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Title: The Fabric of Reality: The Science of Parallel Universes-And Its Implications by David Deutsch ISBN: 0-14-027541-X Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 August, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.09 (100 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Mind-bending analysis that falls short in places
Comment: Deutsch's presentation is fascinating, mind-expanding, challenging, provocative, and--at times--riveting. It is also infuriating, perplexing, reductive, and--at times--vague. (Please note: I am not convinced that the multiverse as Deutsch describes it exists, nor am I threatened by the possibility that it might. As a result, I do not mean to quarrel with--or support--the idea itself. Instead, I am reviewing Deutsch's book from the point of view of a lay reader.)
I do recommend this book to anyone interested in reading a summary of the pursuit of a "theory of everything" and a defense of the science of parallel universes. Deutsch's theory of everything depends on four theories: quantum (as espoused by Everett), epistemology (Popper), evolution (Dawkins), and computation (Turing). Even if one does not ultimately agree with Deutsch's ideas, his book offers some interesting thought experiments (the chapter on "time travel" is especially fun) and a concise overview of several scientific trends. In addition, his book provides a decent defense of why the theory of the multiverse should be considered a reasonable explanation for the interference results obtained the infamous two-slit experiment.
That said, I do think Deutsch's book contains many shortcomings. First, although the multiverse may be a valid explanation for interference phenomenon, Deutsch fails to convince that it is THE explanation. In one short paragraph, he dismisses David Bohm's theory of wave-particle duality. "Working out what Bohm's invisible wave will do requires the same computations as working out what trillions of shadow photons will do." One could easily reverse this sentence as a criticism of Everett and Deutsch: that the trillions of unseen photons requires the same computations as working out what Bohm's single invisible wave will do. Deutsch does not explain (in this book, anyway) why trillions of photons are simpler than one wave, and he does his readers a disservice by pretending that Bohm's work does not deserve a full refutation.
Second, and similarly, Deutsch dismisses with an even shorter paragraph the charge that his "theory of everything" is anthropocentric. (He pretty much admits it is, but tries--unconvincingly, to this reader--to turn it into an argument in his favor.) Third, his discussion of evolution (one of the four "equal" strands of his theory of everything) is a mere 25 pages and, unlike the rest of the book, is at times incomprehensible and seems completely indebted to Dawkins. (Not that there is anything wrong with Dawkins's work; rather, Deutsch just seems in over his head during this part of the book.) Fourth, he rejects Kuhn's belief in the rigidity of scientific paradigms (for example, the inability of thinkers in Galileo's time to accept the full implications of the Copernican system because they were so used to thinking of the world in Ptolemaic and Judeo-Christian terms), but then he describes a modern scientific establishment that refuses to accept the multiverse implications of quantum theory because they are rooted to the concept of a single universe. (Just because modern scientific discourse is more civil does not mean that Kuhn's argument is incorrect. Deutsch's opponents are still mocking him behind his back, in book reviews, and anonymously on this Web site. Or, even more effectively, they are ignoring him altogether.) And, finally, his discussion of Tipler's omega-point theory is hurried and unfortunately nebulous: at one point, Deutsch seems to be saying that knowledge in the universe will become omniscient and omnipresent--which is practically the same as saying that the universe will become itself.
Nevertheless, regardless of what you think of its implications, Deutsch's views deserve serious consideration and, as necessary, rebuttal--not mockery and scorn. In the same way that we read Lucretius even though we know him to be wrong (or, for that matter, Einstein because we believe he is mostly right), we should read Deutsch's work because he challenges the way we look at our world.
Rating: 4
Summary: Should compare with best alternatives, no evidence, limited
Comment: I would love to see many-worlds shown superior to all available alternatives, but this book did not make the case.
The chapter on epistemology is excellent. He concludes that a successful theory must have explanatory power and must satisfy evidence that refutes all prior theories. He does a good but incomplete job of illustrating the explanatory power of many-worlds, failing to show how many-worlds explains the EPR results. Unfortunately he ignores all competent existing theories.
Indeterminism and wavefunction collapse are not required by QM. They are merely interpretations. Wavefunction collapse in particular is not required to explain the double-slit results because the virtual particles (another interpretation) that constitute the wavefunction are not observable and have no relation to the new entity that results from a "measurement" interaction. The EPR experiments assert that "hidden variables" havc been eliminated, but indeterminacy is still not proven. Deutsch rightfully proclaims many-worlds superior to one interpretation of QM, based solely on the double-slit results, but he fails to mention alternatives.
The most compelling evidence is the idea that a quantum computer could make computations requiring >10^500 parallel universes. IF such a computation is performed, it may be difficult to explain in any other way, but it has not been done and the obstacles may be fundamental.
He asserts that all worlds in the multiverse must follow the same physical laws. There are many more worlds out there that fit in his philosophy. We know our particular laws result from post-Big-Bang broken symmetries and that event itself was not a pristine Perfect Form. What does Deutsch mean by "laws of physics"? Is his interpretation that there are many multiverses?
I had great hopes for the chapter on time, but his writing style is sometimes impenetrable and it came across as hand-waving.
If Richard Feynman liked many-worlds, it must be right. Deutsch should try again, in collaboration with a scientifically literate writer.
Rating: 1
Summary: A scientist does not a philosopher make
Comment: I really cannot find any redeeming value in this book. I had hoped to find some insights from a world famous quantum physicist, and a founder of Quantum Computation, however what I received was a hodge-podge of loosely related themes, the only connection I could find was "Physics is the most important thing in the multiverse, and quantum physics is even more important."
Some of the outlandish claims that Deutsch makes in this book are the following: the mind-body problem is solved; P=NP is solved (it's false); the Church-Turing Thesis is a fact; everything that Deutsch dislikes is a form of solipsism. Of course, no details are given to the solutions, as these are just trivial facts, I guess, according to Deutsch.
But after reading the book, probably the one claim that I abhorred the most was never explicitly stated, but a simple corrollary are statements that he makes again and again: every human endeavour is just quantum physics. The reason for this is because human beings are (at the base level) just quantum-mechanical things, everything we do is a result of physics, and therefore while mathematicians (I happen to be a PhD student in mathematics, set-theory in particular) may think that they are dealing with abstract concepts, they are actually dealing with nothing more that quantum effects in their brains (which Deutsch equates with minds). A simple extension of this principle tells us that philosophy is just a quantum-mechanical process, ditto with art, politics, friendships, love, etc.
Of course, something that is hidden in the above idea is a reductionist claim --- that everything can be reduced to quantum effects. Not surprisingly, it turns out that Deutsch thinks that reductionism is wrong. There are several places in the text where Deutsch ends up contradicting himself, or appeals to claims that he thinks are incorrect. (He grants that criticism of scientific theories does not rest on experimental evidence alone, but while claiming that in fact experimental evidence is very low on the scale, for the most part the only criticisms he ends up making are through experimental evidence.)
My advice for anyone interested in the metaphysical or epistemological issues raised in this book --- read the works of a meta-physicist, not a quantum-physicist.
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Title: Quest for the Quantum Computer by J. R. Brown, Julian Brown ISBN: 0684870045 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 01 August, 2001 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: The Physics of Immortality: Modern Cosmology, God and the Resurrection of the Dead by Frank J. Tipler ISBN: 0385467990 Publisher: Anchor Pub. Date: 01 September, 1995 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Geons, Black Holes, and Quantum Foam: A Life in Physics by John Archibald Wheeler, Kenneth Ford, Kenneth William Ford ISBN: 0393319911 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: 01 February, 2000 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: PARALLEL UNIVERSES by Fred Alan Wolf ISBN: 0671696017 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 01 January, 1990 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Schrodinger's Machines: The Quantum Technology Reshaping Everyday Life by G. J. Milburn, Gerard J. Milburn ISBN: 0716731061 Publisher: W.H. Freeman & Company Pub. Date: 01 May, 1997 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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