When Einstein Walked with Gödel
When Einstein Walked with Gödel
Jim Holt
Bryan Johnson
Bryan Johnson recommended this book on Twitter.
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When Einstein Walked with Gödel

When Einstein Walked with Gödel: Excursions to the Edge of Thought

Jim Holt
By
Jim Holt
4.0
2275
ratings on Goodreads

In "When Einstein Walked with Gödel: Excursions to the Edge of Thought," acclaimed author Jim Holt takes readers on a mesmerizing journey through the enigmatic and captivating landscapes of modern science and mathematics. With the ease of a seasoned storyteller, Holt weaves together a tapestry of tales that illuminate the most profound scientific and mathematical concepts of our time. From the nature of time and the infinite to the peculiarities of quantum mechanics and the quest for the foundations of mathematics, Holt explores the vast territories of human knowledge with wit, insight, and an infectious curiosity. Through intimate biographical sketches and engaging narratives, Holt introduces us to the luminaries and unsung heroes of science and math, from the legendary Einstein and Gödel to the revolutionary figures of Emmy Noether, Alan Turing, and Benoit Mandelbrot. He tackles with grace the daunting questions that have puzzled philosophers and scientists alike, offering readers a guide to understanding not just the universe’s most elusive mysteries but also the very fabric of reality itself. "When Einstein Walked with Gödel" is not merely a book about science and mathematics; it is an invitation to ponder the depths of human thought and to revel in the joy of discovery.

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Released
2018
15 May
Length
368
Pages

1

recommendations

recommendation

Bryan Johnson recommended this book on Twitter.
Today, Arabic numerals are in use pretty much around the world, while the words with which we name numbers naturally differ from language to language. And, as Dehaene and others have noted, these differences are far from trivial. English is cumbersome. There are special words for the numbers from 11 to 19 and for the decades from 20 to 90. This makes counting a challenge for English-speaking children, who are prone to such errors as “twenty-eight, twenty-nine, twenty-ten, twenty-eleven.” French is just as bad, with vestigial base-twenty monstrosities, like quatre-vingt-dix-neuf (four twenty ten nine) for 99. Chinese, by contrast, is simplicity itself; its number syntax perfectly mirrors the base-ten form of Arabic numerals, with a minimum of terms. Consequently, the average Chinese four-year-old can count up to forty, whereas American children of the same age struggle to get to fifteen. And the advantages extend to adults. Because Chinese number words are so brief—they take less than a quarter of a second to say, on average, compared with a third of a second for English—the average Chinese speaker has a memory span of nine digits, versus seven digits for English speakers. (Speakers of the marvelously efficient Cantonese dialect, common in Hong Kong, can juggle ten digits in active memory.)
— Jim Holt, When Einstein Walked with Gödel

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