|
From one of our foremost mathematicians
and cosmologists comes this fascinating exploration of the
surprisingly substantial and varied nature of nothing.
With unassailable expertise and a proven
ability to make complex theories and ideas clearly accessible,
John Barrow examines and explains every aspect of nothingness.
From the zeros of mathematicians to the void of philosophers,
from Shakespeare to the null set, from the ether to the
quantum vacuum, this book illustrates the fact that nothing
is real.
Barrow begins with the origins of zero in
ancient India, its rocky reception in Europe, and the early
abhorrence and eventual acceptance of the concept of the
void by Christianity. He traces the notion through the work
of writers and thinkers from the ancient Greeks to our own
time. He looks at mathematics, cosmology, theology, and
physics to uncover the nothing that is at the heart of most
things. Finally, he discusses recent concepts of nothing,
which are having profound effects on our search for the
origins and overall structure of the universe.
Illuminating the many ways in which humankind
has come to understand "nothing," The Book
of Nothing brilliantly belies its title.
John D. Barrow is research professor
of mathematical sciences in the Department of Applied Mathematics
and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University. His previous
books include Theories of Everything, The Artful
Universe, Impossibility, Between Inner and
Outer Space, The Universe That Discovered Itself,
and The Origin of the Universe. He lives in England.
|
