Here are a few additional notes and comments relating to a
review of
The Singular Universe and the Reality of Time published in The Guardian.
the distinction between past, present and future is only an illusion Health warning:
cosmologists are not saying it is OK for you to be late. See, e.g.,
Sean Carroll. See also
The Now.
[added 16 February]:
Time Reborn there is a fascinating critique of
Time Reborn by Joe Boswell
here
physicists in the academy groan Smolin is based at the
Perimeter Institute outside the academic system. The quality of its people can be gauged in the commitment of its director Neil Turok to, e.g.,
education in Africa.
deep freedom openDemocracy published an edited extract from Roberto Unger's
Religion of the Future here. See also his
site and
talks.
prophet – or...crank Jeremy David Bendik-Keymer
writes "Unger may think of his work as preparation for prophesy, but it ends up as pontification."
some essential points can be readily grasped Lee Smolin has written a
handy summary of key ideas for New Scientist. Roberto Unger outlines some in audio with
A universe in which everything changes sooner or later.
It appears there will be some errors in the print version of my review. For example, cosmic inflation is thought to have begun
10-37 seconds after the big bang, not 10-37. Also, I think it is correct to say that Unger and Smolin are only saying that
parts of this model are preposterous, not necessarily all of it.
For
A New Map of Wonders I have blogged in connection with Unger
here and Smolin
here.
Bryan Appleyard reviewed
The Singular Universe here (paywall)
Finally, Rilke's ninth Duino elegy has this:
Once for each thing. Just once; no more. And we too
just once. And never again. But to have been
this once, completely, even if only once:
to have been at one with the earth, seems beyond undoing
Image from
The Landreader by Dominick Tyler
