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! So, he wasn't forced by lack of funds, time, or physical disability from seeking answers further afield. It is philosophically engaging and highly informative. The puzzle of why there is something rather than nothing – from which all the biggest questions of metaphysics spring such as ‘where did we come … Philosopher and writer Jim Holt follows this question toward three possible answers. in a precise sense, "electron" and "quark" are just names for human convenience, to indicate that they are two different stuff. If Jim Holt's deft and consuming Why Does the World By then I found that I was rapidly losing interest in a very important question: why does the world exist? 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 wi. 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. In this excerpt from his new book, Our Mathematical Universe, M.I.T. In Stephen Hawking's final book "Brief Answers to Big Questions," published ... time does not exist. Along the way, Jim Holt also introduces the reader to the philosophy of mathematics, theology, physics, ontology, epistemology, and other subjects.[1][2][5]. by Jim Holt". An intriguing and hopeless search for the meaning of existence. : An Existential Detective Story by Jim Holt "Why Does the World Exist?" People have wrestled with the mystery of why the universe exists for thousands of years. He and the book were on the LA Times bestseller list during the last quarter of 2012, and the first quarter of 2013. This supremely unimportant book raises three deep and troubling questions. The evolution of the Universe from the big bang to the present. I mean, this is the super ultimate "why" question? Still, Skow’s view of time does lead to him to offer some slightly more unusual-sounding conclusions. : An Existential Detective Story is a nonfiction work authored by Jim Holt. 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. If Jim Holt's deft and consuming Why Does the … This is becoming tedious. 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. And it artistically weaves together a personal narrative and quest with a deeply intellectual and highly abstract inquiry. Adam J. Nor would it make a difference if there is a God, who caused the rest of the Universe to exist. I have to assume that an exclusionary principle operated at the level of personal inclination, or disinclination, as it were. He is an atheist. 10 mysteries of the universe: Why does anything exist at all? July 16th 2012 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. Perhaps all possible universes have existed from the start, including one that contains nothing. professor Max Tegmark explores the possibility that math does not just describe the universe, but makes the universe … International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 24:69-76 (2005) 24:69-76 (2005) Actually more like 4.5. 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. Why Does the World Exist?, By Jim Holt. This all-inclusive being does not exist and cannot exist. I found the discussion in this book on why there is something rather than nothing utterly charming and totally befuddling. Why is there — Okay. The author seems very willing to travel, since he crossed the Atlantic to Paris & London several times. professor Max Tegmark explores the possibility that math does not just describe the universe, but makes the universe … Why does the universe exist? There could not be a causal explanation of why God exists. Why Does the World Exist? God did not create the universe, the man who is arguably Britain's most famous living scientist says in a forthcoming book. Holt ponders that most enduring & impossible of questions: why is there something rather than nothing. Our best theories predict that all the matter in the universe should have been destroyed as soon as it existed. Hurray for Jim Holt, who cracks our formulaic stupor with his crisp, jolly new book, Why Does the World Exist? But many cosmologists now believe there are other “universes”, and perhaps our universe arose from one of them. Science, Lewis argues, can study the material components of the universe, but it cannot offer an explanation for why the universe exists in the first place. is one of the very best popular philosophy books I have ever read. Jim Holt is an excellent writer who can explain philosophical, scientific and existential themes with skill. Such thoughts did spoil the fun a bit, I must admit. Because the universe also began as a singularity, time itself could not … By Derek Parfit This Spring Derek Parfit is Visiting Profssor of Philosophy at Harvard University, where he is teaching "Recent Ethical Theory" with T. M. Scanlon. Philosopher and author Jim Holt plays the role of the inquisitive detective who is on a mission to answer the ultimate question of existence. An advaita vedantic perspective. William James called the question of existence "the darkest in all philosohpy." 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. Why is there something instead of nothing? In this highly original new book, the philosopher Markus Gabriel challenges our notion of what exists and what it means to exist. I wish I'd read Freeman Dyson's review in the New York Review of Books first and saved my time. In this excerpt from his new book, Our Mathematical Universe, M.I.T. What?! Childhood memories and annual traditions. Why Does the World Exist? Jim Holt is a longtime contributor to the, “Having just enough life to enjoy being dead.”, “In 1921, a New York rabbi asked Einstein if he believed in God. How can people get away with such partial and idiotic arguments, and how can anyone take them seriously. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. I took a college philosophy class more than two decades ago. He and the book were on the LA Times bestseller list during the last quarter of 2012, and the first quarter of 2013. why do we think that the universe is made of electron and quark? i.e. Engaging and thoughtful and deftly told (probably all these adjectives are used in the blurbs, but in this case they're accurate). This review of contemporary thinking on the question of existence represents the best of North American intellectual journalism where the writer tries to represent the intelligent 'ordinary joe' in his search for knowledge. That was my introduction to the mystery of existence. Unfortunately, the book is dominated by the materialistic assumption that the ultimate explanation will be physical rather than Personal. "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: "National Book Critics Circle Names 2012 Award Finalists", "Review of Jim Holt's Why Does the World Exist? Midway through the book, however, I began to wonder why all the philosophers, scientists or simply very smart people the author consulted & conversed with were white males & pretty exclusively North American or British (perhaps a few Frenchmen, since the author does journey to Paris a few times & he does at least mention Buddhism at the very end of the book). The book was also a 2012 National Book Critics Award finalist for nonfiction. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. It's also referred to as "parallel universe theory." 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 … The question of being itself, as Updike and Holt agree, can seem profound in one mood, vacuous in another. “That question,” Deutsch says, “could only be answered by finding a more encompassing fabric of which the physical multiverse was a part. 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. An exuberant romp of a book. The child knows that someone must have written these books. 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. In Stephen Hawking's final book "Brief Answers to Big Questions," published ... time does not exist. Start by marking “Why Does the World Exist? Because he wanted to, silly. Already, I've started a list of folk who will find it gift-wrapped from me at the holidays.— Karen R. Long. Time spent with an old friend. The second law of thermodynamics, that most existentially resonant of … 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). A much-needed diversion. 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. is an intellectual quest of one the most intriguing philosophical questions, "Why Does the World Exist". is one of the very best popular philosophy books I have ever read. “The block universe theory says you’re spread out in time, something like the way you’re spread out in space,” Skow says. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going." Refresh and try again. 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. 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. Why Does the World Exist? People have wrestled with the mystery of why the universe exists for thousands of years. Why is there something instead of nothing? Like most metaphysics surveys, it spent a while gr. Jim Holt’s recent book, Why Does the World Exist? 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. In other words: Why does the universe exist (and why are we in it)? 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. 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. 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. Download Full Why The Universe Exists Book in PDF, EPUB, Mobi and All Ebook Format. 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. Why Does the World Exist?, By Jim Holt. 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. He questions the idea that there is a world that encompasses everything like a container life, the universe, and ev (Why else would "Why Does the World Exist?" Even with some limitations, this was a very stimulating book to read. Sadly, the book sheds no light on the question. ( CC0) Let the unpacking began. William James called the question of existence "the darkest in all philosohpy." 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. 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. Jim Holt’s recent book, Why Does the World Exist? Welcome back. : An Existential Detective Story” as Want to Read: Error rating book. same goes for quark as well. Rock. exist?) [1][2][3][4], A central question of the book is 'Why is there something rather than nothing? The slyly humorous Holt takes on the role of cosmological detective, suggesting that we might have been too narrow in limiting our suspects to Yahweh vs. the Big Bang. The mystery of why the universe exists still intrigues and defies philosophers, theologians, scientists, and pretty much anyone who’s ever sprawled in a park and stared at the sky. Science cannot answer the deepest questions. p180 ABC Television 20/20 Interview, 1989 "It is difficult to discuss the beginning of the universe without mentioning the concept of God. An Existential Detective Story. Midway through the book, however, I began to wonder why all the philosophers, scientists or simply very smart peop. Possibly the most important ‘why’ question of all, and as such it should receive more attention. Firstly, that there is nothing else to create the universe but itself (because it came from nothing). Because its author poured himself a cup of coffee the other morning and sat down in front of the computer to write it. 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