The World Itself

November 28, 2022
The world is not a simulation, computers don’t think, and there’s no such thing as free will, according to theoretical physicist Danielsson’s heady English-language debut. “Everything is physics and... there is no reality outside of matter,” contends Danielsson, weighing in on the nature of alien intelligence, the separation of body and soul, and other scientific and philosophical debates. Genetic code, he suggests, implies that life may simply be a way to disperse information in the form of DNA, but he qualifies that, unlike machine code, when it comes to DNA “there is no clear boundary between the code and that which interprets the code.” Danielsson posits that the supposedly universal laws of physics may differ in other realms, but humans may never be able to visit these corners of the “multiverse” because the differences in how matter behaves could cause the atoms in one’s body to come apart. He attributes the “beauty” some researchers see in mathematics to the limitations of the human mind and asserts that superior intellects would view such theorems to be as trivial as basic arithmetic. There are some mind-bending ideas and the philosophical reflections on math and physics are stimulating, but general readers will likely find the abstract discussions hard to follow. Still, this pensive take on physics has much to offer.

Starred review from December 2, 2022

How does the mind of a theoretical physicist work? Danielsson (theoretical physics, Uppsala Univ. in Sweden) takes readers on an odyssey through the width and depth of his field, and it is truly a fascinating journey. Touching on subjects as diverse as evolutionary biology, philosophy, and even popular culture, Danielsson makes his topics both appreciably substantial and approachable for lay readers who are curious about the nature of physics but do not necessarily have a strong background in science or mathematics. The closing chapter entitle "Does Free Will Exist?" will likely enchant readers and leave them with more to contemplate. Happily, the book's final pages include a list of recommended further reading for each chapter. VERDICT An excellent addition to any science collection, Danielsson's book serves as an exceptional ingress into the universe of theoretical physics and how it relates to a diverse cross section of human interests.--Jennifer Moore

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Starred review from December 1, 2022
At the junctures of science and philosophy, the real world takes shape. Throughout history, humanity has repeatedly discovered that the world is much larger and more diverse than previously thought. Danielsson, a professor at Sweden's Uppsala University with specialties in string theory and cosmology, believes this is no less the case today and that we have only begun to grasp the nature of our own world and the larger universe(s). For all its scientific detail and speculation, this engrossing book is a closely reasoned critique of competing philosophies on the nature of consciousness, free will, and physical reality. Danielsson brings an unusually broad grasp of science and philosophy to bear in evaluating--and, in many cases, dispensing with--erroneous ideas about the world, and he is never less than evenhanded in addressing those theories--some enshrined in the cultural imagination--that are demonstrably untrue. A lucid introduction by Carlos Fiolhais, professor of physics at the University of Coimbra, sets the stage for Danielsson's persuasive argument, which uses as its starting point the view that physics is the "mother" science that strives to explicate and define the real world. In this framework, it is about observation and testing as opposed to the incorporeal or spiritual mysteries that even some distinguished colleagues propound, dualistic notions on reality that are little different from religious belief. Danielsson's message is clear: Do not mistake our evolving descriptions of the world, which are simply attempts to represent it, with the world itself. Mathematical models, however useful, are not the same as the real world. Computers do not think. Free will and determinism are both illusions. There is no consciousness separate from the body. Danielsson's clarity of thought and expression and his use of illuminating literary and historical references are equal to the quality of his writing. Science "popularizing" doesn't get much more comprehensible, or provocative, than this.

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