Items related to The Island of Knowledge
Synopsis
Do all questions have answers? How much can we know about the world? Is there such a thing as an ultimate truth?
To be human is to want to know, but what we are able to observe is only a tiny portion of what's "out there." In The Island of Knowledge, physicist Marcelo Gleiser traces our search for answers to the most fundamental questions of existence. In so doing, he reaches a provocative conclusion: science, the main tool we use to find answers, is fundamentally limited.
These limits to our knowledge arise both from our tools of exploration and from the nature of physical reality: the speed of light, the uncertainty principle, the impossibility of seeing beyond the cosmic horizon, the incompleteness theorem, and our own limitations as an intelligent species. Recognizing limits in this way, Gleiser argues, is not a deterrent to progress or a surrendering to religion. Rather, it frees us to question the meaning and nature of the universe while affirming the central role of life and ourselves in it. Science can and must go on, but recognizing its limits reveals its true mission: to know the universe is to know ourselves.
Telling the dramatic story of our quest for understanding, The Island of Knowledge offers a highly original exploration of the ideas of some of the greatest thinkers in history, from Plato to Einstein, and how they affect us today. An authoritative, broad-ranging intellectual history of our search for knowledge and meaning, The Island of Knowledge is a unique view of what it means to be human in a universe filled with mystery.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Marcelo Gleiser is Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College. He has published numerous popular works, including an essay, "Emergent Realities in the Cosmos," which was featured in 2003's Best American Science Writing, and three previous books: The Dancing Universe, The Prophet and the Astronomer, and A Tear at the Edge of Creation.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Search results for The Island of Knowledge
Stock Image
The Island of Knowledge: The Limits of Science and the Search for Meaning
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Missing dust jacket; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.85. Seller Inventory # G0465049648I4N01
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Island of Knowledge: The Limits of Science and the Search for Meaning
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.85. Seller Inventory # G0465049648I3N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Island of Knowledge: The Limits of Science and the Search for Meaning
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.85. Seller Inventory # G0465049648I3N10
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Island of Knowledge: The Limits of Science and the Search for Meaning
Seller: ThriftBooks-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.85. Seller Inventory # G0465049648I3N00
Quantity: 1 available
Seller Image
The Island of Knowledge
Seller: Bay State Book Company, North Smithfield, RI, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: acceptable. The book is complete and readable, with all pages and cover intact. Dust jacket, shrink wrap, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may have light notes, highlighting, or minor water exposure, but nothing that affects readability. May be an ex-library copy and could include library markings or stickers. Seller Inventory # BSM.PBDN
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Island of Knowledge
Seller: Seattle Goodwill, Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: Acceptable. Seller Inventory # mon0000117293
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Island of Knowledge : The Limits of Science and the Search for Meaning
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 12771311-6
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
The Island of Knowledge
Seller: HPB-Red, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used textbooks may not include companion materials such as access codes, etc. May have some wear or writing/highlighting. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_433940301
Quantity: 1 available
Seller Image
The Island of Knowledge
Seller: Goodwill Books, Hillsboro, OR, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. Signs of wear and consistent use. Seller Inventory # 3IIT5G001LOG_ns
Quantity: 1 available
Seller Image
The Island of Knowledge
Seller: Goodwill Books, Hillsboro, OR, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: acceptable. Fairly worn, but readable and intact. If applicable: Dust jacket, disc or access code may not be included. Seller Inventory # 3IIT5H001R08_ns
Quantity: 1 available