Arthur I. Miller Explores the Lives, Friendship, and Collaborations of Wolfgang Pauli and Carl Jung

 

Deciphering the Cosmic Number: The Strange Friendship of Wolfgang Pauli and Carl Jung - Arthur I. Miller (2009)

 

             Singular minds are drawn to other singular minds.  Original thinkers are few and far between, so running across another one and connecting with them is a big deal.  This is what occurred between two of the giants of modern thought.  Wolfgang Pauli was a genius physicist, capable of the deepest thoughts about the quantum world, its laws, and the complex mathematics inherent in that abstract, chaotic, and bizarre microscopic world.  Carl Jung was a genius scientist who discovered the concept of synchronicity, postulated the idea of the archetypes found in our collective human unconscious, and, along with Sigmund Freud, pioneered psychotherapy as a means to heal minds.  In a very real sense, these were two humans who probed fields of thought so new, so removed from the everyday existence we all take for granted, that the difficulties, rigors, and mental requirements of their truly original thought must have been enormous.

            What brought these two minds together was their openness to new ideas found outside their respective fields of study.  It is this curiosity and ability to think critically about one's own deeply held beliefs, allowing for new concepts to shape one's thoughts, that allowed a connection between these men.  Wolfgang Pauli was a hardcore physicist of the highest caliber.  His exploration of the universe sought to understand the true workings of the quantum realm and the mathematics involved within.  Because he had an open mind, he also sought wisdom and inspiration from the esoteric and occult knowledge existing outside of mainstream academic science.  Carl Jung was concerned with a different truth not found in empiricism or mathematical formulas.  His search for knowledge sprang from a desire to analyze, and then understand, the deep currents of thought all humans carry with them, just below the surface of our consciousness.  He searched through ancient myths, esoteric wisdom, and mystical writings for signs of the collective unconscious he was certain existed within the human mind.  When this research petered out, Jung was wise enough and brave enough to seek help and guidance outside the field of psychology, reaching out to physicist such as Pauli to try and understand how the quantum nature of our brain structure affects the wholeness of our mind, and whether or not that allows us a peek into our collective unconscious.  This wonderful book by Arthur I. Miller details the relationship between these two men, the paths that took them there, and the aftermath of their acquaintance.

            In the first few years after Jung and Freud opened up the inner world of the mind for study and therapy, the biggest and brightest in Europe sought out Carl Jung for individual sessions.  Many of them, as modern therapists know, concerned somewhat simple problems, with somewhat simple answers.  Jung sought deeper issues, and more primal knowledge about the human mind and its subconscious workings.  Being a smart person, he understood that the answers he sought may be found within fields of knowledge unknown to him, such as the seemingly inscrutable quantum world whose discoveries were touted on the front of major newspapers and magazines of the era, even though most people couldn't begin to understand it.  It is this that intrigued him when Wolfgang Pauli, a preeminent physicist, sought Jung's counsel to help him understand the odd dreams he experienced.  Pauli, a man of pure theoretical science, a man whose caustic and razor-sharp wit was reserved for those foolish enough to propose unrigorous ideas which he could destroy easily, was also a man who delved so far into the quantum world that it affected his thoughts and dreams, leading him to accept the possibility that wisdom and knowledge may be found in places not accepted by the rigors of the scientific method, such as dreams, myth, and, at the time, the psychological study of the mind and its processes.  Carl Jung was the perfect person with which to discuss these ideas.

            Arthur I. Miller details the scientific path taken by Pauli as he rose to prominence in the rarefied world of theoretical quantum physics, and the route his life took during those years, seeking new appointments, working hard on research, and living life in a world between two wars.  The life of a physicist is not an easy one, even one as blindingly intelligent as Pauli.  For every great achievement, there are countless dead-ends, errors, or disappointments when experiments contradict hypothesis.  The great scientists are capable of discarding anything deemed false, even if it is a deeply held personal belief, and it shatters them sometimes.  It was in the middle of the suffering brought about by an intractable physics problem that he began to experience dreams unlike anything before.  These dreams were the foundation for the many sessions and interactions he had with Carl Jung.

            Dr. Jung considered the dream-state as one in which our unconscious could rise up and "speak" to our conscious selves.  The problem lay in deciphering what the never-literal images in a dream could mean.  Jung based his analysis on knowledge of the individual involved.  Often, Pauli would share a dream of his with Jung only for Jung to immediately head to his vast library, pull out a weighty tome, and find eerily similar imagery within the books as what was described by his patient in his dreams.  These images, many of them hundreds of years old, arose from our collective unconscious, per Jung's analysis, and connected all of humanity.  One of the images that resonated with Pauli was that of a mandala, an Eastern symbol used to describe the whole of existence usually composed of a circle inscribed within a square. Through many sessions and discussions, Jung helps Pauli understand the workings of his inner mind, and how his subconscious communicates with his consciousness.  For his part, Pauli explained and discussed the interesting philosophical implications of quantum theory, ideas which would foster new thoughts in Jung, even if those thoughts were not rigorously scientific in nature (meaning verifiable by experimentation.)

            Miller provides us with a fabulous telling of each great man's life, their troubles with love, their professional lives, the repressive governments they found themselves needing to escape, and much more.  All the while, he focuses on the interplay between these great minds, and how they both affected each other.  They were two very different men, from very different backgrounds, but their fertile minds attracted each to the other. I have always believed in the confluence of wisdom, in the magic inherently arising from the combination of two disparate fields which allow for true human innovation.  It is in the liminal spaces between our knowledge, in the vast gaps between our small islands of understanding, that new discoveries are found and new probabilities for human growth arise.  Our world can survive with just science, or with just art, but survival is the baseline, and we should never be satisfied with the bare minimum for us or others.  We humans cannot thrive without endless combinations and iterations of our knowledge.  We are a thinking, dancing animal, and contain multitudes.  Our potential as a species is unlimited only when we allow the free and open exchange of information between our wildly different people and minds.  My dormmate Chukume Godson said it best one night, after he and I rigged up a tool to get a car unstuck from some train tracks in downtown Houston.  "With an Engineer and an Artist you can accomplish anything!" he exclaimed after we succeeded.  We are far more together than apart, which is the very basis for our entire human civilization.  This was a wonderful book.  Highly recommended.

(This book can be purchased here: https://arthurimiller.com/books/deciphering-the-cosmic-number/ )

Carlo Rovelli Shares the Wonder and Beauty of Quantum Theory

 Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution – Carlo Rovelli (2021)

            One of the greatest compliments I can give the eminent physicist and author Carlo Rovelli is that his informative and entertaining science books rival Richard Feynman’s for the sheer joy they give me upon reading.  I have reviewed three of Mr. Rovelli’s amazing books on RXTT’s Book Journey, White Holes, Reality Is Not What It Seems, and The First Scientist: Anaximander and His Legacy.  Each one is incredibly eye-opening, and written in a manner so casual as to seem like personal conversations between Mr. Rovelli and I.  This latest work, an exploration into the ideas of quantum mechanics and their repercussions and implications, is critical reading for me, and has given me much to think about.

            Rovelli understands that us lay readers, people with an interest in physics but not professional scientists, can experience the same awe, the same thrill of understanding, that the researchers and theoreticians feel when they gain new knowledge.  The difference lies in the presentation of the material.  Since quantum mechanics is an intensely odd, yet deeply relevant field of modern science, it takes a special storyteller to relate the discovery, formulation, and utilization of this particularly intriguing area of current scientific thought.

            The author never loses sight of the humanity involved in science, and of the amazing achievements and knowledge that mere humans can bring to the world at large.  The recounting of the early 1900’s, a time when the formal, mechanistic, classical physics of Newton were upended by Einstein’s relativity, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, and Planck’s exploration into the world of quanta.  These world-shaking ideas took hold in the minds of young physicists, producing one of the most successful, and rigorous understandings of the natural world that humanity has ever encountered, quantum theory.  Nearly every new development in our world over the past 100 years owes everything to our knowledge of the quantum nature of reality and the ability of our fellow humans to create technology dependent on the quantum world.  Sadly, most of us benefit from these ideas without understanding even the smallest part.

            Besides sharing the story of quantum theory’s discovery, the author explores how the theory refutes many of the long-standing assumptions held by the great thinkers of humanity.  It is this aspect of quantum theory that has yet to see its full flowering.  Most of us walk around with our grammar school science knowledge informing our view of the world, when, in fact, that model of the universe is flawed and incomplete.  Quantum theory instead describes a universe where the divisions between objects disappear, where the observer cannot be removed from what is observed, where absolute certainty about anything is a mirage.  It will take centuries for humanity to fully grasp these ideas and drop the old prejudices.

            Rovelli also makes it abundantly clear that, for even the most highly trained minds, the ability to use quantum theory is not the same as the ability to fully comprehend quantum theory.  He is honestly forthright when describing his own attempts, mostly unsuccessful, to cognitively grasp the deep truths that quantum theory seems to tell us about the reality we live in.  Thank Mario that humanity has minds such as Mr. Rovelli’s whose curiosity leads them to seek and grapple with the most obtuse and rarefied ideas, in order to help the rest of us understand what makes up the world we all share.  As with all of Carlo Rovelli’s books, it is highly recommended.

           

(Helgoland can be purchased here - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/653621/helgoland-by-carlo-rovelli-translated-by-erica-segre-and-simon-carnell/ )

Lawrence M. Krauss Shares How Far We Have Come, and How Much Further We Have To Go

 

The Known Unknowns: The Unsolved Mysteries of the Cosmos – Lawrence M. Krauss (2023)

 

            If I could define myself with just one word, it would be “reader.”  Everything in my life either stems from, or draws from, the many books I have read in my 49+ years on this planet Earth.  My biggest heroes, Kurt Vonnegut, Robert Anton Wilson, Richard P. Feynman, etc., came into my life through the written page.  When I began RXTT’s Book Journey almost ten years ago, I dreamed of the possibility that book publishers and authors would appreciate my reviews and want to share their soon-to-be-released work with me.  Dreams do come true.

            The latest advance copy received by the RXTT household is physicist Lawrence M. Krauss’ forthcoming book, The Known Unknowns. (That is the UK title.  The book will be titled The Edge of Knowledge in the USA, probably because Donald Rumsfeld’s use of the phrase “known unknowns” became such a joke in ignorant America.)  After requesting it from Mr. Krauss himself, he contacted his publisher on my behalf and I was sent the book.  MIND BLOWN.

            The reason I read is to enlighten myself, both with new ideas and new information, for I am a curious mind.  Sometimes, the most useful and valuable books are not the ones with the most data, but instead the books with the best questions.  One such book, among many faves, is Richard Feynman’s The Character of Physical Law, a book full of ideas and questions which, it turns out, was also a guiding light for Lawrence M. Krauss.  Feynman’s spirit, willing to share ideas in a thoughtful manner, directly engaged with the toughest questions, and able to explain the most obtuse scientific thought in a manner where a layperson can grasp the fundamentals, is alive and well in Mr. Krauss.  We are all very fortunate.

            Krauss divides this book into five chapters, each one concerning itself with a specific topic where science has shed some light, but where there are still far more questions than answers.  Time, Space, Matter, Life, and Consciousness are the guideposts for Lawrence M. Krauss to not only sum up our current knowledge, but to also point out the vast gaps.  Our collective ignorance is the greatest impetus towards science, scientific discovery, and new knowledge.  The very worst of humanity arises when humans feel absolute certainty, whether political, religious, or social.  Not knowing is the greatest gift to an inquisitive mind.

            My biggest surprise as I devoured this book was its readability.  There are many amazing minds in the world of science, and physics specifically, but very few have the ability to provide us their thoughts and knowledge in such a fun and engrossing manner.  Some books, even great ones, can be a chore to read.  Lawrence M. Krauss has succeeded in creating a book that will enlighten young and old alike, while also opening up their minds to the myriad possibilities yet available for exploration and research.  This may be this book’s most valuable contribution, sparking the mind of some young students out there, and starting their paths toward new discoveries, new fields of research, and, hopefully, new questions.  Questions are truly important.  Anyone claiming to have all the answers is trying to rip you off, and should be treated accordingly.

            Each chapter begins with questions.  For example, the chapter titled Matter starts with these:

What is the World Made of?

How Many Forces are there? 

Is Anything Fundamental?

Is Quantum Mechanics True? 

Will Physics Have an End?

Will Matter End?

Krauss perfectly encapsulates our current state of knowledge in each chapter, sharing it with the reader through the specific details of past scientific achievement.  He then explores how we came to find that knowledge, use it, and seek to understand the underlying principles involved.  One of the best attributes of scientists is their humility in the face of new data.  It allows for self-correction, which is why the scientific method has been such a valuable tool for humanity.  Krauss details the baby steps taken in our human search for knowledge, steps often met with wildly erroneous interpretations, each of them critical points in our collective knowledge.

            Krauss brings his physics knowledge to bear on what is the most complex and mysterious part of our everyday world, the quantum realm.  He guides the reader through the many different steps us humans required to comprehend that the sub-atomic world even existed, and details plainly why it remains such a difficult science to explain.  Everything in our modern world is touched by subatomic processes, from the manufacture of medicine, to the Global Positioning Satellite System, to the various smart phones and gadgets we all take for granted.  None would work without our collective understanding of the processes involved in the quantum realm.  The irony remains that, even as we use quantum science to create new wonders, we still do not fully grasp exactly what processes allow for these modern marvels to function.  We are much like the ancient humans who used fire to bake clay, cook food, warm their home, and provide light, but had no clue as to what caused the fire to exist in the first place.  We now know that free oxygen atoms in our atmosphere combine with the carbon in wood, and that this reaction creates new compounds (Carbon dioxide, water vapor) and energy (light, heat).  It seems common sense to us now, but to a human living 500 years ago this would be utter nonsense.  They “knew” that fire was but one of the four basic constituents of everything that exists, along with Water, Earth, and Air.  For centuries, this basic explanation served its purpose, but it did not actually provide verifiable, repeatable truth.  Only the scientific method does that.

            I hope that this book receives a very wide readership, for it is as equally valuable to a young scientist as it is to a layperson interested in big ideas.  Our world bounces back and forth from close-minded totalitarian fundamentalism to wide-open progressive ideals.  It is very easy for a society to lose ground, to lose hard-earned knowledge and wisdom, because someone, or something, claims to know all the answers.  Beware of anyone telling you to stop asking questions.  RUN AWAY from anyone telling there are no new answers out there and we already know all we need to know.  They are Liars and con-artists and only seek to control you so they can line their pockets.  Find those among us who are kind, who seek new answers and new questions, who understand that, for all we know as humans, our knowledge is dwarfed by the vast amounts we do not know.  Lawrence M. Krauss has crafted an amazing book, one that not only tells us what we know and how, but informs us of what we have yet to find out.  I highly recommend it.

(This book can be purchased here: https://mitpressbookstore.mit.edu/book/9781637588567 )

Hans Reichenbach Uses Math to Show Us the Direction of Time

The Direction of Time – Hans Reichenbach (1956)

            In the late part of the 18^th and the beginning of the 19^th century, many philosophers saw their world crumble when their old, long-held assumptions about reality crashed down around them, due mainly to the various advancements that occurred in physics during that time.  Einstein’s relativistic theories regarding the large-scale composition of our Universe, and quantum mechanics’ probabilistic theories regarding the small-scale composition of the fundamental particles creating our existence did not allow for the old stand-bys of philosophy.  A Priori ideas were discarded.  Previously believed truths about our reality that were simply accepted as fact because Plato said so were understood to be false.  The understanding that any philosophical theory needed to support and not contradict the verifiable, empirical facts of the world of science was required.  In this tumult, philosophers such as Bertrand Russell sough to unify the empirical results of science with the aims of philosophy, helping create what is now called “scientific philosophy.”

           Hans Reichenbach was at the forefront of this movement.  He understood early on that the world as described by the then-current physics was not one that could be easily codified into philosophical terms and concepts.  A new philosophy was needed, and Reichenbach sought to provide that for the world.  One of his final attempts at this unification came in the form of this book, The Direction of Time, which explores how science and philosophy merge to describe the way that humans experience what we call time.

            Time is a concept that many misunderstand.  People assume that time is a purely linear function, equally applicable to the entire universe as it is to an individual, while others believe that time is relativistic, that each person experiences a different flow of time from anyone else.  Reichenbach begins his discussion of time by exploring what time means and what it has meant to philosophers of the past.  He explains the basic mathematics that show how our Universe is in a constant state of becoming from the past to the present, and how these mathematics show that time is irreversible, even though our minds can imagine such time reversals.  In our reality, time moves forward in all respects, with the future defined as that which has yet to occur but is influenced by the past and present, while the past is defined as occurrences which cannot be changed once they happen, but which will influence future events indefinitely.

            In order to explain his reasoning, Reichenbach goes into levels of math that are frankly beyond my cognition.  I have to admit that I never got past Algebra II, or Pre-Calculus in school.  As a Fine Arts student I satisfied my math requirements with Logic classes.  Thankfully, those same Logic classes help me keep Reichenbach’s thought processes in clear focus, even though his mathematical specificity leaves me in the dust.  I wish I had more ability to process Logarithms!  The beauty of knowing mathematics, even on a level such as myself, is that, while I may not understand the full import of a formula, I can follow the thought processes as one formula is permutated into another, or as it is simplified by the author.  This does help a lot in understanding this book.

            Reichenbach seems to come to the conclusion that time and the measurement of time are probabilistic processes, which require the understanding of thermodynamics, entropy, and macrostatistics as they relate to microstatistics.  Probability is a lot different in the macro world of our Universe than it is in the micro world of our subatomic particles.  Yet, they both point to an inexorable direction of time.  They both show, mathematically, that time is a process that moves in only one direction.  This is far more important and valid that the old Greek assumptions that everyone took for granted as gospel truth.  While I wish I had more of a grasp on high end mathematics, I am very glad I forged on and finished this book.  I hope to return to it one day in the future once I have increased my math skills.  It is amazing to see the basis for our current scientific philosophers.


(This book can be purchased here: Dover Books )

Freeman Dyson describes his life and science, and his hope for humanity.

Disturbing the Universe – Freeman Dyson (1979)

            While exploring the bibliography section of some of the science books I have read recently, I came across a mention of this book, by noted theoretical physicist and mathematician Freeman Dyson, and thank goodness the amazing M.D. Anderson Library had a copy for me to check out.  I had previously read that Mr. Dyson wrote some very interesting books which did not stick strictly to equations and mathematical rigor, but instead explored the Universe through Mr. Dyson’s inquisitive mind.  These types of books provide a great insight into the minds that have shaped our modern scientific world.

            The preface to this book details the circumstances leading up to its writing.  The Arthur P. Sloan Foundation started a book series.  They requested eminent people, people who were the leaders in their respective fields, to write something for publication.  It could be a small tome on pure mathematics, or a detailed history of a great scientist’s life, or, as in the case with Freeman Dyson, an exploration of his own life in the sciences, mixed in with the wisdom and gathered insights that he developed through his life.  Because of this, the title of the book,  Disturbing the Universe, is very apt.  The story contained within is of Freeman Dyson and the many times in his life where a chance encounter, a choice made, or an accidental experience, have led to a shake-up, a disturbance, in the way he saw and understood the Universe at large. 

            I love how this book begins.  It pays homage to the written word and the human imagination as being the grounds upon which greatness is dreamed of.  Mr. Dyson begins by detailing a children’s science fiction story that really stuck with him from his childhood, The Magic City by Edith Nesbitt.  This story detailed an alternate world, and Dyson mentions one rule that the story’s citizenry needed to heed.  In this world, you are free to choose to use any type of technology available, but, once chosen, the individual would have to use that technology, and ONLY that technology, for the rest of their lives.  For example, should a person choose to use roller skates as a means of transportation, that person, once they chose, would be denied the use of any other transporting technology.  This idea became a metaphor for Freeman Dyson.  He came to understand that any technology that is created by humans has the power to alter anything and everything that comes after its creation.  The scary part is that, as Freeman Dyson explains, 99% of all new technology stays purely as a clever toy for the powerful and rich few.  Only around 1% of all created technology finds a wide use and spreads throughout the human world.  The problem lies in that there is no way to predict what tech will catch on, and what the moral and philosophical implications and repercussions will be.  Once the printing press was invented, there was no shortage of people who sought to destroy or abandon this technology because of the fear that printing presses would allow for the dissemination of ideas and knowledge contrary to what the powers-that-be wish the masses to read or know about.  Freeman Dyson understood that this same problem applies to even seemingly innocuous technology, such as household goods, and not just to new weapons or giant machines.

            Mr. Dyson goes on to discuss his education and development into one of the premier mathematical and theoretical minds of the 20^th century.  He details his involvement in the British Air Force during WWII, and how the omnipresent bureaucracy showed him the blind stupidity of man, the illogic of “leadership”, and the brutality of those that send our youngest to die in war.  He saw the stupidity of the Air Force equating mission successes with number of sorties flown, or number of planes involved, and not with whether the target was actually hit, whether the crews came back alive, or whether their methods were pure suicide for these air crews.  The crews were never told the amount of planes and airmen that came back or that died or that were lost.  They were fed lie after lie after lie to keep them motivated to enter unsafe flying targets and get blown the F up over some unseen and unimportant target.  This shaped him very much.  He stated that when he moved to the USA, it was not until the Vietnam war that the people of the USA lost their innocent and naïve belief in the inherent goodness of their leaders.  The British and most of Europe had lost this during the interminable First World War.

            One of my favorite passages deals with Freeman Dyson’s relationship with my idol, Richard P. Feynman.  The two worked together while at Cornell University, and shared a road-trip across the USA.  His descriptions of Feynman and their relationship are so cool.  Freeman Dyson was lucky to work with the greatest minds around, from Feynman to Hans Bethe, to Robert Oppenheimer.  He is very honest in his portrayals of these peers of his.  It is always reassuring to me to hear of how deeply scientists can disagree over issues and still maintain a collegial working relationship and even be very close friends.  More people could learn from such things.

            Much of the latter half of this book deals with the various political and social engagements that Freeman Dyson took up after his main work was complete.  He is candid about his failures and humble about his achievements.  The last chapters deal with Mr. Dyson’s vision for the future of humanity, of life itself, and make for very moving reading.  I wish his vision of our future indeed comes to pass, allowing humans to differentiate themselves by exploring our solar system, creating colonies, and spreading Life through the cosmos.  Dyson has done the math and he feels, much like I do, that, while Life existing on Earth seems to point to the ability of Life to be anywhere in our Galaxy and Universe, the truth may very well be that the myriad conditions needed, not only for cellular Life to develop, but for the planet to be stable enough for Billions of years to allow for the creation of “Intelligent” Life, are only found here on our Planet Earth, out of all the possible worlds of our Multi-verse.  If there are a quadrillion planets in our Universe, and the odds against Life arising are 1 in a quadrillion, then we are indeed alone.  If the odds turn out to be 1 in a septillion or bigger, then the very existence of Life on Earth can be seen as the ultimate miracle and all of our humanity as a blip in the vast expanse of space-time.  I too think we humans have a mandate to spread Life, in all forms, throughout the Galaxy and then the Universe.  I hope Freeman Dyson’s vision comes to pass.  I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by Mr. Freeman Dyson.

(This book can be purchased here:  AMAZON  )

G. Brent Dalrymple Provides a Great Tool to Fight the "Young Earth Creationist"

The Age of the Earth – G. Brent Dalrymple (1991)

            Back in the late 1970’s there began a series of challenges to the scholastic curriculum of schools in Alabama.  Certain religious idiots wished to force the school boards to devalue the teaching of natural selection, geology, and other science topics, while pushing the “alternate theories” of christian creationist bullshit that states the Earth and the Universe were all created sometime around 5,000-6,000 years ago (even though the nation-state of Egypt has been around for at least twice that long….morons.)  During this time Mr. Dalrymple was asked by the state if he could testify on the behalf of the science.  Mr. Dalrymple, being an eminent geophysicist and geologist, spent the better part of 5 months preparing, only to have the case be thrown out before it reached the courtroom.  Sadly, even more proudly ignorant people tried to do the same in other states, so Mr. Dalrymple saw that a need existed for a book that could explain the very many methods by which scientists have determined not only the approximate age of our planet Earth, but also the age of the Solar System, our Galaxy, and the Universe as a whole.

            A big part of how ignorant fundamentalists of every religious stripe manage to continue their assaults on everything good and decent in the world is their reliance on the lack of substantial scientific knowledge in the general American population.  Most US public schools teach the very basics of science, much of it severely outdated and archaic, but still needed as a foundation for what actual science is doing currently.  The problem lies in that schools are never given the chance to teach everything we currently now in the realms of science, as this is the purview of the Universities and their researchers.  This makes it very easy to fool people.  Make your false statements sound like actual science, and most people will assume it is.  It gives the backwards troglodyte religious-fundamentalist “humans’ among us a lot of joy to keep everyone ignorant.  If they are dumb as rocks, it makes it easy to feed them the lies that keep religions rich.  Believe me, all the religious leaders at the top KNOW their followers are blind idiots, sucking up whatever ”theology” the leaders wish to make the sheep believe.  They sit in their massive, lavish, extravagantly outfitted homes and offices and laugh and laugh and laugh….

            So, Mr. Dalrymple goes into great length to describe every aspect of how we know the ages of things.  He details what radioactivity is, what a “half-life” is, the methods used to test radioactivity, how they function, how we know they function, and what type of radiocarbon dating is good for what type of rock.  Each chapter then explains in exhaustive detail, sufficient for a learned expert, but still graspable by the lay reader, topics such as the age of the Earth based on modern geophysics and geology, the age of our Moon based on the rocks that humans have brought back, and then the age of the Universe itself, focusing on the data gathered from meteorites and interstellar debris we have collected.  In the hands of an educated person, this book could wholly rebuff any asshole trying to use make-believe fairy tales to keep young students ignorant.  This fight never ends, for ignorant fundamentalists will never change their mind, and they will go on indoctrinating their poor children in their backwards, regressive, baseless beliefs.

            The greatest aspect of science, and most scientists, is that they willingly accept the vast quantities of unknown information, without suffering from desperation.  Scientists understand that unexpected answers may point to new truth, a new area of study, or they may point to an old false belief, correcting what could be centuries of ill-informed assumptions.  The last chapter of this book details the many things we do not yet know about the age of the Earth and the Universe, much to its credit.  Scientists are always willing to concede what they do NOT know. The greatest fault in religious fundamentalists lies in that they assume without question that everything in the parts of the holy book they like are invariably and divinely true, and anything else is false.  They are so brainwashed that the world “gospel” in English has come to mean undisputed, unvarnished truth. So pathetic. Every single person that seeks to curtail a young child’s learning or that seeks to teach them patently erroneous fantasy instead of accepted scientific fact should be fought against vigorously.  It is wonderful that Mr. Dalrymple has provided at least one excellent weapon against these morons.

(This book can be purchased here:  THE AGE OF THE EARTH  )