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    Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite
    Unavailable
    Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite
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    Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite
    Ebook373 pages8 hours

    Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite

    By Rudolf V Rucker

    3.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    A dynamic exploration of infinity

    In Infinity and the Mind, Rudy Rucker leads an excursion to that stretch of the universe he calls the “Mindscape,” where he explores infinity in all its forms: potential and actual, mathematical and physical, theological and mundane. Using cartoons, puzzles, and quotations to enliven his text, Rucker acquaints us with staggeringly advanced levels of infinity, delves into the depths beneath daily awareness, and explains Kurt Gödel’s belief in the possibility of robot consciousness. In the realm of infinity, mathematics, science, and logic merge with the fantastic. By closely examining the paradoxes that arise, we gain profound insights into the human mind, its powers, and its limitations. This Princeton Science Library edition includes a new preface by the author.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPrinceton University Press
    Release dateJul 23, 2019
    ISBN9780691191256
    Unavailable
    Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite

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    Reviews for Infinity and the Mind

    3.5/5

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    • 1/5
      The contents of this book is best used in 50 lb bags, available at most lawn & garden stores. You would get a better grasp of infinity by overdosing on dextromethorphan than by reading this tripe. The basic concept of a true infinity escapes Mr. Rucker throughout the whole book.
    • 4/5
      I read this book over a longish evening. At the end my mind was so expanded I had difficulty in going to bed! if you are at all curious about infinity, the concept, which, according to Borges "Contaminates and destroys all others", then a look at this book wil satisfy you. Some concepts still elude me, but if Rucker can't make them plain, then probably no-one else can. Perhaps I might suggest a book on flower arranging?To Rucker I owe the following proof of the falsity of the statement "in an infinite universe, anything is possible". Ti disprove this, we only have to show that something is impossible in our (imaginary) infinite universe. Let's say a planet where everyone has green hair. Now imagine a guide to the planets in the universe. This book has an infinite number of pages. Now imagine that we put green-haired planets every other page, with noral planets in between. We can remove the GHP from our guidebook, and it is still infinite. So now we can imagine an infinite universe with no GHPs. So many things are not possible in our infinite universe. This proof is oddly satisfying. Thank you Mr. Rucker.
    • 4/5
      In the 1981 preface Rucker writes, “This book discusses every kind of infinity: potential and actual, mathematical and physical, the ontological and the mundane.” The main line of argument is mathematical. Rucker uses physics, philosophy and theology as illustrations and examples of mathematical concepts. He also uses mathematical formulas, diagrams and cartoon to illustrate concepts in other disciplines. The five chapters all conclude with a collection of puzzles and paradoxes. This assumes that if the reader has followed and understood the concepts so far you have another chance to exhaust your reasoning powers on these, because with infinities there are things that cannot be logically, mathematically or scientifically described fully. Rucker argues that many of the ideas about infinity are not rationally and deductive, but mystical an intuitive. This makes a book that is an active and entertaining mental wrestling match. It also makes it a stimulating, thought provoking, and potentially mind expanding read.