light 2, 3, 8, 11, 16, 38, 46, 47, 54, 61, 68, 80, 85, 208, 228, 240n, 261, 273, 305, 314, 357, 413, 433, 452
faster-than-light communication 55–6, 275–6, 283, 434
speed of 192, 199, 262, 263, 273, 291, 293, 294, 451
see also photons
Littlefield, John E. 333
logical positivism 313, 314, 325
Lovelace, Ada, Countess of 136, 137, 148
‘Lady Lovelace’s objection’ 138
low-level phenomena 109–10, 111, 138
Mach, Ludwig 312
Mach–Zehnder interferometers 286–7, 296–7, 305, 309, 312
Machiavelli, Niccolò 219
magic 16, 19–21, 53–4, 81, 82, 173, 242, 301
wizards 260
see also conjuring tricks
Malthus, Thomas 201, 205–7, 421, 435, 436
Malthusian prophetic fallacy 206, 214, 432
Marx, Karl 371, 426, 428, 430, 442
mathematical proof see proof
mathematical truth see truth
mating 90, 91, 144, 359, 360, 362, 400, 401, 402, 413, 415
matter 14, 16, 40, 45–6, 61–2, 66, 68–9, 74, 75, 85, 97, 134, 203, 290–91, 305
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
see also microscopes; telescopes
Medawar, Peter 193
Mediocrity, Principle of 43–4, 45, 51–4, 64, 76, 101, 110, 166, 434
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
and genes 372–97, 404, 405, 407, 408, 413, 414
long-lived 222, 370, 377, 380, 382–3, 384, 387, 388, 394, 399
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
Messenians 218
Michelangelo 219
Michelson, Albert 198–9, 445–6
micro-organisms 82, 196, 425, 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
see also memes, in animals
mirror neurons 405–6, 408, 414
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 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
‘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
Nagel, Thomas 367
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
necessary truths 183
neo-Darwinism 79, 89–92, 95, 103, 104–5, 374, 446
nerves see neurons
neurons 10, 80, 114, 138, 269, 405
mirror neurons 405–6, 408, 414
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
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 power 1, 44, 66, 67, 198, 439
nuclear weapons 2, 6, 139, 196, 205
numbers
natural see natural numbers
prime see prime numbers
random 161, 162, 197, 269, 283, 331, 454
real 170–71 see also continuum
obedience 123, 130, 218, 345, 359, 382, 391–2, 402
objective knowledge see knowledge, objective
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
see also societies, dynamic
see also telescopes; microscopes, eyes
optimism 4, 196–222, 344, 423, 434, 435, 445
and blind pessimism 201–4, 208, 210, 216
about knowledge 204, 212–15, 424, 447
original use of the term (Leibniz) 199–200
of a society 208–22, 390, 424, 431
orbits 23, 28, 44, 73, 112, 113, 290–91
original sources of theories 255–6
Page, Don 299
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
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
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 Spaceship Earth idea 167
see also anthropocentrism; rules of thumb
parrots/parroting 405, 406–7, 408–9, 410
see also imitation
particles, elementary 3, 11, 43, 67, 108, 118, 288, 293, 450
as configurations 267
interaction between charged particles 96, 290–91
and interference 287–8; see also interference, quantum
and waves/fields 291, 307, 319
see also atoms; electron(s), photons, quantum theory
Pasteur, Louis 82
people vii, 42, 43, 44, 45, 56, 59, 60, 64, 65, 75, 76–7, 85, 157, 354, 416
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
perfectly identical see fungible
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
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
and good explanations 26, 119–20
history of ideas 43, 65–6, 153, 209, 216, 311–12, 255, 256, 390–91, 428, 442
role of evidence in 209
of the unknowable see optimism
see also specific philosophers and philosophies
Phoenicians 127
photographs
aesthetics and 357
photons 266, 267, 273–4, 275, 294–5, 306, 309, 452
see also light; Mach–Zehnder interferometers
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
conservation of energy 61, 109
deterministic nature of 136, 200, 263, 265, 275, 304, 358–9
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
planets 2, 28, 35–6, 43, 44–6, 63, 68, 71, 73, 96, 97, 101, 112–13, 216, 273, 290, 292, 373, 411
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
society-wide planning and decision-making 335–51
see also voting; representative government
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 ‘sources of knowledge’ 209
theory of knowledge in ‘a dream of Socrates’ 223–54
letting theories die in our place 114, 124
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
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
and explanation 27–9, 70–73, 112–13, 116, 117, 209, 324
and instrumentalism 15–16, 112
fundamental limitations on see unpredictability
and multiple universes 99–103, 177–80
Malthusian prophetic fallacy 206, 214, 432; see also prophecy
pure see rules of thumb
not the purpose of science 14–15
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
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
see also apes/aping
Principle of Mediocrity 43–4, 45, 51–4, 64, 76, 101, 110, 166, 434
movable-type 134
privilege
among abstractions 165, 175, 186, 190–91, 378
among people 175, 223n, 328–39, 346
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
are inevitable 61, 64, 66, 97, 192, 206, 208, 211, 222, 311, 423, 435–6, 437
insoluble problems 53, 193, 213
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
programs see computer programs
progress
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
dependent on existing knowledge 39, 60, 113
Enlightenment, quintessential idea of 65
evolution does not necessarily constitute 91–2, 378–9, 382–3
explanationless 210
the jump to universality 125–47, 414
to less mistaken misconceptions 351, 446
limit to, supposed 53, 165–6, 205–6, 213, 445, 446
moving closer to reality through scientific instruments 34–41
technological, dependent on explanatory 55; see also technology
unbounded/infinite vii–viii, 60–67, 69, 76, 81, 97, 165, 175, 195, 366, 423, 450, 457–9, 165
unpredictable 371
see also Enlightenment; innovation; inspiration/perspiration; perfectibility; problem-solving; tradition of criticism
proof 194
and intuition 189
see also under physics; computation
prophecy 14, 21, 22, 198, 206, 432, 444
disaster prophecies 205–6, 219, 432, 435
and the postponement of disaster 437
distinguished from prediction 198
distinguished from speculation 458
in economic forecasts 439
Horgan’s prophetic fallacy 448–9
Malthusian prophetic fallacy 206, 214, 432
pessimistic bias of 198, 206, 320, 444
prophetic optimism 204
proportional allocation/representation 326–33, 339, 346, 347–8
protons 290; see also hydrogen
proxies 72, 74, 317–18, 320–21
psychology 113, 157–8; see also behaviourism
puppy (and properties of a singularity) 174–6, 179
qualia 153–4, 162–163, 319, 320–21, 354, 367, 458, 459
unpredictability of qualia 153–4, 268, 367
quantum computation 136, 187, 189, 295–6, 304
quantum suicide argument 453
quantum theory 60, 107, 181, 198, 258–304
and bad philosophy 305–6, 307–11
and the discrete 274, 294, 295, 298–9, 303, 304, 450
Everett interpretation 310
and the general theory or relativity 449–50
Heisenberg uncertainty principle 289, 291, 303–4
and motion 266, 274–5, 282, 289–90, 306
potentialities 309
quantum-mechanical motion 289–90
quantum-mechanical randomness 270, 278, 287
shut-up-and-calculate interpretation 307–8
see also Copenhagen interpretation; entanglement; fungibility; interference; and under multiple universes
quasars 2–3, 52, 69, 71, 83, 113, 136–7, 144, 189, 275, 354
‘queerer than we can suppose’ (Haldane–Dawkins) 53, 56, 59, 81
radiation, microwave background 46, 47, 68
radio telescopes see telescopes
radio waves 38, 68, 72–3, 114, 203, 274, 354, 398
Ramanujan, Srinivasa 356
randomness
three possible reasons for 269–70
distinguished from unknowability 197
in quantum mechanics 270–94, 300–304, 307
random choices 35, 149, 318, 320, 331
random events 20, 207, 248, 269, 277–8, 281, 283, 287, 294, 299–300, 301–2, 304, 307, 358, 359, 440
random mutations/variations 78, 79, 89, 96, 160, 162, 240, 375, 378, 399, 400
random numbers 161, 162, 197, 269, 283, 331, 454
random truths 189
rational memes 388–90, 392, 393, 396, 397
see also memes
rationality see reason
reach 3, 28–30, 33, 123, 161–2, 166, 220, 393, 402, 423, 459
of the ability to replicate memes efficiently 411
of the adaptations of the human brain 54, 56–7
of aesthetic knowledge 364
of epistemology 253
always has an explanation 54, 126, 145
of the genetic code 144–5, 162, 458
of genetic knowledge (biological adaptations) 55, 59, 78–9, 92, 95, 105
of human ideas 34, 78–9, 105, 161–2
and the jump to universality 145–7
of mathematical knowledge 118, 123, 129, 131, 167, 194, 374
of Paley’s argument 87
of problems 458
of rational institutions 351
of technology 60
universal 59, 75, 106, 123, 131, 133, 194, 305, 364, 374, 388
reality
of abstractions 114–24, 165, 187–8
anthropocentric accounts of 42
‘elements of’ (Einstein) 307
and explanations/interpretations/theories 6, 9, 10, 19, 20–22, 27, 32–3, 78, 94, 102, 179, 263, 280, 290, 292, 301, 307, 308, 311, 314–15, 448, 449, 459
and experience as a waking dream 241–2, 252–3
moving closer to reality through scientific instruments 34–41
objective truth/reality vii–viii, 1, 7, 9, 11, 15, 18, 26, 98, 101, 173, 183, 227–9, 236, 240, 242, 253, 263–4, 272–3, 308, 314–15, 345, 350, 353
terminology of world/universe/multiverse/history 265, 303–4
virtual see virtual reality
reallocation schemes 327–8, 330
faculty of 30, 149, 212, 229, 340–43
rational 31
reasonable ways of thinking 17, 31, 39, 42, 51, 62, 98, 102, 133, 166, 176–7, 180, 183, 186, 199, 210, 211, 215, 221, 224, 225, 229, 230, 241, 242, 249, 259, 269, 273, 331, 335–7, 344, 345, 352, 390, 392, 393, 404, 436, 440, 444, 447, 458; see also common sense
versus unreason/the supernatural 15, 21, 110, 120, 166, 200, 213, 254, 307–8, 309–10, 312, 314, 316, 328, 339, 344, 358, 379, 388–90, 391–7, 413, 420, 428, 446, 457; see also the supernatural
reductionism 109–10, 114, 123, 361, 371, 429
emptiness of 122
Rees, Martin 60, 196, 206, 208, 461
Our Final Century 196–7, 201, 202, 204–5
regress, infinite 174–5, 178, 190, 194, 226, 341
Reign of Terror 66
Einstein’s theory of 198, 199, 255, 256, 312
Einstein’s general theory of 29, 61, 107, 312, 315
and the problem of quantum gravity 298, 449–50
religions 80, 81, 82, 189, 359, 418, 457
memes and 93, 218 369, 370, 373, 377, 378–9, 384, 391
religious objections to study of infinity 166
Renaissance 218, 220, 366, 385, 429
repetition 5, 7, 8, 20, 24, 30, 83
see also inductivism
replicators 93, 105, 114, 143–4
abstract 95, 114, 266–7, 369, 406
knowledge as a replicator 95, 114, 266–7
representative government 316
apportionment paradoxes 326–33
Arrow’s theorem and the principle of 336–8
changes in conception of 351
for non-voters 329
proportional representation 326–33, 339, 346, 347–8
resources 35, 52, 56–7, 59, 62, 66, 67, 202–3, 213, 425, 429, 439
Ehrlich’s pessimism over 431–2
and sustainability 421–3, 431–2
revolution, scientific vii, 12, 14, 23, 32, 53
robots 36, 57–8, 60, 101, 151, 196, 203
and artificial evolution 158–62
see also automation
Roma Eterna (Silverberg) 259
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques 390
Royal Society 13, 281n, 457, 460, 461
rules of thumb 4, 14, 16, 19, 28, 29, 31, 35, 55, 72, 94, 111, 154, 208, 316, 422, 445
and explanations 16, 28, 29, 94, 114, 315, 449
mistaken for universal laws 44, 94; see also parochialism
see also explanationless theories
Savonarola, Girolamo 219, 221, 429
Schopenhauer, Arthur 200
Schrödinger, Erwin 255, 306, 310
science see explanations
science fiction 97, 137, 202–3, 258, 259, 262, 264, 268, 299, 302, 372, 443
scientific instruments see measuring instruments
scientific revolution vii, 12, 14, 23, 32, 53
scum, humans as chemical 44–8, 51, 72, 73
scurvy 57
Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence see SETI
Searle, John 138
seasons
mythical explanations of 19–21, 24, 25
scientific explanation of 23–5, 26–9, 44, 68, 458
self-awareness 154
sensory experience 4, 9, 32, 39, 227–9, 240–2, 252–3
deceptiveness of the senses 8
SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) 72–3, 179–80
mating 90, 91, 359, 360, 362, 401, 402, 413
sexual selection 91–2, 360, 362, 365, 401, 415
Shaffer, Peter: Amadeus 353
shut-up-and-calculate interpretation of quantum theory 307–8
significance vii-viii, 43. 75–6, 123, 124, 146, 229, 458
Silverberg, Robert: Roma Aeterna 259
simplicity 5, 25, 26, 126, 135, 353
and complexity 104, 107–8, 160, 186–7, 190, 195
singularities 173, 175, 194, 450–51
naked 175
see also Big Bang; black holes
slavery 92, 120, 130, 134, 218, 243, 244, 246, 248, 318, 319, 329, 350
social-choice theory see under choice
dynamic 387–90, 396; see also Enlightenment; memes, rational
static 247, 249, 379–87, 396, 413–14, 416, 420–23, 428, 430, 435; see also memes: anti-rational
see also civilization
Socratic problem 254
Socratic method 245
software see computer programs
solubility of problems see problems are soluble
Sophocles 216
Soviet ideology 428
intergalactic 47, 48, 66–9, 71–2, 74
see also spacetime
Spaceship Earth 44–5, 48–51, 52, 53–4, 61, 64, 69, 76, 167
and blind pessimism 203
Easter Island and the metaphor of 421–3
curvature 107, 112, 183–4, 312, 450
and ‘a dream of Socrates’ 224, 230–3, 235, 242, 244–51
speculation 240, 262–4, 292, 458
Spencer, Herbert 91
spheres of differentiation see waves of differentiation
splitting
of histories 273–5, 276–9, 285–8, 293–4; see also histories (sequences of events in a multiverse)
spontaneous generation 81–3, 85, 87, 88, 96, 103, 105
Standage, Tom 137
Star Trek 258
stars and solar systems 1–2, 8, 28, 29, 17, 35, 47, 63, 101, 203, 373
see also supernovae
stasis see societies, static
The State of the Planet (Attenborough) 419, 421
statues
of Ares outside Sparta 248
of Churchill outside Parliament 109
on Easter Island 418, 419–20, 421, 422, 430, 435
of Justice 340
Sterling, Bruce 137
strata 293
structuralism 314
suffering, problem of 80
sun, the 1, 5, 8, 14, 23–4, 44, 47, 50, 74, 84, 112, 113, 203, 208, 228, 275, 366, 420, 445
sunrise/sunset 6, 7, 27, 36, 363
supercomputers 107, 140, 437–9, 441
the supernatural 42, 43, 60, 106, 138, 213, 260, 377, 384, 393, 445
and creationism 79–81, 82, 97, 104
and inexplicability 16, 53–54, 166, 203, 212, 423–4
knowledge and 113, 119, 236, 238
see also God; gods; magic; the paranormal
supernovae 1–2, 3, 30, 35, 47, 50, 70, 71, 84, 275, 431
‘survival of the fittest’ 91, 105, 371
Swade, Doron 135
tallying 128, 129, 130–31, 134, 140–41, 193, 356
fundamental link with explanation 55–6, 58
and our view of the Earth 443
see also specific technologies; wealth
Tegmark, Max 101
telegraphy 137
teleportation (fictional) 258, 277, 281, 322–3
telescopes 2, 37, 38, 39, 40, 47, 59, 68, 85, 220, 452
television, colour 433–4, 435, 436
testability 8, 10, 12–13, 15, 19–21, 22, 25, 27, 56, 95, 180, 211, 318
insufficient for science 22
see also experimental testing
Thales of Miletus 216
theology 52, 63, 80, 82, 84, 166, 254, 423
theories
letting them die in our place see under Popper
mistake of separating prediction from explanation 315–16, 326
needed to build and operate instruments 40
theory-laden observation 10, 30, 38–41, 165, 199
see also explanations; testability
thermodynamics, second law of 110, 111
Thucydides 216
tides 143
see also spacetime
Titanic 201
tolerance 23, 121, 217, 250, 343
tools 12, 50, 92, 154, 381, 383, 384, 399–400
trade 131, 217, 234, 419, 427, 428, 436
tradition of criticism 13, 23, 31–3, 209, 216, 220, 231, 308, 390, 431
transmutation 1, 2, 3, 11, 13–14, 40, 58, 61, 67, 71, 84, 97, 203, 266, 425
trees see forests
trial and error 36, 160, 392, 399, 400, 408, 411–12
triangles 119, 183–4, 188, 233
convergence upon 231, 257, 350, 368
and beauty 355
mathematical 183, 185, 186, 188, 189
necessary truths 183
random truths 189
Turing, Alan 138, 139, 148, 152–3, 154–5, 156, 184, 187, 461
Turing test 148, 149–50, 151, 152–3, 154–6, 158, 161, 320
tyranny 66, 200, 209, 211, 214, 337, 343, 431, 445, 447
Uglow, Jenny: The Lunar Men 66
uncertainty principle 289, 291, 303–4
undecidable questions/statements 185, 186, 187, 191, 192, 195
universal explainers 123, 157, 415
and AI 157
computational 135–42, 148, 189, 191
in the genetic code 142–6, 162–3, 458
necessity of digital systems for 139–42
and error correction 147
in numerals and arithmetic 128–33
in printing 134
unintended 127, 129, 131, 133, 134, 135, 136, 139, 147
of the laws of nature vii, 6, 32, 54, 56, 75, 191, 192
prediction, the brain and 189
of reason 166
universal constructors 76, 145
universe
distinguished from ‘world’, ‘multiverse’ and ‘history’ 265
initial state 118
‘omega-point universes’ 450–51
unknowability 103, 190, 197, 198, 199, 204, 208, 214, 215, 221–2, 358
see also undecidable; unpredictability; optimism
of knowledge growth 104, 133, 193, 194, 197, 198, 199, 206, 212, 358, 387–8, 425, 438, 439, 440, 457, 458
of new art 358
due to randomness 197
due to the ‘Singularity’ 456
utilitarianism 122
utopias 65
blind optimism of revolutionary utopians 210
utopian (Continental) Enlightenment 65–6
see also Golden Age myths
vacuum 39, 46, 47, 53, 62, 267
variation and selection
Veblen, Thorstein 433
Vinge, Vernor 456
virtual reality 7, 68, 119, 190, 241n, 455
and the simulation argument 453–5
super-volcano 208
plurality voting system 346–50, 352
proportional representation 326–33, 339, 346, 347–8
women’s right to vote 351
see also representative government
wars/warfare 20, 109, 110, 139, 148, 196, 205, 206, 218, 244, 245, 246–7, 248, 249, 250, 251, 259, 294, 303, 334, 380, 390, 418, 427, 428, 431, 457
see also World War II; Cold War
of differentiation 273–4, 275, 276, 278–9, 283–5, 295, 297–8, 303
and particles 291
and the Schrödinger equation 307
wealth 202, 204, 208, 213, 217, 219, 221, 249, 424, 428, 437, 438, 442, 444–5, 456
civilization-destroying 196, 204, 208
‘weighing’ metaphor in decision-making 340–42
‘what is it like to be a’ (Nagel)
bat 367
dollar 268
West, the 23, 31, 121, 214, 254, 313–14, 335, 350, 351, 386, 387, 390, 391, 393, 397, 428, 431, 442
Wheeler, John Archibald 1, 26, 104, 353, 354, 458–9
‘who should rule’ see Popper, Karl: criterion of ridding ourselves of bad governments without violence
paradox of Wigner’s friend 308
will of the people 335, 336, 337–8, 350
Wittgenstein, Ludwig 166, 313, 314
wizards 260
Wooters, William 299
world, distinguished from ‘universe’, ‘multiverse’ and ‘history’ 265
World War II 109, 139, 205, 334
in Fatherland 259
Xenophanes of Colophon 216–17, 227, 230, 231, 238, 242
Young, Peyton 334
Balinski and Young’s theorem 334, 339
Zeno’s mistake (confusing abstract attributes with physical ones of the same name) 182–6, 343
Zuse, Konrad 139
Zweig, Stefan 205