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perhaps the most engaging and creative tour of modern physics that has ever been written (Sunday Times )
Sunday Times
"perhaps the most engaging and creative tour of modern physics that has ever been written"
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OVER THE PAST few decades, electronic computer technology has made enormous strides. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
OVER THE PAST few decades, electronic computer technology has made enormous strides. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Roger Penrose, one of the world's top physicists, summarizes modern science, examining topics including Turing machines, relativity, quantum physics, black holes, etc. At the end, he argues that the human mind can not be simulated by computers or anything algorithmic. The Emperor's New Mind is my favorite book, although I didn't feel that way the first time I read it. It is quite technical, compared to, for instance, A Brief History of Time, which covers some of the same topics. The second time I read the book, I really dedicated a lot of time to understand the material as well as I could, often working out problems with paper and pencil. This was necessary for me to see that his conclusion was related to the rest of the book. While Penrose obviously can not "prove" his belief, he gives a strong, fascinating arguement, and the book has definitely affected my philosophical views concerning consciousness.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a profound book which, inspired by investigations into the nature of the human mind and of artificial intelligence, takes the reader on a roller-coaster tour of aspects of computer science, maths and physics. It calls for a lot of concentration and is not for the faint-hearted. Explanations of many concepts are at a fairly technical level, full of equations and symbols, and I could not help feeling that at times Penrose could have presented things more simply without losing the thread of the argument.
The ordinary reader would - as the author himself suggests - be well-advised not to strive to understand all the technical detail: it is possible to grasp the essence of what is being described without following all the intricacies Penrose goes into. The trouble is that this means skimming through much of the book.
The ordinary reader would - as the author himself suggests - be well-advised not to strive to understand all the technical detail: it is possible to grasp the essence of what is being described without following all the intricacies Penrose goes into. The trouble is that this means skimming through much of the book.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I found this book stimulating and entertaining in equal measure. It looks at the questions such as -- if we had enough information, we could predict absolutely everything, or not? Is the human mind simply a machine (for example a computer)? Can we actually be transported Star-trek style or not? Are we (including our memories) just a collection of atoms that could be reconstituted?
In answering these questions Penrose embarks on a tour of the mathematical concepts and theories that underpin our understanding of the Universe.
There seems to be much more maths than is really needed, and there is a lot of theory (The book runs to over 500 pages after all). You will also need advanced A level maths to cope (on the basis that I just coped, and that's the level of maths I reached).
Entertaining and enjoyable IF you are interested in Maths. If you are not, stay away.
In answering these questions Penrose embarks on a tour of the mathematical concepts and theories that underpin our understanding of the Universe.
There seems to be much more maths than is really needed, and there is a lot of theory (The book runs to over 500 pages after all). You will also need advanced A level maths to cope (on the basis that I just coped, and that's the level of maths I reached).
Entertaining and enjoyable IF you are interested in Maths. If you are not, stay away.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Difficult but worth it
This book goes much deeper than most popular science books, it's heavy going at times but well worth it. Read more
Published 6 months ago by tobsco
Incomprehensible
Looking at the tags suggested for this book, I found them all to be subjects in which I am deeply interested, and indeed I awaited the arrival of the book with some anticipation. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Pedro Vado
About Non-computability
My copy of this book is now 21 years old, but I thought it appropriate to write a short historical review. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Dr. Roy Simpson
A Wonderful Intellectual Voyage
Professor Penrose takes us on a wonderful intellectual voyage as he presents an array of information about consciousness and reality which no one else would put together. Read more
Published on 17 May 2010 by Ila France Porcher, author of My Sunset Rendezvous
Don't expect anything Earth-shattering
Roger's tome was required reading for one of the courses that formed part of my master's degree. After a good introductory chapter, Dr Penrose descends into a confused mess of... Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2010 by Anthony R. Dixon
Very Worthwhile Reading.
Although I am currently making my way through Professor Penrose's book, a review of my impressions thus far is warranted. Read more
Published on 18 Dec 2008 by Laurence
Great tour of physics, not sure about the metaphysics
I give this book five stars cos it occupies, along with Barrow and Tipler's The Anthropic Cosmological Principle (Oxford Paperbacks) a niche that nothing else quite does. Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2008 by John Ferngrove
Skip this
The one redeeming feature this book had was its overview of theoretical physics. The chapters bookending the good bit were a complete nonsense. Read more
Published on 11 Aug 2008 by H. A. Van Berg
Stylistic difficulties mask an outstanding book
Penrose does not shrink from the difficult when trying to explain the problems he's obsessed about. This is one of the best books on the subject (the subject in question being... Read more
Published on 30 Dec 2007 by Matt Westwood
Misleading Title
The book digreses too far from its title with long detailed coverage of mathematical proofs and descriptions of quantum mechanics. Read more
Published on 12 May 2003 by AS
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