Once again I have not really been the world’s most conscientious blogger, have I? Sometimes other responsibilities have to take precedence — such as looming book deadlines. And I’m working on a new book, and that deadline is definitely looming!
And here it is. The title is The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself. It’s scheduled to be published on May 17, 2016; you can pre-order it at Amazon and elsewhere right now.
An alternative subtitle was What Is, and What Matters. It’s a cheerfully grandiose (I’m supposed to say “ambitious”) attempt to connect our everyday lives to the underlying laws of nature. That’s a lot of ground to cover: I need to explain (what I take to be) the right way to think about the fundamental nature of reality, what the laws of physics actually are, sketch some cosmology and connect to the arrow of time, explore why there is something rather than nothing, show how interesting complex structures can arise in an undirected universe, talk about the meaning of consciousness and how it can be purely physical, and finally trying to understand meaning and morality in a universe devoid of transcendent purpose. I’m getting tired just thinking about it.
From another perspective, the book is an explication of, and argument for, naturalism — and in particular, a flavor I label Poetic Naturalism. The “Poetic” simply means that there are many ways of talking about the world, and any one that is both (1) useful, and (2) compatible with the underlying fundamental reality, deserves a place at the table. Some of those ways of talking will simply be emergent descriptions of physics and higher levels, but some will also be matters of judgment and meaning.
As of right now the book is organized into seven parts, each with several short chapters. All that is subject to change, of course. But this will give you the general idea.
* Part One: Being and Stories
How we think about the fundamental nature of reality. Poetic Naturalism: there is only one world, but there are many ways of talking about it. Suggestions of naturalism: the world moves by itself, time progresses by moments rather than toward a goal. What really exists.
* Part Two: Knowledge and Belief
Telling different stories about the same underlying truth. Acquiring and updating reliable beliefs. Knowledge of our actual world is never perfect. Constructing consistent planets of belief, guarding against our biases.
* Part Three: Time and Cosmos
The structure and development of our universe. Time’s arrow and cosmic history. The emergence of memories, causes, and reasons. Why is there a universe at all, and is it best explained by something outside itself?
* Part Four: Essence and Possibility
Drawing the boundary between known and unknown. The quantum nature of deep reality: observation, entanglement, uncertainty. Vibrating fields and the Core Theory underlying everyday life. What we can say with confidence about life and the soul.
* Part Five: Complexity and Evolution
Why complex structures naturally arise as the universe moves from order to disorder. Self-organization and incremental progress. The origin of life, and its physical purpose. The anthropic principle, environmental selection, and our role in the universe.
* Part Six: Thinking and Feeling
The mind, the brain, and the body. What consciousness is, and how it might have come to be. Contemplating other times and possible worlds. The emergence of inner experiences from non-conscious matter. How free will is compatible with physics.
* Part Seven: Caring and Mattering
Why we can’t derive ought from is, even if “is” is all there is. And why we nevertheless care about ourselves and others, and why that matters. Constructing meaning and morality in our universe. Confronting the finitude of life, deciding what stories we want to tell along the way.
Hope that whets the appetite a bit. Now back to work with me.
@Chris Mannering
There is obviously some disagreement, but I would suspect that Sean agrees with ‘free will’ and even ’cause and effect’ not being ‘real things’ in the sense that your thoughts could change the future realities of the many worlds in the “Many Worlds” interpretations of Quantum Mechanics.
So of course.
“Sean Carroll can accomplish what he appears to want to do”
He APPEARS to “want” to do things. And, he will APPEAR to “accomplish” them. But, his apparant wanting did not cause anything to happen. It is ALL happening anyway!
Can’t wait for this book.
But…are there limits to science?
Who’s right, the robot or Speed?
http://darwinskidneys-science.com/2015/10/06/the-dialogs-is-there-a-limit-to-science-2/
@Rick,
You “would suspect that Sean agrees with ‘free will’ and even ’cause and effect’ not being ‘real things’ in the sense that…” – and then you write something that just isn’t “the sense” of free will, or of cause and effect.
What will happen will happen. (Whether MWI is correct or not.) That, being a tautology, is neither here nor there when it comes to free will, or cause and effect.
Hello Sean,
Here I would like to point out the main concern about quantum nature of deep reality.
We see the quantum fluctuations at fundamental scale of universe and accept that it is purely inherent property of fundamental particles. But we forget to accept the unseen reality which always exists in space irrespective of time scale. This reality is filled up in all space like an infinite ocean and we call it as Vacuum energy which always remain indivisible, uniform and constant throughout the time scale of universe. This extreme fine reality is penetrating inside each & every fundamental particle and causes quantum vibrations or fluctuations across microscopic scale of universe.
Moreover, simply unorganized quantum fluctuations can not set the evolution process into order which makes the life possible in this universe. This reality must contain its own intelligence which triggers and superimposes a complex wave pattern on random quantum fluctuations and drive the
evolution process in such a way so as to make the life possible in this universe.
Simply, Naturalism will not help you to evolve a complex life but intelligence can make a difference
and play pivotal role in development of complex life.
Just for an example, if a human being wants to develop some technology or scientific process, his intelligence is equally important to execute that process under physical laws of nature.
My main concern is here to bring your attention towards self contained intelligence of unseen reality (filled in space like an infinite ocean) facilitating the evolution of universe under physical laws.
If you have any remarks, you are most welcome.
Regards.
Ajay
If you haven’t already done so, I strongly urge reading the 2015 book The Vital Question, by leading British evolutionary biochemist Nick Lane, before going to print. TVQ is a very rigorous, cuttng edge exploration of the issues around the origin of terrestrial life, especially complex eukaryotic life. Much of his argument is based on energy considerations.
Some reviews are here: http://www.nick-lane.net/The%20Vital%20Question%20reviews.htm
Lane, who Leads the Research Frontiers Origins of Life program at University College London, won the Biochemical Society Award in 2015 and the Royal Society Prize for Science Books in 2010.
@Paul
“What will happen will happen. (Whether MWI is correct or not.)”
Damn straight! I only mentioned MWI because Sean has been writing about what he believes about it recently. (Oh… and mostly I wrote that because I did write it).
“There is obviously some disagreement…”
Different people may read different meaning in the same passage.
“He APPEARS to “want” to do things. And, he will APPEAR to “accomplish” them. But, his apparant wanting did not cause anything to happen. It is ALL happening anyway!”
FWIW this doesn’t follow from the context I perceived I set the passage in. The norm is that a generic passage used as a component of a point that is being made, has no meaning at all outside that context. However, for diplomatic reasons, strictly on a one-time-only basis, largely because this matter could not be less interesting or important for everyone else, I shall waive the conventional and say it means whatever you damn want it old, old fig.
Thanks for the update. I have been wondering what would follow “The Particle…”.
I assume this book will expand on your creative, useful extrapolation of Ken Wilson’s work that helps organize thinking about theoretical physics and simplifies the QnA about daily life.
Can’t wait! Read all of your books so far, just looked up the price on pre-order on Amazon.co.uk though – £18.10 for the hardback.
Aren’t there alternative ways you can publish? Seems crazy they always put out a hardback, then a paper version that’s far cheaper later.