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Endless Progress Within Our Reach BOOKS of the inventions that stem from Like Popper, Deutsch a minority view. Most physicists theory we have: the fundamental science. To illustrate this, he emphasises the open-ended nature are unconvinced; in my opinion, one. The alternative mathematical Endless progress reports that when colour of knowledge creation. We are postulating this infinity of entities formulations of quantum television became popular in the now just scratching the surface with which we cannot communi- mechanics, all yielding the same 1970s, a friend argued that its of understanding the world and cate is the most extravagant predictions for experimental dependence on the rare element our place in it, and we always will violation of Occam’s razor. results, may inspire different within our reach europium for the red phosphor be (“the beginning of infinity” Given the emphasis on pictures that assist our intuition would lead to society splitting again). Likewise, our evolution, identicalness and quantum in applying the theory to different into those who could afford it now proceeding at a greatly physics, I was disappointed to phenomena, but no one of them Michael Berry appreciates the relentless scientific and those who could not – a accelerated pace by cultural see no discussion of the most should be regarded as privileged. dangerous situation originating in transmission between generations important manifestation of the This is Deutsch at his most optimism of one of the UK’s most original thinkers a technology that nobody needed. – by memes rather than genes – combination of the two. The rule ambitious, seeking to understand Now we see this argument is only in its initial phase. specifying how the waves that the implications of our scientific as absurd and based on a failure I wonder how Deutsch would represent indistinguishable explanations of the world. At to anticipate the development classify the medieval Islamic quantum particles such as first sight, his book looks like an of other kinds of colour display, societies, and the earlier Indian electrons register an interchange intellectual smorgasbord, with such as those used in our cultures, where seminal discoveries of two of them is a mighty fact short chapters – some of which computer screens and based were made (in optics and mathe- about our world. It explains the could stand as separate essays – on liquid crystals. The story matics, for example) centuries structure of the atoms in the dealing with beauty in art and illustrates Deutsch’s distinction before they were rediscovered in periodic table of the chemical nature (he thinks this is absolute; between prediction, rationally the West. Perhaps their flair for elements, why these are stable, I do not), the origins of morality, based on present knowledge, and innovation vanished because the how lasers work, why wires memes, quantum physics, compu- prophecy, based on the inability brilliant individual researchers in conduct electricity, and much else. tational complexity, electoral to imagine future knowledge. these societies were not embedded Deutsch criticises the opinion voting systems (he argues that the Why did the jump to univer- in a critical mass of scientists, so that quantum theory needs no British first-past-the-post system is sality occur in our Western that the culture of collaboration, interpretation – disparagingly the least worst of many flawed society and not elsewhere? so important in the later lift-off of described as the “shut up and alternatives) and artificial Deutsch rejects the explanations European science, never developed. calculate” school – and calls it intelligence. But they are all linked of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels Deutsch has made fundamental “bad philosophy”. I disagree. The (albeit sometimes tenuously) with and Jared Diamond that the contributions to the developing principles of any currently funda- his theme: the possibility of endless dominance of the West is a technologies based on quantum mental theory cannot be explained: transformation of the world by the consequence of geography and information, so it is not surprising they are simply postulated. That is creation of new knowledge. climate, emphasising instead the that the heart of his analysis of what “fundamental” means. I do not agree with everything distinction between open societies, explanations (and the book’s Asking for an “interpretation” that Deutsch writes, but I where criticism and innovation most difficult chapter) concerns amounts to explaining the theory enthusiastically recommend this flourish – Athens, for example – quantum mechanics – which is, in terms of deeper concepts. But rich, wide-ranging and elegantly and closed societies such as Sparta after all, currently our deepest that would be new physics; it written exposition of the unique where change is suppressed. In explanation of physical reality. would be more fundamental. insights of one of our most stressing the importance of He favours the “many-worlds” I do not claim that quantum original intellectuals. learning through mistakes (“error interpretation. His “multiverse” mechanics is the ultimate micro- correction is the beginning of incorporates many universes, scopic science; one day, it will Michael Berry is a physicist at infinity”), he is a follower and in which every one of the surely be superseded, probably the University of Bristol, studying admirer of Karl Popper (“science possibilities in every quantum as the result of experiments that optics and quantum physics and as misconception”). process is actualised in an are incompatible with it. There the mathematical relationships Another example of a closed unimaginably vast sequence are currently no such experiments, between different levels of society that Deutsch cites is of splittings; of these, we have so quantum physics is the best explanation in physics. Easter Island’s. He contrasts direct experience only of ours. David Attenborough’s inter- His argument hinges on a The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations This event is pinpointed as pretation of it – a magnificent careful deconstruction of the that Transform the World the discovery, by Kurt Gödel civilisation whose failure resulted concept of identicalness: an By David Deutsch and Alan Turing in the 1930s, from the destruction of the analysis of classical and quantum Allen Lane, 496pp, £25.00 following hints a century earlier environment that sustained it – doppelgängers, heavily dependent ISBN 9780713992748 by Charles Babbage and with what he regards as Jacob on the subtle and slippery notion Published 31 March 2011 Ada Lovelace, of the possibility Bronowski’s more fundamental of fungibility. Something is of machines that can perform any assessment of it as a society that fungible if the identity of an t has been said that while the conceivable computational task. was unable to change, with its individual instance of it is optimist believes that we live Our laptops are the first such statues like “frozen frames in irrelevant: when I lend you a Iin the best of all worlds, the machines to be widely available. a film that is running down, pound and then you pay me pessimist knows that we do. Deutsch regards the “jump to mark[ing] a civilization which back, it is irrelevant that you David Deutsch’s book is universality” as a seminal moment failed to take the first step on the return the same coin, and even profoundly optimistic, but in a in human culture, representing ascent of rational knowledge”. if you do, it is meaningless to way that carefully avoids these an idea with enormous reach. claim that it is the same pound. extremes. His optimism is based “Reach” is one of Deutsch’s Quantum particles such as not on Panglossian reassurance, favourite words (with almost Deutsch rejects techno- electrons are sometimes fungible but on a principled and passionate the largest number of entries pessimism: our ‘inability’ to and sometimes not, depending on confidence in people’s constructive in the book’s index); it refers to how they interact with the rest of inventiveness. He thinks that the a concept with implications far cope with the consequences the world. Deutsch claims that potential for unlimited creativity beyond its original context. of the inventions that stem observations of interference has arisen only once, as the He rejects techno-pessimism: between quantum waves demon- culmination of a process that our imagined inability to cope from science strate the existence of the began in the Enlightenment. with the pace and consequences multiverse, but admits that this is 50 Times Higher Education 31 March 2011 31 March 2011 Times Higher Education 51.
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