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The Science of Can and Can't: A Physicist's Journey Through the Land of Counterfactuals
Audible Audiobook
– Unabridged
A luminous guide to how the radical new science of counterfactuals can reveal that the scope of the universe is greater, and more beautiful, than we ever imagined
There is a vast class of things that science has so far almost entirely neglected. They are central to the understanding of physical reality both at an everyday level and at the level of the most fundamental phenomena in physics, yet have traditionally been assumed to be impossible to incorporate into fundamental scientific explanations. They are facts not about what is (the actual) but about what could be (counterfactuals).
According to physicist Chiara Marletto, laws about things being possible or impossible may generate an alternative way of providing explanations. This fascinating, far-reaching approach holds promise for revolutionizing the way fundamental physics is formulated and for providing essential tools to face existing technological challenges - from delivering the next generation of information-processing devices beyond the universal quantum computer to designing AIs.
Each chapter in the book delineates how an existing vexed open problem in science can be solved by this radically different approach and it is augmented by short fictional stories that explicate the main point of the chapter. As Marletto demonstrates, contemplating what is possible can give us a more complete and hopeful picture of the physical world.
- Listening Length7 hours and 33 minutes
- Audible release dateMay 4, 2021
- LanguageEnglish
- ASINB08H755KND
- VersionUnabridged
- Program TypeAudiobook
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Product details
Listening Length | 7 hours and 33 minutes |
---|---|
Author | Chiara Marletto |
Narrator | Katharine Lee McEwan |
Audible.com Release Date | May 04, 2021 |
Publisher | Penguin Audio |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Unabridged |
Language | English |
ASIN | B08H755KND |
Best Sellers Rank |
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A Must Read for Anyone Interested in Foundational Science
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2021Marletto's book is, probably, the first popular book about the new physics frontier. The target audience is a reader with at least some college education and some knowledge about physics. For such a reader, this book is a gem.
Yet, it is not the book for which you could say, "I could not put it down." You have to put it down from time to time because you have to think about what you read. And that is good. For me, it is one of the best books about a physical picture of the world I ever read.
It is not a piece of common knowledge yet, but we are, probably, witnesses to the great new revolution in physics, and not just physics. A new "constructor theory" was born in 2012 with the works of David Deutsch. Chiara started to work on it a few months later. In her book, Chiara called it "a science of can and can't."
Conventional physics includes classical physics, quantum physics, and general relativity. The point of view of this new physics theory is different from conventional physics. "A science of can and can't" does not replace conventional physics as quantum physics did not replace classical physics. "Constructor theory" and conventional physics have different domains of applicability. A huge advantage of this new theory is that it dramatically expands the applicability of no-design physics laws to such domains as information, biology, and more.
"A science of can and can't" points out a possibility of life from no-design physics laws. That, probably, would raise philosophical and religious discussions about life designers to a whole new level. Typically life looks to us as an output of somebody's design. Science did not have a solid ground to prove that no-designed life is possible directly from physics laws. The situation is different now.
So far, knowledge about "a science of can and can't" did not become a piece of common knowledge among physicists, biologists, philosophers, and engineers. The knowledge about the new theory is pretty much limited to a narrow circle of physicists working on that theory. Chiara's book is helping to spread out that knowledge. Yet, much more is needed.
-- Victor Torvich, an author of "Subsurface History of Humanity: Direction of History."
- Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2021Quantum mechanics and general relativity, the last two foundational breakthroughs in science, are a century old. Since then we have made tons of progress in more applied science, such as learning to decode and manipulate DNA and RNA, but we have been in a rut when it comes to developing a deeper understanding of such fundamental phenomena as information and heat.
In her amazing book Chiara Marletto takes us on a journey into understanding how the structure of most existing scientific theories, which are expressed as states of the world in combination with laws of motion, has contributed to this stalling of progress. As an alternative approach she introduces the reader to Constructor Theory, a fundamental rethinking based on making counterfactuals first class elements. Instead of states and laws of motion. Constructor Theory builds up from possible and impossible transformations (hence the title).
What is highly unusual about this book is that it provides an introduction accessible to lay readers to a theory that is currently under active development. This is a bit akin to being able to look over the shoulder of someone like Bohr or Einstein while they were working on their breakthroughs.
5.0 out of 5 starsQuantum mechanics and general relativity, the last two foundational breakthroughs in science, are a century old. Since then we have made tons of progress in more applied science, such as learning to decode and manipulate DNA and RNA, but we have been in a rut when it comes to developing a deeper understanding of such fundamental phenomena as information and heat.A Must Read for Anyone Interested in Foundational Science
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2021
In her amazing book Chiara Marletto takes us on a journey into understanding how the structure of most existing scientific theories, which are expressed as states of the world in combination with laws of motion, has contributed to this stalling of progress. As an alternative approach she introduces the reader to Constructor Theory, a fundamental rethinking based on making counterfactuals first class elements. Instead of states and laws of motion. Constructor Theory builds up from possible and impossible transformations (hence the title).
What is highly unusual about this book is that it provides an introduction accessible to lay readers to a theory that is currently under active development. This is a bit akin to being able to look over the shoulder of someone like Bohr or Einstein while they were working on their breakthroughs.
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2021Marletto's The Science of Can and Can't is about the necessity of considering counterfactuals when developing scientific explanations. What could or cannot happen is just as important as what actually happened when developing science in domains that have resisted explanation. Specifically, Marletto applies counterfactuals to explain information, knowledge, and thermodynamics.
I was attracted to this book because I love the oeuvre of David Deutsch, with who Marletto collaborated to develop many of these ideas. The Beginning of Infinity is my most favorite book of all time. And I love and relish re-reading The Fabric of Reality. So naturally, my expectations were sky--albeit unfairly--high. The Science of Can and Can't is well-written and easy to read, and it's certainly more accessible than a Deutsch book.
In terms of convincing me of the importance of counterfactuals, the book was a success. The arguments are strong and the book draws corollaries to the fallacy of reductionism. My main gripe with The Science of Can and Can't is the lack of depth when getting to the counterfactual-based theories of information, knowledge, and thermodynamics. The theories are in development, so it’s hard to appreciate them fully. In particular, the book culminates with a way to understand thermodynamics at a quantum level, but I felt this section could have lingered there a bit longer. Okay, cool, we could potentially build nano-engines based on a counterfactual-based explanation, but how might that engine look and work? What will we use them for? The section seemed afraid to provoke the reader’s imagination and give some real-life possibilities.
In sum, I would recommend The Science of Can and Can't with the view that it’s more about advocating the importance of counterfactuals than a retrospective of how counterfactuals have changed science. I hope the book wins more advocates; counterfactuals are worthwhile. And I look forward to learning more counterfactual-based explanations as they develop.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2022The reviews of this book vary widely. It seems to me that this variance results from various readers’ readiness. That is, a level of background and interest in physics, information and knowledge is required to get out what the author has put in. Fortunately, I have some background and interest and thus consider it to be a brilliant exposé of a possible reformulation of physics and perhaps science itself!
Top reviews from other countries
- D. C. GoldsmithReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written description of a new way of looking at Physics
The book describes a new way of thinking in terms of what can and can't happen. Each chapter is preceded by a little story, like in the book Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid by Hofstadter, and some of these I found very moving. The author is obviously heavily influenced by the ideas of her mentor, David Deustch, yet writes with freshness and orginality. The book is relevant to a professional physcist and would also be very approachable to a general ready.
The text is beautifully written and extremely clear. A great read!
- davideReviewed in Italy on May 28, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars A deep and insightful view on what reality is
This book gives us an insight on something really deep. I think it's difficult to define exactly what it is, but, personally, I have always been dissatisfied with the (ultimately) deterministic view of modern physics and its basic laws (of motion).
Now I know that here might be an alternative, deeper (or higher ?) way to look at reality. I will definitely look for more on constructor theory and counterfactuals.
Also, the book is so well written, and the interludes at the end of each chapter are truly enjoyable and clarifying.
Highly recommended!
- Mr. Brett HallReviewed in Australia on May 6, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars An astonishing work
This is a refreshingly unique book about cutting edge science. It would seem to be a big ask: take one of the newest theories of physics, deeper than quantum theory (and arising out of the quantum theory of computation), apply it to the laws of thermodynamics and biology and then write a book about what you have accomplished in an accessible and fun way. Somehow Chiara Marletto has navigated these waters without jargon, pretence or losing any intellectual rigour. This work comfortably sits beside, and clearly belongs in the lineage of, works like "The Fabric of Reality" or "The Beginning of Infinity" in its ambitious and unwavering treatment of the best science and philosophy of the day as serious accounts of what exists in reality and how it works.
For decades fundamental physics has been floundering in many senses. Not least that quantum theory and general relativity have yet to be united. The theory being gradually revealed in the book - Constructor Theory - offers a new mode of explanation and way into the unification of these, our hitherto deepest theories of physical reality by going so far as explaining a possible experimental test of quantum gravity for the lay reader. But Constructor Theory, as Marletto explains is far more than merely a new way to approach fundamental physics. It is a way for subjects seemingly unconnected - like epistemology (the theory of how knowledge is constructed) - to be brought, at least partly, under the umbrella of physics. This is therefore a book absolutely essential reading for serious philosophers of any stripe. Of course, in the main, the book will be exciting for anyone working in the sciences anywhere, or who takes a casual interest in science or scientific thinking as the theory it explains will ultimately be seen relevant to every discipline. This is not merely a popular science book. It is both a gentle held-by-the-hand journey through some of the most subtle cutting edge physics of our time and simultaneously a thrilling exploration of the very limits of the universe and our knowledge of it. This is sure to be a classic and should inspire curious researchers to explore more of the technical details.
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HANSEN FrançoiseReviewed in Belgium on December 29, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Cadeau
C,était un cadeau de Noël et la personne qui l,à reçu était ravie
- Sascha KerskenReviewed in Germany on July 27, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Many science books written for the general public are extremely interesting, but not many of them are so beautifully written. All of the chapters, which always start using everyday-life examples (often from Chiara Marletto's personal life), are concluded by short pieces of fiction that are both enjoyable and do an excellent job adding another layer of meaning to what has just been explained in a chapter. In his foreword, Marletto's colleague David Deutsch (author of the equally brilliant book "The Fabric of Reality" as well as "The Beginning of Infinity, which is on my to-read list) compares her writing to Douglas Hofstadter's classic "Gödel, Escher, Bach - An Eternal Golden Braid". After finishing "The Science of Can and Can't", I have to admit that I agree.
Counterfactuals - the notion of what is physically possible or physically impossible to happen - is an extremely powerful and promising tool of explaining (to quote the late, great Douglas Adams) Life, the Universe, and Everything. Traditional physical explanations, relying solely on cause and effect aka. laws of motion, fail to incorporate concepts like information and knowledge into physics. Counterfactuals, however, provide a convincing way to do so. As a computer scientist, I'm happy that computability seems to be more than an incidental property of some machines we happened to build, but a basic principle of reality. Other examples include quantum information and a counterfactual explanation of work and heat, which is more plausible than traditional explanations of thermodynamics.
Constructor Theory, the physical theory Marletto, Deutsch, Vlatko Vedral and others have been working on, is a fascinating way of understanding physics. The reasoning in the book and the various papers at the Constructor Theory website is sound and uncircumventable, since it is all in the tradition of Karl Popper's philosophy of scientific reasoning, i.e. falsifiable. The book is a wonderful first exploration journey into this realm (an analogy the author herself uses in the introduction and as a concluding remark). It shows that there is a lot of uncharted territory, which will be explored in many adventures to come.