Alan Lightman, a physicist and humanist, delves into the interplay between science and human experience in his writing. His works, informed by a deep understanding of physics, often explore complex concepts like time and reality, but always through a human lens. Lightman masterfully blends intellectual depth with poetic sensibility, offering readers a unique perspective on how we perceive the world around us. His writing is both meditative and inspiring, revealing universal truths through specific narratives.
Exploring the intersection of science and spirituality, this work delves into whether those with a scientific mindset can embrace spiritual beliefs. The author, known for his acclaimed previous work, presents a thought-provoking narrative that invites readers to reconsider the boundaries between empirical understanding and the essence of spiritual experience. Through engaging prose, the book offers insights that challenge conventional thinking, making it a compelling read for those curious about the harmony between these two realms.
Exploring the intersection of science and spirituality, acclaimed physicist Alan Lightman presents a captivating journey through the universe's most extraordinary phenomena, from microscopic life to cosmic wonders. Featuring 36 stunning color photographs, the book pairs lyrical essays with scientific explanations, addressing questions like the formation of rainbows and the mechanics of hummingbird flight. Lightman introduces the concept of "spiritual materialism," celebrating the beauty of nature while grounding it in scientific understanding, ultimately revealing the majesty of the cosmos.
"There's only one gift Isabel wants for her birthday: a way to see invisible things. She can hardly think of anything else until the day of her party arrives! Unwrapping a big box, Isabel finds a surprise inside - a glass prism - and a dazzling world of previously invisible colour emerges, lighting up the room around her. What else could be out there, waiting for her eyes to discover?"--Publisher's description.
The acclaimed author of Einstein’s Dreams tackles "big questions like the origin of the universe and the nature of consciousness ... in an entertaining and easily digestible way” (Wall Street Journal) with a collection of meditative essays on the possibilities—and impossibilities—of nothingness and infinity, and how our place in the cosmos falls somewhere in between. Can space be divided into smaller and smaller units, ad infinitum? Does space extend to larger and larger regions, on and on to infinity? Is consciousness reducible to the material brain and its neurons? What was the origin of life, and can biologists create life from scratch in the lab? Physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, whom The Washington Post has called “the poet laureate of science writers,” explores these questions and more—from the anatomy of a smile to the capriciousness of memory to the specialness of life in the universe to what came before the Big Bang. Probable Impossibilities is a deeply engaged consideration of what we know of the universe, of life and the mind, and of things vastly larger and smaller than ourselves.
New York Times best-selling author Alan Lightman, in collaboration with Olga Pastuchiv, brings galaxies close in a stunning picture-book tribute to the interconnectedness of the natural world. Layering photographs taken from the Hubble telescope into charming and expressive art, illustrator Susanna Chapman zooms in on one child's experiences: Ada knows that the best place for star-gazing is on the island in Maine where she vacations with her grandparents. By day, she tracks osprey in the trees, paddles a kayak, and hunts for shells. But she's most in her element when the sun goes down and the stars blink to life. Will the fog this year foil her plans, or will her grandfather find a way to shine a spotlight on the vast puzzle of the universe . . . until the weather turns?
Set against the backdrop of rural Cambodia, the narrative follows a farming family grappling with patriarchal oppression and the haunting legacy of the Khmer Rouge. Ryna battles her past while her daughters confront societal expectations—Nita faces an early marriage, Thida is forced into factory work, and Kamal dreams of escape. Ultimately, it is Sreypov, the youngest, who dares to challenge their father's authority in pursuit of a brighter future. This poignant tale explores themes of resilience, love, and the quest for freedom amidst adversity.
An inspired, lyrical meditation on religion and science, with an exploration
of the tension between our yearning for permanence and certainty versus modern
scientific discoveries pointing to the impermanent and uncertain nature of the
world.
A WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR • Alan Lightman’s grandfather M.A. was the family’s undisputed patriarch. It was his movie theater empire that catapulted the Lightmans, a Hungarian Jewish immigrant family, to prominence in the South; his triumphs that would both galvanize and paralyze his descendants. In this evocative personal history, the author chronicles his return to Memphis and the stifling home he had been so eager to flee forty years earlier. As aging uncles and aunts retell old stories, Alan finds himself reconsidering long-held beliefs about his larger-than-life grandfather and his quiet, inscrutable father. The result is an unforgettable family saga set against the pulsing backdrop of Memphis—its country clubs and juke joints, its rhythm and blues, its segregated movie theaters, its barbecue and pecan pie—including encounters with Elvis, Martin Luther King Jr., and E. H. “Boss” Crump. Both intensely personal and quintessentially American, Screening Room finely explores the tricks of light that can make—and unmake—a man and his myth. (With black-and-white illustrations throughout.)
Explores the emotional and philosophical questions raised by discoveries in science, focusing most intently on the human condition and the needs of humankind. This title offers a collection of essays that shows us our own universe from a series of diverse perspectives.
