The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World (88 page)

compared with a clock
86
,
363

sunlight
47
,
57
,
441

sunrise/sunset
6
,
7
,
27
,
36
,
363

supercomputers
107
,
140
,
437
–
9
,
441

the supernatural
42
,
43
,
60
,
106
,
138
,
213
,
260
,
377
,
384
,
393
,
445

and creationism
79
–
81
,
82
,
97
,
104

and inexplicability
16
,
53
–
54
,
166
,
203
,
212
,
423
–
4

knowledge and
113
,
119
,
236
,
238

see also
God
;
gods
;
magic
;
the paranormal

supernovae
1
–
2
,
3
,
30
,
35
,
47
,
50
,
70
,
71
,
84
,
275
,
431

superstition
14
,
21
–
2
,
102

‘survival of the fittest’
91
,
105
,
371

sustainability
421
–
2
,
441

of progress
423
–
41

unsustainability
422
,
441

Swade, Doron
135

taboos
81
,
219
,
381
,
402
,
427

tallying
128
,
129
,
130
–
31
,
134
,
140
–
41
,
193
,
356

Taylor, Brook
135
–
6

tea making
108
,
300

technology

adaptation through
57
–
60
,
61

fundamental link with explanation
55
–
6
,
58

and our view of the Earth
443

see also specific technologies
;
wealth

Tegmark, Max
101

telegraphy
137

teleportation (fictional)
258
,
277
,
281
,
322
–
3

telescopes
2
,
37
,
38
,
39
,
40
,
47
,
59
,
68
,
85
,
220
,
452

radio
38
,
40
,
50
,
56
,
72
,
354

television, colour
433
–
4
,
435
,
436

testability
8
,
10
,
12
–
13
,
15
,
19
–
21
,
22
,
25
,
27
,
56
,
95
,
180
,
211
,
318

insufficient for science
22

principle of
13
,
26
,
111

see also
experimental testing

Thales of Miletus
216

theology
52
,
63
,
80
,
82
,
84
,
166
,
254
,
423

theories

and creativity
7
–
8

letting them die in our place
see under
Popper

mistake of separating prediction from explanation
315
–
16
,
326

needed to build and operate instruments
40

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

see also
explanations
;
testability

thermodynamics, second law of
110
,
111

Thucydides
216

tides
143

tidal forces
3
,
450

time
298
–
9

see also
spacetime

Tipler, Frank
178
–
9
,
450
–
51

Titanic
201

tolerance
23
,
121
,
217
,
250
,
343

tools
12
,
50
,
92
,
154
,
381
,
383
,
384
,
399
–
400

trade
131
,
217
,
234
,
419
,
427
,
428
,
436

tradition of criticism
13
,
23
,
31
–
3
,
209
,
216
,
220
,
231
,
308
,
390
,
431

transmutation
1
,
2
,
3
,
11
,
13
–
14
,
40
,
58
,
61
,
67
,
71
,
84
,
97
,
203
,
266
,
425

trees
see
forests

trial and error
36
,
160
,
392
,
399
,
400
,
408
,
411
–
12

triangles
119
,
183
–
4
,
188
,
233

truth

convergence upon
231
,
257
,
350
,
368

and beauty
355

mathematical
183
,
185
,
186
,
188
,
189

necessary truths
183

random truths
189

Turing, Alan
138
,
139
,
148
,
152
–
3
,
154
–
5
,
156
,
184
,
187
,
461

Turing test
148
,
149
–
50
,
151
,
152
–
3
,
154
–
6
,
158
,
161
,
320

tyranny
66
,
200
,
209
,
211
,
214
,
337
,
343
,
431
,
445
,
447

Uglow, Jenny:
The Lunar Men
66

uncertainty principle
289
,
291
,
303
–
4

undecidable questions/statements
185
,
186
,
187
,
191
,
192
,
195

universality

universal explainers
123
,
157
,
415

and AI
157

computational
135
–
42
,
148
,
189
,
191

and the Enlightenment
133
–
4

and infinity
164
–
5

the jump to
125
–
47
,
146
,
414

in computers
135
–
42

in the genetic code
142
–
6
,
162
–
3
,
458

necessity of digital systems for
139
–
42

and error correction
147

in numerals and arithmetic
128
–
33

in printing
134

unintended
127
,
129
,
131
,
133
,
134
,
135
,
136
,
139
,
147

in writing systems
125
–
7

of the laws of nature
vii
,
6
,
32
,
54
,
56
,
75
,
191
,
192

prediction, the brain and
189

of reason
166

universal constructors
76
,
145

DNA as
142
–
6
,
162
–
3
,
458

humans as
58
–
60
,
62
,
429

universe

in an astronomer’s view
1
–
3

distinguished from ‘world’, ‘multiverse’ and ‘history’
265

initial expansion rate
96
–
7

initial state
118

‘omega-point universes’
450
–
51

recollapsing
450
–
51

unknowability
103
,
190
,
197
,
198
,
199
,
204
,
208
,
214
,
215
,
221
–
2
,
358

see also
undecidable
;
unpredictability
;
optimism

unpredictability

of knowledge growth
104
,
133
,
193
,
194
,
197
,
198
,
199
,
206
,
212
,
358
,
387
–
8
,
425
,
438
,
439
,
440
,
457
,
458

of new art
358

of qualia
153
–
4
,
268
,
367

due to randomness
197

reasons for
269
–
70

due to the ‘Singularity’
456

unsustainability
422
,
441

uranium
13
,
145
,
436

utilitarianism
122

utopias
65

blind optimism of revolutionary utopians
210

utopian (Continental) Enlightenment
65
–
6

see also
Golden Age myths

vacuum
39
,
46
,
47
,
53
,
62
,
267

variation and selection

Veblen, Thorstein
433

Vinge, Vernor
456

virtual reality
7
,
68
,
119
,
190
,
241
n,
455

and the simulation argument
453
–
5

vitamin C
57
,
80
,
88

volcanoes
143
,
292

super-volcano
208

von Neumann, John
334
,
335

voting
216
,
234
,
328

decision-making in
342
,
344
–
5

plurality voting system
346
–
50
,
352

proportional representation
326
–
33
,
339
,
346
,
347
–
8

women’s right to vote
351

see also
representative government

wars/warfare
20
,
109
,
110
,
139
,
148
,
196
,
205
,
206
,
218
,
244
,
245
,
246
–
7
,
248
,
249
,
250
,
251
,
259
,
294
,
303
,
334
,
380
,
390
,
418
,
427
,
428
,
431
,
457

see also
World War II
;
Cold War

Washington, George
326
,
330

waves

of differentiation
273
–
4
,
275
,
276
,
278
–
9
,
283
–
5
,
295
,
297
–
8
,
303

and particles
291

and the Schrödinger equation
307

wealth
202
,
204
,
208
,
213
,
217
,
219
,
221
,
249
,
424
,
428
,
437
,
438
,
442
,
444
–
5
,
456

weapons
50
,
196
,
208
,
400

biological
196
,
204
,
205

civilization-destroying
196
,
204
,
208

nuclear
139
,
196
,
205

weather
20
,
207

forecasting
27
,
96
,
139

Webster, Daniel
330
,
343
–
4

‘weighing’ metaphor in decision-making
340
–
42