The Mind of God : The Scientific Basis for a Rational World » (Reprint)

Paul Davies is Professor of Mathematical Physics at the University of Adelaide in Australia. His earlier books include God and the New Physics, The Cosmic Blueprint, Superforce, and Other Worlds.

Throughout history, humans have dreamed of knowing the reason for the existence of the universe. In The Mind of God, physicist Paul Davies explores whether modern science can provide the key that will unlock this last secret. In his quest for an ultimate explanation, Davies reexamines the great questions that have preoccupied humankind for millennia, and in the process explores, among other topics, the origin and evolution of the cosmos, the nature of life and consciousness, and the claim that our universe is a kind of gigantic computer. Charting the ways in which the theories of such scientists as Newton, Einstein, and more recently Stephen Hawking and Richard Feynman have altered our conception of the physical universe. Davies puts these scientists' discoveries into context with the writings of philosophers such as Plato. Descartes, Hume, and Kant. His startling conclusion is that the universe is "no minor byproduct of mindless, purposeless forces. We are truly meant to be here." By the means of science, we can truly see into the mind of God.

Library Journal

This time Davies (coauthor of The Matter Myth , LJ 3/1/92) takes on the big philosophical questions raised by our increasing understanding of how the universe works: How did it all start? Why is there a universe at all? Is there a God and, if so, has He/She any limitations? That is, could the laws of physics have been different? Who made the laws? Why are we here? Could there be a universe devoid of life? Many people feel that these issues fall into the realm of religion, not science. The message of Davies's book is that most of these questions are unanswerable but only people with an appreciation of modern science can understand how deep they really are. Davies is an excellent writer about science per se and its philosophical implications. A worthwhile acquisition for all science collections.-- Harold D. Shane, Baruch Coll., CUNY

Contents

Preface

CHAPTER 1 REASON AND BELIEF

The Scientific Miracle

Human Reason and Common Sense

Thoughts About Thought

A Rational World

Metaphysics: Who Needs It?

Time and Eternity: The Fundamental Paradox of Existence

CHAPTER 2 CAN THE UNIVERSE CREATE ITSELF?

Was There a Creation Event?

Creation from Nothing

The Beginning of Time

Cyclic World Revisited

Continuous Creation

Did God Cause the Big Bang?

Creation without Creation

Mother and Child Universes

CHAPTER 3 WHAT ARE THE LAWS OF NATURE?

The Origin of Law

The Cosmic Code

The Status of the Laws Today

What Does It Mean for Something to "Exist"?

In the Beginning

CHAPTER 4 MATHEMATICS AND REALITY

Magic Numbers

Mechanizing Mathematics

The Uncomputable

Why Does Arithmetic Work?

Russian Dolls and Artificial Life

CHAPTER 5 REAL WORLDS AND VIRTUAL WORLDS

Simulating Reality

Is the Universe a Computer?

The Unattainable

The Unknowable

The Cosmic Program

CHAPTER 6 THE MATHEMATICAL SECRET

Is Mathematics Already "Out There"?

The Cosmic Computer

Why Us?

Why Are the Laws of Nature Mathematical?.

How Can We Know Something without Knowing Everything?

CHAPTER 7 WHY IS THE WORLD THE WAY IT IS?

An Intelligible Universe

A Unique Theory of Everything?

Contingent Order

The Best of All Possible Worlds?

Beauty as a Guide to Truth

Is God Necessary?

A Dipolar God and Wheeler's Cloud

Does God Have to Exist?

The Options

A God Who Plays Dice

CHAPTER 8 DESIGNER UNIVERSE

The Unity of the Universe

Life Is So Difficult

Has the Universe Been Designed by an Intelligent Creator?

TheIngenuity of Nature

A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place

Is There Need for a Designer?

Multiple Realities

Cosmological Darwinism

CHAPTER 9 THE MYSTERY AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE

Turtle Power

Mystical Knowledge

The Infinite

What Is Man?

Notes

Select Bibliography

Index