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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 501
EAN: 9780060390815
Edition: 1st
ISBN: 0060390816
Label: Harpercollins
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 321
Publication Date: 1988-03
Publisher: Harpercollins
Studio: Harpercollins

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• see more

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
Infinite in All Directions is an expertly guided tour of our wondrous universe -- and our place within it -- with stops along the way to discoversuperstrings, black holes, "astrochickens," comet showers, and butterflies. A distinguished scientist, lecturer, writer, arms-control expert, and one of the world's most esteemed theoretical physicists, Freeman J. Dyson adroitly guides us through a rich array of topics, from the origins of life and the prospects of immortality to nuclear weapons and the frontiers of space. In this generous rewriting of his esteemed Gifford Lectures, Dyson uses the tools of science and religion as two distinct ways in which we can view the cosmos. He believes that "our universe is the most interesting of all possible universes, and our fate as human beings is to make it so."

Exuberantly stimulating, astute, and often imbued with the poetic and whimsical, Infinite in All Directions is a meditation on the meaning of life, the purpose of the universe, and the nature of God. As a celebration of diversity as the chief source of beauty and value in the natural universe, in the governance of human societies, and in our souls, this is popularized science at its best.




Rating: - A Meaning for Scientific Thought by a Master
As always with Freeman Dyson, this book is a provocative exploration of a set of interesting and often unusual themes in nature, thoughtfully related to the larger issues of the day. In "Infinite in All Directions" Dyson searches for meaning on the diversity of the Earth's ecosystem, the inner workings of the universe, and the place of humanity in our larger cosmological structure. Presented originally as a set of lectures at Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1985, the chapters of this book have a familiarity ... Read More

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Rating: - POetic Writing with an Internal Contradiction
It has been noted that some of the best writing around can be found in the scientific world and this book is a confirmation. It is divided into two sections that the author describes as reflecting two meanings of the title - the infinite quality of the universe and the infinite responsibility of mankind. The essays are erudite, entertaining, informative and more than anything (especially in the "universe" section) demonstrate that the nature of science and humanity's involvement in it is complex, sometimes ... Read More

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Rating: - Another absorbing journey with Freeman Dyson.
Mr. Dyson is one of the most respected and distinguished physicists in the world. He is also a great science writer for the layman. Although a gentle and gracious man by nature, Dyson is not afraid to take on the sacred cows and unfashionable areas of science, and it is obvious that there is little beyond his powers of comprehension. When I read Freeman Dyson, I feel as though I am in the presence of supreme, but very kindly intellect. This is a collection of 17 lectures that touch on many subjects, including ... Read More

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