From Eros to Gaia (Penguin science) by Freeman J. Dyson

by Freeman Dyson

«Mi madre solía decir que la vida empieza a los cuarenta… Yo digo que la vida empieza a los cincuenta y cinco, la edad en la que publiqué mi primer libro.» Son palabras de Freeman Dyson en el prólogo de este libro. No obstante, en este mismo prólogo el lector descubre, entre muchas otras cosas, que de hecho ya a los nueve años había escrito su primer texto, o sea, mucho antes de que soñara siquiera con convertirse en el importantísimo científico que es hoy en día. La vocación de esta colección, Metatemas , es como bien saben ya sus seguidores, ver el mundo que nos rodea a través de los ojos de grandes pensadores de la ciencia . En este caso se trata de algo más, porque, tras la mirada de Dyson , desde la infancia hasta la madurez, desde Eros, dios de la pasión juvenil , hasta Gaia, diosa-madre del planeta Tierra , hay una mente abierta a cualquier enfoque y a cualquier método (arte, ciencia, tecnología, convivencia y felicidad humanas, política, etc.). Es una mente apasionada por la naturaleza y por el conocimiento humano. Puede decirse literalmente que Dyson , en De Eros a Gaia , un libro lleno de inteligencia , y, por lo tanto, lleno también de humor e imaginación , abre ventanas para que circule el aire fresco entre los expertos y el ciudadano de a pie. En efecto, consigue que los científicos, desde dentro del templo de la ciencia, miren hacia fuera, y que el ciudadano, que está fuera del templo, se asome a su interior.

Genres: Science, Philosophy, Physics, Nonfiction, Astronomy, Essays, Biography

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Freeman Dyson was a physicist and educator best known for his speculative work on extraterrestrial civilizations and for his work in quantum electrodynamics, solid-state physics, astronomy and nuclear engineering. He theorized several concepts that bear his name, such as Dyson's transform, Dyson tree, Dyson series, and Dyson sphere.

The son of a musician and composer, Dyson was educated at the University of Cambridge. As a teenager he developed a passion for mathematics, but his studies at Cambridge were interrupted in 1943, when he served in the Royal Air Force Bomber Command. He received a B.A. from Cambridge in 1945 and became a research fellow of Trinity College. In 1947 he went to the United States to study physics and spent the next two years at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., and Princeton, where he studied under J. Robert Oppenheimer, then director of the Institute for Advanced Study. Dyson returned to England in 1949 to become a research fellow at the University of Birmingham, but he was appointed professor of physics at Cornell in 1951 and two years later at the Institute for Advanced Study, where he became professor emeritus in 2000. He became a U.S. citizen in 1957.

Reviews

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sorry I'm giving this book only three stars!! It's full of wisdom, and the essay on Field theory is a gem (Dyson is one of its founders), and many stories there are really enjoyable.. However, many times, I found myself very bored with the general/politics essays!! In any case, I recommend this book to everyone, Dyson is one great original thinker/ mathematical physicist. This collection of essays shows some parts of that!

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dyson, who as a young man played the physics & mathematics game with the likes of Einstein & Feynman, has always had a very free-ranging sort of mind. In these essays, collected and published in 1992 but dating as far back as the early fifties, he reflects and prognosticates on nuclear energy (bombs as space propulsion, not so clean power source), space travel (he's for it), GMOs (he's for 'em), regulations (he's mostly against 'em), education (he's for reform, continuous), et cetera. Dated as these are when I came to them, 25 to 60+ years later, they felt a bit uneven. In some cases it seemed, as is only right and possible with essays, that he made an about face on issues in spans of 10 to 25 years. Dyson, though, is always worth the read, because he's always in the thick of things and he knows how to write well.

[нєνєℓ ¢ανα · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've ever read! This kind of work is called "source material.!" In it one finds history of the last 40 years in science and physics, but also vision, regrets, optimism... and beyond that great hope! Indeed, good stuff for the soul and the mind alike!

[Martin Herbordt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a physicist, especially a mathematical physicist, is the ultimate training for reducing problems to their essences. Couple this with broad interests, a great desire to do good, a wide circle of famous and interesting friends, and you get a lifetime of successfully addressing an incredible variety of monumental and seemingly intractable problems: getting bombers safely back from missions; interplanetary travel; science education; global warming; SETI; and most famously, arms control. A lifetime of reminiscences and stories about heroes: Oppenheimer, Kennan, and all the great physicists of the mid- to late-20th century – Einstein, Bethe, Yang, Schwinger, and most of all, Feynman.
FEtG is a collection of reviews, chapters, essays, keynotes, forwards, and dedications. All of course written in Dyson’s distinct and unmistakable style. Never a sentence out of place. Never a doubt what he means. This leads to a little redundancy, but always worth it for the resulting clarity.
There are many observations and arguments about scientific research. Mix of large and small projects. Mix of mainstream and quirky projects. The impact of politics, its necessity and its negative consequences. And there is his peerless self-observation, especially in the frailty of memory. This comes out in one of the most moving chapters, a history of his interactions with Feynman. With only minimal new connecting text to give context, it is entirely abstracts from letters and so dates within a few days of the events.
The truly great essay is the last: The Face of Gaia. A near death experience has brought on clarity. There is much moving in the few pages. But my favorite part is a simple prosaic observation that explains so much interpersonal drama. Not to mention current political hostility. Humans necessarily have loyalties at six different “levels”: self, family, tribe, culture, species, planet. These must conflict.

[Boštjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more of a "poetic" book compared to his Infinite in All Directions and Imagined Worlds.
I remember the butterflies and superstrings from the book, stressing the importance of "beauty" and "elegance" on top of the mathematical rigor or punctuality.
An interesting book and a must-read for any Dyson fan out there!

[Dylan Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It provides a very interesting perspective on the world during the mid to late 20th century. While I don't always agree with Dyson it is certainly an interesting read All the way thought. The letters on Feynman are especially good.

[Vipul Ved Prakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m updating my review of this book to 4 stars. The chapters on Cosmology, Quantum Fields, and progress of science and scientific institutions are really quite excellent and feel contemporary even though some were written 60 years ago.The personal essays and letters (eg ones about Feynman) are also excellent and show author’s humility in the awareness of all the greatness he was a part of. Dyson has been somewhat infamously wrong about climate change and in the essays on that subject you can see why and how… but I don’t think this diminishes the collection. It is somewhat instructive & valuable in its own way. There are so many gems to be found in these pages that I recommend people read it.

[Yanni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written personal reflections that bring the layman into the world of the scientist, written by one of it's chief priests.