What can we never do? The end of each century leads to a stocktaking of human achievement and our expectations about the future. This work looks at what limits there might be to human discovery and what we might find, ultimately, to be unknowable, undoable, or unthinkable. Science is a big success story, but where will it end? And indeed, will it end? Weaving together a tapestry of surprises, Barrow explores the frontiers of knowledge. We find that the notion of "impossibility" has played a striking role in our thinking. Surrealism, impossible figures, time travel, paradoxes of logic and perspective, theological speculations about Beings for whom nothing is impossible - all stimulate us to contemplate something more than what is. Why should we find anything impossible? We explore the limits that may be imposed upon a full understanding of the physical Universe by limits of technology, computers, cost, and complexity. We ask why it is that the process of biological evolution should have equipped us to understand the deep structure of the Universe. We see how the Universe's structure prevents us from answering the deepest questions about its beginning, its structure, and its future. And finally, we delve into the deep limits imposed by the nature of knowledge itself. These deep limits have profound implications for any quest for complete knowledge. They take us into the debates over the problems of free will and consciousness. Godel's famous theorem about our inability to capture the truths of mathematics by rules and axioms is explored to see if it has any implications for science. Using simple explanations, the text demonstrates that impossibility is a deep and powerful notion; that any Universe complex enough to contain conscious beings will contain limits on what those beings can know about their Universe; that what we cannot know defines reality as surely as what we can know. Impossibility is a two-edged sword: it threatens the completeness of the scientific enterprise yet without it there would be no laws of Nature, no science, and no scientists.
"Sinopsis" puede pertenecer a otra edición de este libro.
John Barrow is Professor of Astronomy at the University of Sussex. Among his many popular books on science are Pi in the Sky, Theories of Everything, and The Origin of the Universe. He lives in Sussex, England
"Sobre este título" puede pertenecer a otra edición de este libro.
EUR 1,87 gastos de envío desde Estados Unidos de America a España
Destinos, gastos y plazos de envíoEUR 17,03 gastos de envío desde Canada a España
Destinos, gastos y plazos de envíoLibrería: Kennys Bookstore, Olney, MD, Estados Unidos de America
Condición: Very Good. 1998. hardcover. Good clean copy with minor shelfwear. DJ has some minor nicks and tears, remains very good. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Nº de ref. del artículo: KSG0034191
Cantidad disponible: 1 disponibles
Librería: Kennys Bookshop and Art Galleries Ltd., Galway, GY, Irlanda
Condición: Very Good. 1998. hardcover. Good clean copy with minor shelfwear. DJ has some minor nicks and tears, remains very good. . . . . Nº de ref. del artículo: KSG0034191
Cantidad disponible: 1 disponibles
Librería: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, Reino Unido
Hardback. Condición: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Nº de ref. del artículo: GOR002005074
Cantidad disponible: 3 disponibles
Librería: Reuseabook, Gloucester, GLOS, Reino Unido
Hardcover. Condición: Used; Very Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine. Nº de ref. del artículo: CHL10547696
Cantidad disponible: 1 disponibles
Librería: Better World Books Ltd, Dunfermline, Reino Unido
Condición: Good. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Nº de ref. del artículo: GRP15439026
Cantidad disponible: 1 disponibles
Librería: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, Estados Unidos de America
Hardcover. Condición: Good. No Jacket. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.59. Nº de ref. del artículo: G0198518900I3N01
Cantidad disponible: 1 disponibles
Librería: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, Estados Unidos de America
Hardcover. Condición: Very Good. No Jacket. Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.59. Nº de ref. del artículo: G0198518900I4N10
Cantidad disponible: 1 disponibles
Librería: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, Estados Unidos de America
Hardcover. Condición: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.59. Nº de ref. del artículo: G0198518900I3N00
Cantidad disponible: 1 disponibles
Librería: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, Estados Unidos de America
Hardcover. Condición: Very Good. No Jacket. Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.59. Nº de ref. del artículo: G0198518900I4N10
Cantidad disponible: 1 disponibles
Librería: Anybook.com, Lincoln, Reino Unido
Condición: Good. This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has hardback covers. In good all round condition. No dust jacket. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,750grams, ISBN:0198518900. Nº de ref. del artículo: 5833524
Cantidad disponible: 1 disponibles