Our Mathematical Universe

Our Mathematical Universe:
My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality
Hardcover edition
AuthorMax Tegmark
LanguageEnglish
SubjectPhysics
GenreNon-fiction
PublisherKnopf
Publication date
January 7, 2014
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback)
Pages432
ISBN978-0307599803
Professor Max Tegmark, author of Our Mathematical Universe

Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality is a 2014 nonfiction book by the Swedish-American cosmologist Max Tegmark. Written in popular science format, the book interweaves what a New York Times reviewer called "an informative survey of exciting recent developments in astrophysics and quantum theory" with Tegmark's mathematical universe hypothesis, which posits that reality is a mathematical structure.[1] This mathematical nature of the universe, Tegmark argues, has important consequences for the way researchers should approach many questions of physics.

Summary

Tegmark, whose background and scientific research have been in the fields of theoretical astrophysics and cosmology, mixes autobiography and humor into his analysis of the universe. The book begins with an account of a bicycle accident in Stockholm in which Tegmark was killed—in some theoretical parallel universes, though not in our own.[2]

The rest of the book is divided into three parts.[3] Part one, "Zooming Out," deals with locating ourselves in the cosmos and/or multiverse. Part two, "Zooming In," looks for added perspective from quantum mechanics and particle physics. Part three, "Stepping Back," interweaves a scientific viewpoint with Tegmark's speculative ideas about the mathematical nature of reality. By the end of the book, Tegmark has hypothesized four different levels of multiverse.

According to Andrew Liddle, reviewing the book for Nature:[4]

The culmination that Tegmark seeks to lead us to is the "Level IV multiverse". This level contends that the Universe is not just well described by mathematics, but, in fact, is mathematics. All possible mathematical structures have a physical existence, and collectively, give a multiverse that subsumes all others. Here, Tegmark is taking us well beyond accepted viewpoints, advocating his personal vision for explaining the Universe.

Reception

Reviews of the book have generally praised Tegmark's writing and exposition of established physics, while often criticizing the content and speculativeness of his new "mathematical universe" hypothesis.

In a very positive review, Clive Cookson in The Financial Times wrote that "physics could do with more characters like Tegmark" and that his book "should engage any reader interested in the infinite variety of nature."[5] Giles Whitsell in The Times described the book as "mind-bending."[6] Peter Forbes in The Independent praised the last chapter of the book, on the risks of extinction humanity faces, as "wise and bracing".[7]

Brian Rotman, writing for The Guardian, was unconvinced by Tegmark's conclusions but also wrote that the book is "at the cutting edge of cosmology and quantum theory in friendly and relaxed prose, full of entertaining anecdotes and down-to-earth analogies."[8] Similarly, cosmologist Andrew Liddle, in Nature, summarized:[4]

This is a valuable book, written in a deceptively simple style but not afraid to make significant demands on its readers, especially once the multiverse level gets turned up to four. It is impressive how far Tegmark can carry you until, like a cartoon character running off a cliff, you wonder whether there is anything holding you up.

Criticism

Mathematical physicist Edward Frenkel, writing for The New York Times, alleged that the meaning of Tegmark's hypothesis "is a big question, which is never fully answered" and said that parts of the book "[pretend] to stay in the realm of science" while actually espousing "science fiction and mysticism."[9] In a positive review, cosmologist Andreas Albrecht, writing for SIAM Review, criticized Tegmark's proposed test of the "mathematical universe" hypothesis (the hypothetical identification of physical phenomena which cannot be described mathematically) as meaningless.[10] In a review written for The Wall Street Journal, physicist Peter Woit said that the problem with Tegmark's proposal is "not that it's wrong but that it's empty" and "radically untestable."[11] In Physics Today, Francis Sullivan particularly praised Tegmark's explanation of the theory of inflation but criticized his purportedly physical application of Emile Borel's theorem on normal numbers, and regarded his overall argument as circular.[12] In New Scientist, Mark Buchanan contrasted what he saw as the "uninhibited speculation" in parts of Tegmark's book with his earlier "hard, empirical" work which established him as a physicist.[13]

In The New York Times, science writer Amir Alexander concluded that the book is "brilliantly argued and beautifully written" and "never less than thought-provoking," although Tegmark's hypothesis is "simply too far removed from the frontiers of today's mainstream science" to judge its legitimacy.[2]

References

  1. ^ Frenkel, Edward (Feb 14, 2014). "Ad Infinitum 'Our Mathematical Universe,' by Max Tegmark". New York Times Book Review. Retrieved May 2, 2014. [The book] can be divided into two parts, different as day and night. One, by Dr. Tegmark, is an informative survey of exciting recent developments in astrophysics and quantum theory. The other, by Mr. Tegmark, is a discussion of his controversial idea that reality itself is a mathematical structure.
  2. ^ a b Alexander, Amir (April 21, 2014). "If It's Possible, It Happened: 'Our Mathematical Universe': A Case for Alternate Realities". New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  3. ^ Tegmark, Max (2014). Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality by Max Tegmark. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0307599803.
  4. ^ a b Liddle, Andrew (January 1, 2014). "Physics: Chasing Universes". Nature. 505 (7481): 24–25. Bibcode:2014Natur.505...24L. doi:10.1038/505024a. S2CID 4405709.
  5. ^ Cookson, Clive (January 3, 2014). "'Our Mathematical Universe', by Max Tegmark". The Financial Times.
  6. ^ Whitsell, Giles (January 25, 2014). "Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality by Max Tegmark". The Times.
  7. ^ Forbes, Peter (January 24, 2014). "Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality by Max Tegmark, book review". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-24. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  8. ^ Rotman, Brian (January 31, 2014). "Our Mathematical Universe by Max Tegmark – review". The Guardian. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  9. ^ Frenkel, Edward (February 14, 2014). "Ad Infinitum". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Albrecht, Andreas (March 2015). "Featured Review: Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality by Max Tegmark". SIAM Review. 57 (1): 153–157. JSTOR 24248526.
  11. ^ Woit, Peter (January 17, 2014). "Book Review: 'Our Mathematical Universe' by Max Tegmark". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  12. ^ Sullivan, Francis (2014). "Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality". Physics Today. 67 (7): 51–52. Bibcode:2014PhT....67g..51S. doi:10.1063/PT.3.2453.
  13. ^ Buchanan, Mark (January 15, 2014). "When does multiverse speculation cross into fantasy?". New Scientist.

Read other articles:

Curetonian Gospels

Curetonian Injil, Matt 15-20-25 Curetonian Gospels, diberi kode siglum syrcur atau syrc, adalah naskah empat Injil Perjanjian Baru dalam aksara dan bahasa Suryani Tua. Bersama-sama dengan Sinaitic Palimpsest, Curetonian Gospels membentuk Versi Suryani Tua, dan dikenal sebagai Evangelion Dampharshe (Injil-injil Terpisah) dalam Gereja Ortodoks Siria.[1] Injil ini umumnya dinamai menurut William Cureton yang menyatakan bahwa mereka tergolong sebuah Injil dalam bahasa Aram, bukan diterjem...

 

Suncus etruscus

Come leggere il tassoboxMustiolo etrusco[1] Suncus etruscus(su mano di Homo sapiens) Stato di conservazione Rischio minimo[2] Classificazione scientifica Dominio Eukaryota Regno Animalia Phylum Chordata Classe Mammalia Superordine Laurasiatheria Ordine Soricomorpha Famiglia Soricidae Sottofamiglia Crocidurinae Genere Suncus Specie S. etruscus Nomenclatura binomiale Suncus etruscus(Savi, 1822) Il mustiolo (Suncus etruscus Savi, 1822), detto anche pachiuro etrusco, è un mammif...

 

Albert Mol

Albert Mol pada tahun 1962Albert Mol (1 Januari 1917 – 9 Maret 2004) adalah penulis, aktor, dan tokoh televisi ternama asal Belanda. Ia sempat muncul di beberapa film dan acara TV. Kariernya merentang selama 60 tahun. Mol lahir di Amsterdam dan merupakan salah satu aktor Belanda yang mengaku gay secara terbuka. Ia menikahi Lucy Bor pada tahun 1948 dan bercerai tahun 1955. Mereka dikarunai seorang anak pada tahun 1949, aktris Kika Mol. Tanggal 16 Maret 1998, Albert Mol meresmikan hubungannya...

العلاقات الدومينيكية الغواتيمالية

العلاقات الدومينيكية الغواتيمالية دومينيكا غواتيمالا   دومينيكا   غواتيمالا تعديل مصدري - تعديل   العلاقات الدومينيكية الغواتيمالية هي العلاقات الثنائية التي تجمع بين دومينيكا وغواتيمالا.[1][2][3][4][5] مقارنة بين البلدين هذه مقارنة عامة ومر...

 

Adam Mosseri

Adam MosseriMosseri pada tahun 2019Lahir23 Januari 1983 (umur 41)New York, Amerika SerikatWarga negaraAmerika Serikat, IsraelAlmamaterUniversitas New YorkDikenal atasKepala Instagram Artikel ini adalah bagian dari seri tentangMeta Platforms Sejarah Instagram WhatsApp Akuisisi Produk dan layanan Facebook Pemadaman 2021 Fitur Dating Feed Tombol suka Produk lainnya Instagram Threads Messenger Kids Meta AI Meta Portal Quest Quest 2 Quest 3 Supernatural Ray-Ban Stories WhatsApp Tokoh Eksekut...

 

Hobyo

Port city in Galmudug, Somalia City in Galmudug, SomaliaHobyo هوبيوcityHobyoLocation in SomaliaCoordinates: 5°21′05″N 48°31′32″E / 5.35139°N 48.52556°E / 5.35139; 48.52556Country SomaliaRegional State GalmudugRegionMudugDistrictHobyoGovernment • TypeDistrict Council • Mayor (Gudoomiye)Abdulahi Ali Fatax[1]Population • Total11,800Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT) Hobyo (Arabic: هوبيو; Somali: Hobyo), is an a...

Домовый воробей

Домовый воробей Самец домового воробья[1] Научная классификация Домен:ЭукариотыЦарство:ЖивотныеПодцарство:ЭуметазоиБез ранга:Двусторонне-симметричныеБез ранга:ВторичноротыеТип:ХордовыеПодтип:ПозвоночныеИнфратип:ЧелюстноротыеНадкласс:ЧетвероногиеКлада:Амни�...

 

Почта Молдовы

Poșta Moldovei Марка Молдавии в честь 15-летия предприятия (2008) Тип государственное предприятие Основание 1993 Расположение  Молдавия: Кишинёв Отрасль почтовая связь (МСОК: 5310) Продукция почтовые услуги Сайт posta.md  Медиафайлы на Викискладе Почта Молдовы (Почта Молдавии, �...

 

土库曼斯坦总统

土库曼斯坦总统土库曼斯坦国徽土库曼斯坦总统旗現任谢尔达尔·别尔德穆哈梅多夫自2022年3月19日官邸阿什哈巴德总统府（Oguzkhan Presidential Palace）機關所在地阿什哈巴德任命者直接选举任期7年，可连选连任首任萨帕尔穆拉特·尼亚佐夫设立1991年10月27日 土库曼斯坦土库曼斯坦政府与政治 国家政府 土库曼斯坦宪法 国旗 国徽 国歌 立法機關（英语：National Council of Turkmenistan） ...

2020年夏季奧林匹克運動會波蘭代表團

2020年夏季奥林匹克运动会波兰代表團波兰国旗IOC編碼POLNOC波蘭奧林匹克委員會網站olimpijski.pl（英文）（波兰文）2020年夏季奥林匹克运动会（東京）2021年7月23日至8月8日（受2019冠状病毒病疫情影响推迟，但仍保留原定名称）運動員206參賽項目24个大项旗手开幕式：帕维尔·科热尼奥夫斯基（游泳）和马娅·沃什乔夫斯卡（自行车）[1]闭幕式：卡罗利娜·纳亚（皮划艇）&#...

 

1217

1217 - MCCXVII(1970 A.U.C.)807 år sedan År1214 | 1215 | 121612171218 | 1219 | 1220 Årtionde1190-talet  | 1200-talet 1210-talet1220-talet | 1230-talet Århundrade1100-talet 1200-talet1300-talet Årtusende1000-talet Året Födda | AvlidnaBildanden | Upplösningar 1217 (MCCXVII) var ett normalår som började en söndag i den Julianska kalendern. Händelser April Slutet av april – Sedan Inge Bårdsson har dött den 23 april utropa...

 

Philippines men's national water polo team

PhilippinesFINA codePHIAssociationPhilippine Swimming, Inc.ConfederationAASF (Asia)Head coachReynaldo GalangAsst coachRicardo DilapdilapDale EvangelistaCaptainTani Gomez Jr.Home venueRizal Memorial Sports ComplexAsian GamesAppearances3 (first in 1954)Best result5th place (1958)Southeast Asian GamesAppearances7 (first in 2005)Best result (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019) The Philippines men's national water polo team represents the Philippines in international men's water polo competitions and f...

Academic libraries in Leuven

Present and former academic libraries in Leuven, Belgium The current central library of the Catholic University of Leuven, rebuilt after the fire of 1940. The city of Leuven in Belgium was the seat of three successive universities, each of which had a notable academic library. The Library of the Old University The Old University of Leuven founded in 1425 had a collegiate structure with no central library. Students probably had access to manuscripts and printed books preserved in their college...

 

Persatuan Artis Film Indonesia

Persatuan Artis Film Indonesia didirikan pada awal bulan Maret 1956 dalam kongres yang diadakan para pemain dan pekerja film melakukan kongres pada saat itu. Para tokohnya yang mendirikan pada saat itu adalah Usmar Ismail dan Djamaludin Malik. Keinginan para artis untuk membentuk organisasi profesi sudah ada sejak tahun 1940, saat dibentuk Sari (Sarikat Artist Indonesia). Mereka yang menjadi anggota Sari adalah pemain sandiwara, penari, sutradara, penyanyi hingga pelukis. Pada tahun 1951, lah...

 

İlhan Mansız

Turkish footballer This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous.Find sources: İlhan Mansız – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) İlhan ...

Arbroath

Arbroath bahasa Gaelik Skotlandia: Obar Bhrothaig bahasa Scots: Aiberbrothock Arbroath dari selatan Population 23.940 (2016) Ref. grid OS NO641412     - Edinburgh  45 mi (72 km) SSW      - London  371 mi (597 km) SSE  Area dewan Angus Area letnan Angus Negara konstituen Skotlandia Negara berdaulat Britania Raya Kota pos ARBROATH Distrik kode pos DD11 Kode&...

 

2016 European Athletics Championships – Men's 800 metres

Men's 800 metres at the 2016 European Athletics ChampionshipsVenueOlympic StadiumLocationAmsterdamDatesJuly 7 (heats)July 8 (semifinals)July 10 (final)Competitors30 from 21 nationsWinning time1:45.18Medalists  Adam Kszczot   Poland Marcin Lewandowski   Poland Elliot Giles   Great Britain← 20142018 → 2016 EuropeanAthletics ChampionshipsTrack events100 mmenwomen200 mmenwomen400 mmenwomen800 mmenwomen150...

 

Küçükçekmece

Questa voce sull'argomento distretti della Turchia è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. Segui i suggerimenti del progetto di riferimento. KüçükçekmecedistrettoKüçükçekmece – VedutaVeduta aerea di Küçükçekmece e del suo lago. LocalizzazioneStato Turchia RegioneMarmara ProvinciaIstanbul TerritorioCoordinate41°01′18.62″N 28°46′38.32″E41°01′18.62″N, 28°46′38.32″E (Küçükçekmece) Altitudine70 m&#...

Squatinactis

Extinct genus of cartilaginous fishes SquatinactisTemporal range: Serpukhovian to Namurian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: ElasmobranchiiZangerl, 1981 Order: †SquatinactiformesCappetta et al., 1993 Family: †SquatinactidaeLund and Zangerl, 1974 Genus: †SquatinactisLund and Zangerl, 1974 Species S. caudispinatus Lund and Zangerl, 1974 (type) S. glabrum Ginter, 1999 S. multicuspid...

 

Simon Bussy

Simon Albert Bussy (Dole, 1870 – Londra, 1954) è stato un pittore francese. Indice 1 Biografia 2 Note 3 Bibliografia 4 Voci correlate 5 Collegamenti esterni Biografia Simon Bussy nacque a Dole (nel Dipartimento dello Jura) nel 1870 e morì a Londra nel 1954. Era un pittore di nazionalità francese ed i suoi soggetti preferiti erano ritratti, paesaggi e animali, che dipingeva soprattutto con la tecnica del pastello. Studiò all'École des beaux-arts di Parigi, dove ebbe come insegnanti Robe...