``Enigma Variations'' might be a better title to this compendium of conjectures on the where, when, and why of human origins. Seasoned science writer Shreeve, who earlier collaborated with Donald Johanson (Lucy's Child, 1989), has trekked to remote sites in Zaire and South Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Francewherever vestiges of oldest, older, and modern humans have been foundto talk to the finders, view the fossils and artifacts, and contribute his own ideas on the disputes. The result is you- are-there journalism interleaved with background history and academic discussions on the origins of language, ritual, art, and whatever else we attribute to Homo sapiens sapiensusas opposed to the Neanderthals, who only rate one sapiens in their title. Shreeve champions the idea that the Neanderthals were a separate species who neither mated with, nor were wiped out by, the Cro-Magnons or other coexisting modern types. Big-brained, probably with some form of language, art, and ritual, Neanderthals were mostly sedentary and, when times got glacially tough, dwindled down to nothingness. Not so the clans that lived and wandered nearby. ``Wandered'' is the operative word here as Shreeve argues for crosslinks of cooperation among neighboring groups that may have led to the survival of H.s.s. But questionsespecially about timingabound. What are we to make of the genetic evidence that all mankind is descended from ``mitochondrial Eve'' 200,000 years ago? The geneticists truly added fuel to a fire already kindled by arguments over dates based on radiocarbon and thermoluminescence; complex terrains where geological upheavals may have tumbled old and new bones together; inferences concerning ``higher'' mental faculties based on bone fragments or brain casts; and you have a wonderful stew a-stirring. What with the rate of new discoveries and analyses, Shreeve's text is clearly a work in progress. As such, one can pick and choose among the arguments Shreeve fully and fairly presentsor come up with a view of one's own.
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 1995
ISBN: 0-688-09407-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
A fertile physics funhouse for the highly curious and motivated lay reader.
Bender examines string theory and stirs up some interesting notions.
The author, a well-versed amateur theoretical physicist, is an enthusiastic guide to the complex world of string theory, a world full of caveats–conflicting and alternative theories abound, and defining equations have yet to be written because experimentation is beyond human capacity. But that doesn’t mean the journey isn’t intriguing, and Bender embarks with all the eagerness–if not the ringing clarity–of Brian Greene. Initially drawn to string theory because of seeming incompatibilities between quantum mechanics and relativity, the author examines the realm of gravitationally isolated regions of spacetime, and how to overcome violations in our laws of inertia and mass so as to move through spacetime at unimaginable speeds without the time penalties of increased velocity (as time stays constant). He also explores the theoretical possibilities of a gravity-wave generator to power a vehicle within the isolated region. Such a ship would prove useful if the second of Bender’s proposals should bear out: the membrane theory of gravity. This theory suggests that gravity is created by vibrating strings stretching the membrane–the sheets formed by the interaction of the strings–to which they are attached. A collision of these membranes may have given rise to our universe, and it’s possible that there is another side to the membrane into which we could travel–a concept similar to that of traveling through a wormhole. The author also offers a hypothesis for the end of the universe. Despite his love for string theory–and the infinite possibilities inherent in the subject–some of Bender’s theories could be fleshed out a bit more, and augmented with a meatier bibliography (two entries are culled from Wikipedia).
A fertile physics funhouse for the highly curious and motivated lay reader.Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2006
ISBN: 0-595-40822-2
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A leading critic of artificial intelligence research returns to the attack, attempting to lay the groundwork for an analysis of the true nature of intelligence. Building on his arguments in The Emperor's New Mind (not reviewed), Penrose (Mathematics/Oxford) begins by refuting the assertion that true intelligence can be attained—or even adequately simulated—by the strictly computational means to which current computers are ultimately limited. Much of his argument depends closely on the application of Gîdel's Undecidability Theorem to Turing machines—deep waters for laypeople, although the fundamentals of his argument are accessible to readers without sophisticated mathematical training. Having disposed of the central tenets of current AI research, Penrose then turns to an even more fundamental question: the actual foundations in modern physics (i.e., relativity and quantum theory) of the phenomenon of consciousness. Here much of his summary depends on fairly complex mathematical reasoning, although the key points are summarized for the general reader who has been willing to follow him so far. Penrose feels that a new physical synthesis, reconciling the paradoxes of quantum theory and bringing them into harmony with Einstein's gravitational theories, is ultimately necessary to explain the noncomputational elements of consciousness and intelligence. He speculates on the possible role of cellular structures called microtubules in creating a quantum phenomenon on a macroscopic scale within the brain, but grants that more research is needed to establish any connection between physical and mental phenomena. His conclusion steps back to a philosophical overview of the subject, paying homage to Plato, among others. A challenging examination of a central problem of modern philosophy, with no final answers but plenty of food for thought. (76 line drawings) (First printing of 50,000; $50,000 ad/promo)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-19-853978-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Oxford Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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