Doubt And Certainty (Helix Books) [Hardcover]

Tony Rothman (Author), George Sudarshan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0738200069 | ISBN-13: 978-0738200064 | Publication Date: October 29, 1998

When scientists and philosophers construct models to explain the phenomena and laws of nature, do those models simulate what’s really out there in the world, or do they only represent the languages we use to describe the world? In this far-reaching, thought-provoking book, two world-class physicists from different worlds—one born and raised in the West, the other in the East—examines some of the most profound questions ever to be investigated by science.Against the background of one of the most imaginative settings ever devised for a science book—a fictional modern-day version of Plato’s Academy—Tony Rothman and George Sudarshan, along with an eclectic assortment of students and academics, delve deep into modern physics and Eastern philosophy, and come up with startling insights on the structure of the physical world. To gain these insights, the Academy members must tackle questions such as, How much of the millennium synthesis of science and philosophy is meaningful and how much is pure nonsense? Which New Age trends are compatible with physics? Can we learn anything from parallels between physics and Eastern philosophy?The common thread that runs through the debates is the tension between the seemingly opposite, but really complementary, notions of doubt and certainty: doubt that certain fields of science really succeed in describing the world versus the rock-solid certainty in the predictions of theories like Newton’s mechanics and Einstein’s relativity.In these intriguing, often funny, sometimes violent, but always stimulating debates, Rothman and Sudarshan cover a wide range of subjects, including cosmology, quantum mechanics, theology, mathematics, complexity, synchronicity, and the past and future.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The subtitle of Doubt and Certainty provides a good example of why overly clever writing doesn't necessarily make for a good subtitle?nor for a first-rate book. Rothman (A Physicist on Madison Avenue) and Sudarshan, former director of the Center for Particle Theory at the University of Texas-Austin, express two goals here: to reconnect science with our broader culture and to reclaim ideas such as quantum field theory from Deepak Chopra and other like writers. Is all science truly relative, as the authors claim? What constitutes certainty and uncertainty? Do seemingly outlandish theories that have captured the public's imagination?the existence of multiple universes, for instance?enjoy widespread acceptance by scientists? The authors pack a great deal of interesting information into their book, and, at their best, they clarify murky topics such as string theory in an exemplary way. But too often their writing reads like note cards cobbled together, and the book's structure?which Rothman and Sudarshan imagine as a cross between Plato's Republic and 1001 Nights?makes the prose maddeningly slow to get through in places. Whimsy and humor are tricky in fiction, let alone difficult scientific topics, unless you're Edwin Abbott or Lewis Carroll. But despite these flaws, the book may fly with popular science readers, because of the wide variety of topics covered and the welcoming, lighthearted approach. Illus. by Shannon K. Comins.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A stimulating mix of physics and philosophy, science and art written for the professional scientist, and the ordinary fellow who just thinks big thoughts." -- San Diego Union-Tribune

"Rothman and Sudarshan reinvent Plato's academy, melding their thoughts with those of their ancestors and contemporaries." -- Science News --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (October 29, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738200069
• ISBN-13: 978-0738200064
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #703,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Contender for the Pulitzer Prize, February 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Doubt And Certainty (Helix Books) (Hardcover)

This is an extraordinary book. First, it is NOT one more book of hype about some new "break through" in science that is going to "revolutionize" our concept of the universe. Looking at all those superficial "science" books, one cannot help but wonder if science itself has become the modern superstition. Rothman and Sudarshan's most insightful book saves science from becoming a superstition. It is fresh and it is thought provoking. Even the most difficult concepts of fundamental physics are taken apart, bit by bit, through a delightful Socratic dialogue, exposing the doubt and certainty in our knowledge. This is a book for those who cannot tolerate the dogma science has become in the popular mind. It is a clear contender for the Pulitzer Prize.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Premise For a Science Book, But Fails To Deliver, October 21, 2002

By 

"50cent-haircut" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doubt And Certainty: The Celebrated Academy Debates On Science, Mysticism Reality (Helix Books) (Paperback)

There is much to commend in this book. The sheer scope and breadth of subjects it covers are amazing. The premise of the book is interesting and novel: a fictional version of Plato's Academy debating the issues at hand in a series of questions and answers. However, many issues are covered too glibly, especially ones dealing with quantum mechanics and unified theories. Another problem is Tony Rothman's prose stylization of the material. George Sudarshan, the scientist of the writing duo, does an admirable job of explaining the properties, but much of the information is mangled by Rothman's antic writing and examples. It makes the book seem gimmicky, and much of it, truthfully, is bad, ornery writing that almost single-handedly hampers the book's service to inform the reader. The book has its merits of covering a vast amount of scientific knowledge, and is even entertaining to read in spurts. But if you're looking for books that deal with subjects more in-depth and appropriately, or those that are written in more truthful, elegant prose, look elsewhere.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!, March 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Doubt And Certainty (Helix Books) (Hardcover)

I read a lot of science/math intended for lay readers but virtually never before have I had such amazing fun doing so - and with a frank and serious discussion of the most important issues of both, to boot. The authors are to be congratulated.