Selected Product:
| Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape The Universe
Paperback
Author: Martin Rees
Publisher: Basic Books
Release Date: 2001-05
ISBN-10: 0465036732
ISBN-13: 9780465036738
List Price: $15.95
Average Customer Rating:
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Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
The genesis of the universe elegantly explained in a simple theory based on just six numbers by one of the world's most renowned astrophysicists.
An Interesting Analysis
| Customer Rating:  | In "Just Six Numbers", Martin Rees provides a tour of the universe and the delicately tuned values that govern it. Rees argues that, were some values of the universe (the strength of gravity, for example) slightly different, intelligent life would not be possible. As Rees demonstrates, the odds that all six of the crucial numbers he mentions should have values that are life-permitting is extraordinarily small, and therefore this remarkable find cries out for some sort of explanation.
The cosmological evidence roughly outlined by Rees has led to a renewed interest in the argument from design for the existence of God. If God purposely created the universe to support life, then we can understand why the values governing it are conducive to life. However, Rees offers a different interpretation. Rees argues that there might be a large (perhaps infinite) number of other universes that exist separate from our own. What we call the `universe' is really just a small portion of the entire cosmos. This so-called `Multiverse' model eliminates the mystery of why the universe seems so fortuitously life-permitting. Only in the small subset of actual universes that are compatible with life can life arise. Of course, we inhabit a life-permitting universe- because we must!
So, why should we accept the multiverse hypothesis rather than the design hypothesis? Unfortunately, on this point Rees is almost entirely silent. He never once argues that the multiverse model is superior or the design hypothesis deficient. Therefore, the evidence provided throughout the book is at least compatible with either interpretation.
Moreover, Rees does not provide much of a defense of the multiverse hypothesis, which has been critiqued in many ways. For example, the hypothesis that an infinite number of universes exist completely separate from our own seems to be an ad hoc and complicated hypothesis which we should therefore be hesitant to accept. Another problem is that multiverse models don't necessarily eliminate the need for a designer anyways, because the models often require extensive fine-tuning to work in the first place.
The only objection that Rees tries to counteract is the claim that the multiverse model is unscientific. He claims that there are at least potential ways that the model could be confirmed or disconfirmed in the future. I think Rees is correct about this, but this does not give us any positive reason to accept the multiverse interpretation.
Most of "Just Six Numbers" deals with cosmology, and this discussion is very interesting. However, I found the author's writing style to be a bit dry. For a more entertaining and engaging discussion, I would recommend Cosmic Jackpot by Paul Davies. If Rees spent more time defending his multiverse interpretation, this book might be worth a read. As it stands, however, there are much better books out there on this subject. |
fabulous
| Customer Rating: | | i love reading about physics and the big bang theory. i know a little science and am fascinated by it. this book is well-written and extremely thought provoking. it touches on alot of modern scientific thought and i think most amateur scientists will thoroughly enjoy it. i was not disappopinted at all and i learned a great deal. |
An easy, delightful read --
| Customer Rating: | An easy, delightful read --
It's easy reading, well written -- Rees introduces new concepts for the novice, but upon coming back to them later he reminds you what it was all about. "Everything should be made a simple as possible, but not simpler" : )
~~ NowScape~com
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Absolutely fascinating!
| Customer Rating: | | I could barely put this book down! It is dense, but so well-organized and written in such an accessible way, that you need not have any prior understanding of cosmology to grasp the concepts it addresses. It provided a much-needed workout for MY brain and, as well as answering many questions, it put a great deal into perspective for me. |
Well-informed speculation, meandering text, ugly cover
| Customer Rating: | Lame cosmic theories by would be experts are ubiquitous. This book is for amateurs who enjoy reading the ideas of someone who knows his science broadly and deeply. Sir Martin Rees' book informs the reader about "our cosmic habitat", thoroughly explains the significance of six crucial physical parameters that define the nature of the universe, shows where the limits of cosmological knowledge give way to hypotheses and includes many fascinating asides. The author's style is meandering and repetitious, but he generally manages to summarize complex concepts. The reader gets the story from the scientist and thus has no risk of false simplifications made by non-expert journalists.
The explanations of the key concepts related to the six numbers are good enough for those who don't want formulae or underlying details. Rees' explanations and comparisons of phenomena by referring to orders of magnitude are particularly good, showing the significance of scale for "everything" between quantum physics and clusters of galaxies. The book's length, just under 200 pages, is good for an overview. It was fun to read insights and amusing reflections from a long career in the field. An example is the idea from Max Plank that theories are never abandoned until their opponents are all dead, so science advances one funeral at a time.
According to the Big-Bang theory, time and space started with the Big-Bang, and therefore it makes no sense to speak of what happened in the seconds "before" the Big-Bang. In that sense, one can question whether it is worthwhile to speculate about anything "beyond" the known Universe. As the author admits, there is no concrete evidence of a Multiverse, therefore he is treading painfully close to metaphysics. His central argument about the whopping good luck of the proportions of physical forces related to the six numbers is worthy of short intellectual speculation. If evidence is found and falsifiable theories can be formulated, then further research is warranted, otherwise who cares? Fortunately the speculation is free of any religious tones, despite the facetious reference to Providence in the last sentence. At any rate, the book would be difficult reading for a creationist.
The text requires some substantial editing. It is generally clear but not always. For example, the explanation of what strings are (page 159) too short and cryptic to be understandable. Are some tracts so repetitious just to meet the page count?
The book was first published in 1999. I am not sure if subsequent books from the same author, such as the one called "Our Cosmic Habitat", are in fact revised editions of this book. The "Basic Books" edition from 2000 has an outstandingly ugly cover, but the contents are worth reading.
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