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erinlcrane's review
3.0
The existential implications of physics and the weirdness of reality are some of my favorite things to learn about, so I looked forward to picking this up. Some of the topics here I’ve learned about before but it’s so hard for me to understand them that I appreciate hearing about them in a new way.
I don’t think her communication of these complex things was always successful, at least not for me. She also chose questions to answer that weren’t always interesting to me.
My favorite ideas discussed were the nature of time, the multiverse, and free will.
I thought she was wonderfully kind to folks who are religious or spiritual, giving them space here.
Hilariously, I did indeed think she was being “no fun” at points and then she acknowledged this.
I don’t think her communication of these complex things was always successful, at least not for me. She also chose questions to answer that weren’t always interesting to me.
My favorite ideas discussed were the nature of time, the multiverse, and free will.
I thought she was wonderfully kind to folks who are religious or spiritual, giving them space here.
Hilariously, I did indeed think she was being “no fun” at points and then she acknowledged this.
stumpnugget's review
3.0
Some of the concepts in this book are challenging for non-physicists, like me.
Several times she suggests that some of the smartest people in the world disagree with her (pretty radical) conclusions. I want to hear those counter arguments because I don't have the background to challenge anything she wrote.
She does what almost all free-will deniers do when she uses language that assumes choice while simultaneously denying that choice exists. I don't think we're capable of living as if free will is an illusion.
I learned a lot though! Her writing is engaging and sometimes funny.
Several times she suggests that some of the smartest people in the world disagree with her (pretty radical) conclusions. I want to hear those counter arguments because I don't have the background to challenge anything she wrote.
She does what almost all free-will deniers do when she uses language that assumes choice while simultaneously denying that choice exists. I don't think we're capable of living as if free will is an illusion.
I learned a lot though! Her writing is engaging and sometimes funny.
chelseadarling's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
cylinderinspector's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Love Sabine Hossenfelder and was very excited to read this book. It was well written and the complex themes were well explained, even if I didn’t get everything. What makes it so great is, in my opinion, that there isn't an air of superiority around it (as in many other popular science books) - Hossenfelder isn’t “above” humour and talking to the reader like a normal person. I especially loved the interview sections. The book leaves you with a lot to ponder. Great read - would definitely recommend!
polijus1's review against another edition
4.0
The title and premise of what this book has to offer peaked my interest. Hossenfelder is a house-hold Physics Youtuber name for the enjoyer. I've been wanting to read her other book, "Lost in Math" but couldn't get a physical copy so I opt for this one instead. Hossenfelder’s approach is always direct and robust, kind of like her videos. I think it made more sense reading about her points than watching it through videos. This book is going to be very harsh for non-existential questioning aspiring scientists, mainly because of how robust Hossenfelder approach is. The book has interviews and "brief answer" to each chapter which makes it easy to read. If you have existential questions on science, you should check out this book.
meekoh's review against another edition
3.0
Hossenfelder is a say-it-with-your-whole-chest type of scientist. Equal opportunity for religious and atheist readers alike to be offended. She has no qualms about equating concepts like the multiverse to "religion masquerading as science under the guise of mathematics". She even manages to throw shade at Hawkins before finishing up.
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The quick summary is Hossenfelder's going to war against all theories that cannot be supported by empirical evidence. She doesn't care about the mathematical universe or alternate probability distributions. In her opinion, if we cannot observe the data points, then there is no scientific requirement to explain them. (Ironically made me want to expand my reading on said topics.)
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Overall, an enjoyable read. I'm always appreciative of sass. I liked that the chapters were interspersed with contradicting scientific opinions. Always good to get both sides of the coin.
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The quick summary is Hossenfelder's going to war against all theories that cannot be supported by empirical evidence. She doesn't care about the mathematical universe or alternate probability distributions. In her opinion, if we cannot observe the data points, then there is no scientific requirement to explain them. (Ironically made me want to expand my reading on said topics.)
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Overall, an enjoyable read. I'm always appreciative of sass. I liked that the chapters were interspersed with contradicting scientific opinions. Always good to get both sides of the coin.