I recently read Lee Smolin’s Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution in preparation for my conversation with him for my audio series. I was so moved by the epilogue, I posted this inspiring excerpt to share with everyone. Enjoy!
Posts Categorized: Recommended
Summer Reads from Edge.org
We are pleased to present our summer reading edition, consisting of the published books by members of the Edge community in the past year or so…
—John Brockman
Guest Post: “The World is Nothing but Change” by Carlo Rovelli
If I observe the microscopic state of things, then the difference between past and future vanishes. The future of the world, for instance, is determined by its present state—though neither more nor less than is the past. We often say that causes precede effects and yet, in the elementary grammar of things, there is no distinction between “cause” and “effect.” There are regularities, represented by what we call physical laws, that link events of different times, but they are symmetric between future and past. In a microscopic description, there can be no sense in which the past is different from the future…
Our Interstellar Visitor
“After On” Podcast, Episode 40
Is an object currently passing through our solar system the product of an alien intelligence? Rob Reid’s interview with Harvard astronomy department chairman, Avi Loeb, is a riveting deep dive into a fascinating topic. And I highly recommend Rob’s follow-up interview with Avi (available to supporters) where some of the most thought-provoking topics were raised.
10% Happier Podcast Interview
Susan Kaiser Greenland and I talk with Dan Harris on his 10% Happier podcast. Our conversation is wide-ranging—from teaching meditation in schools to careerism in the secular mindfulness movement. Dan is a self-described fidgety, skeptical ABC newsman who had a panic attack live on Good Morning America, which led him to something he always thought was ridiculous: meditation.
He is author of the bestselling book 10% Happier.