The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World (84 page)

nerves
see
neurons

nesting birds
89
–
91

neurons
10
,
80
,
114
,
138
,
269
,
405

mirror neurons
405
–
6
,
408
,
414

neutrinos
2
,
52

neutron stars
97
,
38
,
113
,
290

neutrons
97

Newton, Isaac
55
,
61
,
164
,
181
,
198
–
9
,
444
,
446
,
447

explanation of planetary motion
112
,
113

survival of his laws
388
,
390

and time
312

translation of his laws into English
373

nirvana
65

no-go theorems
334
,
335
–
6
,
339

Arrow’s theorem
336
–
8
,
340
–
41
,
343
,
345
,
351

regret over
343

versus creating new options
351

nuclear fusion
61
,
67

nuclear power
1
,
44
,
66
,
67
,
198
,
439

nuclear weapons
2
,
6
,
139
,
196
,
205

nucleus
39
,
258
,
290

numbers

natural
see
natural numbers

odd and even
108
,
169
–
70
,
176

prime
see
prime numbers

random
161
,
162
,
197
,
269
,
283
,
331
,
454

real
170
–
71
see also
continuum

numerals
128
–
33

obedience
123
,
130
,
218
,
345
,
359
,
382
,
391
–
2
,
402

objective beauty
122
,
353
–
68

objective knowledge
see
knowledge, objective

and empiricism
4
–
29
,
39
,
403

and explanation
26

and moving closer to reality
34
–
41

and quantum theory
308

role in providing problems
17

role in science
4
,
32
;
see also
experimental testing

theory-free
39

theory-laden
10
,
30
,
38
–
41
,
165
,
199

Occam, William of (razor)
25

old age
213
,
415

problem of ageing
213
–
14

omega-point universes
450
–
51

open society
216
,
460

see also
societies, dynamic

optics
7
,
39
,
54

see also
telescopes
;
microscopes, eyes

optimism
4
,
196
–
222
,
344
,
423
,
434
,
435
,
445

blind
201
,
221

and blind pessimism
201
–
4
,
208
,
210
,
216

duty of
196
,
215

history of
216
,
220
–
21

about knowledge
204
,
212
–
15
,
424
,
447

original use of the term (Leibniz)
199
–
200

of a society
208
–
22
,
390
,
424
,
431

principle of
212
–
13
,
319
,
389

orbits
23
,
28
,
44
,
73
,
112
,
113
,
290
–
91

original sources of theories
255
–
6

oxygen
57
,
61

Page, Don
299

pain
10
,
11
,
217
,
320
,
381

painting
219
,
355
,
356
,
357
,
367
,
392

palaeontology
49
,
315
–
16
,
383
,
400

Paley, William
84
–
7
,
91
,
92
,
96
–
9
,
106
,
363

see also
design, appearance of

Palomar Sky Survey
34
,
37
–
8

pandemics/epidemics
196
,
208
,
418
,
436

see also
Black Death

parallel universes
see
multiple universes

the paranormal
324

a television psychic’s predictions
279

see also
magic
;
the supernatural

parochialism
29
,
39
,
44
,
46
,
55
,
66
,
67
,
70
,
76
–
7
,
81
,
98
,
101
,
118
,
124
,
206
,
207
,
213
,
231
–
2
,
279
–
80
,
428
,
436
,
443

finitism
164
,
165
–
6

the future and the shedding of
444
–
5
,
459

of the Principle of Mediocrity
51
–
4

in quantum theory
310

leading to more general concerns
11
,
56
,
69
,
108
,
114
,
127
–
8
,
133
–
6
,
140
,
146
,
199
,
299
–
300
,
303
,
336
–
7
,
354
,
361
,
364
–
6
,
387
–
8
,
418
,
427
–
8

seen as problematic in the Enlightenment
133
–
4

of the Singularity idea
446
–
7

of the Spaceship Earth idea
167

see also
anthropocentrism
;
rules of thumb

parrots/parroting
405
,
406
–
7
,
408
–
9
,
410

see also
imitation

Parthenon
217
,
250
n

particles, elementary
3
,
11
,
43
,
67
,
108
,
118
,
288
,
293
,
450

accelerators
39
,
197

as configurations
267

cosmic rays
68
,
293
–
4

identity loss
287
–
9

interaction between charged particles
96
,
290
–
91

and interference
287
–
8
;
see also
interference, quantum

speed and
289
–
90

and waves/fields
291
,
307
,
319

see also
atoms
;
electron(s), photons, quantum theory

Pasteur, Louis
82

peacock’s tail
91
–
2
,
361
,
401

people
vii
,
42
,
43
,
44
,
45
,
56
,
59
,
60
,
64
,
65
,
75
,
76
–
7
,
85
,
157
,
354
,
416

as abstractions
123
,
454

and atoms
306

cosmic significance of
72–
7
4
,
458
,
459

as a disease or cure
435

ultimate reach of
66
,
69
–
71
,
146

as universal explainers
146
,
164
,
416
,
429

see also
humans
;
extraterrestrials
;
artificial intelligence

people, the
209
,
217
,
326
,
329
,
335
–
8
,
344
,
350
,
352

perception
see
sensory experience
;
interpretation

perfection
66
,
80
,
102
,
119
,
142
,
189
,
199
,
232
,
238
,
248
,
333
,
343
–
4

perfectibility
65
,
366
,
445

perfectly identical
see
fungible

Pericles
217
–
8

Persephone myth
19
–
21
,
22
,
24
,
25
,
60

perspiration phase of research
see
inspiration/perspiration

pessimism
166
–
7
,
217
–
18
,
316
,
350
,
421
,
431
–
5
,
445
–
6
,
449

blind (precautionary principle)
201
–
4
,
208
,
210
,
216
,
221
,

end of
216
,
221
;
see also
Enlightenment

pessimistic bias of prophecy
198
,
206
,
320
,
444

philosophical
200

phantom-zone stories
259
,
261
,
263
–
4
,
283

philosophy
viii
,
4
–
5
,
9
,
12
,
14
,
18
,
35
,
64
,
70
,
153
,
163
,
192
–
3
,
201
,
209
,
218
,
226
,
235
,
239
,
251
–
2
,
255
,
359
,
366
,
369
,
370
,
398
,
405
,
423
,
456

Athenian
83
,
216
–
18

bad, preventing knowledge growth
26
,
110
,
166
,
305
–
23
,
324
,
325
,
436
,
448
–
9

counteracted by progress
324

quantum theory and
305
–
6
,
307
–
11

good
311
,
312
,
324
–
5

and good explanations
26
,
119
–
20

history of ideas
43
,
65
–
6
,
153
,
209
,
216
,
311
–
12
,
255
,
256
,
390
–
91
,
428
,
442

linguistic
313
,
325

reductionism in
122
,
425

role of evidence in
209

of science
5
,
15
,
120
,
403

of the unknowable
see
optimism

see also specific philosophers and philosophies

Phoenicians
127

phosphors, red
433
–
4

photographs

aesthetics and
357

astronomy and
34
–
8

photons
266
,
267
,
273
–
4
,
275
,
294
–
5
,
306
,
309
,
452

see also
light
;
Mach–Zehnder interferometers

physics

astrophysics
see
astronomy
;
astrophysicists
;
astrophysics

atomic
312

and the complexity of everyday events
107

infinity in
see
infinity: physics and
;
singularities
;
Zeno’s mistake