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The Island of Knowledge : The Limits of Science and the Search for Meaning

by Marcelo Gleiser
The Island of Knowledge : The Limits of Science and the Search for Meaning - Thryft
The Island of Knowledge : The Limits of Science and the Search for Meaning - Thryft

Limits of science & search for meaning

The Island of Knowledge offers a refreshing perspective on the concept of science, and the ways in which it has limitations that can be met with alternative approaches. The book highlights the importance of recognizing the limits of science and the need to know ourselves better. This is a good read for those who are curious about the world and the nature of our existence, and are open to exploring new ways of thinking about science and its limitations.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

The Island of Knowledge : The Limits of Science and the Search for Meaning

by Marcelo Gleiser
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

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This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

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This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

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*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

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This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9780465049646
Authors: Marcelo Gleiser
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Date of Publication: 2015-10-27
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Philosophy, History, Science, Religion
Related Topics: History, Psychology, Popular Science, Physics, History
Goodreads rating: 3.95
(rated by 869 readers)

Description

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 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 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 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.
 

Limits of science & search for meaning

The Island of Knowledge offers a refreshing perspective on the concept of science, and the ways in which it has limitations that can be met with alternative approaches. The book highlights the importance of recognizing the limits of science and the need to know ourselves better. This is a good read for those who are curious about the world and the nature of our existence, and are open to exploring new ways of thinking about science and its limitations.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.