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We Are All Stardust: scientists who shaped our world talk about their work, their lives, and what they still want to know
World-leading natural and social scientists shed light on their discoveries and lives in conversation with an award-winning science writer.
When acclaimed science writer Stefan Klein asks Nobel Prize-winning chemist Roald Hoffmann what sets scientists apart, Hoffmann says, ‘First and foremost, curiosity.’ In this collection of intimate conversations with 19 of the world’s best-known scientists, Klein lets us listen in as today’s leading minds reveal what they still hope to discover — and how their paradigm-changing work entwines with their lives outside the lab.
From the sports car that physicist Steven Weinberg says helped him on his quest for ‘the theory of everything’ to the jazz musicians who gave psychologist Alison Gopnik new insight into raising children, scientists explain how they find inspiration everywhere. Hear from evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins on selfishness; anthropologist Sarah Hrdy on motherhood; primatologist Jane Goodall on animal behaviour; neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran on consciousness; geographer Jared Diamond on chance in history; and other luminaries!
When acclaimed science writer Stefan Klein asks Nobel Prize-winning chemist Roald Hoffmann what sets scientists apart, Hoffmann says, ‘First and foremost, curiosity.’ In this collection of intimate conversations with 19 of the world’s best-known scientists, Klein lets us listen in as today’s leading minds reveal what they still hope to discover — and how their paradigm-changing work entwines with their lives outside the lab.
From the sports car that physicist Steven Weinberg says helped him on his quest for ‘the theory of everything’ to the jazz musicians who gave psychologist Alison Gopnik new insight into raising children, scientists explain how they find inspiration everywhere. Hear from evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins on selfishness; anthropologist Sarah Hrdy on motherhood; primatologist Jane Goodall on animal behaviour; neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran on consciousness; geographer Jared Diamond on chance in history; and other luminaries!
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
355 people are currently reading
4125 people want to read
About the author
Stefan Klein
47 books90 followersDr. Stefan Klein, geboren 1965 in München, ist Physiker, Philosoph und der erfolgreichste Wissenschaftsautor deutscher Sprache.
Er studierte Physik und analytische Philosophie in München, Grenoble und Freiburg, promovierte und forschte auf dem Gebiet der theoretischen Biophysik. Er wandte sich dem Schreiben zu, weil er "die Menschen begeistern wollte für eine Wirklichkeit, die aufregender ist als jeder Krimi“.
Sein Buch „Die Glücksformel“ (2002) stand über ein Jahr auf allen deutschen Bestsellerlisten und machte den Autor auch international bekannt. In den folgenden Jahren erschienen die hoch gelobten Bestseller „Alles Zufall“,, „Zeit", "Da Vincis Vermächtnis oder Wie Leonardo die Welt neu erfand", "Der Sinn des Gebens" und zuletzt "Träume". Kleins Werk wurde in 27 Sprachen übersetzt und vielfach ausgezeichnet, zuletzt mit dem Deutschen Lesepreis (2015).
Stefan Klein ist ein viel gefragter Vortragsredner. Für das Zeit-Magazin führt er regelmäßig große Gespräche mit den führenden Wissenschaftlern der Welt. Im Rahmen von Lehraufträgen und Vorlesungen unterrichtete er an den Universitäten Heidelberg, Freiburg, UdK Berlin, Cottbus, St. Gallen, Barcelona und Cambridge.
Klein lebt in Berlin. Er ist mit der Wissenschaftsjournalistin Alexandra Rigos verheiratet und hat drei Kinder.
Er studierte Physik und analytische Philosophie in München, Grenoble und Freiburg, promovierte und forschte auf dem Gebiet der theoretischen Biophysik. Er wandte sich dem Schreiben zu, weil er "die Menschen begeistern wollte für eine Wirklichkeit, die aufregender ist als jeder Krimi“.
Sein Buch „Die Glücksformel“ (2002) stand über ein Jahr auf allen deutschen Bestsellerlisten und machte den Autor auch international bekannt. In den folgenden Jahren erschienen die hoch gelobten Bestseller „Alles Zufall“,, „Zeit", "Da Vincis Vermächtnis oder Wie Leonardo die Welt neu erfand", "Der Sinn des Gebens" und zuletzt "Träume". Kleins Werk wurde in 27 Sprachen übersetzt und vielfach ausgezeichnet, zuletzt mit dem Deutschen Lesepreis (2015).
Stefan Klein ist ein viel gefragter Vortragsredner. Für das Zeit-Magazin führt er regelmäßig große Gespräche mit den führenden Wissenschaftlern der Welt. Im Rahmen von Lehraufträgen und Vorlesungen unterrichtete er an den Universitäten Heidelberg, Freiburg, UdK Berlin, Cottbus, St. Gallen, Barcelona und Cambridge.
Klein lebt in Berlin. Er ist mit der Wissenschaftsjournalistin Alexandra Rigos verheiratet und hat drei Kinder.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
March 16, 2016
I picked this book up at a time in my adult life when I just started getting really, really into science, and it was the perfect book to begin my foray into reading more nonfiction—books on history, economics, science, and space in particular. It's filled with fascinating interviews between Stefan Klein and scientists and experts on their life's work, with topics ranging from empathy, morality, memory, and consciousness, to chance in history, motherhood, animal behavior, and the critical first three minutes of our planet's existence.
Each interview introduced me to a new topic (and about five books the interviewee wrote or recommended) that I immediately wanted to know everything I could about. I reread a lot of pages while reading, just to be sure I was taking it all in, and often because the chapters built off each other very well. Even across a range of topics, each discussion was ultimately about us, as people, and our shared humanity. Highly recommend.
Each interview introduced me to a new topic (and about five books the interviewee wrote or recommended) that I immediately wanted to know everything I could about. I reread a lot of pages while reading, just to be sure I was taking it all in, and often because the chapters built off each other very well. Even across a range of topics, each discussion was ultimately about us, as people, and our shared humanity. Highly recommend.
January 5, 2019
Not quite what I was expecting, the subtitle should read ‘meandering conversations between academics’ as there was no structure to the interviews, and often the author completely overtakes the conversation. A great idea, but doesn’t explore ‘mysteries of our existence’, as far as I could tell it was random conversations about their work that felt very surface level.
Took me forever to read, as it wasn’t interesting enough for me to feel the urge to pick it back up. I didn’t really like the author as his presence was overpowering and I felt the scientist selection was biased towards reaffirming the authors politics and worldview. Disappointing.
Took me forever to read, as it wasn’t interesting enough for me to feel the urge to pick it back up. I didn’t really like the author as his presence was overpowering and I felt the scientist selection was biased towards reaffirming the authors politics and worldview. Disappointing.
April 14, 2018
A series of interviews with famous scientists can be surprisingly good reading. Part of Modern Mrs. Darcy's 2018 reading challenge is a book recommended by someone with good taste. This is that book. Translated from German to English, it reads remarkably smoothly, although some of Klein's questions come across a little sharply, so it seems. He has conversations with many scientists about the more human side of their work.
You'll find some familiar names here as well as some less well-known. The interviewees are: Martin Rees, Richard Dawkins, V. S. Ramachandran, Jared Diamond, Jane Goodall, Steven Weinberg, Elizabeth Blackburn, Peter Singer, Nicholas Christakis, Craig Venter, Roald Hoffman, Hannah Monyer, Vittorio Gallese, Raghavendra Gadagkar, Ernst Fehr, Walter Zieglgänsberger, Sarah Hrdy, Alison Gopnik, and an imaginary conversation with Leonardo da Vinci. Topics are wide-ranging and often fascinating.
This is a bit of a science-nerd book, but it contains insights into everything from chemistry and poetry to physics and economics. Quite often the interviews touch on religion, giving me a reason to discuss it on my blog (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World). The interaction of science and religion is one that requires much thought and discussion. It is a multi-sided conversation, and this book is a worthy contribution to it.
You'll find some familiar names here as well as some less well-known. The interviewees are: Martin Rees, Richard Dawkins, V. S. Ramachandran, Jared Diamond, Jane Goodall, Steven Weinberg, Elizabeth Blackburn, Peter Singer, Nicholas Christakis, Craig Venter, Roald Hoffman, Hannah Monyer, Vittorio Gallese, Raghavendra Gadagkar, Ernst Fehr, Walter Zieglgänsberger, Sarah Hrdy, Alison Gopnik, and an imaginary conversation with Leonardo da Vinci. Topics are wide-ranging and often fascinating.
This is a bit of a science-nerd book, but it contains insights into everything from chemistry and poetry to physics and economics. Quite often the interviews touch on religion, giving me a reason to discuss it on my blog (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World). The interaction of science and religion is one that requires much thought and discussion. It is a multi-sided conversation, and this book is a worthy contribution to it.
April 3, 2022
Science defines our lives as never before, yet we know little about those who have come up with so many of the wonders. Klien interviews a couple of dozen about their work, where it's led, & why they chose to study what they did as well as some other matters. It's fairly brief, informal, & was fascinating. I always felt as if I wanted the conversations to go on - that's a good thing. I was never bored nor was it ever repetitive.
Well narrated & I had the ebook to let me skim back over any points I needed to ponder. There were plenty of those. Highly recommended.
Table of Contents
Introduction
ON THE COURAGE TO SPEND A LIFETIME SEARCHING
We Are All Stardust
• COSMOLOGIST MARTIN REES •
ON THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE WORLD
The Genes of the Good
• EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST RICHARD DAWKINS •
ON EGOISM AND SELFLESSNESS
In the Hall of Illusions
• NEUROSCIENTIST V. S. RAMACHANDRAN •
ON CONSCIOUSNESS
The Recalcitrant Zebra
• PHYSIOLOGIST AND GEOGRAPHER JARED DIAMOND •
ON CHANCE AND NECESSITY IN HISTORY
Chimps Are Individuals Like Us
• PRIMATOLOGIST JANE GOODALL •
ON OUR RELATIONSHIP TO ANIMALS
The Unity of the World
• PHYSICIST STEVEN WEINBERG •
ON SCIENCE AND RELIGION
Can We Become Immortal?
• MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST ELIZABETH BLACKBURN •
ON AGING
Is Luxury Immoral?
• PHILOSOPHER PETER SINGER •
ON ETHICS
Our Well-Being Depends on Our Friends and Their Friends
• PHYSICIAN AND SOCIAL SCIENTIST NICHOLAS
CHRISTAKIS •
ON HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
The Software of Life
• BIOCHEMIST CRAIG VENTER •
ON THE HUMAN GENOME
The Poetry of Molecules
• CHEMIST AND POET ROALD HOFFMANN •
ON BEAUTY
Do You Remember?
• NEUROBIOLOGIST HANNAH MONYER •
ON MEMORY
The Others in Our Heads
• NEUROSCIENTIST VITTORIO GALLESE •
ON EMPATHY
The Laws of Devotion
• ANIMAL BEHAVIOR RESEARCHER RAGHAVENDRA
GADAGKAR •
ON ALTRUISM
The Hunger for Fairness
• ECONOMIST ERNST FEHR •
ON MORALITY
The Strongest Feeling of All
• NEUROPHARMACOLOGIST WALTER ZIEGLGÄNSBERGER •
ON PAIN
The Female Side of Evolution
• ANTHROPOLOGIST SARAH HRDY •
ON MOTHERHOOD
Babies Can Be Smarter Than Us
• DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGIST ALISON GOPNIK •
ON CHILDHOOD
Love Is the Offspring of Knowledge
• ARTIST LEONARDO DA VINCI •
ON THE BEGINNING OF MODERN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Well narrated & I had the ebook to let me skim back over any points I needed to ponder. There were plenty of those. Highly recommended.
Table of Contents
Introduction
ON THE COURAGE TO SPEND A LIFETIME SEARCHING
We Are All Stardust
• COSMOLOGIST MARTIN REES •
ON THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE WORLD
The Genes of the Good
• EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST RICHARD DAWKINS •
ON EGOISM AND SELFLESSNESS
In the Hall of Illusions
• NEUROSCIENTIST V. S. RAMACHANDRAN •
ON CONSCIOUSNESS
The Recalcitrant Zebra
• PHYSIOLOGIST AND GEOGRAPHER JARED DIAMOND •
ON CHANCE AND NECESSITY IN HISTORY
Chimps Are Individuals Like Us
• PRIMATOLOGIST JANE GOODALL •
ON OUR RELATIONSHIP TO ANIMALS
The Unity of the World
• PHYSICIST STEVEN WEINBERG •
ON SCIENCE AND RELIGION
Can We Become Immortal?
• MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST ELIZABETH BLACKBURN •
ON AGING
Is Luxury Immoral?
• PHILOSOPHER PETER SINGER •
ON ETHICS
Our Well-Being Depends on Our Friends and Their Friends
• PHYSICIAN AND SOCIAL SCIENTIST NICHOLAS
CHRISTAKIS •
ON HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
The Software of Life
• BIOCHEMIST CRAIG VENTER •
ON THE HUMAN GENOME
The Poetry of Molecules
• CHEMIST AND POET ROALD HOFFMANN •
ON BEAUTY
Do You Remember?
• NEUROBIOLOGIST HANNAH MONYER •
ON MEMORY
The Others in Our Heads
• NEUROSCIENTIST VITTORIO GALLESE •
ON EMPATHY
The Laws of Devotion
• ANIMAL BEHAVIOR RESEARCHER RAGHAVENDRA
GADAGKAR •
ON ALTRUISM
The Hunger for Fairness
• ECONOMIST ERNST FEHR •
ON MORALITY
The Strongest Feeling of All
• NEUROPHARMACOLOGIST WALTER ZIEGLGÄNSBERGER •
ON PAIN
The Female Side of Evolution
• ANTHROPOLOGIST SARAH HRDY •
ON MOTHERHOOD
Babies Can Be Smarter Than Us
• DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGIST ALISON GOPNIK •
ON CHILDHOOD
Love Is the Offspring of Knowledge
• ARTIST LEONARDO DA VINCI •
ON THE BEGINNING OF MODERN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
January 16, 2016
Overall, this was a pretty interesting and enjoyable read. I did have a few problems with it, but that's to be expected with so many different opinions on the same kind of issues.
Stefan Klein interviewed nineteen scientists from different fields. Klein states in his introduction that this leads to a very narrow cross-section of a very large whole, and I have to agree. The interviewees are people with whom Klein himself has wanted to interview, people who have made a difference to his own research and worldview. The majority of these scientists are European due to Klein's own German upbringing.
If not conducted in German, the interviews were then translated into Klein's native tongue. When 'We Are All Stardust' was published in English, all the interviews were translated from the German edition. At times the translation feels clunky and has some trouble with reading.
It could be due to the translation issues, but it feels like Klein has difficulty in asking the right questions. There were a few interviews I felt weren't taking the path they should have been, but that could just be me. Klein's interviews did give a nice insight into the lives and personalities of the scientists themselves but personally I would have preferred to have a bit more insight into their hypotheses and experiments.
Despite my few issues and dislike of one of the scientists, I have to agree that this book achieves what it sets out to do. As it says on the cover: "Scientists who shaped our world talk about their work, their lives, and what they still want to know."
Stefan Klein interviewed nineteen scientists from different fields. Klein states in his introduction that this leads to a very narrow cross-section of a very large whole, and I have to agree. The interviewees are people with whom Klein himself has wanted to interview, people who have made a difference to his own research and worldview. The majority of these scientists are European due to Klein's own German upbringing.
If not conducted in German, the interviews were then translated into Klein's native tongue. When 'We Are All Stardust' was published in English, all the interviews were translated from the German edition. At times the translation feels clunky and has some trouble with reading.
It could be due to the translation issues, but it feels like Klein has difficulty in asking the right questions. There were a few interviews I felt weren't taking the path they should have been, but that could just be me. Klein's interviews did give a nice insight into the lives and personalities of the scientists themselves but personally I would have preferred to have a bit more insight into their hypotheses and experiments.
Despite my few issues and dislike of one of the scientists, I have to agree that this book achieves what it sets out to do. As it says on the cover: "Scientists who shaped our world talk about their work, their lives, and what they still want to know."
February 22, 2018
Well-written and excellently curated, I enjoyed every interview and found insights even where my opinions differed from the interviewee.
I can’t wait to get my hands on a personal copy so I can reread it and fill it with sticky notes. 10/10.
I can’t wait to get my hands on a personal copy so I can reread it and fill it with sticky notes. 10/10.
October 19, 2019
Written in the form of dialogues with some of the most prominent scientists of the present and past (the later was imaginary talk with Leonardo da Vinci, I liked that). Good ol' Leo was all in wonder it took us 500 years to implement some of his findings.
You can learn a lot from each of these dialogues, but depending on what rocks your boat, some of them you can enjoy, immensely. And there are some mind blowing facts.
The reason for foot fetish? Feets and genitalia are physically close on the brain map. That's why there are lot of feet fetishists, it's well-known kink of thousands of erotica works. How about nose fetish? Not so much. On brain map, it's nowhere close.
It got me thinking, a little, about hand I've been dealt in this life. First of all, ladies don't seem to be nearly as much enamored with fetishes as men. Second, even if they were, the most prominent part of my anatomy wouldn't do lot for them. Well, damn.
But, pay attention now, it works only in one direction. That's why, in some (leg) amputees, what happens is that some of them feel missing leg like extension of their genitalia while having sex (!), but in penis amputees (yup, that happens too), stimulating the foot or leg does nothing for their pleasure.
You can learn a lot from each of these dialogues, but depending on what rocks your boat, some of them you can enjoy, immensely. And there are some mind blowing facts.
The reason for foot fetish? Feets and genitalia are physically close on the brain map. That's why there are lot of feet fetishists, it's well-known kink of thousands of erotica works. How about nose fetish? Not so much. On brain map, it's nowhere close.
It got me thinking, a little, about hand I've been dealt in this life. First of all, ladies don't seem to be nearly as much enamored with fetishes as men. Second, even if they were, the most prominent part of my anatomy wouldn't do lot for them. Well, damn.
But, pay attention now, it works only in one direction. That's why, in some (leg) amputees, what happens is that some of them feel missing leg like extension of their genitalia while having sex (!), but in penis amputees (yup, that happens too), stimulating the foot or leg does nothing for their pleasure.
May 18, 2025
This collection of intelligent, insightful interviews with some of the smartest minds in the world was informative and very enlightening. Each conversation reminded me just how dedicated scientists and researchers are to their work and how important their love of learning is to the rest of the world. From black holes to happiness, human desire to understand never ceases to inspire and educate. This collection provided new perspectives and lots of wonderful information. Recommended.
October 18, 2016
4.5
This book is a series of interviews with scientists in many different field. Usually with anthologies like this I love a few entries and am bored by the rest, but that wasn't the case here. I read the entire book, cover to cover, and I enjoyed every page.
This book is a series of interviews with scientists in many different field. Usually with anthologies like this I love a few entries and am bored by the rest, but that wasn't the case here. I read the entire book, cover to cover, and I enjoyed every page.
January 28, 2019
ขอยืมคำพูดประมาณว่า 'อย่ารู้จักนักเขียน หากอยากเอนจอยกับงานของเขา' เพราะตัวตนที่ไม่เป็นอย่างหวัง อาจเปลี่ยนรสชาติงานได้ กับนักวิทยาศาสตร์ก็คงไม่ต่างกัน แต่สำหรับเรา การได้รู้ถึงเศษเสี้ยวชีวิต แรงบันดาลใจ และทัศนคติเบื้องหลังการค้นคว้าอันยาวนาน ทำให้องค์ความรู้เหล่านั้นมีความหมายมากขึ้น
บทสัมภาษณ์นักวิทยาศาสตร์หลากฟิลด์ มีทั้ง cosmologist อธิบายกำเนิดจักรวาลเข้าใจง่าย ๆ เรารู้สึกว่าเป็นคุณปู่ที่สุขุมดี, คุณริชาร์ด ดอว์กินส์ ความเอื้อเฟื้อเผื่อแผ่ฝังอยู่ในยีน และที่ว่า Selfish Gene เป็นชื่อที่ mislead พอสมควร, คุณเจน กู๊ดดอลล์ จากสารคดีชิมแปนซีคนนั้น ก็เพิ่งรู้ว่าแกมาทำงานสายนี้แบบเบลอ ๆ นอกจากนี้ยังมีหลายประเด็น อาทิ เรามีชีวิตอมตะได้ไหม, เด็กฉลาดกว่าผู้ใหญ่, ความเป็นแม่, ศาสนา, ความทรงจำ, ความเข้าใจเข้าใจ และเห็นใจ, คุณธรรม จริยธรรม, การเสพติดและความเจ็บปวด ฯลฯ
อ่านสนุก ไม่ได้มาแนววิชาการจ๋า เพราะค���สัมภาษณ์คงคิดว่าเราหาอ่านเองได้ คำถามเน้น ๆ เลยก็คือ มาอยู่ในแวดวงนี้ได้อย่างไร ทำไมจึงสนใจค้นคว้าเรื่องนั้น ๆ ยังอยากรู้อะไร��ีกบ้าง โลกที่คาดหวัง ความคิดเห็นบางคนไปในทางเดียวกัน บางคนก็ไม่ สุดท้ายสิ่งที่สัมผัสได้ในทุกบทคือ แพสชันและความพยายามเป็นที่มาของความสำเร็จ
บทสัมภาษณ์นักวิทยาศาสตร์หลากฟิลด์ มีทั้ง cosmologist อธิบายกำเนิดจักรวาลเข้าใจง่าย ๆ เรารู้สึกว่าเป็นคุณปู่ที่สุขุมดี, คุณริชาร์ด ดอว์กินส์ ความเอื้อเฟื้อเผื่อแผ่ฝังอยู่ในยีน และที่ว่า Selfish Gene เป็นชื่อที่ mislead พอสมควร, คุณเจน กู๊ดดอลล์ จากสารคดีชิมแปนซีคนนั้น ก็เพิ่งรู้ว่าแกมาทำงานสายนี้แบบเบลอ ๆ นอกจากนี้ยังมีหลายประเด็น อาทิ เรามีชีวิตอมตะได้ไหม, เด็กฉลาดกว่าผู้ใหญ่, ความเป็นแม่, ศาสนา, ความทรงจำ, ความเข้าใจเข้าใจ และเห็นใจ, คุณธรรม จริยธรรม, การเสพติดและความเจ็บปวด ฯลฯ
อ่านสนุก ไม่ได้มาแนววิชาการจ๋า เพราะค���สัมภาษณ์คงคิดว่าเราหาอ่านเองได้ คำถามเน้น ๆ เลยก็คือ มาอยู่ในแวดวงนี้ได้อย่างไร ทำไมจึงสนใจค้นคว้าเรื่องนั้น ๆ ยังอยากรู้อะไร��ีกบ้าง โลกที่คาดหวัง ความคิดเห็นบางคนไปในทางเดียวกัน บางคนก็ไม่ สุดท้ายสิ่งที่สัมผัสได้ในทุกบทคือ แพสชันและความพยายามเป็นที่มาของความสำเร็จ
April 4, 2016
I wish I could give more than 5 stars to this book. No book has ever captured my imagination like this book. It is a journey which takes you to cosmos and its enormity in one chapter and helps you to explore brain and its mystery in another.
And the best part... All this comes straight from the horse's mouth. Most of the interviewees are Noble Laureates who have worked in a certain field of science for their entire life. Yet being a conversation with the author, it is written in simple english.
This book made me realise how little do we know about things around us and inspired me to pick books from different genres to make non-fiction a fun filled reading experience.
This book will leave you spellbound and curious as never! If you are reading this review, make sure you order a copy of this book now!
And the best part... All this comes straight from the horse's mouth. Most of the interviewees are Noble Laureates who have worked in a certain field of science for their entire life. Yet being a conversation with the author, it is written in simple english.
This book made me realise how little do we know about things around us and inspired me to pick books from different genres to make non-fiction a fun filled reading experience.
This book will leave you spellbound and curious as never! If you are reading this review, make sure you order a copy of this book now!
June 12, 2017
Fascinating interviews with some of the greatest minds in science. Stefan Kliein sits down with each one and discuss many topics including the works and opinions of each scientist. These scientist include Jane Goodall, Richard Dawkins, Martin Rees, and Peter Singer to name a few.
A lot of the information in here was new to me so a bit harder to understand at first. But it is a great read and I am glad I took the time to read it.
A lot of the information in here was new to me so a bit harder to understand at first. But it is a great read and I am glad I took the time to read it.
August 17, 2021
This is one of the best interview collection I have read. The author interviewed a large number of scientists from all aspects of science, including some of the biggest names. They are not superficial interviews, but goes deep into the essence of their respective areas of specialization. Though the interviews are independent and self-standing, there is an underlying philosophical thread that connects them together and raises some deep questions.
July 12, 2016
This really wasn't for me. Most of the ideas were old (some new but not enough to hold my interest). I didn't love the questions asked of the scientists. The answers were ok, if not often completely recycled from things they have said a 1000 times. Clearly from the reviews other people enjoyed this book much more than I did. I was just glad it was over and I could move onto a new book.
August 9, 2020
Insights on every page surfacing the often forgotten humanity motivating a range of scientific disciplines. In the end we’re all connected by the steel thread of trying to understand who we are, how we’ve come to be, and where we’re headed.
January 1, 2017
I often wish that the "Talk" interviews in the New York Times Magazine were longer. Particularly when the subject is someone who might have something of substance to say. But they are short form and because I usually want more when I'm done reading them, I have mostly stopped reading them.
The German newspaper Die Ziet also has a magazine supplement. And, in it, Stefan Klein publishes interviews with scientists. This book is made up of those interviews.
There were a few familiar names in the table of contents--Richard Dawkins, Jane Goodall, Leonardo DaVinci--but mostly Klein talks with scientists I have not heard of. Scientists who study things I probably could not understand, no matter how hard I tried. The kinds of people I would never find myself at a cocktail party with.
And it was fascinating. And the format made it digestible. And Klein's interviews, focused, as they were, on the weekly newspaper-reading audience, were completely accessible to my mind, a mind that so wants to be able to contemplate the larger issues of science but does not have the tools to do so.
I was pleasantly surprised at how often the conversations bent toward the philosophical. The cultural. The realm of thoughtful questioning without ways of finding real answers. And if I learned anything from this book is that scientists DO think like I do; in a random cacophony of ideas. They just sometimes do something different with those ideas.
All science is dedicated to understanding our world. And our world is populated with our people, so one might be surprised how often these eminent scientists consider theological and philosophical subjects, as related to their specialties.
For example;
Martin Rees, a cosmologist, had this to say about the dangers of the internet--"It not only expands peoples' horizons but also is capable of strongly reinforcing prejudices. Small groups with extreme views can now find like-minded people all over the world, organize themselves, and easily access technical knowledge. And because the mass media exponentially increase the psychological impact of any confused action, a handful of people can now exercise enormous power."
Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, on the concept of equitable fairness and the concept of niceness--"We don't like feeling that somebody else is getting away with something. In a country like Britain, where people pretty much will pay their taxes, I don't mind paying taxes. But if I lived in a country where just about everybody gets away with not paying their taxes, I would then feel very resentful of paying my taxes. And so, I think it's difficult to foster super-niceness. You can only foster a kind of slightly limited grudging niceness, because most people would be happy to be nice as long as they feel that not too many other people are exploiting it."
Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran on the nature of truth-"Our brain seems to function so smoothly. But in reality we're hallucinating all the time. What do you see? [makes a cross with his index fingers] Two fingers crossed. Exactly. Yet your retina received only the image of a finger and two finger halves behind it. Your brain supplied the notion that it's two whole fingers. We know much less than we think. More than 90 percent of what we believe we are perceiving we're only assuming. These assumptions are part of our worldview, which our brains construct and palm off on us as reality."
Ramachandran on death--"There's a single divine light that shines through each of us, but individuals are only the windows through which it shines. When someone dies, his window is closed. But the light keeps shining through all the other windows."
Chemist and poet Roald Hoffman on beauty--"Our mind is programmed to look for patterns. It favors simplicity. We feel at ease when we immediately understand something--whether it's a painting, a building, or a molecule. But then the thing quickly becomes boring. We need something more to keep our interest. Beauty comes from tension: between order and disorder, simplicity and complexity."
Neurobiologist Hannah Moyer on fate--"There's this wonderful Greek depiction of Kairos, the god of opportunity. He's bald except for a lock of hair on his forehead. You have to grasp him by it, or else he'll pass you by. We believe that we're in control of our lives. But in reality we can only seize opportunities."
Neuroscientist Vittorio Gallese on the power of face-to-face connection--"We communicate more and more by telephone and computer; communities in which people encounter one another in person are increasingly dissolving. But we know from our experiments that it's not without consequences for our capacity for empathy whether we see another person only on a screen or face-to-face. That's why a theater experience is more powerful than going to the movies. And if you communicate with your conversation partners only by e-mail or, like many young people, in electronic chat rooms, your image of them dissolves completely. And that must have profound effects on our social and cognitive abilities. We just don't know yet what they are. In any case, our social skills evolved for direct encounters, not virtual ones."
Economist Ernst Fehr on revenge--"The most unbearable feeling is that someone else got ahead by cheating us. To punish a presumed cheater people will even incur disadvantages to themselves. Here's a thought experiment: everyone can put money in a pot to stick it to those top managers who led their companies to near ruin while enriching themselves. For every euro you invest, ten euros are taken from the managers and then burned." Stefan Klein replies, "Probably a sizeable fund would be collected. But that would be more an expression of revenge than of fairness." Fehr continues, "Revenge is nothing but the dark side of the sense of fairness. It's a defense against the freeloaders in the community."
Fehr on happiness and justice--"Happiness is a private good, justice a public good. Because you as an individual can do something for your well-being, the subject is ill-suited for revolutions. For justice, on the other hand, you have to fight together with others."
Developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik on Feminism--"Feminism has two sides: Along with the struggle against oppression, it's also always been about taking female experiences seriously. After all, women haven't been twiddling their thumbs for the last ten thousand years; they have been raising the entire population of the earth."
And finally, this;
According to an estimate by the United Nations, an additional thirteen billion dollars a year would be enough to establish basic health care for everyone in the world. That's about what Europeans spend on ice cream every year. Encouraging because it shows how much we could accomplish without giving up that much of our own entitlement. Discouraging, as philosopher Peter Singer says, "Because it shows that our declared belief that every life is of equal value is only a theoretical belief. It's not a practical matter--It doesn't influence our actions very much. Psychologists call it the diffusion of responsibility. Because we know that every other passerby could help, and that some are even better off than us, we feel it's not up to us. In the end no one feels responsible. We hide in the crowd. People would rather give money for medical treatment that would save the life of a single child than for treatment costing the same amount that would save eight children. You know that there is one child in need an that you can save this child, and so you feel good that you can make a difference and solve a problem. But if you tell people that for the same amount of money they could save a larger number of children but that there are more children in need--that there are one hundred people in need and you could save twenty of them--fewer people would save twenty than would save the one. Any economist would say that's crazy. You obviously get better value for your money if you save twenty children than if you save one. But at twenty out of one hundred, a lot of people just see the fact that they can't really make a difference, so it's not worth it to bother."
The German newspaper Die Ziet also has a magazine supplement. And, in it, Stefan Klein publishes interviews with scientists. This book is made up of those interviews.
There were a few familiar names in the table of contents--Richard Dawkins, Jane Goodall, Leonardo DaVinci--but mostly Klein talks with scientists I have not heard of. Scientists who study things I probably could not understand, no matter how hard I tried. The kinds of people I would never find myself at a cocktail party with.
And it was fascinating. And the format made it digestible. And Klein's interviews, focused, as they were, on the weekly newspaper-reading audience, were completely accessible to my mind, a mind that so wants to be able to contemplate the larger issues of science but does not have the tools to do so.
I was pleasantly surprised at how often the conversations bent toward the philosophical. The cultural. The realm of thoughtful questioning without ways of finding real answers. And if I learned anything from this book is that scientists DO think like I do; in a random cacophony of ideas. They just sometimes do something different with those ideas.
All science is dedicated to understanding our world. And our world is populated with our people, so one might be surprised how often these eminent scientists consider theological and philosophical subjects, as related to their specialties.
For example;
Martin Rees, a cosmologist, had this to say about the dangers of the internet--"It not only expands peoples' horizons but also is capable of strongly reinforcing prejudices. Small groups with extreme views can now find like-minded people all over the world, organize themselves, and easily access technical knowledge. And because the mass media exponentially increase the psychological impact of any confused action, a handful of people can now exercise enormous power."
Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, on the concept of equitable fairness and the concept of niceness--"We don't like feeling that somebody else is getting away with something. In a country like Britain, where people pretty much will pay their taxes, I don't mind paying taxes. But if I lived in a country where just about everybody gets away with not paying their taxes, I would then feel very resentful of paying my taxes. And so, I think it's difficult to foster super-niceness. You can only foster a kind of slightly limited grudging niceness, because most people would be happy to be nice as long as they feel that not too many other people are exploiting it."
Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran on the nature of truth-"Our brain seems to function so smoothly. But in reality we're hallucinating all the time. What do you see? [makes a cross with his index fingers] Two fingers crossed. Exactly. Yet your retina received only the image of a finger and two finger halves behind it. Your brain supplied the notion that it's two whole fingers. We know much less than we think. More than 90 percent of what we believe we are perceiving we're only assuming. These assumptions are part of our worldview, which our brains construct and palm off on us as reality."
Ramachandran on death--"There's a single divine light that shines through each of us, but individuals are only the windows through which it shines. When someone dies, his window is closed. But the light keeps shining through all the other windows."
Chemist and poet Roald Hoffman on beauty--"Our mind is programmed to look for patterns. It favors simplicity. We feel at ease when we immediately understand something--whether it's a painting, a building, or a molecule. But then the thing quickly becomes boring. We need something more to keep our interest. Beauty comes from tension: between order and disorder, simplicity and complexity."
Neurobiologist Hannah Moyer on fate--"There's this wonderful Greek depiction of Kairos, the god of opportunity. He's bald except for a lock of hair on his forehead. You have to grasp him by it, or else he'll pass you by. We believe that we're in control of our lives. But in reality we can only seize opportunities."
Neuroscientist Vittorio Gallese on the power of face-to-face connection--"We communicate more and more by telephone and computer; communities in which people encounter one another in person are increasingly dissolving. But we know from our experiments that it's not without consequences for our capacity for empathy whether we see another person only on a screen or face-to-face. That's why a theater experience is more powerful than going to the movies. And if you communicate with your conversation partners only by e-mail or, like many young people, in electronic chat rooms, your image of them dissolves completely. And that must have profound effects on our social and cognitive abilities. We just don't know yet what they are. In any case, our social skills evolved for direct encounters, not virtual ones."
Economist Ernst Fehr on revenge--"The most unbearable feeling is that someone else got ahead by cheating us. To punish a presumed cheater people will even incur disadvantages to themselves. Here's a thought experiment: everyone can put money in a pot to stick it to those top managers who led their companies to near ruin while enriching themselves. For every euro you invest, ten euros are taken from the managers and then burned." Stefan Klein replies, "Probably a sizeable fund would be collected. But that would be more an expression of revenge than of fairness." Fehr continues, "Revenge is nothing but the dark side of the sense of fairness. It's a defense against the freeloaders in the community."
Fehr on happiness and justice--"Happiness is a private good, justice a public good. Because you as an individual can do something for your well-being, the subject is ill-suited for revolutions. For justice, on the other hand, you have to fight together with others."
Developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik on Feminism--"Feminism has two sides: Along with the struggle against oppression, it's also always been about taking female experiences seriously. After all, women haven't been twiddling their thumbs for the last ten thousand years; they have been raising the entire population of the earth."
And finally, this;
According to an estimate by the United Nations, an additional thirteen billion dollars a year would be enough to establish basic health care for everyone in the world. That's about what Europeans spend on ice cream every year. Encouraging because it shows how much we could accomplish without giving up that much of our own entitlement. Discouraging, as philosopher Peter Singer says, "Because it shows that our declared belief that every life is of equal value is only a theoretical belief. It's not a practical matter--It doesn't influence our actions very much. Psychologists call it the diffusion of responsibility. Because we know that every other passerby could help, and that some are even better off than us, we feel it's not up to us. In the end no one feels responsible. We hide in the crowd. People would rather give money for medical treatment that would save the life of a single child than for treatment costing the same amount that would save eight children. You know that there is one child in need an that you can save this child, and so you feel good that you can make a difference and solve a problem. But if you tell people that for the same amount of money they could save a larger number of children but that there are more children in need--that there are one hundred people in need and you could save twenty of them--fewer people would save twenty than would save the one. Any economist would say that's crazy. You obviously get better value for your money if you save twenty children than if you save one. But at twenty out of one hundred, a lot of people just see the fact that they can't really make a difference, so it's not worth it to bother."
Read
June 5, 2018[Klein’s] interview subjects explain their science clearly and display their passions vividly, making this an engaging introduction to a great breadth of scientific topics.
American Scientist
Strongly recommended for biography readers and science enthusiasts who want to take a look at what events have shaped the lives of influential scientists, and how their scientific discoveries have changed the way they see the world.
Universe Today
[A] comprehensive book of ideas, distilled in language that even a layperson can understand.
Thuy On, Sunday Age
Klein has chosen an eclectic group to tackle everything from expected questions about their areas of study to issues concerning religion, morality, pain, and parenthood … He is exceedingly well read in the work of his interviewees, and they exchange ideas with ease, moving readily from deeply technical concepts to pop culture, making for an exceedingly welcome volume that will expose readers to all manner of topics that are likely new to them in a manner that focuses first on the lively personalities of the scientists, while slowly diving into their work … Truly enjoyable.
Booklist
If you want to get a glimpse of the workings of some great minds — and find out how a trip in a sports car led to a Novel Prize and what Lord Rees nearly ended up doing for a living — this is the book for you.
BBC Focus
This work will enthral popular science lovers and STEM enthusiasts.
Library Journal
The dazzling clutch of scientific minds caught in mid-thought here makes for a read that provokes thought in its turn … This collection sees science writer Stefan Klein interview the likes of anthropologist Sarah Hrdy and astronomer Martin Rees. Delights abound.
Barbara Kiser, Nature
American Scientist
Strongly recommended for biography readers and science enthusiasts who want to take a look at what events have shaped the lives of influential scientists, and how their scientific discoveries have changed the way they see the world.
Universe Today
[A] comprehensive book of ideas, distilled in language that even a layperson can understand.
Thuy On, Sunday Age
Klein has chosen an eclectic group to tackle everything from expected questions about their areas of study to issues concerning religion, morality, pain, and parenthood … He is exceedingly well read in the work of his interviewees, and they exchange ideas with ease, moving readily from deeply technical concepts to pop culture, making for an exceedingly welcome volume that will expose readers to all manner of topics that are likely new to them in a manner that focuses first on the lively personalities of the scientists, while slowly diving into their work … Truly enjoyable.
Booklist
If you want to get a glimpse of the workings of some great minds — and find out how a trip in a sports car led to a Novel Prize and what Lord Rees nearly ended up doing for a living — this is the book for you.
BBC Focus
This work will enthral popular science lovers and STEM enthusiasts.
Library Journal
The dazzling clutch of scientific minds caught in mid-thought here makes for a read that provokes thought in its turn … This collection sees science writer Stefan Klein interview the likes of anthropologist Sarah Hrdy and astronomer Martin Rees. Delights abound.
Barbara Kiser, Nature
January 18, 2021
If you're thinking science as a career then this series of interviews with great contemporary scientists should give you motivation or enough material for a solid reason to turn away to some other road of life. I found the conversations inspiring and interesting, but also rather incoherent and without much structure.
The objects of research are as different as the world around us, which is obvious and understandable, but I found myself left hanging at the end of each chapter. Which is why I would instead highly recommend Rob Reid's podcast series "After On", which currently seems to be on a little hiatus, but don't let that deter you from listening the whole series of 53 episodes, so far.
After On podcast is what I expected of We Are All Stardust. It's an in-depth look into one slice of a specific field of science by interviewing a top scientific minds and the episodes are not hindered by the size-limit of a chapter in a book. In fact if you're a Patreon supporter, you get an even longer episode.
But coming back to the book at hand. There is never enough explanations about the complex topics that is the world around us. So I'm happy there are such popular science books around that allow me to catch up on the science that I managed to sleep through in school or more likely just was never made aware of in the first place. What a fascinating universe we live in!
The objects of research are as different as the world around us, which is obvious and understandable, but I found myself left hanging at the end of each chapter. Which is why I would instead highly recommend Rob Reid's podcast series "After On", which currently seems to be on a little hiatus, but don't let that deter you from listening the whole series of 53 episodes, so far.
After On podcast is what I expected of We Are All Stardust. It's an in-depth look into one slice of a specific field of science by interviewing a top scientific minds and the episodes are not hindered by the size-limit of a chapter in a book. In fact if you're a Patreon supporter, you get an even longer episode.
But coming back to the book at hand. There is never enough explanations about the complex topics that is the world around us. So I'm happy there are such popular science books around that allow me to catch up on the science that I managed to sleep through in school or more likely just was never made aware of in the first place. What a fascinating universe we live in!
December 21, 2020
This is a marvelous book, recommended to me by my friend, Michael. It features a German scientist who interviews 19 other brilliant minds (the final interview is an imaginary one with Leonardo Da Vinci) and asks probing important and interesting questions. The interviewees are as varied as Jane Goodall and Richard Dawkins. There are insights into poetry, cosmology, animal behavior, morality, memory, human consciousness, the universe, and everything and anything you can imagine. It was almost overwhelming and I think I need to get my own copy so I can mark it up as I don't think the library would appreciate my yellow highlighter.
December 7, 2018
A very nice book. It has some great interviews of the leading scientists from different fields. I have opted to go for the 5 stars because this book has personally benefitted me to a great extents. I had some questions about the lifestyle and struggle of the scientists; specially what kept them motivated in the long run to reach the stage of today and how they maintained their family duties along with research work. I guess I have found some of my answers here.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is aspiring to be a researcher in the scientific field.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is aspiring to be a researcher in the scientific field.
July 2, 2017
"As we now know, all out thoughts and feelings are dependent on the fact that we observe the bodies of other people, that we touch and manipulate things. And there's increasing evidence that we owe even the ability to speak to such motor skills. Our mind exists only in the corporeal world." -interview with neuroscientist, Vittorio Gallese, on empathy.
August 4, 2018
This compilation of interviews with influential scientist of various fields is a real treat for the curious mind.
It has bettered the way I understand the world (mirror neurons!)
It has bettered the way I understand the world (mirror neurons!)
July 22, 2023
Książka to zbiór wywiadów z różnymi współczesnymi naukowcami. Najbardziej spodobał mi się wywiad z Jane Goodal, która poświęciła życie badaniu szympansów.
February 7, 2024
Interesting in some places boring in others.
January 11, 2018
A real mind expander. Klein's conversations with some of the most powerful minds on earth are relatable, deep, and captivating. Read this. Now.
April 20, 2023
Great collection of interviews. It is always good to hear about what drives people and what they think about various subjects. Questions are also asked in a way that makes this book quite educational and full of information.
January 13, 2018
Great book for an dip into the world of what's going on in Science. As someone who has had only a tad science exploration (business background, blek) this is a great read! Alot about how intricate the brain is and evolutionary themes carry on through the book.
December 12, 2020
หนังสือรวบรวมบทสัมภาษณ์นักวิทยาศาสตร์ 10+ คนที่ครื้นเครงด้วยความรู้ วิธีคิด และชีวิตส่วนตัว
แม้หนังสือจะเก่า แต่เราว่าสนุกและทันสมัยมาก เพราะหลายเรื่องคือไม่รู้เลย โดยเฉพาะประเด็นจิตวิทยาแม่ และพัฒนาการเด็ก ซึ่งอ่านแล้วอินเพราะมีลูกเล็ก
สิ่งที่โดดเด่นคือคนสัมภาษณ์ตั้งคำถามดีมาก ทำการบ้านยอดเยี่ยม บางคำถามยาวเหยียดจนคนตอบ ตอบได้แต่แบบสั้นๆ ฮา
แนะนำครับ
แม้หนังสือจะเก่า แต่เราว่าสนุกและทันสมัยมาก เพราะหลายเรื่องคือไม่รู้เลย โดยเฉพาะประเด็นจิตวิทยาแม่ และพัฒนาการเด็ก ซึ่งอ่านแล้วอินเพราะมีลูกเล็ก
สิ่งที่โดดเด่นคือคนสัมภาษณ์ตั้งคำถามดีมาก ทำการบ้านยอดเยี่ยม บางคำถามยาวเหยียดจนคนตอบ ตอบได้แต่แบบสั้นๆ ฮา
แนะนำครับ
July 8, 2019
This book surprised me because it was a lot more interesting than I expected. It contains 18 interviews with prominent scientists from a range of fields (plus an imaginary interview with Leonardo da Vinci, with answers drawn from his own writings). The scientists interviewed are all very prominent, and the interviews are very well conducted, with questions that draw out really fascinating discussions. The discussions are at the level of popular science and are accessible to the lay person. I learned a lot and it was enjoyable to read this book. My favorite interview: "The Female Side of Evolution: On Motherhood" with anthropologist Sarah Hrdy, whose other books/works I would love to read.
November 26, 2015
Stefan Klein, the acclaimed writer behind The Science of Happiness and The Secret Pulse of Time, is on a mission to connect laypeople with the diverse and often misunderstood realm of science. With his latest book, We Are All Stardust, Klein sits down with some of the world’s most prominent scientists and asks them the questions that we want to ask, but possibly don’t feel like we have enough knowledge to do so. The result is pages and pages of casual conversation with people that, at first, seem so extraordinary that we will never understand them. Yet, Klein brings them back to Earth, and we learn that they are just like us; curious humans that are merely trying to navigate the complexities of life.
Klein has an impressive list of interviewees on his agenda, including the likes of Richard Dawkins, Jane Goodall, Sarah Hrdy, and V.S. Ramachandran. While the premise of the book is a simple idea: sit down with these scientists and talk to them about their work and their lives, the resulting compilation provides a coherent overview of what the sciences look like today and how the discoveries of recent times affect us as individuals, members of society, and of a part of the broader community of inhabitants of the world.
As a layperson myself, and as someone who has never been able to grasp the great mysteries, equations, and complications of science itself, it was difficult to begin this book. I was unsure of how I would navigate the conversations about topics that I did not understand, and through this misunderstanding, I did not feel I cared about. What became evident early on, though, was that this wasn’t going to be an easy or a difficult read: it was merely going to be a read. Klein doesn’t try to make his conversations anything other than what they are. This put me at ease and I was better able to focus on the underlying task at hand; Klein’s hope to learn more about the personal lives of those who understand the lives of many.
Interviews that stood out for me included those of cosmologist Martin Rees, neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran, neuropharmacologist Walter Zieglgänsberger, and developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik. Why these scientists in particular struck a chord in me is obvious; each one spoke through the pages and into my mind and heart in a way that I didn’t think was possible with scientists. Their words were not only about scientific facts and evidence, but also about philosophical dilemmas, mental and physical illnesses, and about living a whole and unified existence.
It was not until I finished the book and closed the front cover did I realise the true impact of what We Are All Stardust had on me as a layperson, reader, reviewer, writer, and individual of this vast world. Although I had not sat down with each scientist myself, I had left the book with a greater understanding of why and how they do the work that they do, and with this, I had a greater appreciation for the sacrifices that they make day in and day out as scientists and great thinkers. They are the role models of today, yet they are human beings just like us and have flaws, dreams, desires, and inhibitions. The greatest discovery of all then, at least in this book, is that we are all in this together. Together we are all stardust.
Klein has an impressive list of interviewees on his agenda, including the likes of Richard Dawkins, Jane Goodall, Sarah Hrdy, and V.S. Ramachandran. While the premise of the book is a simple idea: sit down with these scientists and talk to them about their work and their lives, the resulting compilation provides a coherent overview of what the sciences look like today and how the discoveries of recent times affect us as individuals, members of society, and of a part of the broader community of inhabitants of the world.
As a layperson myself, and as someone who has never been able to grasp the great mysteries, equations, and complications of science itself, it was difficult to begin this book. I was unsure of how I would navigate the conversations about topics that I did not understand, and through this misunderstanding, I did not feel I cared about. What became evident early on, though, was that this wasn’t going to be an easy or a difficult read: it was merely going to be a read. Klein doesn’t try to make his conversations anything other than what they are. This put me at ease and I was better able to focus on the underlying task at hand; Klein’s hope to learn more about the personal lives of those who understand the lives of many.
Interviews that stood out for me included those of cosmologist Martin Rees, neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran, neuropharmacologist Walter Zieglgänsberger, and developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik. Why these scientists in particular struck a chord in me is obvious; each one spoke through the pages and into my mind and heart in a way that I didn’t think was possible with scientists. Their words were not only about scientific facts and evidence, but also about philosophical dilemmas, mental and physical illnesses, and about living a whole and unified existence.
It was not until I finished the book and closed the front cover did I realise the true impact of what We Are All Stardust had on me as a layperson, reader, reviewer, writer, and individual of this vast world. Although I had not sat down with each scientist myself, I had left the book with a greater understanding of why and how they do the work that they do, and with this, I had a greater appreciation for the sacrifices that they make day in and day out as scientists and great thinkers. They are the role models of today, yet they are human beings just like us and have flaws, dreams, desires, and inhibitions. The greatest discovery of all then, at least in this book, is that we are all in this together. Together we are all stardust.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews