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NGE

A little tea, a little chat

I've been a compulsive reader, writer and theatre goer all my life. My book blog is here: http://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpress.com/ Mostly food at the moment but also knitting is here: http://cathyingeneva.wordpress.com/

Currently reading

Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism
Sheldon S. Wolin
The Temptation of Saint Anthony
Gustave Flaubert
Nebula Award Stories 3
Harlan Ellison, Gary Wright, Samuel R. Delany, Michael Moorcock, Fritz Leiber, Roger Zelazny, J.G. Ballard, Anne McCaffrey
Cosmology and Controversy: The Historical Development of Two Theories of the Universe
Helge Kragh
Gantenbein
Max Frisch
A Sense of the Mysterious: Science and the Human Spirit - Alan Lightman I've been wondering if the (un)discipline of physics has suffered the fate that so commonly befalls victims: that is, to become the bully. In the jostle for space and acceptance today by religion and science, may one speculate that this is what has happened? I keep meeting physicists who don’t even seem to realise that they are acting in ways which are not dissimilar to the methods of the administration of Christianity and some other religions against which they fought for so long. If only all scientists were forced to do some study of ethics, philosophy, sociology, etc. They don’t seem to understand that just as suspicious, ignorant Christians might once have seen this thing called science as bewitched hokery-pokery, they now appear in that position themselves, unwilling – unable? – to understand anything past their tiny area and therefore rejecting its possible legitimacy.

There are those like Rees who, in contrast to the Dawkins ‘type’ (not a physicist, but a spokesman for the more belligerent of them), modestly see areas such as religion and philosophy as outside their purview. Then again, there must be some who are capable in a modern Renaissance way to reflect upon both in an illuminating way and Lightman is one of these. This collection begins with thoughts on the relationship of science to philosophy. Lightman, being both a novelist of note as well as physicist, is entirely comfortable with discussing the nature of words, the differentiated notion of concept for the novelist and the scientist. I don’t know that I altogether agree with his ideas here, but they are thought-provoking. His loving, caring sketches of various eminent men in the field of physics are followed by his laments about his life, his chosen fields, the changed nature of life. I was utterly happy to be up at 5am today engrossed in his lovely prose, his easy way of making me feel like I had half a clue about physics and maths – nothing I’ve been reading lately has come close to giving me an idea about these things. If only I could get across what an accomplishment that is!

Five star. Reading another by him now.