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Infinity and the mind: the science and philosophy of the infinite

In Infinity and the Mind, Rudy Rucker leads an excursion to that stretch of the universe he calls the "Mindscape," where he explores infinity in all its forms: potential and actual, mathematical and physical, theological and mundane. Rucker acquaints us with Gödel's rotating universe,...

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Autor principal: Rucker, Rudy
Lenguaje:eng
Publicado: Princeton University Press 2005
Materias:
Acceso en línea:http://cds.cern.ch/record/1958257
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author Rucker, Rudy
author_facet Rucker, Rudy
author_sort Rucker, Rudy
collection CERN
description In Infinity and the Mind, Rudy Rucker leads an excursion to that stretch of the universe he calls the "Mindscape," where he explores infinity in all its forms: potential and actual, mathematical and physical, theological and mundane. Rucker acquaints us with Gödel's rotating universe, in which it is theoretically possible to travel into the past, and explains an interpretation of quantum mechanics in which billions of parallel worlds are produced every microsecond. It is in the realm of infinity, he maintains, that mathematics, science, and logic merge with the fantastic. By closely examining the paradoxes that arise from this merging, we can learn a great deal about the human mind, its powers, and its limitations. Using cartoons, puzzles, and quotations to enliven his text, Rucker guides us through such topics as the paradoxes of set theory, the possibilities of physical infinities, and the results of Gödel's incompleteness theorems. His personal encounters with Gödel the mathematician and philosopher provide a rare glimpse at genius and reveal what very few mathematicians have dared to admit: the transcendent implications of Platonic realism.
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spelling cern-19582572021-04-21T20:51:16Zhttp://cds.cern.ch/record/1958257engRucker, RudyInfinity and the mind: the science and philosophy of the infiniteAstrophysics and AstronomyIn Infinity and the Mind, Rudy Rucker leads an excursion to that stretch of the universe he calls the "Mindscape," where he explores infinity in all its forms: potential and actual, mathematical and physical, theological and mundane. Rucker acquaints us with Gödel's rotating universe, in which it is theoretically possible to travel into the past, and explains an interpretation of quantum mechanics in which billions of parallel worlds are produced every microsecond. It is in the realm of infinity, he maintains, that mathematics, science, and logic merge with the fantastic. By closely examining the paradoxes that arise from this merging, we can learn a great deal about the human mind, its powers, and its limitations. Using cartoons, puzzles, and quotations to enliven his text, Rucker guides us through such topics as the paradoxes of set theory, the possibilities of physical infinities, and the results of Gödel's incompleteness theorems. His personal encounters with Gödel the mathematician and philosopher provide a rare glimpse at genius and reveal what very few mathematicians have dared to admit: the transcendent implications of Platonic realism.In Infinity and the Mind, Rudy Rucker leads an excursion to that stretch of the universe he calls the ""Mindscape,"" where he explores infinity in all its forms: potential and actual, mathematical and physical, theological and mundane. Rucker acquaints us with Gödel's rotating universe, in which it is theoretically possible to travel into the past, and explains an interpretation of quantum mechanics in which billions of parallel worlds are produced every microsecond. It is in the realm of infinity, he maintains, that mathematics, science, and logic merge with the fantastic. By closelyPrinceton University Pressoai:cds.cern.ch:19582572005
spellingShingle Astrophysics and Astronomy
Rucker, Rudy
Infinity and the mind: the science and philosophy of the infinite
title Infinity and the mind: the science and philosophy of the infinite
title_full Infinity and the mind: the science and philosophy of the infinite
title_fullStr Infinity and the mind: the science and philosophy of the infinite
title_full_unstemmed Infinity and the mind: the science and philosophy of the infinite
title_short Infinity and the mind: the science and philosophy of the infinite
title_sort infinity and the mind: the science and philosophy of the infinite
topic Astrophysics and Astronomy
url http://cds.cern.ch/record/1958257
work_keys_str_mv AT ruckerrudy infinityandthemindthescienceandphilosophyoftheinfinite