Science and human experience : values, culture and the mind / Leon N. Cooper, Brown University.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cooper, Leon N. (Leon Neil), 1930- author.

Standardized Title:

Essays. Selections

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Science--Social aspects.

Science.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiii, 246 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Other Title:

Science & Human Experience

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Does science have limits? Where does order come from? Can we understand consciousness? Written by Nobel Laureate Leon N. Cooper, this book places pressing scientific questions in the broader context of how they relate to human experience. Widely considered to be a highly original thinker, Cooper has written and given talks on a large variety of subjects, ranging from the relationship between art and science, possible limits of science, to the relevance of the Turing test. These essays and talks have been brought together for the first time in this fascinating book, giving readers an opportunity to experience Cooper's unique perspective on a range of subjects. Tackling a diverse spectrum of topics, from the conflict of faith and science to whether understanding neural networks could lead to machines that think like humans, this book will captivate anyone interested in the interaction of science with society.

Contents:

Part One. Science and Society: 1. Science and human experience; 2. Does science undermine our values?; 3. Can science serve mankind?; 4. Modern science and contemporary discomfort : metaphor and reality; 5. Faith and science; 6. Art and science; 7. Fraud in science; 8. Why study science? The keys to the cathedral; 9. Is evolution a theory? A modest proposal; 10. The silence of the second; 11. Introduction to Copenhagen; 12. The unpaid debt

Part Two. Thought and Consciousness: 13. Source and limits of human intellect; 14. Neural networks; 15. Thought and mental experience : the Turing test; 16. Mind as machine : will we rubbish human experience?; 17. Memory and memories: a physicist's approach to the brain; 18. On the problem of consciousness

Part Three. On the Nature and Limits of Science: 19. What is a good theory?; 20. Shall we deconstruct science?; 21. Visible and invisible in physical theory; 22. Experience and order; 23. The language of physics : on the role of mathematics in science; 24. The structure of space; 25. Superconductivity and other insoluble problems; 26. From gravity and light to consciousness : does science have limits?

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-316-05662-7

1-316-05426-8

1-316-08027-7

1-316-07553-2

1-316-07081-6

1-107-33787-9

1-316-07790-X

1-316-07317-3