Beyond Reason by A K Dewdney
Are some scientific problems insoluble? Are there aspects of the universe, such as the true nature of consciousness, that will forever be beyond the grasp of science? In Beyond Reason, internationally acclaimed maths and science author A.K.“…an intelligent book with considerable enthusiasm…” (Materials World, Vol.13, No.1)
"...one of the most rewarding science reads I have had the pleasure of in a long time....”(Chemistry & Industry, 17 January 2005)
“…fascinating…keeps firmly to the areas of science where the impossibility is demonstrable.” (Fortean Times, No 189, November 2004)
“…looks closely at eight great problems that reveal the limits of science…” (Materials World, September 2004)
Dewdney (A Mathematical Mystery Tour), best known for the Scientific American column “Computer Recreations,” which he wrote for eight years, sets an impressive goal for himself: “to discover how physical reality depends on mathematical reality, and to examine how mathematical reality manifests itself.” He attempts to do this by outlining four problems in the physical realm and four in the mathematical realm that he believes can never be solved. The topics he discusses are largely of great interest to science and math buffs: perpetual motion, the speed of light, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, chaos theory, squaring the circle, unprovable but true mathematical theorems, “simple” problems that no computer program can solve, and the fact that some mathematical problems would require an infinite amount of computer time to solve. In his chapter on chaos theory, for example, Dewdney does a very nice job of explaining why we will never be able to predict the weather accurately more than four days in advance. The problem throughout the book, however, is that he alternates between colorful prose or explanations of basic terms (such as “primary number”) and relatively dense mathematics (transcendental and transfinite numbers), never settling on who the appropriate audience for this study might be. B&w illus. Agent, Linda McKnight. (May) (Publishers Weekly, April 5th, 2004)
A.K. DEWDNEY, PH.D., is the author of several critically acclaimed math and science books, including A Mathematical Mystery Tour; Yes, We have No Neutrons; and 200% of Nothing, all from Wiley. He was a member of the computer science department at the University of Western Ontario and at the University of Waterloo for a combined period of thirty years before retiring. In 1996, he became an adjunct professor of biology at UWO. For eight years, Dewdney was the Computer Recreations columnist for Scientific American magazine.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780471013983 |
| ISBN 10 | 0471013986 |
| Title | Beyond Reason |
| Author | A K Dewdney |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | John Wiley & Sons Inc |
| Year published | 2004-05-25 |
| Number of pages | 240 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |