The Matter Myth: Dramatic Discoveries That Challenge Our Understanding of Physical Reality

by John Gribbin and Paul C.W. Davies

Book Overview

Two highly acclaimed science writers--authors (separately) of God and the New Physics and In Search of Shrodinger's Cat--explain the latest breakthroughs in scientific thought, revolutionizing our... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671728415
• ISBN13: 9780671728410
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

THERE IS NO MACHINE

The first chapter of this book is entitled "The Death of Materialism," and the final line of the book concludes that Gilbert Ryle was right to dismiss Descartes' "ghost in the machine," "not because there is no ghost, but because there is no machine." The matter myth has maintained that reality consists of material particles flying around in a void as they are affected by forces. With the advent of chaos theory, physicists now maintain that the stuff of the universe possesses an innate tendency to self-organize, which at least hints at the possibility of a teleological universe. It is interesting that it is the physicists who are positing the notion that consciousness might be an innate property of existence, and the prominent life scientists are we are nothing but gene and meme machines. I realized upon reading this book that old notions never die, they just spiral upward. Had Planck called the particles of energy emitted by a hot body "phlogistons" instead of "quanta," then we might very well study "phlogiston mechanics." A phlogiston has at least as much in common with a quantum as the modern atom has with the atom of Dalton. And Aristotle's rejection of the existence of vacuum in favor of the notion that dense matter was vortices in the plenum is essentially correct. "Vacuum" is replete with energy, and virtual particles, and matter is thought to be warped space. Now perhaps entelechy will be revived in a modern form. As a teacher of IB Theory of Knowledge, I have found THE MATTER MYTH an excellent book for high school students with an interest in science but still at a rudimentary level of knowledge. The first chapter gives a clear explanation of just exactly what is meant by Kuhn's paradigm shift, and the book as whole provides a lively, readable account of cutting-edge of science and its relation to philosophical ideas. (Peter Payne, author of CAPTAIN CALIFORNIA BATTLES THE BEELZEBUBIAN BEASTS OF THE BIBLE)

Unreal!

This is an excellent book that clearly presents the current theories of physics. This is so interesting (and not hard to understand at this high-level presentation), it should be on the reading list of anyone who has the slightest curiousity about our universe; about the reality he or she perceives. What I find most interesting, between this book and a couple others, is how bizarre the theories are getting. It seems to me that physics has edged up against philosophy and is approaching the point where science will no longer be able to provide answers to the remaining big questions. Maybe the answers to those questions will forever remain philosophical or religious because science can't get there.

A very lucid approach to a difficult subject.

I'm not a math-physics type person really. More of a math-physics wanna-be! Because I have more of a verbal/visual than a math mind, I avail myself of every opportunity to read books on quantum and relativity physics that are written for that type of reader. Two of my on-line friends, Steve and Roger, both recommended Paul Davis' books, and I found Matter Myth an extraordinary example of the genre. Davis and his coauthor, John Gribbin, begin their book with a discussion of Newtonian physics and the 17th Century concept of a "clockwork universe." In this approach to the physical world, every event in the universe might conceivably be predicted given a thorough knowledge of initial conditions. The success with which Newtonian physics described the behavior of the macroscopic world gave rise to a philosophy of materialism that gripped the thinking of succeeding centuries. Davis and Gribbin see the rise of relativity and quantum physics, with the concepts of chaos, uncertainty and virtual particles, as an antidote for the stultifying effects of grim determinism. The attempts to make the two theories compliment one another and the efforts to unify the four primary forces in nature (strong, weak, electromagnetic and gravity) in an all encompassing theory are viewed as setting the stage for a universe where free will in fact has some place. The book also discusses the string theory and small particle physics, both of which help cosmologists gain some insight into the beginning of the universe, its likely history, and its ultimate end. It also discusses some of the theories regarding parallel universes and anti-universes. The authors also discuss time and its nature, but the interested reader might prefer Davis' book About Time, which goes into the subject in greater depth.Although The Matter Myth is listed as a religious apologia, in fact there is very little about religion or god in the book. The discussion of multiple words in association with the uncertainty principle and the famous Shrodinger's Cat thought experiment certainly leaves it open to assume the need for an ultimate "observer," but the authors themselves seem to adhere to the scientific position that such an observer is non-testable and therefore outside the realm of scientific investigation. They certainly do not espouse any particular religious outlook. This is an altogether engrossing volume for anyone interested in the subject. It's very readable; enough so that even someone with very little knowledge of the topic would be able to understand the clearly written descriptions of the scientific concepts. At least three people at work, two nurses and a nursing assistant, after a casual perusal of the contents asked to read the book when I've finished it.

Exploring the Postmechanistic Paradigm

Davies and Gribbin succeed in clarifying some of the most intriguing questions known to mankind, such as "How did spacetime come into existence?", "How can matter appear out of nowhere?", "Does the future already exist?", and "How does spacetime curve?" They delve into fascinating reasons why your `now' and my `now' are not necessarily the same thing, and many other exciting implications for our everyday lives from quantum physics. What I love most about THE MATTER MYTH is the way it helps free our thinking from the mechanical, machine-mindedness which has for so long dominated western thinking... as its authors eloquently assert that materialism is dead. The post-mechanistic paradigm is here.

A Peek Behind the Veil

My sense of wonder was engaged from the outset with this book. I did my BSc in physics some years back. I never guessed that the boring old men teaching us about modern physics had managed to take away so much of the scintillating and engaging philosophical ramifications of what we were learning.The writing style is engaging and very clear. I highly recomend this book for students of physics seeking to get more than the nuts and bolts of their discipline.