New Releases by Roger Penrose

Nobel Prize–winning physicist Roger Penrose questions some of the most fashionable ideas in physics today, including string theory What can fashionable ideas, blind faith, or pure fantasy possibly have to do with the scientific quest to understand the universe? Surely, theoretical physicists are immune to mere trends, dogmatic beliefs, or flights of fancy? In fact, acclaimed physicist and bestselling author Roger Penrose argues that researchers working at the extreme frontiers of physics are just as susceptible to these forces as anyone else. In this provocative book, he argues that fashion, faith, and fantasy, while sometimes productive and even essential in physics, may be leading today''s researchers astray in three of the field''s most important areas—string theory, quantum mechanics, and cosmology. Arguing that string theory has veered away from physical reality by positing six extra hidden dimensions, Penrose cautions that the fashionable nature of a theory can cloud our judgment of its plausibility. In the case of quantum mechanics, its stunning success in explaining the atomic universe has led to an uncritical faith that it must also apply to reasonably massive objects, and Penrose responds by suggesting possible changes in quantum theory. Turning to cosmology, he argues that most of the current fantastical ideas about the origins of the universe cannot be true, but that an even wilder reality may lie behind them. Finally, Penrose describes how fashion, faith, and fantasy have ironically also shaped his own work, from twistor theory, a possible alternative to string theory that is beginning to acquire a fashionable status, to "conformal cyclic cosmology," an idea so fantastic that it could be called "conformal crazy cosmology." The result is an important critique of some of the most significant developments in physics today from one of its most eminent figures.

This book centers around a dialogue between Roger Penrose and Emanuele Severino about one of most intriguing topics of our times, the comparison of artificial intelligence and natural intelligence, as well as its extension to the notions of human and machine consciousness. Additional insightful essays by Mauro D''Ariano, Federico Faggin, Ines Testoni, Giuseppe Vitiello and an introduction of Fabio Scardigli complete the book and illuminate different aspects of the debate. Although from completely different points of view, all the authors seem to converge on the idea that it is almost impossible to have real "intelligence" without a form of "consciousness". In fact, consciousness, often conceived as an enigmatic "mirror" of reality (but is it really a mirror?), is a phenomenon under intense investigation by science and technology, particularly in recent decades. Where does this phenomenon originate from (in humans, and perhaps also in animals)? Is it reproducible on some "device"? Do we have a theory of consciousness today? Will we arrive to build thinking or conscious machines, as machine learning, or cognitive computing, seem to promise? These questions and other related issues are discussed in the pages of this work, which provides stimulating reading to both specialists and general readers. The Chapter "Hard Problem and Free Will: An Information-Theoretical Approach" is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Ein Klassiker der Physik des 20. Jahrhunderts Warum sind Raum und Zeit so fundamental für das Verständnis des Weltalls und unseres Lebens? Zwei Genies verdeutlichen, warum wir das Universum und die Schwarzen Löcher ganz anders begreifen müssen als bisher, wenn wir das Weltall und die Welt der Quanten als eine Wirklichkeit verstehen wollen. Zwei der renommiertesten Wissenschaftler des 20. Jahrhunderts erörtern, wie das Universum entstanden sein könnte, welche Entwicklung es genommen hat und welches Schicksal ihm und uns – in einigen Milliarden Jahren – bevorsteht. Stephen Hawking ist einer der wichtigsten Kosmologen aller Zeiten, eine Ikone des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts und war Schüler von Roger Penrose, einem genialen Mathematiker, Nobelpreisträger für Physik 2020 und Vordenker der Schwarzen Löcher. Die beiden brillanten Theoretiker stellen sich den Grundfragen der Physik und Kosmologie und bestimmen die Dimensionen von Raum und Zeit völlig neu. Ohne Raum und Zeit gäbe es kein Universum und kein Atom, weder den Urknall noch die Schwarzen Löcher. Wer mehr über Raum und Zeit wissen will, muss diesen erstmals im Jahr 1996 erschienenen Klassiker der Physik lesen.

**WINNER OF THE 2020 NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS** The Road to Reality is the most important and ambitious work of science for a generation. It provides nothing less than a comprehensive account of the physical universe and the essentials of its underlying mathematical theory. It assumes no particular specialist knowledge on the part of the reader, so that, for example, the early chapters give us the vital mathematical background to the physical theories explored later in the book. Roger Penrose''s purpose is to describe as clearly as possible our present understanding of the universe and to convey a feeling for its deep beauty and philosophical implications, as well as its intricate logical interconnections. The Road to Reality is rarely less than challenging, but the book is leavened by vivid descriptive passages, as well as hundreds of hand-drawn diagrams. In a single work of colossal scope one of the world''s greatest scientists has given us a complete and unrivalled guide to the glories of the universe that we all inhabit. ''Roger Penrose is the most important physicist to work in relativity theory except for Einstein. He is one of the very few people I''ve met in my life who, without reservation, I call a genius'' Lee Smolin

Oltre tre millenni di conquiste scientifiche in un unico, grande disegno: ecco l''ambizioso scopo di questo caposaldo della divulgazione, che ci conduce alla scoperta della vera natura di spazio e tempo attraverso la stupefacente armonia tra i dati fisici e le idee matematiche che li interpretano. Grazie a un''indiscussa capacità divulgativa, Penrose rende accessibili e intriganti i segreti dell''universo, permettendoci di contemplare in un quadro unitario gli elementi che regolano il delicatissimo equilibrio della nostra esistenza: i "mattoni costitutivi" della realtà. Con una scrittura accattivante, grande precisione e una dose di preziosa ironia, Penrose affronta i misteri della natura, da elementi microscopici quali i quark fino a fenomeni meno conosciuti dello spazio, come i buchi neri. Un''imperdibile introduzione alle leggi del mondo in cui viviamo, per ripercorrere la sfida intellettuale che ha dischiuso all''uomo i meccanismi dell''universo.

Uno de los misterios más fascinante de la física explicado por el flamante Premio Nobel, Sir Roger Penrose. Roger Penrose es probablemente el especialista en la teoría general de la relatividad más prestigioso del mundo y una de las mentes analíticas más originales de la actualidad. En este breve pero magistral texto, Penrose nos embarca en un extraordinario viaje por el espacio y el tiempo que nos permitirá entender las implicaciones de la existencia de uno de los fenómenos más singulares del universo: los agujeros negros. «Cuando Penrose habla, los científicos escuchan.» The New York Times Book Review

Mitte des 21. Jahrhunderts beschließen die Staaten der Erde, dass der Mars nicht zu einem zweiten »blauen Planeten« umgeformt werden soll, sondern – wie die Antarktis – der Wissenschaft vorbehalten bleibt. Auf diesem »weißen« Mars errichtet eine kleine Gruppe von Männern und Frauen eine Forschungseinrichtung. Sie hoffen, dort jenes Elementarteilchen zu finden, das die letzten Rätsel unseres Universums und unserer Existenz löst. Doch als sie durch eine Katastrophe von der Erde abgeschnitten werden, sind sie gezwungen, eine völlig neue Form menschlicher Gemeinschaft zu entwickeln, um ihr Überleben auf dem Planeten langfristig zu sichern.

Un interesante y fascinante debate entre dos gigantes de la ciencia, Stephen Hawking y Roger Penrose, sobre el origen y el futuro del universo. Einstein afirmaba que lo más incomprensible acerca del universo es que es comprensible. ¿Estaba en lo cierto? ¿Pueden la teoría cuántica de campos y la teoría de la relatividad general de Einstein, las dos teorías, más precisas y exitosas de toda la física, unirse en una única teoría cuántica de la gravedad? Aunque se ha avanzado mucho en esta búsqueda, Hawking y Penrose insisten en que es necesario llegar mucho más lejos. En La naturaleza del espacio y el tiempo, estos dos gigantes de la física entablan un debate fundamental sobre el origen del universo. Un libro escrito a cuatro manos, con un epílogo actualizado, en el que los autores resumen cómo los recientes acontecimientos han provocado que sus posturas difieran en cuestiones tan importantes como la geometría espacial del universo o la paradoja de la desaparición de información en los agujeros negros.

¿Qué influencias pueden tener la moda, la fe y la fantasía en las investigaciones científicas que buscan entender el comportamiento del universo? ¿Son los físicos teóricos inmunes a las tendencias, las creencias dogmáticas o los revoloteos fantásticos? Roger Penrose, Premio Nobel de Física, responde a estas y a otras muchas preguntas en este su nuevo libro. En Moda, fe y fantasía en la nueva física del universo, el aclamado físico Roger Penrose nos explica por qué los investigadores que trabajan en la última frontera de la física son, de hecho, tan susceptibles a estas fuerzas como el resto de mortales. En este polémico libro, Penrose muestra que la moda, la fe y la fantasía -pese a ser útiles y hasta esenciales en física- pervierten la investigación actual en tres de las áreas más importantes de esta disciplina: la teoría de cuerdas, la mecánica cuántica y la cosmología. El resultado final es una importante crítica de los avances más significativos de la física actual, de la mano de uno de sus principales representantes. Reseñas: «El optimismo de Penrose es contagioso.» Leer «Cuando Penrose habla, los científicos escuchan.» The New York Times Book Review

Un libro definitivo e imprescindible para tener en la mano, en un solo volumen, todo el saber acumulado hasta la actualidad sobre el universo, el espacio, las leyes que lo rigen y los conceptos esenciales por el Premio Nobel de Física 2020. El avance de la ciencia ha ido modificando radicalmente nuestra manera de comprender el universo a lo largo de la historia. Gracias al progreso científico, los conceptos físicos y matemáticos han transformado nuestra visión: desde Ptolomeo y los pensadores griegos, que concebían el espacio como esferas y mundos planos superpuestos, pasando por Galileo y Kepler, hasta la época moderna, que empieza con la teoría de la gravedad formulada por Newton. En el mundo contemporáneo la revolución científico-técnica vino de la mano de la teoría general de la relatividad de Einstein, que fijó el nuevo paradigma sobre las leyes del universo físico. Desde Einstein, la ciencia ha evolucionado hacia las teorías cuánticas, espacios curvos, geometrías no euclídeas, ideas sobre la antimateria y las partículas y otras formas de aproximación a la realidad. Con este marco conceptual como punto de partida, Roger Penrose, uno de los matemáticos y físicos más prestigiosos del mundo, levanta este "monumento" del conocimiento: un completo estado de la cuestión del saber actual y de todos los instrumentos conceptuales para comprender la física, la matemática y las leyes científicas que rigen el universo. Explicaciones, conceptos, estado de las investigaciones en curso, repaso y argumentaciones, comentarios sobre las leyes del universo y últimas teorías, este libro es la biblia de todos los conceptos de la física moderna. Una obra fundamental para conocer todo lo que hay que saber sobre el funcionamiento del espacio y el tiempo, la gravitación universal, la cosmología moderna, los últimos descubrimientos en termodinámica, la antimateria, los agujeros negros, el big bang y la formación del universo, etc. Se trata, sin duda, de una obra de referencia fundamental.

For many decades, the proponents of `artificial intelligence'' have maintained that computers will soon be able to do everything that a human can do. In his bestselling work of popular science, Sir Roger Penrose takes us on a fascinating tour through the basic principles of physics, cosmology, mathematics, and philosophy to show that human thinking can never be emulated by a machine. Oxford Landmark Science books are ''must-read'' classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas, and shaped the way we think.

Is consciousness an epiphenomenal happenstance of this particular universe? Or does the very concept of a universe depend upon its presence? Does consciousness merely perceive reality, or does reality depend upon it? Did consciousness simply emerge as an effect of evolution? Or was it, in some sense, always "out there" in the world? These questions and more, are addressed in this special edition. FEATURING Cosmological Foundations of Consciousness Origins of Thought Evolution of Consciousness Neuroscience of Free Will Quantum Physics & Consciousness Out-of-Body and Near Death Experiences Dreams & Hallucinations Paleolithic Cosmology & Spirituality Self-Consciousness in Apes, Dolphins, Cephalopods, Machines Consciousness in Extra-Terrestrials Sexual Consciousness How Consciousness Becomes the Physical Universe Over 70 Consciousness Raising Articles By: Deepak Chopra, Roger Penrose, Stuart Hameroff, Brandon Carter, Michael Persinger, Walter Freeman, Howard Shevrin, Arnold Trehub, Bruce MacLennan, GianCarlo Ghirardi, Don Page, Shan Gao, Gordon Globus, Fred Kuttner, Bruce Rosenblum, Jack Sarfatti, Etzel Cardena, Larry Dossey, Bruce Greyson, Roger Nelson, Paola Zizzi, Rudolph Tanzi, Ernesto Di Mauro, Michael Nauenberg, Thomas Suddendorf, Lori Marino, Andrea E. Cavanna, Ian Tattersall, Ellert R.S. Nijenhuis, Bruce Greyson, Milford H. Wolpoff, Edgar Mitchell, Thomas H. Huxley, RenA A(c) Descartes, Sigmund Freud, Williams James, and many more. This Text Is Divided into 14 Sections with 70+ Chapters Section I. Cosmology of Consciousness Section II. Brain and Mind Section III. What is Consciousness Section IV. Consciousness and Thought Section V. The Neuroanatomy of the Unconscious Section VI. Remote Consciousness Section VII. Self-Consciousness - Dissociated, Shared, Near Death Consciousness Section VIII. Dreams, Hallucinations & Altered States of Consciousness Section IX. Origins & Evolution of Consciousness Section X. Paleolithic Consciousness: Neanderthals, Cro-Magnon, Spirituality, Sexuality Section XI. Animal and Artificial Consciousness Section XII. Quantum Physics and Consciousness Section XIII. Consciousness and ExtraTerrestrials Section XIV. Consciousness and the Universe About the Editors Dr. Penrose shared the Wolf Prize in physics with Stephen Hawking, and is renowned world-wide for his work in general relativity, quantum mechanics, geometry and consciousness. He is the author of many important papers and books including The Emperor s New Mind, Shadows of the Mind, The Road to Reality, and his latest Cycles of Time, which proposes serial universes. Dr Stuart Hameroff, of the University of Arizona, is a world famous consciousness researcher and organizer of the conference series Toward a Science of Consciousness."

Contents I: How Consciousness Became the Universe 1. How Consciousness Becomes the Physical Universe 2. Perceived Reality, Quantum Mechanics, and Consciousness 3. Quantum Reality and Mind 4. Space, Time and Consciousness 5. Does the Universe have Cosmological Memory? Does This Imply Cosmic Consciousness? 6. Cosmological Foundations of Consciousness 7. What Consciousness Does: A Quantum Cosmology of Mind 8. Detecting Mass Consciousness: Effects of Globally Shared Attention and Emotion II: Neuroscience, Cosmology and the Evolution of Consciousness of the Universe 9. Paleolithic Cosmic Consciousness of the Cosmos 10. The Brain and Consciousness: Dynamics and Evolution 11.Quantum Physics the Multiplicity of Mind: Split-Brains, Fragmented Minds, Dissociation, Quantum Consciousness 12. Many Mansions: Special Relativity, Higher-Dimensional Space, Neuroscience, Consciousness and Time 13. Brain, Consciousness, and Free Will 14. Consciousness in the Universe: Neuroscience, Quantum Space-Time Geometry and Orch OR Theory III. Consciousness, Quantum Physics, Relativity, Precognition, Retrocausation, Multiple Dimensions, Entanglement, Time 15. The Theory of MindTime 16. Consciousness of Continuity in Time 17. The Time Machine of Consciousness. Past Present Future Exist Simultaneously. Entanglement, Tachyons, Relative Time, Circle of Time, Quantum Time, Dream Time, PreCognition, Retrocausation, Deja Vu, and Premonitions 18. The Observer''s Now, Past and Future in Physics from a Psycho-Biological Perspective 19. Synchronicity, Entanglement, Quantum Information and the Psyche 20. Consciousness, the Paranormal and Higher Dimensions IV. Uncertainty Principle, Parallel Universes, Wave Functions, Entanglement, Violations of Causality, and Paradoxes of Time Travel 21. Multiverse Scenarios in Cosmology: Classification, Cause, Challenge, Controversy, and Criticism 22. Classical Anthropic Everett Model: Indeterminacy in a Preordained Multiverse 23. Cosmology, The Uncertainty Principle, Wave Function, Probability, Entanglement, and Multiple Worlds 24. Logic of Quantum Mechanics, Parallel Worlds and Phenomenon of Consciousness V: THE AFFECT OF CONSCIOUSNESS OBSERVING THE UNIVERSE 25. Consciousness and Quantum Physics: A Deconstruction of the Topic 26. Consciousness and Quantum Measurement 27. A Quantum Physical Effect of Consciousness 28. The Conscious Observer in the Quantum Experiment 29. Does Quantum Mechanics Require A Conscious Observer? 30. Quantum Physics, Advanced Waves and Consciousness

Bilgisayar ekranindaki goruntuler gercek dunyadaki olgularin bire bir temsili midir, yoksa sanal bir dunyada hayal mi gormekteyiz? Sakin evren dedigimiz, muazzam bir bilgisayar ekranindan ibaret olmasin? Bilgisayarlar bilinclendirilebilir mi? Yani akillanip kendi baslarina dusunebilirler mi? Ama bu tur sorulardan once, akil nedir veya bilinc nerededir sorularini da sormamiz gerekmez mi? Roger Penrose, yaniti zor sorulara iliskin goruslerini, bu kitabindan once felsefenin derin tartismalarindan uzak durmus bir matematikci ve temel bilimcinin pratik yaklasimiyla savunuyor. Gorelilik teorisinden kuantum mekanigine ve kozmolojiye uzanan farkli konularin tartisildigi Kralin Yeni Akli''nin ana dusuncesini felsefecilerin "us-beden problemi" olarak adlandirdigi teori olusturuyor.

A breathtaking vision of a utopian future on Mars by one of science fiction’s most renowned authors In the middle decades of the twenty-first century, the corporate powers on Earth have established a thriving colony on Mars as an alternative to life on the overpopulated, war-torn, ecologically ravaged home planet. But when the economy of EUPACUS—Earth’s collective industrialized nations—collapses, all contact between the two worlds abruptly ceases, and the Martian pioneers are left to fend for themselves. Led by Tom Jeffries, a philosopher and a visionary, the colonists now face a twofold challenge: No longer supported and subsidized by Earthbound interests, they must somehow form a working planetary alliance to create a new society based firmly in freedom and fairness for all while at the same time eliminating war, hunger, hatred, environmental abuse, and other former scourges of humanity. But first and foremost, they must survive. Brian W. Aldiss, a Hugo and Nebula Award–winning Grand Master of Science Fiction, presents a vision for the future that is startling, uplifting, and endlessly exciting. Written in collaboration with noted mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose—and with essential input from international law expert Laurence Lustgarten—Aldiss’s remarkable White Mars opens a window onto a relentlessly thrilling and gloriously possible tomorrow.

This volume introduces and systematically develops the calculus of 2-spinors. This is the first detailed exposition of this technique which leads not only to a deeper understanding of the structure of space-time, but also provides shortcuts to some very tedious calculations. Many results are given here for the first time.

Qu''y avait-il avant le Big Bang ? Quelle est la source de l''ordre qui règne dans l''Univers ? Quel avenir cosmique nous attend ? Roger Penrose propose une nouvelle plongée dans les tréfonds des mystères de l''Univers et tente de répondre à ces trois questions fondamentales de la cosmologie. Selon lui, l''Univers en expansion et en accélération pourrait créer les conditions pour qu''advienne un nouveau Big Bang. Passant en revue les modèles cosmologiques standard ou non, examinant ce qu''il en est des trous noirs ou du rayonnement cosmique et autres points clés de la physique contemporaine, il rejoint ainsi les spéculations ancestrales sur le cours du temps et les origines du monde. Roger Penrose est professeur émérite de mathématiques à l''Université d''Oxford. Il est notamment l''auteur d''A la découverte des lois de l''Univers.

Der neue Penrose ist eine Zusammenfassung von Penroses Sicht der modernen Kosmologie - diesmal unter Anwendung thermodynamischer Konzepte, die ein zyklisches Universum beschreiben: Die Entwicklung verläuft vom Urknall zum Endknall, mit dem ein neuer Zyklus von Zeit und Raum beginnt. Der Bestseller - jetzt im Taschenbuch!

The Quantum Physics of the Mind, Explained. Table of Contents 1. The Universe, Quantum Physics, and Consciousness. Subhash Kak, Head, Department of Computer Science, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma. 2. Quantum Reality and Mind. Henry P. Stapp, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California. 3. Cosmos and Quantum: Frontiers for the Future. Menas Kafatos, Schmid College of Science, Chapman University. 4. Neoclassical Cosmology and Menas Kafatos''s "Cosmos and Quantum: Frontiers for the Future" Theodore Walker Jr., Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology, Dallas, Texas, USA. 5. Can Discoverability Help Us Understand Cosmology? Nicholas Beale, Director of Sciteb: One Heddon Street, London. 6. On Meaning, Consciousness and Quantum Physics. Yair Neuman, and Boaz Tamir, Office for Interdisciplinary Research Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Israel Institute for Advanced Research Rehovot, Israel. 7. Quantum Reality and Evolution Theory. Lothar Schafer, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas. 8. Four Perspectives on Consciousness. Varadaraja V. Raman, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY. 9. Synchronicity, Quantum Information and the Psyche. Francois Martin, Ph.D., Federico Carminati, Giuliana Galli Carminati, Laboratoire de Physique Theorique et Hautes Energies, Universities Paris. Department of Physics, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland. Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland. 10. Speculations about the Direct Effects of Intention on Physical Manifestation. Imants Baru s, Department of Psychology, King''s University College at The University of Western Ontario. 11. Consciousness and Quantum Measurement: New Empirical Data. York H. Dobyns, Department of Electrical Engineering, Engineering Quadrangle, Princeton University, Princeton. 12. Consciousness and Quantum Physics: A Deconstruction of the Topic Gordon 1Globus, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Philosophy, University of California. 13. Logic of Quantum Mechanics and Phenomenon of Consciousness Michael B. Mensky, P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. 14. A Quantum Physical Effect of Consciousness Shan Gao, Unit for HPS & Centre for Time, SOPHI, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia 15. The Conscious Observer in the Quantum Experiment Fred Kuttner and Bruce Rosenblum, Physics Department, University of California, Santa Cruz. 16. Does Quantum Mechanics Require A Conscious Observer? Michael Nauenberg, Physics Dept. University of Califonia Santa Cruz. 17. Consciousness Vectors Steven Bodovitz, BioPerspectives, San Francisco, CA. 18. Quantum Physics, Advanced Waves and Consciousness Antonella Vannini and Ulisse Di Corpo, Lungotevere degli Artigiani, Rome, Italy. 19. The Quantum Hologram And the Nature of Consciousness Edgar D. Mitchell and Robert Staretz 20. Consciousness in the Universe: Neuroscience, Quantum Space-Time Geometry. Sir Roger Penrose, Stuart Hamerof 21. Quantum Physics and the Multiplicity of Mind: Split-Brains, Fragmented Minds, Dissociation, Quantum Consciousness. R. Joseph, Twenty-one Conscious Raising Articles, 300 Mind Expanding Pages, from the Top Experts in the World, Peer Reviewed, and Originally Published in Journal of Cosmology.

From Nobel prize-winner Roger Penrose, this groundbreaking book is for anyone "who is interested in the world, how it works, and how it got here" (New York Journal of Books). Penrose presents a new perspective on three of cosmology’s essential questions: What came before the Big Bang? What is the source of order in our universe? And what cosmic future awaits us? He shows how the expected fate of our ever-accelerating and expanding universe—heat death or ultimate entropy—can actually be reinterpreted as the conditions that will begin a new “Big Bang.” He details the basic principles beneath our universe, explaining various standard and non-standard cosmological models, the fundamental role of the cosmic microwave background, the paramount significance of black holes, and other basic building blocks of contemporary physics. Intellectually thrilling and widely accessible, Cycles of Time is a welcome new contribution to our understanding of the universe from one of our greatest mathematicians and thinkers.