The Beginning of Infinity
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dark 36, 46, 67
ordinary 45–6
prominent 73
Maxwell, James Clerk 255
measure theory for infinite sets 102, 178–83, 277–8, 281, 283, 287, 303, 453, 458
for histories 301, 303, 307, 454, 455
measurement 11, 35, 62, 68, 72, 99, 108, 158, 183, 274, 299, 309, 316, 338, 340, 357, 443
errors 140–42, 298, 321–3; see also fallibility; fooling ourselves
see also proxies
measuring instruments 18, 34–41, 179, 192, 269, 294–5, 308, 446
human sensory systems as 40
SETI 72–3
see also microscopes; telescopes
Medawar, Peter 193
Medici, Lorenzo de’ 218, 429
Medici family 218–20
Mediocrity, Principle of 43–4, 45, 51–4, 64, 76, 101, 110, 166, 434
memes 93, 94–5, 105, 369–72
in animals see aping; parroting
anti-rational 81, 381, 385, 388–90, 391–3, 394–396, 397, 413, 428, 457
compared with viruses 384
creativity and in meme replication 402–15, 416
evolution of 372–8, 383, 390, 393, 400, 412–13
faithful replication of 257, 370, 374, 377, 378–80, 382–4, 390, 405, 413
generations of 376, 379
and genes 372–97, 404, 405, 407, 408, 413, 414
living with 394–6
long-lived 222, 370, 377, 380, 382–3, 384, 387, 388, 394, 399
memeplexes 93, 105, 374, 384
mutual enhancement of creativity and meme transmission 400
in pre-humans and early humans 50, 55, 72, 207, 399, 412–13, 414
puzzle of how they can possibly be replicated 402–10
rational 388–90, 392, 393, 396, 397
‘selfish’ 378–9, 387
slavery to 130, 383, 384, 392
Messenians 218
Michelangelo 219
Michelson, Albert 198–9, 445–6
micro-organisms 82, 196, 425, 436
bacteria 82, 145, 162, 436
microprocessors see computers/computation
microscopes 34, 37, 38, 39, 220, 312, 324, 355
microwave background radiation 46, 47, 68
Milky Way 1, 2, 47, 70–71, 101, 202–3
Mills, Roger Q. 333, 334
mind–body problem 117–22, 130
minds, animal 320–21
see also memes, in animals
mirages 228, 229, 231
mirror neurons 405–6, 408, 414
mirrors, semi-silvered 286–7
momentum 55, 273–4, 297
moon 24, 55, 57–8, 61–3, 66, 67, 68, 74, 143, 215, 366, 373
morality see moral philosophy
moral philosophy vii, 51, 64, 120–2, 123, 211, 235, 240, 254, 371, 388, 405, 428, 441, 455, 459
and ‘a dream of Socrates’ 229–32, 234–5
moral education 230–31
moral imperative 235
moral knowledge 63, 229–31, 240, 254
more-preferred-less-seats paradox 339
Morley, Edward 199
motion, quantum-mechanical see quantum theory
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus 353, 354, 356
multiple universes 3, 198, 254, 258–303, 303–4, 305–6
and the Bohm theory 310
close to common sense 266, 299
fictional variations on the doppelganger idea 258–62, 270
first proposed by Schrödinger 310
Everett 310
inter-universe communication 258, 262, 270–72, 276
Lyra multiverse thought experiment 179–80, 181
account of the theory 262–92
‘parallel’ universes 98, 98n, 198, 258, 261–270, 291, 293, 303, 452
multiverse 3, 98n, 180, 194, 258–304, 305, 307, 452n, 460, 461
other than those of the quantum multiverse 98–106, 98n, 177–183, 195, 450–52, 452n
probability, prediction and 99–103, 177–80, 195, 276–8
and the quantum suicide argument 453
see also histories
music 93, 136, 353, 354, 355–6, 357, 365–6, 369
banning of 219
notation 142
mutations 78, 79, 89, 90, 96, 156, 162, 375, 399
simulated 162
myths 12, 15, 19–21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 30, 32, 54, 60, 228, 314
of a Golden Age 52, 63
Nagel, Thomas 367
nanotechnology 144, 196
narratives 314
natural numbers 118, 123, 165, 167, 169–70, 171, 172, 176, 177, 184, 194, 195
natural selection 52, 56, 58, 78, 87, 89, 91–2, 160, 210, 372
see also sexual selection
nature, laws of vii, 5, 7, 18, 43, 56, 59, 66, 69, 75, 76, 94, 103, 106, 111, 113, 164, 175, 179, 188, 205, 220, 358, 411, 413, 444, 445
Bohr’s 308
constants 62, 97–104, 106, 179, 199, 294, 452–3; see also fine-tuning of the universe/laws of physics
Lamarck’s 88
no barrier to progress 212, 413, 423, 445
regularities in 16, 56–7, 69, 94, 98, 111, 183, 355, 361, 411
see also physics: laws of
Nazism 205, 371
Neanderthals 49, 206
necessary truths 183
nectar 360, 361
neo-Darwinism 79, 89–92, 95, 103, 104–5, 374, 446
and knowledge 93–6
nerves see neurons
nesting birds 89–91
neurons 10, 80, 114, 138, 269, 405
mirror neurons 405–6, 408, 414
neutrinos 2, 52
neutron stars 97, 38, 113, 290
neutrons 97
Newton, Isaac 55, 61, 164, 181, 198–9, 444, 446, 447
explanation of planetary motion 112, 113
survival of his laws 388, 390
and time 312
translation of his laws into English 373
nirvana 65
no-go theorems 334, 335–6, 339
Arrow’s theorem 336–8, 340–41, 343, 345, 351
regret over 343
versus creating new options 351
nuclear fusion 61, 67
nuclear power 1, 44, 66, 67, 198, 439
nuclear weapons 2, 6, 139, 196, 205
nucleus 39, 258, 290
numbers
natural see natural numbers
odd and even 108, 169–70, 176
prime see prime numbers
random 161, 162, 197, 269, 283, 331, 454
real 170–71 see also continuum
numerals 128–33
obedience 123, 130, 218, 345, 359, 382, 391–2, 402
objective beauty 122, 353–68
objective knowledge see knowledge, objective
and empiricism 4–29, 39, 403
and explanation 26
and moving closer to reality 34–41
and quantum theory 308
role in providing problems 17
role in science 4, 32; see also experimental testing
theory-free 39
theory-laden 10, 30, 38–41, 165, 199
Occam, William of (razor) 25
old age 213, 415
problem of ageing 213–14
omega-point universes 450–51
open society 216, 460
see also societies, dynamic
optics 7, 39, 54
see also telescopes; microscopes, eyes
optimism 4, 196–222, 344, 423, 434, 435, 445
blind 201, 221
and blind pessimism 201–4, 208, 210, 216
duty of 196, 215
history of 216, 220–21
about knowledge 204, 212–15, 424, 447
original use of the term (Leibniz) 199–200
of a society 208–22, 390, 424, 431
principle of 212–13, 319, 389
orbits 23, 28, 44, 73, 112, 113, 290–91
original sources of theories 255–6
oxygen 57, 61
Page, Don 299
pain 10, 11, 217, 320, 381
painting 219, 355, 356, 357, 367, 392
palaeontology 49, 315–16, 383, 400
Paley, William 84–7, 91, 92, 96–9, 106, 363
see also design, appearance of
Palomar Sky Survey 34, 37–8
pandemics/epidemics 196, 208, 418, 436
see also Black Death
parallel universes see multiple universes
the paranormal 324
a television psychic’s predictions 279
see also magic; the supernatural
parochialism 29, 39, 44, 46, 55, 66, 67, 70, 76–7, 81, 98, 101, 118, 124, 206, 207, 213, 231–2, 279–80, 428, 436, 443
finitism 164, 165–6
the future and the shedding of 444–5, 459
of the Principle of Mediocrity 51–4
in quantum theory 310
leading to more general concerns 11, 56, 69, 108, 114, 127–8, 133–6, 140, 146, 199, 299–300, 303, 336–7, 354, 361, 364–6, 387–8, 418, 427–8
seen as problematic in the Enlightenment 133–4
of the Singularity idea 446–7
of the Spaceship Earth idea 167
see also anthropocentrism; rules of thumb
parrots/parroting 405, 406–7, 408–9, 410
see also imitation
Parthenon 217, 250n
particles, elementary 3, 11, 43, 67, 108, 118, 288, 293, 450
accelerators 39, 197
as configurations 267
cosmic rays 68, 293–4
identity loss 287–9
interaction between charged particles 96, 290–91
and interference 287–8; see also interference, quantum
speed and 289–90
and waves/fields 291, 307, 319
see also atoms; electron(s), photons, quantum theory
Pasteur, Louis 82
peacock’s tail 91–2, 361, 401
people vii, 42, 43, 44, 45, 56, 59, 60, 64, 65, 75, 76–7, 85, 157, 354, 416
as abstractions 123, 454
and atoms 306
cosmic significance of 72–74, 458, 459
as a disease or cure 435
ultimate reach of 66, 69–71, 146
as universal explainers 146, 164, 416, 429
see also humans; extraterrestrials; artificial intelligence
people, the 209, 217, 326, 329, 335–8, 344, 350, 352
perception see sensory experience; interpretation
perfection 66, 80, 102, 119, 142, 189, 199, 232, 238, 248, 333, 343–4
perfectibility 65, 366, 445
perfectly identical see fungible
Pericles 217–8
Persephone myth 19–21, 22, 24, 25, 60
perspiration phase of research see inspiration/perspiration
pessimism 166–7, 217–18, 316, 350, 421, 431–5, 445–6, 449
blind (precautionary principle) 201–4, 208, 210, 216, 221,
end of 216, 221; see also Enlightenment
pessimistic bias of prophecy 198, 206, 320, 444
philosophical 200
phantom-zone stories 259, 261, 263–4, 283
philosophy viii, 4–5, 9, 12, 14, 18, 35, 64, 70, 153, 163, 192–3, 201, 209, 218, 226, 235, 239, 251–2, 255, 359, 366, 369, 370, 398, 405, 423, 456
Athenian 83, 216–18
bad, preventing knowledge growth 26, 110, 166, 305–23, 324, 325, 436, 448–9
counteracted by progress 324
quantum theory and 305–6, 307–11
good 311, 312, 324–5
and good explanations 26, 119–20
history of ideas 43, 65–6, 153, 209, 216, 311–12, 255, 256, 390–91, 428, 442
linguistic 313, 325
reductionism in 122, 425
role of evidence in 209
of science 5, 15, 120, 403
of the unknowable see optimism
see also specific philosophers and philosophies
Phoenicians 127
phosphors, red 433–4
photographs
aesthetics and 357
astronomy and 34–8
photons 266, 267, 273–4, 275, 294–5, 306, 309, 452
see also light; Mach–Zehnder interferometers
physics
astrophysics see astronomy; astrophysicists; astrophysics
atomic 312
and the complexity of everyday events 107
infinity in see infinity: physics and; singularities; Zeno’s mistake
connection between computation and 138, 142, 187, 189–92, 195, 295–6
constants of 62, 97–104, 105–6, 177, 179, 180, 199, 283, 294, 446, 452–3
fine-tuning see fine-tuning of the universe/laws of physics
counter-intuitive theories of 27, 107, 195, 199, 265–7, 279, 304, 306–7
elementary particle physics see particles, elementary
and infinity 164, 177–81, 182–3; see also singularities
laws of 3, 6, 43, 54, 61, 65, 67, 69, 70, 71–2, 83, 87, 104, 110, 137, 186–91, 364, 425, 434, 437, 454, 458, 459
as abstractions 122–3, 458
conservation of energy 61, 109
deterministic nature of 136, 200, 263, 265, 275, 304, 358–9
are not evils 123, 193, 213
fine-tuning see fine-tuning of the universe/laws of physics
and the mind–body problem 117–22, 130
second law of thermodynamics 110, 111
determine simplicity and complexity 187
need to be specific 79
our window on abstractions 185–8; see also nature: laws of
and proof 183, 185, 187–8, 195
quantum see quantum theory
pictograms 125–7, 130, 134
Pitcairn Island 418–19, 430
planets 2, 28, 35–6, 43, 44–6, 63, 68, 71, 73, 96, 97, 101, 112–13, 216, 273, 290, 292, 373, 411
plasma 46, 69
Plato 119, 187, 216, 223n, 253–5
and ‘a dream of Socrates’ 243–7, 249–53
plurality (first-past-the-post) voting system 346–50, 352
political philosophy 12, 209–12, 217–18, 342
Popper’s criterion of ridding ourselves of bad governments without violence see under Popper, Karl
rulers 209–12, 251–2, 344
society-wide planning and decision-making 335–51
see also voting; representative government
Polynesians 419, 421, 427
Popper, Karl 4, 10, 14, 17–18, 66, 104–5, 114,, 210, 211, 215, 230n, 312, 403–4, 406, 409, 447, 460–61
criterion of demarcation for science 14 see also testability
criterion of ridding ourselves of bad governments without violence 209–12, 344–51, 352, 396, 423
on our infinite ignorance 447
on instruction 411–12
on ‘sources of knowledge’ 209
theory of knowledge in ‘a dream of Socrates’ 223–54
letting theories die in our place 114, 124
and optimism 196, 212, 215
on prediction and prophecy 198
on ‘who should rule’ 209
‘Population, Resources, Environment’ (lecture by Ehrlich) 431–2, 440
populations 48–9, 50, 55, 58, 418, 421, 422, 428, 437
and evolution 89–92, 93, 106, 378–9, 383–4, 401
Malthus on resources and 205–6, 214
paradox 330–31, 334, 337, 339, 346
in the US Constitution 326–30, 338, 349, 350, 351
Porter, Roy 66, 457, 461
positivism 312, 313, 325
logical 313, 314, 325
postmodernism 314, 448
potential infinity 165
‘potentialities’, quantum 309
precautionary principle see under pessimism
predators 48, 52, 89, 91, 144, 203, 359, 360–61
predictions 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 17, 20–22, 24, 44, 136, 153, 175,
181, 182, 189, 206, 256, 277–8, 281, 293, 300, 300, 322, 359, 415, 451
and anthropic reasoning 99–103, 178, 179–80
of Darwinism 96, 371
and explanation 27–9, 70–73, 112–13, 116, 117, 209, 324
high-level 107–9, 110
and instrumentalism 15–16, 112
fundamental limitations on see unpredictability
low-level 107–9
and multiple universes 99–103, 177–80
and prophecy 198, 432, 439
Malthusian prophetic fallacy 206, 214, 432; see also prophecy
pure see rules of thumb
not the purpose of science 14–15
quantum theory and 307, 315
useless when separated from explanation/interpretation 22, 315–16, 325
by supercomputer simulation 107, 437–9, 441
testable 13, 14–15, 27–8; see also experimental testing
preferences 21, 122, 335–46, 350, 353, 359, 379, 382, 386, 388, 391, 453
aesthetics and 356, 363, 366
of a group 336–7, 345–6; see also will of the people
in mating see sexual selection
prehistory 12, 62, 95–6, 128, 206, 220, 399–400, 416, 426, 428
prey 55, 57, 144, 203, 360–61, 411
priests 4, 209, 223, 226, 345, 413
primates 57, 80
see also apes/aping
prime numbers 115–19, 185–6
prime pairs conjecture 185–6
Principle of Mediocrity 43–4, 45, 51–4, 64, 76, 101, 110, 166, 434
printing 134, 136, 137, 143
movable-type 134
privilege
among abstractions 165, 175, 186, 190–91, 378
among people 175, 223n, 328–39, 346
among animals 35, 408
see also authority
probability 5–6, 9, 31, 99–100, 150, 277–8, 452–3
and infinity see under infinity
and multiple universes see under multiple universes
problems 31
connectedness of different kinds 63
and decision-making 341–2
are inevitable 61, 64, 66, 97, 192, 206, 208, 211, 222, 311, 423, 435–6, 437
insoluble problems 53, 193, 213
and optimism 197–222, 435
problem solving 17–18, 62, 64–5, 432
and the plurality voting system 350
positive conception of 17–18, 446–7
are soluble 65, 66, 76, 141, 154, 191–3, 208, 211, 212, 222, 311, 345, 423, 435
in mathematics 185, 191–3
programs see computer programs
progress
artistic 355–6, 367
to better problems 447
celebration of 419
conditions for vii–viii, 12–13, 14, 19, 22, 32, 122–3, 203, 211, 217, 312, 320, 321, 344, 346, 385, 429, 456, 459
in cosmology, recent 450
counteracts bad philosophy 324
critics of ‘so-called progress’ vii, 390, 394, 434, 436, 449