The great unknown
Subtitle: seven journeys to the frontiers of science
By: Marcus du Sautoy
Contributors: Du Sautoy, Marcus
Publisher: Viking
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 450
ISBN-13: 9780735221802
Subjects: Theory of Knowledge; Discoveries in science
Description: "A captivating journey to the outer frontiers of human knowledge by the popular presenter of Netflix's The Story of Math. Ever since the dawn of civilization we have been driven by a desire to know--to understand the physical world and the laws of nature. But are there limits to human knowledge? This tantalizing question has inspired scientists and functioned as a spur to innovation. Now, Marcus du Sautoy invites us to join him on a journey to the outer reaches of human understanding as there are still lots of deep mysteries waiting to be solved. Are some things beyond the predictive powers of science? Or are those challenges simply the next big discovery waiting to happen? Du Sautoy takes us into the minds of science's greatest innovators and reveals the fraught circumstances of their discoveries. He reminds us that major breakthroughs were often ridiculed at the time of their discovery. And he carries us on a whirlwind tour of seven "Edges" of knowledge - chaos theory, matter, quantum physics, the universe, time, consciousness and infinity --grounding a deeply personal exploration in simple concepts like the roll of dice, the notes of a cello, or how a clock measures time"--
Notes: "First published in Great Britain as What We Cannot Know"--Title-page verso.

Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Zero: the known unknowns; title: First edge: chaos; title: Second edge: matter; title: Third edge: quantum physics; title: Fourth edge: the universe; title: Fifth edge: time; title: Sixth edge: consciousness; title: Seventh edge: infinity; title: Beyond the edge.