- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Oxford University Press (28 Oct 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0195130820
- ISBN-13: 978-0195130829
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 13.7 x 1.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,164,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Product Description
In Impossibility, John D. Barrow--one of our most elegant and accomplished science writers--argues convincingly that there are limits to human discovery, that there are things that are ultimately unknowable, undoable, or unreachable. Barrow first examines the limits of the human mind: our brain evolved to meet the demands of our immediate environment, and much that lies outside this small circle may also lie outside our understanding. He investigates practical impossibilities, such as those imposed by complexity, uncomputability, or the finiteness of time, space, and resources. Is the universe finite or infinite? Can information be transmitted faster than the speed of light? The book also examines deeper theoretical restrictions on our ability to know, including Godel's theorem, which proved that there were things that could not be proved. Finally, having explored the limits imposed on us from without, Barrow considers whether there are limits we should impose upon ourselves. Weaving together this intriguing tapestry, Barrow illuminates some of the most profound questions of science, from the possibility of time travel to the very structure of the universe.
From the Publisher
'If you are fascinated by the limits of knowledge, you will be richly rewarded by this book' New Scientist
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
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Inside This Book
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Without limits there would be no science,
By Sally-Anne "mynameissally" (Leicestershire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Impossibility: The Limits of Science and the Science of Limits (Paperback)
Who would have guessed that it could be so hard to work out what is and isn't possible? And how astonishing that some people imagine that nothing is impossible and will rail against the notion or sink into depression at the realisation that not everything is knowable. John Barrow prods at all sorts of limits in this book, in order to show us where they are and how to recognise them. He discusses the limits imposed by size (the itsy-bitsy to the astronomical), time and space (they might be two separate things after all, apparently), speed, complexity, our assumptions about the 'constants' of nature, linguistic and mathematical paradoxes, technological limits and the limits of the human mind. He considers what the universe might be like beyond what is visible to astronomers today: is it just more of the same or might it be an eternal, self-reproducing inflationary universe where the laws of nature differ from one area to another, for example? Is time travel possible? What other sorts of extraterrestrial intelligences could exist? There are limits in every direction and area of study. Without them, science would not be possible.I'm pleased to be able to report that this book is not impossible to understand. It's well written, entertaining and enlightening. There are lots of pithy quotes including a few from some of my favourite authors (eg Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett). I thoroughly enjoyed it and feel a little less dim than I did before I started the book. Recommended.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
At the edge of popular science,
By Derek Watson "PTJ60Ylx" (Kent, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Impossibility: The Limits of Science and the Science of Limits (Paperback)
If you like reading books about codes, navigation, E=mc2, black holes then you will find Impossibility is up your street. But unlike most popular science books that you will read, absorb and then file, you will find Impossibility a mental challenge. It's the sort of book that you will read, skim through a bit then decide that you will keep it handy so you can come back to it when you have had a chance to get your head round it a bit more.It covers an area that is essential for any intellectual to know about, that is not just the edges of human knowledge, but those areas where we can prove that we will not know everything. When you get over the disappointment about this, you want to know what those areas are and the book is very good at summarising them. It is very well written and the fact that you have to concentrate on the ideas inside is what makes reading it ultimately a very worthwhile and mind-expanding experience. In the best tradition of popular science the explanations are logical, understandable and flow from one to the other. If I was on a desert island I would take this book rather than any other popular science text, precisely because it would be a daily mental workout.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Impossible to Understand,
By
This review is from: Impossibility: The Limits of Science and the Science of Limits (Paperback)
I am a 16 year old who has just finished their GCSE's, and with 10 long weeks of nothing to do i decided i may as well buy some books to keep me entertained :D! i bought this book mainly because i am fascinated with theoretical physics, i find it really interesting to read about all of the possibilities of physics, and although this book is about impossibility, it is just as fascinating and thought provoking!
when i first started to read it i thought it was perhaps a bit too technical for me, but after i while i began to understand things, thanks to the detailed explanations that aid the main ideas. this book is an extremely interesting read for any people interested in the theoreticla side of physics etc. i admit it is taking me a long time to read because it makes you think so much. i often read a paragraph and then stop just to think and fully comprehend the fascinating ideas tht are brought forward in this book. all in all this is an amazingly in depth yet not too difficult to understand book for anybody who has an interest in scientific theory. definitely looking forward to reading more books by this author.
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