The big picture: on the origins of life, meaning, and the universe itself

467 Pages·2016·12.453 MB·English

by  Carroll, Sean M

MORE PRAISE FOR THE BIG PICTURE 01
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‘A nuanced inquiry into “how our desire to matter fits in with the nature of 03
reality at its deepest levels,” in which Carroll offers an assuring dose of what he
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calls “existential therapy” reconciling the various and often seemingly contra-
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dictory dimensions of our experience.’ Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
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‘True to the grand scope of its title...anyone who enjoys asking big questions 07
will find a lot to consider.’ Booklist 08
‘A tour de force that offers a comprehensive snapshot of the human situation 09
in our infinitely strange universe, and it does this with highly accessible lan- 10
guage and engaging storytelling.’ Salon.com 11
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‘Carroll is the perfect guide to this wondrous journey of discovery. A bril-
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liantly lucid exposition of profound philosophical and scientific issues.’
Kirkus (starred review) 14
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‘From the Big Bang to the meaning of human existence, The Big Picture is
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exactly that – a magisterial, yet deeply fascinating, grand tour through the
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issues that really matter. Blending science and philosophy, Sean Carroll gives
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us a humane perspective on the universe and our place in it. As gripping as it
is important, The Big Picture can change the way you think about the world.’ 19
Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish 20
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‘Until now you might have gotten away believing modern physics is about
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things either too small or too far away to care much about. But no more. Sean
Carroll’s new book reveals how physicists’ quest to better understand the fun- 23
damental laws of nature has led to astonishing insights into life, the universe, 24
and everything.’ 25
Sabine Hossenfelder, Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies 26
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‘Weaving the threads of astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, and philosphy
into a seamless narrative tapestry, Sean Carroll enthralls us with what we’ve 28
figured out in the universe and humbles us with what we don’t yet understand. 29
Yet in the end, it’s the meaning of it all that feeds your soul of curiosity.’ 30
Neil deGrasse Tyson, host of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey 31
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‘Instead of feeling humbled and insignificant when gazing upward on a clear
starry night, Carroll takes us by the hand and shows us how fantastic the in- 33
animate physical universe is and how special each animate human can be. It is 34
lucid, spirited, and penetrating.’ S35
Michael Gazzaniga, author of Tales from Both Sides of the Brain N36
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12 ALSO BY SEAN CARROLL
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14 From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time
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The Particle at the End of the Universe: The Hunt for the Higgs
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and the Discovery of a New World
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A Oneworld Book
First published in Great Britain and Australia by Oneworld Publications, 2016
This ebook published by Oneworld Publications, 2016
Copyright © Sean Carroll 2016
The moral right of Sean Carroll to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted by him in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988
All rights reserved
Copyright under Berne Convention
A CIP record for this title is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-78074-606-7
eISBN 978-1-78074-607-4
All photos courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted.
Photograph on part title pages © Chad Baker/Photodisc/Getty Images
Design by Nancy Resnick
Oneworld Publications
10 Bloomsbury Street
London WC1B 3SR
England
While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers, Internet
addresses, and other contact information at the time of publication, neither the publisher
nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors or for changes that occur after publication.
Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility
for author or third-party websites or their content.
Stay up to date with the latest books,
special offers, and exclusive content from
Oneworld with our monthly newsletter
Sign up on our website
www.oneworld-publications.com
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To my teachers: 12
Mrs. Eberhardt, Edwin Kelly, Edward Guinan, Jack Doody, 13
Colleen Sheehan, Peter Knapp, George Field, Sidney Coleman, 14
Nick Warner, Eddie Farhi, Alan Guth, and so many others. 15
Thank you for challenging me. 16
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Contents 03
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Prologue 1
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PART ONE: COSMOS
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1. The Fundamental Nature of Reality 9
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2. Poetic Naturalism 15 17
3. The World Moves by Itself 23 18
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4. What Determines What Will Happen? 30
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5. Reasons Why 38
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6. Our Universe 47
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7. Time’s Arrow 54 23
8. Memories and Causes 60 24
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PART TWO: UNDERSTANDING 26
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9. Learning about the World 69
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10. Updating Our Knowledge 75 29
11. Is It Okay to Doubt Everything? 84 30
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12. Reality Emerges 93
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13. What Exists, and What Is Illusion? 105
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14. Planets of Belief 115
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15. Accepting Uncertainty 123 S35
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COntEntS
01 16. What Can We Know about the World without Actually Looking at It? 130
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17. Who Am I? 139
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18. Abducting God 144
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PART THREE: ESSENCE
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07 19. How Much We Know 153
08 20. The Quantum Realm 159
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21. Interpreting Quantum Mechanics 166
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22. The Core Theory 172
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23. The Stuff of Which We Are Made 178
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13 24. The Effective Theory of the Everyday World 186
14 25. Why Does the Universe Exist? 195
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26. Body and Soul 205
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27. Death Is the End 215
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PART FOUR: COMPLEXITY
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20 28. The Universe in a Cup of Coffee 225
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29. Light and Life 237
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30. Funneling Energy 244
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31. Spontaneous Organization 250
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25 32. The Origin and Purpose of Life 260
26 33. Evolution’s Bootstraps 273
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34. Searching through the Landscape 279
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35. Emergent Purpose 291
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36. Are We the Point? 302
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PART FIVE: THINKING
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38. The Babbling Brain 327
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39. What Thinks? 336
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40. The Hard Problem 348 01
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41. Zombies and Stories 355
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42. Are Photons Conscious? 363
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43. What Acts on What? 372
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44. Freedom to Choose 378 06
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PART SIX: CARING 08
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45. Three Billion Heartbeats 387
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46. What Is and What Ought to Be 394
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47. Rules and Consequences 403
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48. Constructing Goodness 412 13
49. Listening to the World 419 14
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50. Existential Therapy 428
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Appendix: The Equation Underlying You and Me 435
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References 443
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Further Reading 451
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Acknowledgments 455 21
Index 457 22
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