In this sweeping book, applied mathematician and popular author David Orrell questions the promises and pitfalls of associating beauty with truth, showing how ideas of mathematical elegance have inspired—and have sometimes misled—scientists attempting to understand nature.
Orrell shows how the ancient Greeks constructed a concept of the world based on musical harmony; later thinkers replaced this model with a program, based on Newton’s “rational mechanics,” to reduce the universe to a few simple equations. He then turns to current physical theories, such as supersymmetric string theory—again influenced by deep aesthetic principles. The book sheds new light on historical investigations and also recent research, including the examinations ongoing at the Large Hadron Collider. Finally, broadening his discussion to other fields of research, including economics, architecture, and health, Orrell questions whether these aesthetic principles reflect an accurate way to explain and understand the structure of our world.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
David Orrell is an applied mathematician and popular author. In early 2012, he completed an honorary visiting research fellowship at the Oxford University Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.
"Orrell swings from the ancient preoccupation with musical harmony and numerical ratios to Renaissance nature studies, the mechanistic approach and the physical sciences of today. Imperfect as it is, ‘messy’ science, he argues, has a novel beauty of its own."—Nature
(Nature)“If science is the search for truth, we’d better understand what is this truth that we seek. As David Orrell pointedly argues in this well-written and accessible book, modern science runs the danger of being blinded by an overarching aesthetic prejudice—traceable back to Ancient Greece—that truth is necessarily wedded to beauty. Quite the opposite, the more we learn about the natural world, the more we are forced to accept a different kind of aesthetic based on the imperfect and the asymmetric, and no less beautiful for it.”—Marcelo Gleiser, author of A Tear at the Edge of Creation, Appleton Prof. of Natural Philosophy, Dartmouth College
(Marcelo Gleiser)
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 4.49
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Excellent condition. Interior is tight, bright and clean; no underlining, notes or highlighting. Hard covers are tight and stiff. Complete with original and sticker free paper dust cover. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. All items are carefully enclosed with bubble wrap. We ship promptly and worldwide via US Post and will email you a tracking number. Seller Inventory # SKU0062509
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0300186614
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0300186614
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0300186614
Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 0300186614-2-1
Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Seller Inventory # 353-0300186614-new
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 18031872-n
Book Description HRD. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. THIS BOOK IS PRINTED ON DEMAND. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # L1-9780300186611
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # ABLIING23Feb2215580097249
Book Description Condition: New. PRINT ON DEMAND Book; New; Fast Shipping from the UK. No. book. Seller Inventory # ria9780300186611_lsuk