The Outer Limits of Reason
What Science, Mathematics, and Logic Cannot Tell Us
By Noson S. Yanofsky | Publisher: MIT Press
About the book
This exploration of the scientific limits of knowledge challenges our deep-seated beliefs about our universe, our rationality, and ourselves.
“A must-read for anyone studying information science.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Many books explain what is known about the universe. This book investigates what cannot be known. Rather than exploring the amazing facts that science, mathematics, and reason have revealed to us, this work studies what science, mathematics, and reason tell us cannot be revealed. In The Outer Limits of Reason, Noson Yanofsky considers what cannot be predicted, described, or known, and what will never be understood. He discusses the limitations of computers, physics, logic, and our own intuitions about the world—including our ideas about space, time, and motion, and the complex relationship between the knower and the known.
Yanofsky describes simple tasks that would take computers trillions of centuries to complete and other problems that computers can never solve:
• perfectly formed English sentences that make no sense
• different levels of infinity
• the bizarre world of the quantum
• the relevance of relativity theory
• the causes of chaos theory
• math problems that cannot be solved by normal means
• statements that are true but cannot be proven
Moving from the concrete to the abstract, from problems of everyday language to straightforward philosophical questions to the formalities of physics and mathematics, Yanofsky demonstrates a myriad of unsolvable problems and paradoxes. Exploring the various limitations of our knowledge, he shows that many of these limitations have a similar pattern and that by investigating these patterns, we can better understand the structure and limitations of reason itself. Yanofsky even attempts to look beyond the borders of reason to see what, if anything, is out there.
Editions of The Outer Limits of Reason
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780262019354
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780262529846
- EBook
- ISBN 9780262316767
- EBook
- ISBN 9780262316774
- EBook
- ISBN 9780262316781
Read an Excerpt
This exploration of the scientific limits of knowledge challenges our deep-seated beliefs about our universe, our rationality, and ourselves.
“A must-read for anyone studying information science.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Many books explain what is known about the universe. This book investigates what cannot be known. Rather than exploring the amazing facts that science, mathematics, and reason have revealed to us, this work studies what science, mathematics, and reason tell us cannot be revealed. In The Outer Limits of Reason, Noson Yanofsky considers what cannot be predicted, described, or known, and what will never be understood. He discusses the limitations of computers, physics, logic, and our own intuitions about the world—including our ideas about space, time, and motion, and the complex relationship between the knower and the known.
Yanofsky describes simple tasks that would take computers trillions of centuries to complete and other problems that computers can never solve:
• perfectly formed English sentences that make no sense
• different levels of infinity
• the bizarre world of the quantum
• the relevance of relativity theory
• the causes of chaos theory
• math problems that cannot be solved by normal means
• statements that are true but cannot be proven
Moving from the concrete to the abstract, from problems of everyday language to straightforward philosophical questions to the formalities of physics and mathematics, Yanofsky demonstrates a myriad of unsolvable problems and paradoxes. Exploring the various limitations of our knowledge, he shows that many of these limitations have a similar pattern and that by investigating these patterns, we can better understand the structure and limitations of reason itself. Yanofsky even attempts to look beyond the borders of reason to see what, if anything, is out there.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Outer Limits of Reason about?
This exploration of the scientific limits of knowledge challenges our deep-seated beliefs about our universe, our rationality, and ourselves.
“A must-read for anyone studying information science.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Many books explain what is known about the universe. This book investigates what cannot be known. Rather than exploring the amazing facts that science, mathematics, and reason have revealed to us, this work studies what science, mathematics, and reason tell us cannot be revealed. In The Outer Limits of Reason, Noson Yanofsky considers what cannot be predicted, described, or known, and what will never be understood. He discusses the limitations of computers, physics, logic, and our own intuitions about the world—including our ideas about space, time, and motion, and the complex relationship between the knower and the known.
Yanofsky describes simple tasks that would take computers trillions of centuries to complete and other problems that computers can never solve:
• perfectly formed English sentences that make no sense
• different levels of infinity
• the bizarre world of the quantum
• the relevance of relativity theory
• the causes of chaos theory
• math problems that cannot be solved by normal means
• statements that are true but cannot be proven
Moving from the concrete to the abstract, from problems of everyday language to straightforward philosophical questions to the formalities of physics and mathematics, Yanofsky demonstrates a myriad of unsolvable problems and paradoxes. Exploring the various limitations of our knowledge, he shows that many of these limitations have a similar pattern and that by investigating these patterns, we can better understand the structure and limitations of reason itself. Yanofsky even attempts to look beyond the borders of reason to see what, if anything, is out there.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Outer Limits of Reason?
Mathematics and Science > Science: general issues > History of science
Where can I read a sample of The Outer Limits of Reason?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780262019354
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Outer Limits of Reason?
Noson S. Yanofsky
Who is the Publisher of the book The Outer Limits of Reason?
MIT Press
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Outer Limits of Reason is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780262019354) and paperback(ISBN 9780262529846) and ebook(ISBN 9780262316767) and ebook(ISBN 9780262316774) and ebook(ISBN 9780262316781)
Where can I buy The Outer Limits of Reason online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy The Outer Limits of Reason?