Impossibility

In <em>Impossibility</em> John D. Barrow--one of our most elegant and accomplished science writers--argues convincingly that there are limits to human discovery that there are things that are ultimately unknowable undoable or unreachable. Barrow first examines the limits of the human mind: our brain evolved to meet the demands of our immediate environment and much that lies outside this small circle may also lie outside our understanding. He investigates practical impossibilities such as those imposed by complexity uncomputability or the finiteness of time space and resources. Is the universe finite or infinite? Can information be transmitted faster than the speed of light? The book also examines deeper theoretical restrictions on our ability to know including Godel's theorem which proved that there were things that could not be proved. Finally having explored the limits imposed on us from without Barrow considers whether there are limits we should impose upon ourselves. Weaving together this intriguing tapestry Barrow illuminates some of the most profound questions of science from the possibility of time travel to the very structure of the universe.