Chaos and Harmony: Perspectives on Scientific Revolutions of the 20th Century

by Trịnh Xuân Thuận, Axel Reisinger (Translator)

For 300 years, Trinh Xuan Thuan writes, since the time of Isaac Newton, scientists saw reality as a giant clock--a sterile mechanism in which one part acts on another in a deterministic fashion. But the discoveries of the last few decades have changed all that, conjuring up instead a universe
brimming with unpredictability, creativity, and chance.
Writing with exceptional grace and clarity, Thuan vividly describes these important scientific discoveries, intriguing new theories about chaos, gravity, strange attractors, fractals, symmetry, superstrings, and the strangeness of atoms. Equally important, he reveals how these discoveries have
shaped our view of the universe--for instance, how quantum mechanics brought indeterminism to the subatomic universe. Thuan deftly describes quantum mechanics, discusses its relationship to the theories of relativity (which deal inability to accept it. Indeed, throughout Chaos and Harmony , he makes
clear as never before the mind-bending ideas of modern physics, such as the effect of gravity on time (it slows it down), the impossibility of crossing the speed-of-light barrier (it would actually reverse time), the role of fractals as "the language of nature," and the unreasonable effectiveness of
mathematics in understanding the universe.
From the subatomic world to the vast realm of quasars and galaxies, from the nature of mathematics to the fractal characteristics of the human circulatory system, Trinh Xuan Thuan takes us on a breathtaking tour of the universe. With striking examples and clear, plain language, he shows how
science has actually restored mystery to the world around us--a world of symmetry and chaos, contingency and creativity.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Physics

Hardcover

First published January 7, 1998

About the author

Trinh Xuan Thuan was born on 20th August, 1948 in Hanoï (Vietnam). He left Hanoi at the age of 6, when Vietnam was divided into two parts at the 17th parallel by the Geneva treaty, signed in 1954. His family then moved to Sàigon, capital of South Vietnam. He pursued his studies in Saigon, at the French high-school Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It is during that period that he acquired the French style that allowed him to write in French such great popular books on astrophysics and cosmology, that are famous not only for their scientific accuracy, but also for their poetic language. He passes with high honors the baccalaureate degree in 1966.

He then went abroad for his higher education. After one year in Switzerland (1966-1967), at the Ecole Polytechnique in Lausanne, he continued his studies in well-known American universities. He obtained his Bachelor of Physics at the California Institute off Technology (Caltech) in 1970, then his PhD in Astrophysics at Princeton University in 1974, under the guidance of the eminent astrophysicist Lyman Spitzer, father of the Hubble space Telescope and one of the pioneers of the physics of the interstellar medium and of plasmas.


Since 1976, he has been a professor of astronomy at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and divides his time between the United States and France. As an invited professor at the University of Paris 7, at the observatory of Paris-Meudon, at the department of astrophysics of Saclay and at the IAP (Institute of astrophysics of Paris) of the CNRS, he collaborates regularly with French scientists.

An astrophysicist internationally recognized for his research in extragalactic astronomy (concerning objects beyond the Milky Way), he is the author of more than 230 articles on the formation and evolution of galaxies, in particular of dwarf galaxies, and on the synthesis of light elements in the Big-bang. His articles are widely referred to in the world.

Observatoire de Kitt Peak en ArizonaFor his astronomical research, he makes use of the largest telescopes on the ground (Kitt Peak, Hawaii, Chile...) and in space (Hubble, Spitzer...). At the end of 2004, thanks to observations made with Hubble, he discovered the youngest known galaxy in the universe (I Zwicky 18) – a discoverery that was amply discussed in the international press.

In addition to his research, he teaches a course at the University of Virginia which is called "Astronomy for Poets". In this course, students with a non-scientitific background have the pleasure of discovering the wonders of the Universe in a non-technical language.

In addition to his research, he teaches a course at the University of Virginia which is called
"Astronomy for Poets". In this course, students with a non-scientitific background have the pleasure of discovering the wonders of the Universe in a non-technical language.

Trinh Xuan Thuan is regularly invited on television and radio emissions in the US, France and other countries.

He is also a frequent guest lecturer in many countries over the world.

Reviews

[Aubrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was well organized starting from basic scientific principle and progressing through much more advanced quantum theory and theoretical cosmology. It was obviously written by someone with a penchant for science as opposed to literature, and it's organized in a way to give brief summaries of each principle. It's an overview, not an in depth look at each subject, and it's not for the casual science reader. There's no pretense of an engaging storyline, just the facts. However, there are a LOT of facts and it touches on an impressive amount of theories.

[Hung Vu · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Bỏ qua cuốn sách này nếu bạn ghét Vật lý" =))
Mình đọc quyển sách này vì yêu thích bác Trịnh Xuân Thuận, chỉ tên tác giả là có thể đảm bảo cho một quyển sách chất lượng. Đây là một cuốn sách đẹp, đẹp về từ ngữ, đẹp về nội dung, đẹp cả về hình ảnh. Bằng ngôn ngữ khúc chiết và giàu hình ảnh, bác đưa những kiến thức về Cơ học Newton, Vật lý thiên thể, Thuyết tương đối, Điện từ trường, Cơ học lượng tử hay Lý thuyết dây...đến với người đọc một cách tương đối dễ hiểu. Tuy vậy, cuốn này sẽ rất khó đọc nếu mình chưa từng đọc những khái niệm trong sách Vật lý ở chương trình phổ thông, thế mới biết các bác ở Bộ Giáo dục nước mình cao siêu đến thế nào =)). Cuốn sách này, đúng như tên gọi của nó, trình bày về tính hỗn độn trong sự hài hòa, và hài hòa trong sự hỗn độn của Vũ trụ mà ta đang sống. Từ quy mô thiên thể đến quy mô các hạt lượng tử, từ thời điểm ngay sau khi xảy ra Big Bang đến khi Vũ trụ dãn nở và nguội dần hiện nay. Bên cạnh Vật lý thiên văn và Vật lý lượng tử, tác giả cũng nhắc đến sự hỗn độn và hài hòa trong hệ sinh thái và cả cách thức hoạt động của Xã hội con người tuy nhiên phần này tác giả chỉ lướt qua mà không đi vào chi tiết, cũng dễ hiểu vì bác Trịnh Xuân Thuận là một nhà Vật lý Thiên Văn. Do tính thuần túy khoa học, mà mình cho rằng cuốn sách này không phải dành cho tất cả mọi người. Và bản thân mình thích cách bác Thuận viết về sự gặp nhau giữa Tâm Linh và Khoa học hơn. Nên mặc dù đây là một quyển sách chất lượng, mình để 3/5*

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today’s book review is for “Chaos And Harmony”, by Trinh Xuan Thuan (translated by: Axel Reisinger). The sub-title is: “Perspectives on Scientific Revolutions of the Twentieth Century“. Dr. Trinh is an astrophysicist who has been teaching astronomy at the University of Virginia since 1976. (I don’t know if he has retired yet, or not.) I believe he is still alive and in his mid-70s.

This book covers the current range of science from creation through modern day (circa 2000). It sweeps from the sub-atomic level to the theory of multiverses. It attempts to cover life from disorganized, inert chemistry, to “God”, and then to organized evolution (intelligent creation).
So, is this book any good? Is it good science? Is it entertaining and / or interesting? Can a non-scientific “lay-person” read it and walk away feeling like you learned something. And, finally, do I recommend this book? Yes, to all of the above – with qualifications.

Any good: The book is told as a series of blocks which seem to be both individual / separate yet intertwined / integrated. There is a brief chapter on “Truth and Beauty” – as they apply to knowledge, and then has subsequent examinations of the solar system (big picture), cosmic chaos (why it’s difficult to understand fundamental things), apparent universal symmetry, sub-atomic topics (very little pictures), a “creative” universe (the emergence of life), and then ends with a discussion about thought and consciousness. Although topics are very clearly explained, it took me quite a while to get through the book because multiple times I felt I needed time to process what I was reading. Dr. Trinh has received the UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize in 2009 for his writings popularizing science for the “average” person. His writing style is approachable (like James Gleick and Malcolm Gladwell), but more down in the weeds (without using formulas). If you choose to read this book, you have to pay attention and think about what he’s saying. I admit this slowed my reading to completion quite a bit. My estimate is it took me about 18 months to finally get through the book. It is 366 pages including text, glossary, notes and index. It wasn’t the size of the book which made it slow going. It was my own internal processing.

Is it good science? Up to the parts about creation, life, intelligence and consciousness, I believe it is pretty good science. When it gets to those parts (most of the second half of the book), I don’t know – but my “instincts” tell me no. To me, “good” science tends to explain what happens, when it happens and how it happens. Less “good” science tries to add WHY something happens. The “why’s” tend to lead down a rabbit hole of metaphysical questions which science is poorly constructed to deal with.

Cosmology is different than astronomy. Cosmology “tends” to deal with universal subjects like how was the universe created and how will it end. Astronomy tends to deal with more individual items (planets, solar systems, galaxies). It’s kind of the reverse scale of a chemist and atomic physicist. There is commonality (“harmony”); but there is also difference of view. Life and consciousness are, again, at entirely different levels of scale and interconnection – neither of which (IMHO) are well understood by current day science.

Entertaining / interesting: I found the book both, but more interesting than entertaining. I think it’s difficult for a science book to be “entertaining”. LOL! Particularly for us non-scientists. Surprising and interesting, on the other hand, seems (to me) to be much more common – if the author is a good writer. Dr. Trinh’s style strikes me as pretty good. As an example, I found it interesting I never knew any of the other planets in our solar system rotated any differently than the others. There are two which rotate the “differently” than the others. One (Uranus) rotates perpendicular to its orbital axis and the other (Venus) rotates “opposite” (clockwise) from all the other planets – and its own orbital axis. It is “believed” there is “something” (currently unknown) which flipped Venus upside-down and its spin “is” the same as the other planets. The current popular explanation of Uranus is there was a collision or near-collision which altered that planet’s spin when it was still forming.

[Amusing side-note: Once I read this information about planetary spin, it came up as a “Jeopardy” question and then as a post on Facebook.]

The book spends a fair amount of time explaining “Chaos Theory” and emergent behavior / properties. My issue with the second 50-60% of the book is that Dr. Trinh then says neither chance nor evolution can explain life or consciousness and then he states he favors “some” form of intelligent design for the universe. Unfortunately, I don’t buy it. The old saying is: “absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence”. Yes, of course, existence as we are conscious of it is entirely explainable with “design” theory. The problem is that it (intelligent design theory) is not provable in a scientific sense. The fact that some action is extremely unlikely does NOT mean it is impossible. We may well be the only intelligent life in the universe, but that is not proof there is (or was) intelligent design applied to the creation of the universe which led to a self-conscious / self-aware humanity. In any case, it was interesting to read a scientist trying to convince me of something without scientific basis. As near as I can discern, “scientific knowledge” like civilization is an emergent property of human leisure.

Final recommendation: Strong recommendation. I feel I learned a lot from this book. It is an “overview” of science, but it also offers a reasonable amount of insightful depth for the non-scientifically trained reader (me). Those who believe in “intelligent design” will agree with the author. Those who don’t believe, won’t. Hopefully, reading this book will make both sides think about it with more depth of knowledge and sympathy for the opposing view. I, personally, am agnostic towards “intelligent design”, but I am inclined against believing in it. I do believe we will ultimately discover extraterrestrial life. Said discovery may or may not be intelligent life, but even “just” finding life will be a major step in quashing the homo sapient centric view of life being unique to Earth. I am reminded of the statement: “1 = 1, but 1 + 1 equals infinity”. As long as we have no proof of non-Earth life, we are alone in the universe – intelligent, conscious or otherwise. If we ever discover non-Earth life – in whatever form – then it is safe to assume there will be intelligent life somewhere else in the universe. And we are not alone…

Disclaimer: I purchased this book at a discount / sale price at “Half-Price Books” and no compensation has been provided to me by anyone for my opinions in this review.

[Nguyen Cao · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is highly suitable for non-scientists. It contains tons of facts, spreading from the vast world of stars, planets, and galaxies, to the infinitesimal world of particles. The book also mainly focus on presenting two opposite theories which are used to explain macro and micro worlds: general relativity theory and quantum physics. Each principle is explained in a few paragraphs which gives readers an overview rather than a deep understanding of that. Despite that, I found myself totally enjoy reading and absorb lots of interesting information.
Trinh Xuan Thuan tried to convey the idea of a marvelous and mysterious world which is both chaotic and harmonious - "The universe shows itself infinitely more inventive by creating islands of order where open systems in nonequilibrium were allowed to self-organize. To the arrow of despair, it managed to oppose an arrow of hope. For void and barrenness, it was able to substitute a marvelous cosmic architecture in which life and conscience could emerge.
He also emphasizes the role of the human in this world: "The ability of our brain to understand the laws of Nature is no mere accident, but reflects an intimate connection between man and the cosmos."
Highly recommended.

[Leon Olivier, Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall a very good book. Physics and chemistry strong but biology a little weak. What I really liked was his whole is greater than the sum of the parts approach and discussion of chaos theory. I also enjoy his ability not to offend people of faith. So many sciences books and authors often cross that line. I am inclined to read his other books.

[Toan Huynh · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfecto

[Fremen10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Très bon livre de vulgarisation sur la physique et les lois dites naturelles qui régissent le cosmos et notre monde. Ce livre contribue à ouvrir notre esprit sur des perspectives plus globales et à voir chaque chose comme faisant partie d'un grand tout.
Balayer le temps nous plonge d'en une histoire des sciences passionnante à la découverte des grands chercheurs et de leurs fulgurantes théories révolutionnant pour toujours notre vie. On pourra regretter à terme que la pensée grecque, reprise à sa sauce par l'église catholique, aie tant conditionnée notre mode de pensée alors que Descartes affirmerait bien plus tard que les êtres vivants, sur cette Terre, étaient au service de l'Homme. Cela dit, sans l'école grecque il n'y aurait pas eu une telle propagation de la science.
Les principes d'autoorganisation et d'émergence, eux,sont trop rapidement abordés et la définition d'une vision holistique de l'univers reste brumeuse (peut être que mon niveau de compréhension n'a pas su se hisser jusque là).
Lorsque l'auteur s'attaque à la partie biologie qui est la conséquence directe de l'application des lois naturelles sur notre planète cela devient plus vague, un poil moins rigoureux. On reste en fait très largement à la surface des choses. C'est la partie la moins solide du livre.
Dans l'ensemble le livre est très agréable à lire et le glossaire permettra aux néophytes de combler leurs lacunes au niveau du vocabulaire employé (j'ai eu à faire quelques aller-retour pour certains termes obscures).

[Joseph Lamarre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dans l'ensemble, l'auteur nous livre une belle synthèse articulée de nos connaissances en physique et en chimie concernant l'organisation et les règles de fonctionnement de notre Univers et ce, particulièrement dans les 6 premiers chapitres. Ses descriptions des lois physiques et les exemples qu'il nous procure pour bien comprendre la "beauté" de notre Univers sont clairs et bien vulgarisés.
Mais tout se gâche dans le septième chapitre alors que l'auteur essaie de synthétiser les connaissances de la biologie moderne sur les êtres vivants et particulièrement sur la formation et le fonctionnement de la pensée selon les derniers résultats de la recherche en neurologie, en éthologie et en sciences cognitives. Les raccourcis de sa réflexion qu'il nous impose, nous amène trop rapidement à considérer comme étant la plus véridique, l'idée que l'évolution du vivant se réalise dans un but précis, vers une "finalité" obligée, ce qui amène le lecteur progressivement vers le domaine imaginaire de la métaphysique alors que la description de la réalité physique était déjà suffisamment passionnante.
Malgré ma déception comme biologiste, de l'expression de tant de raccourcis orientés vers un certain "créationnisme" dans le dernier chapitre, je recommande la lecture de cet essai scientifique.

[Thanh Xinh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lạ Kỳ là một người như mình lại có thể đọc cuốn sách nói rất nhiều về Vật Lý vềvũ trụ, về khoa học như cuốn sách này, dù thực sự về chuyên môn mình không rành, nhưng nó cuốn hút một cách lạ kỳ.
Cuốn này và cuốn Con Đường Ánh Sáng luôn là hai cuốn sách calm down được mình tốt nhất dù trường hợp bất ổn tinh thần nào tồi tệ nhất từng đến với mình.
Ai yêu thích vật lý hẳn không bỏ qua được cuốn sách này, nhưng ai có thời gian hãy thử đọc cuốn này và sách của Trịnh Xuân Thuận nói chung, biết đâu bạn lại có hứng thú lạ kỳ như mình đã từng.

[Athar Naser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book, an incredible journey through the ages demonstrating the foundations and ideas behind the major scientific theories and evolutions. This is heavy on the quantum side, but also introduces the concept of chaos theory which is fascinating in itself. If you are a non-scientist and enjoy quantum science you will be able to enjoy and absorb this book. Highly recommended.

[Dung Duong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ước gì có ai đó giới thiệu cho mình quyển này khi mình còn là học sinh cấp 3. Cuốn sách giống như sợi dây kết nối các khái niệm vật lý mình từng được học với nhau thành một bức tranh tổng quan hết sức hài hoà và kỳ diệu.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Très bien pour les non physiciens, sinon les rappels sont trop longs.

[Ladislau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do imensamente grande (o universo, as galáxias, as estrelas, etc), ao imensamente pequeno (mecânica quântica), a vida e o pensamento. Um livro fascinante no seu conteúdo e na forma.

[William McNeill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely done if somewhat simplistic.

[Nina]

interesting book. i think it made me smarter. i wish the author hadn't said "never" so many times, though.