Book Description
As Charles Seife reveals in this energetic new book, information theory, once the province of philosophers and linguists, has emerged as the crucial science of our time, shedding new light on the mysteries of physics, the nature of space and time and the creation and destruction of the universe itself.
With his gift for making cutting-edge science accessible and entertaining, Seife explains how theorists came to understand that information is not a construct of the mind but a fundamental element of the physical world, something that sits inside every living cell and surrounds every black hole in the cosmos. It exists, like energy, even if there is no life to observe it. Starting with the breaking of the Enigma code during World War II and building momentum with the computer revolution, information theory has taken its place at the forefront of theoretical physics as scientists begin to use it to reconcile the paradoxes of relativity and quantum mechanics that have puzzled theorists since Einstein. Lucid and exhilarating, Decoding the Universe probes the mind-boggling advances that are taking us to the brink of a new understanding of the universe.
Customer Reviews:
Information theory, the third physics revolution of the XXth century.......2007-10-03
The author has a degree in probability theory and artificial intelligence, but he is a professor of journalism and has therefore written a book which is both very entertaining and not too difficult to understand. The subject is information, which Seife claims is the third XXth century revolution in physics started by Claude Shannon and which has relations with the other two: Relativity and Quantum Mechanics.
Of course, information is also related to thermodynamics and entropy, so the book contains a discussion of all these topics: thermodynamics, relativity and quantum mechanics. Famous conundrums such as Schroedinger's cat, entanglement, Maxwell's demon, etc. are analyzed from the point of view of information theory.
Here are some snippets of the book:
According to Seife, Einstein dictum "Nothing can travel faster than light" is really about information:" Information speed cannot exceed c". Another interesting fact is that what really causes computers to heat is the erasure of bits.
Seife describes recent achievements and experiments, proof that he is familiar with the latest results. One curious example is the solution of "the knight problem" in 2000 by using a DNA computer! Another one is that the entire human race has less genetic diversity than a few scores of chimps due to some kind of cataclysm about 500,000 years ago. A third one is the 1996 experiment demonstrating the existence of virtual particles (the so called Casimir effect).
In chapter 7, quantum computers are introduced and the possibility of the brain being one is briefly discussed. Unfortunately, it seems that Max Tegmark proved Roger Penrose wrong on this count. You begin to understand the power of quantum computation when the author describes Grover's algorithm to guess a number out of 16. Classically you need four yes/no answers to four questions. Grover manages the same task with two. Quantum computation reduces the complexity of some problems from n to square root of n.
I found also very interesting the reasons why the photoelectric effect cannot be explained by waves. On the other hand, interference cannot be explained by a corpuscular theory of light, so we are stuck with duality.
Towards the end, the author discusses black holes and the holographic principle: the quantity of information contained in a ball is not limited by its volume (surprisingly), but by its area. Since most cosmologists consider now the universe infinite (inflation seems to imply this) we are led, via the holographic bound, to the conclusion that the universe contains infinite copies of our own bubble universe. Seife admits that this is the most bizarre thing among the many ones described in his book.
Very Well Rounded.......2007-09-20
I have a Ph.D. in Physics and therefore know many well educated scientists, but very few have a functional concept of Information as a physical science. Begun with, mostly, Claude Shannon, this topic of study has been growing into a real science for decades now, but for some reason it is one of the most misunderstood subjects out there, even for seasoned professional scientists. Seife cuts to the heart of the matter with very clear thinking and examples from a very well rounded range of scientific points of view. Seife clearly and very engagingly demystifies many confusing topics and brings a real and almost visceral familiarity to a complex subject. After reading this, you will understand many esoteric scientific concepts better than even some professionals... and enjoy it immensely!
Basic information.......2007-08-02
This book is easy to read and is well written, but does not have much depth. The author has proven to be able to explain clearly complex ideas, but seems to lack enough background for some of the fields that the book explores. E.g., the enthusiasm with which the author explains that in an infinite universe there are many (infinite) worlds like ours seems annoying, and has little if anything to do with information or the holographic principle. It is a quite trivial idea valid for many cosmological theories.
Anyway, you can have a good time reading it, and if you are not an expert in information theory, you can find here good explanations of some basic concepts.
covers the science of information theory.......2007-07-21
This book is about information theory. The first few chapters describe information theory and then these theories are applied to biology and physics. I thought the introduction to information theory was well done, I came away with enough knowledge to follow the rest of the book. The chapter on biology, called Life, was interesting but I thought the best part of the book was the physics part. The author talks at length about Boltzman's statistical physics in a very comprehensible manner. He also explains how, although some experiments have allowed parts of light waves to travel faster than light, you can't send information over those parts of light waves so in effect you still can't travel faster than light. The author states that, from information theories perspective, you can't send information faster than light and that this law has not even been bent. Even the "spooky action at a distance" of superposition of atomic spin, which has to do with quantum mechanics, does not allow transferal of information at speeds faster than light. After reading this book my knowledge of the central concepts of information theory and statistical mechanics was greatly expanded. I even made some headway into the concepts of quantum mechanics. I highly recommend this book for those people looking looking for information about the above topics.
Information Theory, Entropy, and Shannon.......2007-07-06
1. Boltzmann, wrote S=k log W , the first law of thermodynamics deals with explaining heat, work, and energy.
2. The industrial revolution needed more powerful engines. The steam engine stars with a fire that cause water to boil into steam, which takes up more room than the equivalent water-it expands. The expansion of steam does work; it moves a piston which, in turn, can move a wheel or lift a rock or pump water. The steam then either flies away into the sky or moves into a cool chamber exposed to air and then condenses, flowing back toward the fire to begin the cycle again. The steam engine sits between high temperature object (fire) and a cold-temperature object(the air). The system will tend toward equilibrium. In allowing the heat to flow, the engine extracts some of the energy and perform useful work. Work and heat are always ways of transferring energy.
3. Carnot put a super engine flowing heat from the hot resevoir to the cold. While allowing the same amount of heat, Q, to flow the cold reservior through a heat pump back into the hot reservoir. Some of the work from the super engine can be diverted to the heat pump. "All, told no, net heat flows from the cold reservoir to the hot reservoir". A perpetual motion machine. "But nothing comes for free. It's the law." "Energy can not be created or destroyed. Energy is conserved." The second law of equilibrium states that anytime you do work, you are irreversibly increasing the equilibriumness of the universe." The second law explains why there does not exist a super engine. "Entropy always increases". "Entropy captures the configuration of the entire collection of matter in terms of probabilities-in terms of the most probable configurations of a collection of atoms, or, in our box-and marble example, the most likely outcomes wen we dump marbles in a box. The higher the probablity of a configuration of mater, the higher the entropy of that configuration."
4. "Some of themost fundamental rules in physics, the laws of thermodynamics, for example, andthe laws that tell how collections of atoms move in a chunk of matter-are deep down, actually laws about information." Shannons helped translate differential equations into a form the computer could understand and creating designs of electrical relays and flip-flo switches. Shannon created boolean logic using mathematics of manipulating 0s and 1s. Shannon uses 0s and 1s to measure the mass flow of information; he included compression algorithms into the model by exploiting redundancy in a given message. A question with N possible outcomes would need log N bits of information to distinquish between the information. Informtion encoded in 1s and 0s cand answer any question, so long as that question has a finite answer. Written language is a stream of finite symbols. Each symbol can be represented as a stream of bits. Bits are the universal medium of information. Five bits can be compressed into a one or two bits through a mapping rule. The rules make the string redundant. Shannon creates his channel capacity theorem to explain how much stuff can be sent over communication lines. "Information is intimately related to entropy and energy. The function Shannon derived was, roughly speaking, a measure of how unpredictable a string of bits is. the less predictable it is, the less able you are to generate the entire message from a smaller string of bits-in other words, the less redundant. The less redundancy a message has, the more information it can contain, so by measuring this unpredictability, Shannon hoped to be able to get at the information stored in the message." In the marbles in the box, the distribution of half the marbles on both the left and right side had the highest entropy and the distribution with all the marbles on either the left or right side had the lowest entropy. The entropy distribution of 1s ands 0s of symbols directly relates to the amount of information of the stream.
5. Shannon figured out how much energy was required to transmit a bit from place to place under certain conditions. Information theory is the science of manipulation and transmission of bits, is very closely tied to thermodynamics. Maxwell's entropy problem could use information theory instead thermodynamics to separate the hot atoms from the cold atoms. Information does not come free, it requires energy. Szilard calculated that kT log 2 joules for every bit of information. Using that useful energy increases the entropy of the box. The process of obtaining and acting on the information increases the entropy of the universe. The opening and closing of the shutter was based on the information and decreases the entropy. Shannon information entropy and thermal entropy are related. Once the energy is stopped the box returns to equilibrium. A turning machine could acts as the controller for the shutter, opening and closing.
6. Memory reusablity requires energy and increases entropy. "Bits can be added without consuming energy or increasing the energy of the universe. You can multiple bits. You can negate them. But one action in a computer generates heat, which when dissipated into the environment, increases the entropy in the universe. That action is erasing a bit."
Book Description
Is the universe actually a giant quantum computer? According to Seth Lloyd, the answer is yes.
All interactions between particles in the universe, Lloyd explains, convey not only energy but also information–in other words, particles not only collide, they compute. What is the entire universe computing, ultimately? “Its own dynamical evolution,” he says. “As the computation proceeds, reality unfolds.” Programming the Universe, a wonderfully accessible book, presents an original and compelling vision of reality, revealing our world in an entirely new light.
Customer Reviews:
Another paradigm about the universe.......2007-09-18
What would you think of a professor who starts his course this way: " First you ask questions and I'll try to answer them. Second, if you don't ask questions, I'll ask you questions. Third, if you don't answer my questions, I'll tell you something I think you ought to know. Any questions? " And then, when there are no questions, he throws in his own: "What is information?".
Well, this is, apparently, the style of professor Seth Lloyd and I would certainly enjoy to be in his class and , by the way, his question stimulated my brain , so my answer would be: "Information implies some kind of `language', the elements of language being the signs, the syntactic rules and the interpretation (the meaning). Information normally goes from an emitter to a receiver through some channel. Information can also be processed and stored."
So what is this book about? Well, the standard paradigm of the universe is mechanistic and energy is the most important quantity. Lloyd advocates a new complementary paradigm: the universe is a machine that computes and the two primary quantities are energy and information. A phrase summarizes the main idea of the book: "It from bit "or , rather, "It from qubit". The new paradigm solves the problem of the natural emergency of complexity (although Darwin already partly tackled this problem) and does away the need of the God Watchmaker. It all starts from nothing, quantum mechanics provides the random fluctuations and the computer gets self started (according to Lloyd, "Quantum mechanics, unlike classical mechanics, can create information out of nothing"). Yes, there is a new version of the famous story about monkeys (unsuccessfully) trying to type Hamlet or other Shakespeare works with typewriters (by the way, a simulation has only managed to type the first 24 letters of Henry IV, Part 2 after trillions and trillions of monkey-years). The new version is to use computers instead of typewriters and interpret the output as computer programs in one of the standard languages. Yes, there are relatively short programs that produce astounding outputs.
So the book, to explain all this starts to talk about computers in one of the most concise and clear ways I have ever seen . It goes on to describe the universe as a computer, one that computes itself, that is, its dynamical evolution. But since the universe is a quantum computer, quantum mechanics needs to be discussed, in particular the beautiful double slit experiment (an excellent video can be seen at www.hqrd.hitachi.co.jp/em/movie/doubleslite-n.wmv ) and other weird aspects of QM such as entanglement, spooky action at distance, the different interpretations of QM, etc. Well the lay reader will find some difficulties in these chapters about quantum mechanics and quantum computers, but the effort is worthwhile. Quantum computers pose a threat to Internet security, because using Schor's algorithm, a quantum computer could easily factorize 400 digit numbers. However, the technical difficulties in building but the most elementary quantum computers (to insulate them to avoid decoherence) make this threat still a chimera (only a number such as 15 has been factorized by a quantum computer). However, quantum computers have done simulations that no classical computer could achieve.
On the side, you will get some philosophical, physical and mathematical servings. For example, the relation of Gödel's theorem , or the related Turing's halting problem, to free will. "Rationality combines with self-reference to make our actions intrinsically paradoxical and uncertain", claims Lloyd. You will also learn about a fourth road to quantum gravity via quantum computation and some notions of the complexity theory of Chaitin and Bennett.
To sum up, a good book, with some easy chapters and some more difficult ones.
A new spin on the old universe.......2007-09-10
Lloyd examines a fascinating perspective on the universe as a massive quantum computer continually calculating its actions and increasing in complexity. If you have taken a year of college level physics then I highly recommend this book. You'll still get a headache from the conceptual gymnastics quantum theory puts your brain through, but you won't be frustrated to the point of dropping the book. Even though there were no formulas to decipher and Lloyd simplifies concepts tremendously and reiterates, keeping up with understanding quantum physics and the universe is challenging.
He does an excellent job building up to quantum mechanics. He starts from the basic concepts like duality of photons to the theories of Schrödinger. He covers the mechanics of quantum computing and algorithms to a lesser degree. Ultimately he brings the reader to his view that the universe is one enormous computer. A scary thought, in my opinion.
At the end, the concepts get a little more blurry when he discusses the natural increases in complexity the universe experiences. There is a lot of hand waving at that goes on and you start to question some of the things he proposes. I don't doubt that he thought through all the arguments and has strong counterarguments, but sometimes his arguments take large leaps. That's where the reader may find exceptions to his theories.
Good Overview of Computing, Information and Quantum Mechanics.......2007-07-23
Lloyd provides a concise and easy-to-follow overview of some complex topics, including computing, information and quantum mechanics.
I found the coverage of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle -- in general terms, a trade-off between the level of certainty related to one physical quantity versus the level of certainty related to a complementary physical quantity -- to be quite good.
Lloyd effectively explains complex topics in an accessible, yet non-simplistic, manner. I recommend this book to readers interested in learning about the basics of quantum mechanics.
Mumble Jumble designed to con laymen.......2007-04-27
The premise of the universe being nothing more than a giant computer is sexy and the author apparently has been very successful in milking every bit of it to advance his career and make some money selling books on the side. Sadly, the whole thesis is a tautology. It adds no real insight. It predicts nothing. It can neither be proven nor disproved. In short, it is just like String Theory. But considering that there are only a handful of quantum computer cosmologists while string theorists number in the tens of thousands, it is not a serious offense.
Computations are everywhere.......2007-04-23
Computations are everywhere. Sure, your modern day laptop computer is doing a lot of computation. But look further and you will find computation everywhere.
In Seth Lloyds book, we are taken on a journey, where we start with the dance of atoms and light. All we need to produce everything we see. Here quantum fluctuations inject information (virtual particles) into empty vacuum for the laws of nature to process (i.e. to compute).
Pretty amazing computation this atomic dance btw. To simulate accurately just a just a tiny fraction of the universe on a classical computer for just a fraction of second - say just a few hundreds atoms for less than a second - would be outside the reach of modern computers. Here we would need something better - a quantum computer.
Actually, according to Seth Lloyd, the universe is indistinguishable from a quantum computer. The universe supports quantum computation and can be efficiently simulated by a quantum computer. Put another way - when two physics systems can simulate each other efficiently - they are logically equivalent. No easy trick though - to simulate the entire universe - in order to it, a quantum computer would need exactly as many qubits as the universe. Talk about Jupitor sized computers.
Still, quantum computers can do stuff that normal classical computers cant do. With Shors factoring algorithm a quantum computer can factor large numbers far more efficiently than a classical computer. And with Grovers search algorithm quantum computers can find things much faster then classical computers etc.
All very well described in the book. So ok, the book gives an insight into computation with atoms in a quantum world. And perhaps this is more than enough for most readers to come to grasps with - Surely, it alone will keep humanity occupied for decades to come. Still, for a book that claims to take on computation in all its glory a lot of stones are left unturned.
E.g. we all know that work is being done on quantum gravity theories. What is computation like here? I suspect that Seth Lloyd wanted to keep the reading "light" and as compact as possible or perhaps he thinks quantum gravity theories will add nothing new to our understanding of computation - but ignoring these questions in the book, whatever his opinion, seems strange.
If there is no efficient algorithm for simulating quantum systems on classical computers. Then - If a quantum computer can't simulate a quantum gravity computer that would highlight yet another huge leap in computing power? And wouldn't the gates of quantum gravity computer work at scales where there is no causality? If a quantum gravity computer can see its result before running its algorithms - it is essential the same as quantum computer strapped to a timemachine. But not a word about such ideas in Seth Lloyds book?
I.e. Quantum gravity does away with cause and effect. In classical computing one thing follows after another. "if" is usually followed by "then". Even quantum computers has this notion of input followed by output. Quantum gravity computers will not be constrained by such considerations. Noone knows how space and time act on the scale of quantum gravity, but there will certainly be no such thing as a fixed sequence of processing steps.
And what about logic in the world of quantum computers?
I.e. Sets are merely the most familiar example of the more general concept of a topos. A topos is a somewhat technical concept. But all topos share one feature, they give rise to their own variety of logic. Sets obey the laws of standard logic and boolean alegebra. For a general topos one would new definitions for AND, OR and NOT operations. Boolean algebra would normally allow a statement to be either true or false. However, this turns out out to be the exception in the world of topos. Normally one find statements to true, false and all shades of grey in between. E.g. in the world of quantum physics - the associated topos might allow a statement to be both true and false and all in between..
This is all only hinted at in lloyds book. One might suspect that he thinks such ideas are above a casual reader. But come on - would a casual reader pick up a book on quantum computations anyway?
And what about the brain - what kind of computations do we have here? If Seth Lloyd thinks that we have nothing but classical computation here - he should have said so. But he gives us nothing here.
A comment about physicists Freeman Dysons remark that mind and intelligence are "woven into the fabric of the universe" would have been appropriate imho.
But ok - quantum computers are only getting started and something like IBMs Blue Gene computer with these 280 trillion calculations per second - the current record - would have been hard to imagine back in 1942, when classical computers got started. So we shouldn't be surprised that not all is crystal clear in the world of quantum computers as we speak.
-Simon
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- A fractal survey with beauty, intrigue and educational value
- An excellent picture of fractals the CHAOS universe
- Pictures, Pictures, Pictures
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Fractal Cosmos: The Art of Mathematical Design
Jeff Berkowitz
Manufacturer: Amber Lotus
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Fractals
ASIN: 1569370648 |
Book Description
Simple mathematical formulas are transformed into strikingly beautiful computer generated designs. The dynamic interplay between order and chaos is explored in 350 color images in this unique coffee table book that explains the mechanics of mathematical art. Berkowitz is perhaps the world's most widely recognized fractal artist. Fractal Cosmos is the first art book to feature fractal imagery and the largest collection of fractal art published anywhere.
Customer Reviews:
A fractal survey with beauty, intrigue and educational value.......2001-02-18
I'm really pleased with this book. To me, this is the IDEAL coffee table book on fractals.
Chapter one is the obligatory brief history of fractal image generation, including Mandelbrot, population growth, and citing quite a few popular books on the subject.
The heart of the book is the eye candy, presented in bright colors on high quality paper, with a bare minimum of mathematical labeling to maximize the "art appreciation" aspect of the viewing. This is divided into 5 chapters of somewhat like families of fractals, with brief but informative introductions. If you want a lot of beautiful fractal images that vary widely - you'll certainly get that here.
Chapter 2 gives many images of the Mandelbrot set. Chapter 3 explores various polynomials, powers, roots, and rational expressions. This clearly answered my early layman's question "What about other types of simple equations?" Chapter 4 then goes into exponentials, logarithms, trigonometrics, and various combinations. Chapter 5 then shows 3-d compositions, with many fractal skies, mountains, trees, and landscapes, plus the fractal spheres looking so much like moons or planets. Finally, chapter 6 does some interesting "studies" where you get treated to a page at a time of (6) images with very similar equations, where he alters some variable. Examples: the amount of zooming (up to 169 quintillion - with little loss in image detail), or iterating c by small amounts (like .005 to .01).
At this point I thought - very nice book, but I felt a little let down by so little INFORMATION passed along about WHAT these pictures were. The appendices changed all that!
Appendix A gives a nice explanation, complete with examples and graphs, of how to generate Julia Set fractal images. Appendix B is a 2 page selected bibliography, including both books and papers.
Appendix C lists and briefly explains 20 "Important Formulae for Complex Numbers". Having this would have saved me buying a book about complex numbers when I first discovered fractals, since it implies what the "rules" are.
Appendix D is REALLY KEY - for chapters 1-4, it lists nice mathematical data, and in almost all cases this includes: the image type, the equation, the complex constant, the screen parms, the blowup parms, and the maximum number of iterations. Here then, is HOW these beauties were created. For chapter 5, he doesn't list this, and for chapter 6, since they're studies, the detail varies, but is pretty good overall. To me, this takes the book from "very nice" to "awesome" because the layman can now get a better grasp on things and pursue what interests him/her.
Finally, unlabeled, but apparently Appendix E in my mind, he provides and index to the images BY EQUATION. A very nice cross reference to those thinking of exploring further in the literature or on their PC's.
So the "heavy math" type likely won't find much new here. For the rest of us, who just want some art, some (layman's)meaning/education, or both, aside from parts of "The Beauty of Fractals" this was without peer.
An excellent picture of fractals the CHAOS universe.......1998-04-06
Jeff, have you read of Dr. John Hubbard from Cornell and his analysis of the Mandelbrot Set? Your results and his analysis are so-ooo intriguing on what fractals promises for the future of mankind!!!! I have a video of his work and it is so fascinating.
Pictures, Pictures, Pictures.......1998-03-20
A pictorial masterpiece by the best fractal artist of this generation. Your unique Associates ID is: thefractaltransl.
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- Author Reply to Doug Keenan
- What a disappointment!
- Exciting New View of the Universe
- Consciousness - A Natural Part of the Universe
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COSMOS AND CONSCIOUSNESS: Quantum Computers, SuperStrings, Programming, Egypt, Quarks, Mind Body Problem, and Turing Machines Second Edition
Stephen Blaha, PhD
Manufacturer: Janus Associates Inc.
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The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next
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Programming the Universe: A Quantum Computer Scientist Takes on the Cosmos
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Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness
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The God Effect: Quantum Entanglement, Science's Strangest Phenomenon
ASIN: 0972079548
Release Date: 2003-04-29 |
Book Description
Cosmos and Consciousness presents a simple idea with potentially profound implications not only for Science but also for Philosophy. It develops a new foundation, at both a popular, and a technical level, for current fundamental theories of elementary particles, the Standard Model and SuperString Theory. Both of these theories can be placed on a quantum computer language foundation. The idea: elementary particles such as electrons, quarks and so on can be viewed as the "letters" or symbols of a cosmic alphabet, or cosmic code, in a computer grammar (language). A new view of reality emerges from this perspective: the universe is one "tremendous" word. This new theoretical basis is consistent with all known physical experiments and theory. Cosmos and Consciousness explores this challenging idea showing how fundamental physics theories can be based on quantum computer languages, and incidentally developing many new features of Quantum Computers. A Quantum Computer is a type of computer that is based on quantum mechanics. The obvious analogy of "the universe as a word" to religious and philosophical concepts such as the "Word" leads to a comparison of this view with parallel ideas in these disciplines. It brings Science to a startling similarity with the religious concept of the Word - a concept that is not only Christian but is also prominent in Judaism, and was prominent even earlier in the Ancient Egyptian religion 5000 years ago. With the universe reduced to a word - structured by the laws of physics - and matter reduced to symbols the book shows the insubstantiality of the universe in its most fundamental parts. Human Consciousness is similarly insubstantial. So Cosmos and Consciousness then analyzes human Consciousness and shows it can be viewed as a classical probabilistic computer. A classical probabilistic computer is similar to a Quantum Computer with the main practical difference being that its probabilities are not quantum but classical in origin.
Customer Reviews:
Author Reply to Doug Keenan.......2002-12-20
The theme of Cosmos ... is that language is the ultimate reality of the universe. To that end it shows the fundamental physical nature of the universe can be viewed as a Quantum Computer with a Quantum Computer language. (Both Superstring Theory and the Standard Model are candidates for this language.) It also shows the human mind can be viewed as a type of classical probabilistic computer. Thus it shows a similarity in the laws of mind and matter. Many pieces are assembled to support this unified view. It is not surprising that some will not see how the pieces fit together although it is clearly and repeatedly stated. Since the book also contains original, new research results this author felt it was necessary to describe them in some detail as a matter of intellectual honesty. These technical parts should be of interest to the popular reader as well as the scientist since it shows how physics is done. I can understand how some might view this as less interesting. Yet I feel that a semi-popular book that is both for the popular audience and the scientist is more worthwhile then pabulum books that oversimplify and avoid equations at any cost to make sales at the expense of educating the reader.
What a disappointment!.......2002-12-13
I wanted to like this book - I really did. It brings up an ambitious thesis then barely pays it mind, opting instead to spend page after page on less interesting topics. Not internally coordinated at all, it seems more like a compilation of unrelated writings and less like a comprehensive approach to the subject. Back up Dr. Blaha, and try again!
Exciting New View of the Universe.......2001-05-21
I found this book hard to resist. The fundamental particles of matter are "letters" in a cosmic code or alphabet. The universe is a "word" extending from the Big Bang until the end of time. The fundamental theories of physics-the Standard Model and SuperStrings-can be viewed as a quantum computer language. The idea that the universe is a word resonates with philosophic and theological notions that God is the word-logos-that began in Ancient Egypt. Ankhs are symbols derived from an ancient comet over Egypt. Human consciousness can be viewed as a probabilistic computer. New types of quantum computers are explored.
The book overflows with exciting new ideas. The presentation is clear and easy to read. At times the book gets technically challenging-the author proves his points-not just vague verbal assertions without proof. This book is the only attempt that I am aware of that tries to present original new scientific ideas for the first tome together with a popular discussion of these ideas.
In addition to providing solid science, it is a significant contribution to the ongoing discussion of Science and Religion.
Consciousness - A Natural Part of the Universe.......2001-02-21
Dr. Blaha's book, Cosmos and Consciousness, is the first philosophical writing I have seen that bases its arguments on modern physics. Dr. Blaha's understanding of quantum mechanics, general relativity theory, and linguistics from computer science provides an exciting framework on how to perceive the universe. He gives real meaning to how ancient beliefs came about, the relationship of observations to knowledge, and the expression of modern physics through language. He shows why the concepts of free will, a superstring quantum model of the cosmos, and a probabilistic computer model of consciousness are consistent with modern physics. Also, he presents this SuperString Quantum Computer Theory of the Cosmos and this Probabilistic Computer Theory of the Consciousness as what he refers to as "Personified Physics", or Physics as the embodiment of people.
I found Dr. Blaha's concept of the universe and man's place in the universe consistent with what we know today. It leaves one feeling that we are naturally part of the universe and that consciousness should be a common phenomenon throughout the universe (that is, that other conscious beings would exist).
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Computers & the Cosmos (Understanding Computers)
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Computers and the cosmos (Understanding computers)
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CosmoGIRL! Total Body Workout: Fun Moves to Look and Feel Your Best (Cosmo Girl)
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ASIN: 1588166635 |
Book Description
Every CosmoGIRL! is on the quest for a workout that’s fun, effective, and just right for her—and she’ll find it in this great guide from her favorite magazine. With step-by-step photos throughout, it features a diverse selection of fitness plans devised by top trainers, prominent gym owners, and elite coaches. Sign up for Bathing Suit Bootcamp. Join the “Bod Squad” for cheerleading routines created by the choreographer of the movie Bring it On. Have a blast dancing Reggaeton, Broadway style, or Bollywood Bhangra. Or train like the stars: these pages reveal how Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Alba, and Fergie got their super-toned arms, abs, and butts. There’s even a stay-in-bed workout! Each exercise includes an explanation of which body part it strengthens and a quiz helps each reader find the workout that fits her personality. This way, she’ll be motivated to stay active on a regular basis, which will help her to look great. More importantly, she’ll have the energy to conquer all of her big dreams and goals—and that’s what being a CosmoGIRL! is all about.
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Digital Astrophotography: A Guide to Capturing the Cosmos
Stefan Seip
Manufacturer: Rocky Nook
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1933952164 |
Book Description
At first glance, the challenge of astrophotography may appear daunting. But not only are spectacular results possible, they are easy to learn with the step-by-step instructions provided in Stephan Seip's Digital Astrophotography: A Guide to Capturing the Cosmos. Today, amateurs can produce images that only twenty years ago a large professional observatory would have been proud of; and this book shows you how.
Learn how to:
Set up your camera for optimum results
Focus your camera for razor-sharp images
Take beautiful night shots with a simple compact digital camera, a tripod, and a telescope
Use a DSLR camera to shoot the Sun, Moon, stars, star clusters, and nebulae through your telescope
Get brilliant images of planets with a Webcam
Capture remote galaxies with a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera just like a pro
Also included are lessons on the processing that is done in the "studio" after your shoot, including how to:
Shoot RAW format images and improve them with calibration frames
Take short exposures of faint deep-sky objects and combine them into a longer exposure
Perform brightness, contrast, and color correction
Make corrections to correct for vignetting and uneven field illumination
Process your images for stunning results
Equipment requirements for astrophotography range from nothing but a simple camera and tripod to a multi-thousand dollar computer controlled telescope equipped with a CCD auto-guider and separate guide-scope. Researching the best equipment for your needs is a task in itself. Seip helps you to sort out which cameras are best for the various celestial objects, what to look for when buying a camera, and what accessories you really need.
The rewards of this fascinating hobby, as the author says, "Grants you unforgettable hours under the night sky; it allows you to produce aesthetically rewarding and lasting results. Astrophotography is a love-match between physics, photography, art, and digital image processing. It is exciting!"
Books:
- DK Space Encyclopedia
- Dust and Chemistry in Astronomy (The Graduate Series in Astronomy)
- Escape from Freedom
- Essential Cosmic Perspective, The (3rd Edition)
- Essentials of Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
- Essentials of Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
- Existential Psychotherapy
- Explorations: An Introduction to Astronomy with Starry Nights Pro CD-ROM (v.3.1) (Explorations)
- Explorations: An Introduction to Astronomy with Starry Nights Pro CD-ROM (v.3.1) (Explorations)
- Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun
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