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Equations of Eternity: Speculations on Consciousness, Meaning, and the Mathematical Rules That Orchestrate the Cosmos
"There is no material reality except at the instant of observation."
That statement may seem absurd or impossible to understand. However, it is one of the basic principles of quantum theory, the most widely accepted explanation of the subatomic world - and one of the fascinating subjects dealt with in Equations of Eternity.
190 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1993
8 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
David Darling
66 books32 followersThere is more than one author in the database with this name. Not all books on this profile may belong to the same person.
David Darling is a science writer and astronomer. He is the author of many books, including the bestselling Equations of Eternity, and the popular online resource The Worlds of David Darling. He lives in Dundee, Scotland.
David Darling is a science writer and astronomer. He is the author of many books, including the bestselling Equations of Eternity, and the popular online resource The Worlds of David Darling. He lives in Dundee, Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 5, 2020
Recommended for: Anyone who wants to have an existential crisis.
When quarantine first started, I thought of it as a great opportunity to read the books I'd been neglecting for years. So I started this book. I made it through the first chapter and then didn't touch it again for about 3 months.
It's not that it's a difficult book to understand. In some ways it is, especially if you're not particularly scientifically minded. The bulk of the book is presented in more or less layman's terms. It was a little difficult just to get into, so I started marking up the book, something I normally never do. I wrote all over it in pencil, my reactions and my reinterpretations, for the entire first section, which was all about the evolution of humanity. It was actually quite interesting, if a bit outdated. This book was originally published in 1993, so some of the ideas presented are a bit old-school by the 21st century way of thinking.
The middle section was by far the most interesting and probably would have netted a solid 4 stars from me if it weren't for the last section, the one that delves into the future. Darling's ideas of what the future may hold for humanity are, uh, interesting. He posits that we may - not immediately, but centuries or millenia from now - be heading towards a collective consciousness. As someone who has been on Twitter, that is a terrifying thought.
When quarantine first started, I thought of it as a great opportunity to read the books I'd been neglecting for years. So I started this book. I made it through the first chapter and then didn't touch it again for about 3 months.
It's not that it's a difficult book to understand. In some ways it is, especially if you're not particularly scientifically minded. The bulk of the book is presented in more or less layman's terms. It was a little difficult just to get into, so I started marking up the book, something I normally never do. I wrote all over it in pencil, my reactions and my reinterpretations, for the entire first section, which was all about the evolution of humanity. It was actually quite interesting, if a bit outdated. This book was originally published in 1993, so some of the ideas presented are a bit old-school by the 21st century way of thinking.
The middle section was by far the most interesting and probably would have netted a solid 4 stars from me if it weren't for the last section, the one that delves into the future. Darling's ideas of what the future may hold for humanity are, uh, interesting. He posits that we may - not immediately, but centuries or millenia from now - be heading towards a collective consciousness. As someone who has been on Twitter, that is a terrifying thought.
March 11, 2010
I read this a few times and each time got more from it. It helps gap the bridge between science and mysicism. Numbers are absolute and absolute truth is what I seek.
March 26, 2012
This book will give you an epiphany or two! I guarantee it. One of the most enlightening books I've ever read.
August 4, 2018
The Good:
Darling does a good job handling the scientific data in such a way that keeps the reader's interest. It is clear that he knows his science, but he's also grounded enough to make it understandable to the layman.
The Bad:
Everything else.
In all seriousness, the majority of this book amounts to little more than psuedo-intellectual ramblings of the sort that you'd expect to find pontificated by a university freshman at 4 in the morning following experimentation with some illicit substances. It may sound insightful at first glance, but for those familiar with the discussions that have been taking place in the philosophy of science in recent decades, the superficiality of Darling's assessment is blatant. For all his scientific brilliance, he seems to turn off his brain and accept uncritically the logically contradictory conclusions of a strict-realism philosophical interpretation of quantum mechanics. He has chugged the Copenhagen Kool-Aid, and as a result, his speculations are filled with logical inconsistencies. Furthermore, as sophomoric as his philosophical understanding of the science may be, his theological conclusions are even worse. He dismisses the proposed theological implications of the data with only a couple paragraphs of so-called "unanswered" questions. Unfortunately, had Darling been at all exposed to the field of philosophy of religion, he'd have known that every question he raised had either been answered centuries ago or was, by definition, an incoherent question.
Darling does a good job handling the scientific data in such a way that keeps the reader's interest. It is clear that he knows his science, but he's also grounded enough to make it understandable to the layman.
The Bad:
Everything else.
In all seriousness, the majority of this book amounts to little more than psuedo-intellectual ramblings of the sort that you'd expect to find pontificated by a university freshman at 4 in the morning following experimentation with some illicit substances. It may sound insightful at first glance, but for those familiar with the discussions that have been taking place in the philosophy of science in recent decades, the superficiality of Darling's assessment is blatant. For all his scientific brilliance, he seems to turn off his brain and accept uncritically the logically contradictory conclusions of a strict-realism philosophical interpretation of quantum mechanics. He has chugged the Copenhagen Kool-Aid, and as a result, his speculations are filled with logical inconsistencies. Furthermore, as sophomoric as his philosophical understanding of the science may be, his theological conclusions are even worse. He dismisses the proposed theological implications of the data with only a couple paragraphs of so-called "unanswered" questions. Unfortunately, had Darling been at all exposed to the field of philosophy of religion, he'd have known that every question he raised had either been answered centuries ago or was, by definition, an incoherent question.
February 16, 2024
I used to question this reality a lot as a kid. I'm sure a lot of it was just normal child brain wandering, however, this book ignited those ideas in me once again. It reminded me of going into the 'Imiloa Astronomy Center as a kid, in complete shock of the nature of this universe. It's funny because when I read about cosmology or dive deep into astronomy, it feels as if I live in a different world. I'm no longer in the Morgan Library basement, I am amongst the cosmos. Similar to 'Imiloa, I was no longer in Hilo, but rather I was a small speck in this infinitely expanding explosion of matter. I like that feeling.
Darling's approaches to explain consciousness really impressed me. There wasn't a single sentence where I wasn't disengaged. I really want to read the consciousness portion again because it's something that I have to revisit to be reminded of. Sometimes this world gets so filled with opinions, attachments, discreteness, that I lose touch with the bigger picture. I feel as though this book was handed to me at the right time. It's a reminder that despite all the societal demands of this modern world, each of us still remain discrete portions of the universe attempting to make sense of itself.
Darling's approaches to explain consciousness really impressed me. There wasn't a single sentence where I wasn't disengaged. I really want to read the consciousness portion again because it's something that I have to revisit to be reminded of. Sometimes this world gets so filled with opinions, attachments, discreteness, that I lose touch with the bigger picture. I feel as though this book was handed to me at the right time. It's a reminder that despite all the societal demands of this modern world, each of us still remain discrete portions of the universe attempting to make sense of itself.
December 13, 2023
I really enjoyed the first 60% of this book. It provided a great, seemingly unbiased description of the brain and the ascent of life through history. Then it takes a turn into speculative ideas and theories, many of which are serious stretches of the imagination.
I don't mind hypothesis or even speculation, but it was a little weird how the book shifted so abruptly. David Darling makes some unscientific statements, however, while keeping an attitude of them as scientific. He seems to deny the idea (or at least makes a fundamental misunderstanding of) Plato's forms because the idea that they exist independently of the senses. That is, of course, fine to have that opinion. But it isn't science, because there is no proof one way or the other. Roger Penrose makes a pretty solid argument in favor of a world of forms which exists independently of us in the first chapter of The Road To Reality, yet at least states it to be his opinion.
Nonetheless, Equations Of Eternity was certainly thought-provoking, and well-written, and David Darling is definitely a man with rich ideas.
I don't mind hypothesis or even speculation, but it was a little weird how the book shifted so abruptly. David Darling makes some unscientific statements, however, while keeping an attitude of them as scientific. He seems to deny the idea (or at least makes a fundamental misunderstanding of) Plato's forms because the idea that they exist independently of the senses. That is, of course, fine to have that opinion. But it isn't science, because there is no proof one way or the other. Roger Penrose makes a pretty solid argument in favor of a world of forms which exists independently of us in the first chapter of The Road To Reality, yet at least states it to be his opinion.
Nonetheless, Equations Of Eternity was certainly thought-provoking, and well-written, and David Darling is definitely a man with rich ideas.
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March 14, 2020“Things are mathematical structures, nothing more. Quantum particles, the basic building blocks of the universe, are mere probability functions. Only at the moment of observation are they localized, made "real."”
“But we are all made of quantum particles. Without matter obeying the mathematical laws of nature there could have evolved no mind. Without mind to extricate meaning from the material world there could have been no mathematics. And without the intervention of mind to observe nature meaningfully at its finest scale, there could have been no matter.”
I found this an interesting exploration of biological evolution, the nature of mind, quantum physics, and the connection of all three. It’s well written and organized. I’ll be interested in reading more on these topics to get more of a feeling of how well grounded his speculations are.
“But we are all made of quantum particles. Without matter obeying the mathematical laws of nature there could have evolved no mind. Without mind to extricate meaning from the material world there could have been no mathematics. And without the intervention of mind to observe nature meaningfully at its finest scale, there could have been no matter.”
I found this an interesting exploration of biological evolution, the nature of mind, quantum physics, and the connection of all three. It’s well written and organized. I’ll be interested in reading more on these topics to get more of a feeling of how well grounded his speculations are.
December 31, 2020
Un libro que te da a pensar. Aunque sea un poco viejo el libro y la información que presenta es un poco anticuada ademas en algunas partes muy basada en la pseudociencia. Es un gran libro que habla de la historia del universo, la creación de la vida, la evolución del humano, las leyes de matemiticas que gobiernan al universo, y mas importantemente de la formación de la consciencia y el futuro de una consciencia universal. Me gustaron mucho los últimos capítulos que son enfocados en la formación del universo y teorías del futuro de nuestra mentes y vidas en el espacio. Me tarde con este libro porque lo llevaba mientras viajaba, de todos modos me dio mucho que reflexionar y fue buen material para darme una sensación de humildad y poder al mismo tiempo. En el futuro cercano lo volveré a visitar y explorar mejor las ideas y información que Darling presenta.
February 16, 2021
This book, although a bit dated, seems insightful, even in 2021. It presents a variety of interesting facts, many of which stand the test of time. Some of the claims around anthropocentric origins of the universe are a bit odd and spooky sounding, but that's what makes it fun. Darling also makes some very relevant postulations about things like virtual reality and space travel. Definitely worth the read.
April 23, 2023
Very interesting look at the universe and consciousness through science and scientific theories. This book reads like it was written in a very pretentious way with big and scientific words so at times it was hard for me to concentrate but overall I learned a lot and I was shocked to find out this was published in 1993. The author had a very clear vision of what 2023 and beyond would look like and he was SPOT ON. Very interesting good
April 8, 2023
Widely varied musings on many topics, I found it an interesting read, but even now a week later, having trouble remembering most of the content, telling me it wasn't all that long-lasting or impressionable.
Mostly about Evolution of intelligence, brain function, and some grasping for "unification and oneness" linked to quantum uncertainty. I didn't quite buy that part.
And some early notes on machine intelligence, circa when this was written (2002).
MI has progressed way farther in the last 20 years, though interesting to see the basic design was known way back then.
Mostly about Evolution of intelligence, brain function, and some grasping for "unification and oneness" linked to quantum uncertainty. I didn't quite buy that part.
And some early notes on machine intelligence, circa when this was written (2002).
MI has progressed way farther in the last 20 years, though interesting to see the basic design was known way back then.
November 11, 2020
The title would have most likely passed me right on by had my father not strongly recommended it to me. So happy and fortunate that he did. David Darling covers thought-provoking and sometimes hard to grasp concepts with a style that is easily understood and eye/mind-opening. It is a celebration to read! I consider this one of the best books I've read... it rests at the center of my bookshelf.
February 16, 2010
On the whole it is quite an interesting book with some revelations such as why mothers have a bias in holding their babies in their left arm in order for their right hemisphere to be more perceptive to the baby's needs. The other interesting point was the comparison between Western and Eastern religions being left and right brained respectively. It may be an oversimplification however it does provide some insight into why we may have different perspectives.
March 23, 2012
This was a fascinating book about consciousness and the Universe. Definitely recommended to anyone interested in life, the universe or anything, really.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews