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Lęk przed czarnym Wszechświatem. Przyszłość fizyki oczami outsidera
Żeby odkryć, czym naprawdę jest fizyka, trzeba podjąć ryzyko, przestać się bać nawet pozornie najbardziej szalonych pomysłów. W „Lęku przed czarnym Wszechświatem” Stephon Alexander dowodzi, że wielkie teorie zawsze rodzą się poza głównym nurtem, a ich rodzicami są intuicja i improwizacja. Podążając właśnie tym tropem, mierzy się z największymi wyzwaniami współczesnej fizyki – od pytania, co było przed Wielkim Wybuchem, poprzez ciemną materię i energię, po rozważanie, czym jest świadomość.
276 pages, Paperback
First published August 31, 2021
71 people are currently reading
948 people want to read
About the author
Stephon Alexander
2 books35 followersDr. Stephon Haigh-Solomon Alexander is a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, musician and author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 26, 2025
I’m no physicist. I wouldn’t even consider myself an armchair physicist. Maybe I would be best classified as a physicist fanboy. I understand many of the concepts at a surface level, but as soon as you dive into math, or sometimes even just a lower level of theory, I’m lost. That doesn’t mean I have deeply enjoyed books by Stephen Hawkings, Brian Greene, and Michio Kaku. Their ability to describe incredible complex theories at a level I can consume is amazing.
“Fear of a Black Universe” is written by Stephen Alexander. He’s a professor of physics at Brown University. He covers ground in this book that I’ve explored before – concepts like relativity, quantum fields, emergence, and superposition. I followed much of it, but he also lost me plenty of times. This isn’t Alexander’s fault; he just goes a little deeper in spots than I can keep up with. I still enjoyed the book, and I feel like I learn a little more each time I take one of these on. What makes this book a little different is that Alexander discussed the process. He has been an outsider at times during his career. However, he’s navigated these waters, finding mentors and supporters along the way, and has been published and made contributions despite the challenges he’s faced. He also explains the dangers of conformism in physics and dares to put a few ‘out there’ theories in his book. In the end, physics research becomes this dangerous dance between creative and imaginative thought while trying not to bump into guard rails that risk ruining your reputation and reducing your ability to be taken seriously.
An entertaining analysis of the fundamentals of physics and the edges of our understanding. And perhaps, most importantly, an inside look at the process of exploring those edges. Four stars for this journey of both known physics and the challenges of exploring the remaining mysteries.
“Fear of a Black Universe” is written by Stephen Alexander. He’s a professor of physics at Brown University. He covers ground in this book that I’ve explored before – concepts like relativity, quantum fields, emergence, and superposition. I followed much of it, but he also lost me plenty of times. This isn’t Alexander’s fault; he just goes a little deeper in spots than I can keep up with. I still enjoyed the book, and I feel like I learn a little more each time I take one of these on. What makes this book a little different is that Alexander discussed the process. He has been an outsider at times during his career. However, he’s navigated these waters, finding mentors and supporters along the way, and has been published and made contributions despite the challenges he’s faced. He also explains the dangers of conformism in physics and dares to put a few ‘out there’ theories in his book. In the end, physics research becomes this dangerous dance between creative and imaginative thought while trying not to bump into guard rails that risk ruining your reputation and reducing your ability to be taken seriously.
An entertaining analysis of the fundamentals of physics and the edges of our understanding. And perhaps, most importantly, an inside look at the process of exploring those edges. Four stars for this journey of both known physics and the challenges of exploring the remaining mysteries.
August 31, 2021
Fear of a Black Universe is a fascinating read that asks the question: where does great physics come from? As a young graduate student, cosmologist Stephon Alexander had a life-changing lesson in the subject. When asked by the legendary theoretical physicist Christopher Isham why he had attended graduate school, Alexander answered: "To become a better physicist." He could hardly have anticipated Isham's response: "Then stop reading those physics books." Instead, Isham said, Alexander should start listening to his dreams. This is only the first of a great many surprising and even shocking lessons in Fear of a Black Universe. As Alexander explains, greatness in physics requires transgression, a willingness to reject conventional expectations. He shows why progress happens when some physicists come to think outside the mainstream and both the outsiders and insiders respond to the resulting tensions.
He also shows why, as in great jazz, great physics requires a willingness to make things up as one goes along and a willingness to rely on intuition when the path forward isn't clear. Unfortunately, most physicists are too afraid of being wrong -- and jeopardising their careers -- to embrace this sort of improvisation. Indeed, for a long time, Alexander was, too. Of course, Alexander doesn't mean that physics should be lawless. After all, even jazz musicians must respect the key and tempo of the music their fellow musicians are playing. But it does mean that not all the answers can be found, as Isham argued, as equations in a book. Drawing on Einstein's notion of principle theories -- ideas that constrain the shape that other theories take -- Alexander shows that from general relativity to quantum theory, three principles underlie everything we know about the Universe: the principle of invariance, the quantum principle and the principle of emergence.
Using these three principles as a guide, Alexander takes a stab at some of the greatest mysteries of the Universe, including what happened before the Big Bang; the quantum theory of gravity; the nature of dark energy and dark matter; and the quantum physics of consciousness. Along the way, he explains where our understanding of the universe and those principles don't jibe, as in the nature of the Big Bang, and asks what such discrepancies mean. He shows us what discoveries lie on the horizon, and crucially, calls on us not just to embrace improvisation and knowledge outside of physics but to diversify our scientific communities by reaching out to people of colour. As compelling as it is necessary, Fear of a Black Universe offers us remarkable insight into the art of physics and empowers us all to the topic using a mix of philosophy, history, physics, cosmology, biology and of course science, Alexander has produced an interesting, accessible and refreshingly original approach to the issues surrounding our vast universe. Highly recommended.
He also shows why, as in great jazz, great physics requires a willingness to make things up as one goes along and a willingness to rely on intuition when the path forward isn't clear. Unfortunately, most physicists are too afraid of being wrong -- and jeopardising their careers -- to embrace this sort of improvisation. Indeed, for a long time, Alexander was, too. Of course, Alexander doesn't mean that physics should be lawless. After all, even jazz musicians must respect the key and tempo of the music their fellow musicians are playing. But it does mean that not all the answers can be found, as Isham argued, as equations in a book. Drawing on Einstein's notion of principle theories -- ideas that constrain the shape that other theories take -- Alexander shows that from general relativity to quantum theory, three principles underlie everything we know about the Universe: the principle of invariance, the quantum principle and the principle of emergence.
Using these three principles as a guide, Alexander takes a stab at some of the greatest mysteries of the Universe, including what happened before the Big Bang; the quantum theory of gravity; the nature of dark energy and dark matter; and the quantum physics of consciousness. Along the way, he explains where our understanding of the universe and those principles don't jibe, as in the nature of the Big Bang, and asks what such discrepancies mean. He shows us what discoveries lie on the horizon, and crucially, calls on us not just to embrace improvisation and knowledge outside of physics but to diversify our scientific communities by reaching out to people of colour. As compelling as it is necessary, Fear of a Black Universe offers us remarkable insight into the art of physics and empowers us all to the topic using a mix of philosophy, history, physics, cosmology, biology and of course science, Alexander has produced an interesting, accessible and refreshingly original approach to the issues surrounding our vast universe. Highly recommended.
July 1, 2022
The human side of doing theoretical physics
The author offers a personal account as a Black theoretical physicist, and his struggle to fit in a culture that is dominated by white physicists. His personal and professional advancements are hindered by an establishment that is afraid to entertain his ideas because of his race. The author is inspired by ideas of great physicists like Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrodinger, Niels Bohr and Wolfgang Pauli, and their tremendous potential for thought experiments. He is not afraid to take risk by thinking outside the “box” and challenging established theories that does not make sense. His personal style of theorizing often created situations where his peers become doubtful and devalued his scientific ideas.
Stephon Alexander discusses various aspects of physics and cosmology to explain the physical reality. The book describes basic concepts in spectacular details and not afraid to offer his own interpretations. In summary, three fundamental principles of physics are discussed, the law of invariance where the laws of physics are unchanging for observers moving relative to each other at constant speeds; the superposition of quantum states of a quantum mechanical system; the principle of emergence such as space and time in the cosmos; and the emergence of matter over antimatter in our universe. He also discusses a host of other big ideas like the mysteries of the Big Bang; the origin of life; the role of consciousness in quantum mechanics; the evolution of the Universe; and theories that seek to reconcile general relativity with quantum mechanics.
The last chapter offers an interesting discussion of a universal consciousness and how it could be a part of the cosmos that created spacetime and matter. He even proposes that life may not have been born through a series of accidental historical events. In fact, there is a deeper principle beyond natural selection at work that is encoded in the structure of physical law and the emergence of spacetime.
This book serves as a source of inspiration and encouragement for individuals who feel disenfranchised and unwelcome in scientific communities. Offers support to scientists who feel that they are not valued as contributors to the scientific endeavor. This is a beautifully written book, and it is highly recommended to readers interested in racism in academic communities. This is also a great book to understand aspects of physical reality, the life in the cosmos.
The author offers a personal account as a Black theoretical physicist, and his struggle to fit in a culture that is dominated by white physicists. His personal and professional advancements are hindered by an establishment that is afraid to entertain his ideas because of his race. The author is inspired by ideas of great physicists like Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrodinger, Niels Bohr and Wolfgang Pauli, and their tremendous potential for thought experiments. He is not afraid to take risk by thinking outside the “box” and challenging established theories that does not make sense. His personal style of theorizing often created situations where his peers become doubtful and devalued his scientific ideas.
Stephon Alexander discusses various aspects of physics and cosmology to explain the physical reality. The book describes basic concepts in spectacular details and not afraid to offer his own interpretations. In summary, three fundamental principles of physics are discussed, the law of invariance where the laws of physics are unchanging for observers moving relative to each other at constant speeds; the superposition of quantum states of a quantum mechanical system; the principle of emergence such as space and time in the cosmos; and the emergence of matter over antimatter in our universe. He also discusses a host of other big ideas like the mysteries of the Big Bang; the origin of life; the role of consciousness in quantum mechanics; the evolution of the Universe; and theories that seek to reconcile general relativity with quantum mechanics.
The last chapter offers an interesting discussion of a universal consciousness and how it could be a part of the cosmos that created spacetime and matter. He even proposes that life may not have been born through a series of accidental historical events. In fact, there is a deeper principle beyond natural selection at work that is encoded in the structure of physical law and the emergence of spacetime.
This book serves as a source of inspiration and encouragement for individuals who feel disenfranchised and unwelcome in scientific communities. Offers support to scientists who feel that they are not valued as contributors to the scientific endeavor. This is a beautifully written book, and it is highly recommended to readers interested in racism in academic communities. This is also a great book to understand aspects of physical reality, the life in the cosmos.
August 3, 2021
I greatly enjoyed this book, but I wish I had more grey matter to fully comprehend what the author was saying. So let me be completely honest with you, this isn’t an easy astrophysics for dummies book. Compared to other layperson-friendly books on cosmology that I have read so far, this one goes much deeper into more complex theories, including superconductivity, string theory, emergence and supersymmetry. So as such this isn’t a very accessible read, but the author still did a marvellous job trying to explain everything in digestible chunks.
What I really loved about this book is the fact that it’s different: not only it’s more challenging to read, but it also offers the author’s perspective and experiences. While some may not want to read about racism in science or how thinking outside the box is discouraged, I personally found those parts of the book the most fascinating. My favourite chapter was this crazy theory about potential existence of alien supercomputers that run on dark energy. Sounds ridiculous, right? But in the end, if our current knowledge of physics can’t disprove this wild theory, then maybe we shouldn’t ridicule it at this point. I bet the reality is even much stranger than we can imagine.
What I really loved about this book is the fact that it’s different: not only it’s more challenging to read, but it also offers the author’s perspective and experiences. While some may not want to read about racism in science or how thinking outside the box is discouraged, I personally found those parts of the book the most fascinating. My favourite chapter was this crazy theory about potential existence of alien supercomputers that run on dark energy. Sounds ridiculous, right? But in the end, if our current knowledge of physics can’t disprove this wild theory, then maybe we shouldn’t ridicule it at this point. I bet the reality is even much stranger than we can imagine.
October 17, 2021
3.5 stars
April 11, 2025
This book is a departure from the other books about physics I’ve read. In fact, that’s the point. The author is challenging the physics community to think differently. He draws on his experiences as an outsider to show how conformity suppresses innovation. He argues that the the desire to fit in has led to too much focus on math and too little on ground-breaking ideas.
The actual physics in the book isn’t easy for a layperson to understand by casual reading. But in a way, that’s kind of the point, too. These ideas stretch current understanding. They show the opportunity for the field to grow. That seems to be the real purpose of the book. It’s an interesting look at how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
The actual physics in the book isn’t easy for a layperson to understand by casual reading. But in a way, that’s kind of the point, too. These ideas stretch current understanding. They show the opportunity for the field to grow. That seems to be the real purpose of the book. It’s an interesting look at how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
August 9, 2023
(2.5)
This book was incredible difficult to understand. I have read and learned quite a bit about physics and feel like I have a decent foundation of understanding, but boy did this book go over my head. There were lots of parts in this book where it seemed to assume the reader had a PhD in theoretical physics. I wouldn’t recommend anyone read this, there are much better books to read about the subject in my opinion.
This book was incredible difficult to understand. I have read and learned quite a bit about physics and feel like I have a decent foundation of understanding, but boy did this book go over my head. There were lots of parts in this book where it seemed to assume the reader had a PhD in theoretical physics. I wouldn’t recommend anyone read this, there are much better books to read about the subject in my opinion.
February 25, 2024
Książka bardzo interesująca w kontekście rozważań współczesnej fizyki na temat powstania i rozwoju Wszechświata. Momentami trudna z powodu języka, choć autor bardzo stara się uprościć dla zwykłego czytelnika terminologię i aparat matematyczny. Ogólnie ciekawe idee i pomysły, jak zwariowany nasz świat potrafi być
February 9, 2023
overall a good review of what is known and the future of physics, buuuuuut i feel like it was written a little dry for me and had a hard time keeping engaged
Read
February 12, 2023By a long shot, I was too dumb for this book.
March 8, 2022
Lot of things to learn from this book, sometimes it went over my head, but overall it was good.
It basically give you overview on Quantum Mechanics and what the author and fellow scientists are upto these days. I will have to reread it again.
It basically give you overview on Quantum Mechanics and what the author and fellow scientists are upto these days. I will have to reread it again.
October 11, 2021
This was an amazing book, I loved it and learnt a lot,
I do not agree with all the conclusions and remarks the author has made in the last chapter, but I still can not recommend this book enough! He’s become one of my favorite authors.
I do not agree with all the conclusions and remarks the author has made in the last chapter, but I still can not recommend this book enough! He’s become one of my favorite authors.
December 18, 2022
I liked the first part of this book as it captures the core principles of physics, as conceptualized by the author. I also thought the author did a nice job of incorporating the social aspects of science and physics throughout. I love the notes of the importance of an outsider’s view. However, the second half was disappointing. It was incoherent at points with the author incorporating concepts without explaining them first. He arrived at some conclusions without actually explaining how he got there. I was looking forward to the final chapter about consciousness, and found it to be the most disappointing. For the reference of other readers, I have some background in physics with university coursework that included overviews of relativity and quantum mechanics and remain an avid reader of the popularized books discussing string theory. I am definitely NOT and expert in physics.
May 6, 2023
This book struggles with what it wants to be and who it’s for. It’s part advanced physics, part physics history, and part memoir and social commentary
Except, Alexander kind of drops the social part 1/3 of the way through, which was presented as the thesis. As for the physics, who is this book for? It explains Cosmic Background Radiation (as though advanced physicists wouldn’t understand), then barely introduces some of the more advanced topics. Is this book for the hobbyist or professional?
All told, I found this dense and meandering, and not in a positive way. Though his ideas were interesting.
Except, Alexander kind of drops the social part 1/3 of the way through, which was presented as the thesis. As for the physics, who is this book for? It explains Cosmic Background Radiation (as though advanced physicists wouldn’t understand), then barely introduces some of the more advanced topics. Is this book for the hobbyist or professional?
All told, I found this dense and meandering, and not in a positive way. Though his ideas were interesting.
November 29, 2023
There are really two books combined here. One presents speculative discussions about some of the big, outstanding questions in cosmology. And the other is a discussion about what drives those speculations, the sources and importance of creativity and imagination in science.
Stephon Alexander is an astrophysicist, born in Trinidad. There aren’t many black astrophysicists in the first place, much less ones born in the Caribbean. And Alexander takes his “outsider” status to be an advantage — a gift for thinking outside the bounds of tradition.
It isn’t just his origins that he strives to capitalize on. Alexander is a strong believer in the role of speculation and imagination in scientific theorizing.
Although he’s certainly a proponent of hard relationships between theory and data, he’s aware that conceptual thinking is essential to theory formation. Creativity can come from anywhere. Alexander cites Wolfgang Pauli’s treatment of dreams as sources of creative inspiration — Pauli, as Alexander says, had a long friendship and correspondence with Carl Jung, seeking insights into the roles that dreams and dream interpretation could have on scientific thought.
The role of imagination is well known in Einstein’s thought, of course. A kind of daydream had Einstein imagining what it would be like to ride a beam of light, as inspiration for relativity theory.
Alexander looks broadly for sources of creativity. The role of the “outsider” is a central theme — cultural outsiders, cross-disciplinary outsiders, . . . Anything that helps to shake up the flow of tradition when hard problems resist it.
His discussions of those hard problems are inter-woven with his discussions of creativity. He recounts a kind of early career crisis in which he found himself floundering, considering leaving physics because he didn’t see himself really achieving anything — spending a career in “calculation” as opposed to solving any of those big hard problems.
Turning that around for himself meant embracing his outsider status and reveling in it, following where creativity leads.
He provides an almost shotgun-style variety of examples of creative thinking in his own work. He moves from one vexing problem in astrophysics to another — dark energy, dark matter, pre-Big Bang physics, alien life, quantum gravity — weaving speculative and intriguing proposals at each stop.
Explanations of each speculative proposal are often more short and tantalizing than detailed, even on a conceptual level. And they follow equally quick introductions to the problems themselves.
Really my own takeaway from the book has more to do with the role and sources of creativity than with those speculative proposals themselves.
A final stop is an extended meditation on the relationship between consciousness and the physical universe. As Alexander knows, that’s not a new topic. Physicists, notably Schrödinger and Wigner, explored the topic and reached at least tentative conclusions that support some kind of dependency of the physical universe on consciousness.
Philosophers of course have explored the same topic — Alexander mentions Schopenhauer’s influence on Schrödinger. Other philosophers, notably Kant but many more, have explored the topic. I would actually urge Alexander in that direction, if I knew him, that is. (That was tongue in cheek, by the way).
Not wanting to dwell on that gap, I appreciate Alexander’s open-mindedness about the sources of creativity and imagination, his recognition of their critical role in theorizing and solving the hard problems of science, and the value he places on his own “outsider” status.
Stephon Alexander is an astrophysicist, born in Trinidad. There aren’t many black astrophysicists in the first place, much less ones born in the Caribbean. And Alexander takes his “outsider” status to be an advantage — a gift for thinking outside the bounds of tradition.
It isn’t just his origins that he strives to capitalize on. Alexander is a strong believer in the role of speculation and imagination in scientific theorizing.
Although he’s certainly a proponent of hard relationships between theory and data, he’s aware that conceptual thinking is essential to theory formation. Creativity can come from anywhere. Alexander cites Wolfgang Pauli’s treatment of dreams as sources of creative inspiration — Pauli, as Alexander says, had a long friendship and correspondence with Carl Jung, seeking insights into the roles that dreams and dream interpretation could have on scientific thought.
The role of imagination is well known in Einstein’s thought, of course. A kind of daydream had Einstein imagining what it would be like to ride a beam of light, as inspiration for relativity theory.
Alexander looks broadly for sources of creativity. The role of the “outsider” is a central theme — cultural outsiders, cross-disciplinary outsiders, . . . Anything that helps to shake up the flow of tradition when hard problems resist it.
His discussions of those hard problems are inter-woven with his discussions of creativity. He recounts a kind of early career crisis in which he found himself floundering, considering leaving physics because he didn’t see himself really achieving anything — spending a career in “calculation” as opposed to solving any of those big hard problems.
Turning that around for himself meant embracing his outsider status and reveling in it, following where creativity leads.
He provides an almost shotgun-style variety of examples of creative thinking in his own work. He moves from one vexing problem in astrophysics to another — dark energy, dark matter, pre-Big Bang physics, alien life, quantum gravity — weaving speculative and intriguing proposals at each stop.
Explanations of each speculative proposal are often more short and tantalizing than detailed, even on a conceptual level. And they follow equally quick introductions to the problems themselves.
Really my own takeaway from the book has more to do with the role and sources of creativity than with those speculative proposals themselves.
A final stop is an extended meditation on the relationship between consciousness and the physical universe. As Alexander knows, that’s not a new topic. Physicists, notably Schrödinger and Wigner, explored the topic and reached at least tentative conclusions that support some kind of dependency of the physical universe on consciousness.
Philosophers of course have explored the same topic — Alexander mentions Schopenhauer’s influence on Schrödinger. Other philosophers, notably Kant but many more, have explored the topic. I would actually urge Alexander in that direction, if I knew him, that is. (That was tongue in cheek, by the way).
Not wanting to dwell on that gap, I appreciate Alexander’s open-mindedness about the sources of creativity and imagination, his recognition of their critical role in theorizing and solving the hard problems of science, and the value he places on his own “outsider” status.
September 9, 2025
Wow. This guy has a really big chip on his shoulder. He lost a star for that.
I've been reading a number of science books in this area lately and the author's work seemed to reflect most of what I've read. He did get a little woo-woo toward the end there and said so. I didn't think it was out of line. I also didn't take it seriously, but who knows. Maybe he's right.
The problem was that he interspersed the science narrative with his indignation about being shut out for being a minority. That may be, but frankly, his colleagues had a point about affirmative action hires. It tends to promote some people beyond their actual abilities. My sister was a good example. She was as capable, if motivated, as any white person, but the academic community kept going easy on her because she was a minority. She wasn't really confronted with her deficiencies. As a result, when she had to do something in the real world she failed utterly and realized they had all been lying to her about how wonderful she was. (I didn't lie to her. She cried, but it was the truth.) She finally went back and actually learned the things she needed to learn and got a good job, but it added years to her career path.
I also think the author's colleagues didn't want to associate with him because of that big chip on his shoulder. He assumed the reason they were jerks to him was because he was a minority when I know they were jerks to him because scientists are jerks. They are jerks to each other, each trying to goad the other into being better, but I couldn't imagine goading this guy without getting an instant lawsuit and summary firing squad from the dean of the school. Forget it. I would have minimized my contact with him just to keep myself and my phony-baloney job safe.
But if you don't mind all the complaining, the information seems solid.
As an alternative to this book I suggest reading:
o Faster Than the Speed of Light: The Story of a Scientific Speculation by João Magueijo. He also talks about the jerks in science (although he doesn't call them that. I call them that.)
0 Spooky Action at a Distance: The Phenomenon That Reimagines Space and Time—and What It Means for Black Holes, the Big Bang, and Theories of Everything by George Musser. He talks about all the latest science including the holographic universe theory.
0 A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking.
I doubt that I will read "Fear of a Black Universe" again.
I've been reading a number of science books in this area lately and the author's work seemed to reflect most of what I've read. He did get a little woo-woo toward the end there and said so. I didn't think it was out of line. I also didn't take it seriously, but who knows. Maybe he's right.
The problem was that he interspersed the science narrative with his indignation about being shut out for being a minority. That may be, but frankly, his colleagues had a point about affirmative action hires. It tends to promote some people beyond their actual abilities. My sister was a good example. She was as capable, if motivated, as any white person, but the academic community kept going easy on her because she was a minority. She wasn't really confronted with her deficiencies. As a result, when she had to do something in the real world she failed utterly and realized they had all been lying to her about how wonderful she was. (I didn't lie to her. She cried, but it was the truth.) She finally went back and actually learned the things she needed to learn and got a good job, but it added years to her career path.
I also think the author's colleagues didn't want to associate with him because of that big chip on his shoulder. He assumed the reason they were jerks to him was because he was a minority when I know they were jerks to him because scientists are jerks. They are jerks to each other, each trying to goad the other into being better, but I couldn't imagine goading this guy without getting an instant lawsuit and summary firing squad from the dean of the school. Forget it. I would have minimized my contact with him just to keep myself and my phony-baloney job safe.
But if you don't mind all the complaining, the information seems solid.
As an alternative to this book I suggest reading:
o Faster Than the Speed of Light: The Story of a Scientific Speculation by João Magueijo. He also talks about the jerks in science (although he doesn't call them that. I call them that.)
0 Spooky Action at a Distance: The Phenomenon That Reimagines Space and Time—and What It Means for Black Holes, the Big Bang, and Theories of Everything by George Musser. He talks about all the latest science including the holographic universe theory.
0 A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking.
I doubt that I will read "Fear of a Black Universe" again.
March 30, 2024
I purchased 'Fear of a Black Universe' at Barnes & Noble in the hope it would discuss where current cosmological theory stands in regards to the future of the universe. Given the prominent thinking today is centered around an expanding and accelerating universe, with a plausible outcome of every astronomical system eventually being trillions of light years away from one another, perhaps this 'Fear of a Black Universe' would paint how that current thinking looks and where we now stand regarding what the future looks like.
Part of the error was on me; the back of the book does illustrate that this was a broader book, indeed about cosmology but also with a more personal slant, in which the author, Stephon Alexander, discusses his experiences being a Black cosmologist in a field generally dominated by white men.
That's all fine and good, and the experiences are worth reading. The book itself, however, felt like a stream of consciousness directly from the author's brain. It was as if the book was a near-full transcript of sitting down with Stephon, asking a starting-point question, and allowing things to unfold from there. This doesn't have to be a bad thing, but I found it coming across as lacking a smooth narrative at times.
It is crystal clear that the author is very smart. All astrophysicists and similar scientists are, of course, and Mr. Alexander is no exception. While Stephon does make a clear effort to explain the theories and points he is discussing, it still feels as though prerequisite knowledge is necessary to get the full experience from this book. This does run the risk of making a layperson feel lost - there were times when I felt lost or had to skim paragraphs because it felt like I was in intellectual quicksand: the more I struggled to understand, the more difficult it became. Perhaps this was a quirk in my particular reading experience, but it was just generally tough to understand.
On the whole, 'Fear of a Black Universe' is an okay primer on key theories of the universe, generally centering on the quantum side of things. Being such a complicated topic no matter your level of expertise, this book could have benefited considerably from extra time being spent to carefully explain the facets of these theories the author was discussing. The personal anecdotes sprinkled through the book were nice to read, and they gave me a fresh perspective on how the broader astronomy field is still an area where minority groups struggle to break into, but also how being "creative" with your ideas is somewhat frowned upon due to reputational risk and job security. I would recommend this book to those with a working knowledge of quantum theories, and would caution those without that this may be a book that largely isn't able to sink in. It certainly was difficult for me.
Part of the error was on me; the back of the book does illustrate that this was a broader book, indeed about cosmology but also with a more personal slant, in which the author, Stephon Alexander, discusses his experiences being a Black cosmologist in a field generally dominated by white men.
That's all fine and good, and the experiences are worth reading. The book itself, however, felt like a stream of consciousness directly from the author's brain. It was as if the book was a near-full transcript of sitting down with Stephon, asking a starting-point question, and allowing things to unfold from there. This doesn't have to be a bad thing, but I found it coming across as lacking a smooth narrative at times.
It is crystal clear that the author is very smart. All astrophysicists and similar scientists are, of course, and Mr. Alexander is no exception. While Stephon does make a clear effort to explain the theories and points he is discussing, it still feels as though prerequisite knowledge is necessary to get the full experience from this book. This does run the risk of making a layperson feel lost - there were times when I felt lost or had to skim paragraphs because it felt like I was in intellectual quicksand: the more I struggled to understand, the more difficult it became. Perhaps this was a quirk in my particular reading experience, but it was just generally tough to understand.
On the whole, 'Fear of a Black Universe' is an okay primer on key theories of the universe, generally centering on the quantum side of things. Being such a complicated topic no matter your level of expertise, this book could have benefited considerably from extra time being spent to carefully explain the facets of these theories the author was discussing. The personal anecdotes sprinkled through the book were nice to read, and they gave me a fresh perspective on how the broader astronomy field is still an area where minority groups struggle to break into, but also how being "creative" with your ideas is somewhat frowned upon due to reputational risk and job security. I would recommend this book to those with a working knowledge of quantum theories, and would caution those without that this may be a book that largely isn't able to sink in. It certainly was difficult for me.
June 18, 2023
"Fear of a Black Universe" is a fascinating and thought-provoking audiobook that explores the latest discoveries in physics and cosmology. Stephon Alexander, a theoretical physicist, provides a comprehensive overview of the science behind the universe and the role that it plays in our understanding of it.
One of the strengths of the audiobook is Alexander's ability to explain complex scientific concepts in a way that is accessible and engaging for the listener. He uses analogy and metaphor to help the listener understand concepts such as dark matter and the expanding universe, and provides real-world examples to illustrate his points.
Another strength of the audiobook is Alexander's ability to provide historical context for the scientific discoveries that he discusses. He explores the contributions of historical figures such as Newton and Einstein, and shows how their work paved the way for our current understanding of the universe.
The audiobook is also notable for its exploration of the cultural and social implications of our understanding of the universe. Alexander explores the ways in which our understanding of the universe shapes our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world.
However, the audiobook is not without its limitations. At times, Alexander's narrative can feel tangential or meandering, and some listeners may find the level of detail to be overwhelming or difficult to follow.
Overall, "Fear of a Black Universe" is a unique and engaging audiobook that will appeal to listeners who are interested in the latest discoveries in physics and cosmology. Alexander's writing is engaging and accessible, and he provides an interesting perspective on the cultural and social implications of our understanding of the universe. While the audiobook may not be for everyone, those who appreciate thought-provoking and multidisciplinary explorations of the universe will likely find much to enjoy in this work.
One of the strengths of the audiobook is Alexander's ability to explain complex scientific concepts in a way that is accessible and engaging for the listener. He uses analogy and metaphor to help the listener understand concepts such as dark matter and the expanding universe, and provides real-world examples to illustrate his points.
Another strength of the audiobook is Alexander's ability to provide historical context for the scientific discoveries that he discusses. He explores the contributions of historical figures such as Newton and Einstein, and shows how their work paved the way for our current understanding of the universe.
The audiobook is also notable for its exploration of the cultural and social implications of our understanding of the universe. Alexander explores the ways in which our understanding of the universe shapes our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world.
However, the audiobook is not without its limitations. At times, Alexander's narrative can feel tangential or meandering, and some listeners may find the level of detail to be overwhelming or difficult to follow.
Overall, "Fear of a Black Universe" is a unique and engaging audiobook that will appeal to listeners who are interested in the latest discoveries in physics and cosmology. Alexander's writing is engaging and accessible, and he provides an interesting perspective on the cultural and social implications of our understanding of the universe. While the audiobook may not be for everyone, those who appreciate thought-provoking and multidisciplinary explorations of the universe will likely find much to enjoy in this work.
May 26, 2022
I was quite interested in Joao Magueijo's documentary "Faster Than the Speed of Light?", in 2011. So much so that I immediately order his book and read it in a few days. The reasons for my interest were the guts he had to propose an unusual theory, knowing hewould have to face harsh critics, and jeopardize his image of a respectable scientist. This documentary and this book stayed in a corner of my head since, and I've sometimes thought that more "crazy theories" were certainly the way to create a breakthrough in our understanding of science, and wondered why it didn't happen more often.
When I chose to read "Fear of a Black Universe", I didn't knew what to expect. But the book was promoted on the Edge.org library, which is always a sign of quality for me (I read about every book they present). I was surprised to realize that this book was actually answering the interrogations I had since I saw Magueijo's documentary. Why don't scientist dare proposing "crazy theories"? Why they should in order to disrupt our current knowledge. Why we need a diversity of people in science to have a diversity of thinking and so on.
I actually thought back of Magueijo since the first pages of the book, and was quite happy when the author started talking about Joao halfway into the book!
Apart from the reflection on the way science is done, and how it should be done, the book is an excellent presentation of the current state of affairs of science: where are we right now? What do we still need to find out? What are promising theories?
A must-read for all people interested in science (with the necessary background)!
When I chose to read "Fear of a Black Universe", I didn't knew what to expect. But the book was promoted on the Edge.org library, which is always a sign of quality for me (I read about every book they present). I was surprised to realize that this book was actually answering the interrogations I had since I saw Magueijo's documentary. Why don't scientist dare proposing "crazy theories"? Why they should in order to disrupt our current knowledge. Why we need a diversity of people in science to have a diversity of thinking and so on.
I actually thought back of Magueijo since the first pages of the book, and was quite happy when the author started talking about Joao halfway into the book!
Apart from the reflection on the way science is done, and how it should be done, the book is an excellent presentation of the current state of affairs of science: where are we right now? What do we still need to find out? What are promising theories?
A must-read for all people interested in science (with the necessary background)!
April 11, 2025
The author makes a great effort to explain the current state of astrology in simple terms. I like that they put the current doubts in plain, unlike many other authors. The only thing I guess he went too far in was the last chapter. I read some books about Panpsychism, but I didn't swallow them.
One more reflection It has been proven by Gödel and Turing that the following three statements are not true: consistent, neither complete of decidable. Math is none of that. Physics trusts in intuition, and math is the building block. So how come we can trust that, for example, that Quantum Mechanist is correct, which is heavily based on the Wave Function, a mathematical function, when the math the building block is not consistent, neither complete of decidable. So how can we relate the Wave Function to consciousness when we neither know what consciousness is, who has it, how it emerges, and the basis of math are feeble? Is true that math give us a lot of tools, that seems to be correct, bridges don't fall and plane flies, but maybe some deeper knowledge that would prevent us to understand that the wave function is not the correct representation of the behavior of particles since the wave is wrong itself because some inconsistence in math due to math being nor consistent, neither complete of decidable, and we never know. These are two of the things that prevent us from saying that Quantum Mechanics is strange. We don't know what consciousness is, nor do we know if math is correct, despite that everything we build works and we live in.
One more reflection It has been proven by Gödel and Turing that the following three statements are not true: consistent, neither complete of decidable. Math is none of that. Physics trusts in intuition, and math is the building block. So how come we can trust that, for example, that Quantum Mechanist is correct, which is heavily based on the Wave Function, a mathematical function, when the math the building block is not consistent, neither complete of decidable. So how can we relate the Wave Function to consciousness when we neither know what consciousness is, who has it, how it emerges, and the basis of math are feeble? Is true that math give us a lot of tools, that seems to be correct, bridges don't fall and plane flies, but maybe some deeper knowledge that would prevent us to understand that the wave function is not the correct representation of the behavior of particles since the wave is wrong itself because some inconsistence in math due to math being nor consistent, neither complete of decidable, and we never know. These are two of the things that prevent us from saying that Quantum Mechanics is strange. We don't know what consciousness is, nor do we know if math is correct, despite that everything we build works and we live in.
December 15, 2024
**.5
I appreciate what the author was trying to do, but as a book it isn't very good. The major problem is failing to identify the target audience, and then writing at an appropriate level. As a book for a "general audience" that doesn't include any equations, it's going to feel extremely dumbed down for other physicists or related SMEs. But on the other hand, he assumes that the reader is already familiar with the basics of modern physics, providing no more than a sentence or two of a refresher before diving right in to the most difficult aspects of a given area of research.
There's also way too much name dropping, and he clearly has an extremely large chip on his shoulder for not receiving the amount of credit that he feels he's owed. Whether his grievances are legitimate, caused by racism, or well-deserved is impossible to determine from the book, we're just supposed to take his word for it that he was rejected for being "an outsider," whatever the hell that's supposed to mean.
I appreciate what the author was trying to do, but as a book it isn't very good. The major problem is failing to identify the target audience, and then writing at an appropriate level. As a book for a "general audience" that doesn't include any equations, it's going to feel extremely dumbed down for other physicists or related SMEs. But on the other hand, he assumes that the reader is already familiar with the basics of modern physics, providing no more than a sentence or two of a refresher before diving right in to the most difficult aspects of a given area of research.
There's also way too much name dropping, and he clearly has an extremely large chip on his shoulder for not receiving the amount of credit that he feels he's owed. Whether his grievances are legitimate, caused by racism, or well-deserved is impossible to determine from the book, we're just supposed to take his word for it that he was rejected for being "an outsider," whatever the hell that's supposed to mean.
October 7, 2021
After eight chapters I'm returning the book unfinished to the library. The book's discussions on physics were often a struggle for me to understand. You expect that to happen from time to time in a book about quantum mechanics, dark energy, relativity, and string theory, but it happened too often for this book to be readable for me.
There are some interesting parts, as when he shares his experience as a minority black student in graduate school. His classmates seemed to have pegged him as beneath their comradery as an affirmative action admission. He clearly felt the snub and felt that being denied their fellowship forced him to the outside, which led to him doing some more original work that was well received and published. That was interesting. Also, I felt from the start that Alexander has an original take on physics and how to explain it. His focus in discussing relativity on symmetry and invariance was new to me and interesting, but too often as I read along the necessary bridges to understanding were missing. Perhaps it is a failure of his editor to help Alexander recognize where a general audience would need some more help to follow his ideas? As a result, despite its originality, despite its author being a cutting-edge cosmologist, the book was not, overall, a good read.
There are some interesting parts, as when he shares his experience as a minority black student in graduate school. His classmates seemed to have pegged him as beneath their comradery as an affirmative action admission. He clearly felt the snub and felt that being denied their fellowship forced him to the outside, which led to him doing some more original work that was well received and published. That was interesting. Also, I felt from the start that Alexander has an original take on physics and how to explain it. His focus in discussing relativity on symmetry and invariance was new to me and interesting, but too often as I read along the necessary bridges to understanding were missing. Perhaps it is a failure of his editor to help Alexander recognize where a general audience would need some more help to follow his ideas? As a result, despite its originality, despite its author being a cutting-edge cosmologist, the book was not, overall, a good read.
January 17, 2024
Alexander’s giddiness for science comes through magnificently! He also tactfully addresses racism in science and presents a solid case for diversity in advancing our collective knowledge.
He falls short only in stretching the physics background required to grasp some of these concepts a bit further than the average non-scientist possesses. I found myself rereading some of the later chapters multiple times and still not fully comprehending the content.
Nonetheless, a brilliant book - as a musician myself, this thoroughly whetted my appetite for The Jazz of Physics.
He falls short only in stretching the physics background required to grasp some of these concepts a bit further than the average non-scientist possesses. I found myself rereading some of the later chapters multiple times and still not fully comprehending the content.
Nonetheless, a brilliant book - as a musician myself, this thoroughly whetted my appetite for The Jazz of Physics.
May 25, 2024
I was torn on the rating for this book. For someone with a stronger background in quantum mechanics, special relativity, and similar areas of physics, I believe the book would resonate more closely with them. For me, the book rapidly shifts between personal stories, such as meeting a colleague for dinner, to technical descriptions of phenomenon, which forces the reader to quickly switch reading intensities. Underlying ideas of the connections between physics, religion, philosophy, and mysticism are interesting.
October 12, 2021
A delightful read for a lot of reasons, but i was particuarly struck by Alexander's laid back tone in describing his theories, and the total absence of unnecessary analogy and metaphor that generally drives me nuts in lay-people-friendly physics books. He explains just enough in a reader-friendly fashion, keeps things moving. I actually learned more about how theoretical physicists do their work than I have from other authors who treat us like we couldn't possibly appreciate it.
April 4, 2022
Overall good book
The author takes the reader through many different theories of the quantum world, how the world could have been created, and lastly how consciousness plays a part in it
The beginning parts of chapters are simple but the last 10 pages become more complex and I noticed many times on my kindle that paragraphs would last more than a page
I recommend this book to physics students wanting to learn more about the different subjects under physics they can study
The author takes the reader through many different theories of the quantum world, how the world could have been created, and lastly how consciousness plays a part in it
The beginning parts of chapters are simple but the last 10 pages become more complex and I noticed many times on my kindle that paragraphs would last more than a page
I recommend this book to physics students wanting to learn more about the different subjects under physics they can study
March 18, 2022
Fun and inspiring popular physics—challenging but accessible. What will stick with me is the author’s emphasis on the value of diverse and outsider perspectives, and his openness to exploring creative and esoteric avenues in order to look through new lenses (all without sacrificing scientific rigor).
July 21, 2022
3.5 STARS
Very enjoyable read! Mostly summarily in content but this book would be massive if it wasn't.. I think my basic knowledge on physics helped me understand this book better as he does seem to flit from concept to concept quite quickly. I'd suggest reading breaks to absorb this info and the enormity of it.
All in all, great read! Definitely recommended.
Very enjoyable read! Mostly summarily in content but this book would be massive if it wasn't.. I think my basic knowledge on physics helped me understand this book better as he does seem to flit from concept to concept quite quickly. I'd suggest reading breaks to absorb this info and the enormity of it.
All in all, great read! Definitely recommended.
August 30, 2022
Solid theoretical physics book that does a good job of taking you to the precipice of our understanding of physics and science in general. Felt towards the end that the concepts were a bit harder to fully understand and required more background than the author gave. Regardless, enjoyable book, cheers.
January 8, 2023
I don't think I am the intended audience for this book, and even though Alexander is a pretty good explainer, most of the physics was beyond me. I did like the way he portrayed theoretical physics as a creative endeavor.
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