One major school of quantum theory posits a multiplicity of
universes; but what does that imply about the reality we live in? A
simple experiment, familiar to every student of physics, involves
light passing through slits in a barrier; its results, according to
Oxford physicist Deutsch, lead inevitably to the idea that there
are countless universes parallel to our own, through which some of
the light must pass. This "many worlds" interpretation of quantum
theory has gained advocates in recent years, and Deutsch argues
that it is time for scientists to face the full implications of
this idea. (After all, the entire point of science is to help us
understand the world we live in - the "fabric of reality" of his
title.) To that end, he outlines a new view of the multiverse (the
total of all the parallel universes), combining ideas from four
"strands" of science: quantum physics, epistemology, the theory of
computation, and modern evolutionary theory. He argues that quantum
computation, a discipline in which he is a pioneering thinker, has
the potential for building computers that draw on their
counterparts in parallel universes; this could make artificial
intelligence a reality, despite Roger Penrose's objections (which
Deutsch deals with in some detail). Likewise, time travel into both
the future and the past should be possible, though not in quite the
form envisioned by science fiction writers; the trips would almost
certainly be one-way, and they would likely take the travelers into
different universes from the one they began in. Deutsch takes
particular pains to refute Thomas Kuhn's "paradigm" model of
science, which essentially denies progress. A final chapter looks
at the long-range implications of his views, including the place of
esthetic and moral values (areas more scientists now seem willing
to confront). Not easy going by any means, but worth the work for
anyone interested in the thought processes of a scientist on the
leading edge of his discipline. (Kirkus Reviews)
Science, David Deutsch argues, is about explanation. A series of extraordinary scientific discoveries has given us extremely deep explanations of the structure of reality, but most scientists have not taken them seriously enough. In this brilliant investigation, Oxford quantum physicist David Deutsch does take them seriously. The result is a startlingly integrated, rational and optimistic world view that combines four strands: quantum physics and the theories of knowledge, computation and evolution. Exploring these in turn, he lucidly demonstrates the profound and diverse connections that have been discovered between these four apparently independent subjects, revealing a fabric of reality that is objective and comprehensible, and in which human actions and ideas play essential roles.
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