The Grand Design - Stephen Hawking

THE FIRST MAJOR WORK IN NEARLY A DECADE BY ONE OF THE WORLDS GREAT THINKERSA MARVELOUSLY CONCISE BOOK WITH NEW ANSWERS TO THE ULTIMATE QUESTIONS OF LIFE When and how did the universe begin? Why are we here? Why is there something rather than nothing? What is the nature of reality? Why are the laws of nature so finely tuned as to allow for the existence of beings like ourselves? And, finally, is the apparent grand design of our universe evidence of a benevolent creator who set things in motionor does science offer another explanation? The most fundamental questions about the origins of the universe and of life itself, once the province of philosophy, now occupy the territory where scientists, philosophers, and theologians meetif only to disagree. In their new book, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow present the most recent scientific thinking about the mysteries of the universe, in nontechnical language marked by both brilliance and simplicity. In The Grand Design they explain that according to quantum theory, the cosmos does not have just a single existence or history, but rather that every possible history of the universe exists simultaneously. When applied to the universe as a whole, this idea calls into question the very notion of cause and effect. But the top-down approach to cosmology that Hawking and Mlodinow describe would say that the fact that the past takes no definite form means that we create history by observing it, rather than that history creates us. The authors further explain that we ourselves are the product of quantum fluctuations in the very early universe, and show how quantum theory predicts the multiversethe idea that ours is just one of many universes that appeared spontaneously out of nothing, each with different laws of nature.Along the way Hawking and Mlodinow question the conventional concept of reality, posing a model-dependent theory of reality as the best we can hope to find. And they conclude with a riveting assessment of M-theory, an explanation of the laws governing us and our universe that is currently the only viable candidate for a complete theory of everything. If confirmed, they write, it will be the unified theory that Einstein was looking for, and the ultimate triumph of human reason.A succinct, startling, and lavishly illustrated guide to discoveries that are altering our understanding and threatening some of our most cherished belief systems, The Grand Design is a book that will informand provokelike no other.

Published: 2010-09-07 (Bantam)

ISBN: 9780553805376

Language: English

Format: Hardcover, 199 pages

Goodreads' rating: -

Genres

Physics Philosophy Science Nonfiction Popular Science

Reviews

Aloysius rated it

I was given this book as a reward for helping a friend pick up and deliver newly purchased furniture. As is the case with most such gifts, I began to read it immediately.I was almost immediately turned off by the text owing to an extraordinary display of ignorance on the part of the authors and the editors, a mistake appearing in the first few pages in their lead-up to what is supposed to be a survey of the history of physics as germinated in Ionian philosophy. Here they note in passing that writing was first employed around 7000 BCE. In fact, so far as we've evidence, writing first appeared about 6000 years ago, in Sumer in approximately 4000 BCE.To make matters worse the authors go on glibly to dismiss philosophy as defunct--not too surprising as their review of it doesn't display much familiarity with the discipline.Beyond this, I found the jokes peppering this slim volume condescending yet sophomoric, unfunny and far too frequent.As regards the physics, I'm hardly qualified the judge, lacking as I do the background in mathematics and research physics to evaluate their positions. However, as someone with some background in philosophy and in the history of science, I find nothing original in their M theory business, such contextualization being rather old hat.There are many fine books written for generalists which attempt to explain modern cosmology and microphysics. This is not one of them.

Lynette rated it

Obviously nobody needs me to confirm what a brilliant scientist Hawking is. And if his brain didn't work in the meticulous and dissecting manner that it does mankind would not have benefited from his various discoveries. Having said that, I was troubled in reading this book. Troubled because I am not a religious person but I felt like defending religion. From the beginning Hawking refers to 'elegance' as the most important factor in a scientific theory especially when talking about a theory of everything. But elegance is not what I read. I read a series of extremely intelligent theories true, but not a single one to explain everything. And you will ask: Does the notion of God explain everything? Again the answer is 'No' because each culture celebrates a different God, we do not have a universal one. The point I'm trying to make is that I don't think we're meant to know The Grand Design. I mean imagine if we did. We would have a point of reference to make our complaints if it was a God. And if it was the Big Bang theory? How would that bring comfort to a woman in the Third World countries who has to watch her child dying from some awful disease? Would we be able to sleep at night if we knew everything? No, I much prefer my brain staying within its humble human limits and admit that there are some things in life that we can simply not explain. That doesn't mean that I don't admire the continual quest for knowledge because I do and that's why I read. But if someone presented me with all the answers then where would that leave me? Looking for the next big theory or God I suppose..

Tish rated it

In the first chapter Hawking says that his aim is to provide an answer to "Life, Universe and Everything" and goes on to assure us that his answer will not merely be "42". After just completing the last chapter, I think I still prefer "42".

Gabby rated it

I own several of Hawking's books, and so I was drawn to this thin volume. Obviously his co-author did most of the work, since Hawking's health continues to deteriorate. Mlodinow is a physicist at Caltech and an author in his own right. His name should appear as co-author, but my cynical brain thinks the publisher felt Hawking's name would sell more copies.Much time is given to Richard Feynman and his work in quantum physics. In fact, this book promotes the study of quantum theory as the main answer to human questions about existence. The book does a decent job of tracing the historical ways in which humans tried to comprehend the universe, but it does so in an egotistical way that bothers me. The very first page says "philosophy is dead" and advocates science as the only TRUE way to approach the deep human questions about the universe and our place in it.While I do hold science as the basis of my belief system, I'm just a bit concerned that Hawking put his name to a book that occasionally "sniggers" at the ides of earlier thinkers. Just because Ptolomy's design of the universe has been proven wrong should not denigrate the desire of his mind to understand the universe.So while I found some of the ideas interesting, WHOEVER really wrote this book comes across as rather egotistical. The sections on quantum theory are very complex, and I had to skip over some of the more esoteric parts.I've always found Hawking's books to be centered on his fascination with understanding this universe. In none of them did I ever find the condescention that is part of this book, and that's a danger for a scientist. Humility should be as important to a scientist as to a philosopher--Socrates knew that when he said he realized the Oracle of Delphi had claimed he was the wisest man in the world. He realized he WAS the wisest man only when he came to his famous conclusion that he "knew nothing". This book needed that humility lesson.

Gigi rated it

Stephen Hawking is smarter than I am. That's no big feat because two of my cats are smarter than I am. The other cat is a certifiable idiot. But Hawking is way smarter than I am. The Grand Design is Hawking's explanation, more or less, about why the universe is the way it is. The answer comes down to M-theory which is more of a combining of explanations than one single unifying theory. Many reviewers seem to think Hawking is saying there is no God but he really seems to be stating that God is irrelevant. The real question is did we come from something or nothing. The beginning of an answer involves an understanding of quantum physics and multiverses that Hawking put as well into laymen's term as we can hope for. I don't pretend to understand everything in this book. I'm still contemplating why the world needs hairballs. But I did immensely enjoy reading this short book and can honestly say I understand a little bit more.