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George Johnson

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Fire in the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order Kindle Edition

by George Johnson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 30 ratings

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Are there really laws governing the universe? Or is the order we see a mere artifact of the way evolution wired the brain? And is what we call science only a set of myths in which quarks, DNA, and information fill the role once occupied by gods? These questions lie at the heart of George Johnson's audacious exploration of the border between science and religion, cosmic accident and timeless law. Northern New Mexico is home both to the most provocative new enterprises in quantum physics, information science, and the evolution of complexity and to the cosmologies of the Tewa Indians and the Catholic Penitentes. As it draws the reader into this landscape, juxtaposing the systems of belief that have taken root there, Fire in the Mind into a gripping intellectual adventure story that compels us to ask where science ends and religion begins.

"A must for all those seriously interested in the key ideas at the frontier of scientific discourse."--Paul Davies

Print length

486 pages
Language

English
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On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Vintage
Publication date

October 6, 2010
File size

1405 KB
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Fundamental to science is a belief that reality can be understood through observation, experimentation, and measurement. Could it be, however, that humans can grasp just the parts of reality that can be experienced by our limited sensory and cognitive equipment and that what we call science describes a cultural rather than a physical reality? These are heady questions but not necessarily esoteric. Through their traditional myths and religions, the Native American and Spanish populations of the remote areas around Santa Fe have addressed similarly abstract possibilities. Today, scientists at the Santa Fe Institute and Los Alamos National Laboratory also envision a universe where physical reality transcends any human efforts to explain or describe it. The new theories go by exotic names?chaos, complexity, the physics of information, and others. Johnson, a New York Times science writer, captures the radical excitement of a scientific revolution but also looks backward to Southwestern cultures that have long intuited these deeper realities. With grace and insight, he evokes a vivid sense of place and depicts both the rigors and wonders of a modern scientific quest, giving all readers something to ponder. Highly recommended.?Gregg Sapp, Univ. of Miami Lib.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

George Johnson writes regularly about science for the New York Times. He has also written for National Geographic, Slate, Discover, Scientific American, Wired, and the Atlantic, and his work has been included in The Best American Science Writing. A former Alicia Patterson fellow, he has received awards from PEN and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and his books were twice finalists for the Royal Society’s book prize. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Amazon.com Review

In the mountains of northern New Mexico, the Tewa pueblo of San Ildefonso and the laboratory city of Los Alamos coexist, representing two distinct, yet not entirely dissimilar world views. In this land of strange juxtapositions where magic and science rub elbows, Johnson introduces us to an amazing diversity of people who see the world through varied lenses, who find vastly different pictures in the night sky. At the core of the book is the question of the human view of the universe: are there really innate patterns in creation, and why do we honor them so highly? Johnson examines some of the radical theories of physics and biology emanating from Los Alamos and compares them to the intricate beliefs of the Tewa Indians, the Catholic sect of the Penitentes, and other inhabitants of the high New Mexico desert in this startling work of intellectual adventure. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Review

A New Mexico mystery story of a different kind -- a thought-provoking look at a fascinating subject. -- Tony Hillerman

Are there really laws and patterns governing the universe, or is order a figment of the human brain's construction? Does human faith see law where there is really chaos? These and other questions of scientific and ethical quality are probed by Johnson in an excellent coverage of the puzzle of faith and science. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

Are there really laws governing the universe? Or is the order we see a mere artifact of the way evolution wired the brain? And is what we call science only a set of myths in which quarks, DNA, and information fill the role once occupied by gods? These questions lie at the heart of George Johnson's audacious exploration of the border between science and religion, cosmic accident and timeless law. Northern New Mexico is home both to the most provocative new enterprises in quantum physics, information science, and the evolution of complexity and to the cosmologies of the Tewa Indians and the Catholic Penitentes. As it draws the reader into this landscape, juxtaposing the systems of belief that have taken root there, Fire in the Mind into a gripping intellectual adventure story that compels us to ask where science ends and religion begins.

"A must for all those seriously interested in the key ideas at the frontier of scientific discourse."--Paul Davies

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Johnson, science writer for the New York Times and author of In the Palaces of Memory (1991), excels at making esoteric scientific theories comprehensible, a feat he elevates to new heights in this invigorating analysis of the interface between faith and science. Johnson uses the glorious and fabled landscape of New Mexico, his home state, as a template for his eloquent and probing discussion of how our hunger for order in a seemingly arbitrary world is at the heart of religion, cosmology, and quantum physics. New Mexico is the perfect setting for this explication because such diverse peoples as the Tewa Indians and the Hermanos Penitentes consider it holy, and the physicists at Los Alamos value it as a place where secrets can be kept and risks taken. As Johnson explains each group's belief system (drawing some unexpected and gratifying connections), we see that faith plays as great a role in physics as it does in religion. People in each tradition believe they're revealing preexisting truths, but Johnson suggests that spirituality and theoretical science are actually "conceptual lenses," beautiful abstractions our imaginative and pattern-oriented minds construct in pursuit of meaning. Donna Seaman --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

From Scientific American

Brilliantly illuminates the complex, deceptive relationship that exists between the physical universe and our perception of it. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

New York Times science writer Johnson (In the Palaces of Memory) presents an extraordinary look at vanguard areas of scientific research where information science, molecular biology, cosmology and subatomic physics converge. Remarkably, much of this work is being done at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (home to the wartime project that built the first atomic bombs) and an affiliated think tank, the Santa Fe Institute. These investigators are at the forefront both of chaos theory, seeking hints of order in seemingly random phenomena, and of the new science of complexity, which studies how the universe could arise from pure nothingness in accordance with fundamental rules that apply to cells or galaxies. One team of biochemists runs computer simulations designed to show that life evolved through self-organizing processes rather than by Darwinian selection. Other scientists posit information as a basic building block of the universe, like energy and matter. If science is an artful construction, Johnson suggests, we should not scoff at traditional faiths. In that spirit, he visits three other New Mexican locales: an adobe chapel in Chimayo, reputed site of miraculous cures; the Tewa Indians' ritual dances to bring plentiful crops and insure good hunting; and the secretive Hermanos Penitentes, a Catholic lay brotherhood whose members practice self-flagellation. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

Are there really laws governing the universe? Or is the order we see a mere artifact of the way evolution wired the brain? And is what we call science only a set of myths in which quarks, DNA, and information fill the role once occupied by gods? These questions lie at the heart of George Johnson's audacious exploration of the border between science and religion, cosmic accident and timeless law. Northern New Mexico is home both to the most provocative new enterprises in quantum physics, information science, and the evolution of complexity and to the cosmologies of the Tewa Indians and the Catholic Penitentes. As it draws the reader into this landscape, juxtaposing the systems of belief that have taken root there, Fire in the Mind into a gripping intellectual adventure story that compels us to ask where science ends and religion begins.

"A must for all those seriously interested in the key ideas at the frontier of scientific discourse."--Paul Davies

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004478AOS
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; Reprint edition (October 6, 2010)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 6, 2010
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1405 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 486 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,210,403 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #395 in Religious Studies - Sociology
- #409 in Creationism
- #757 in Religious Studies - Science & Religion

Customer Reviews:
4.6 30 ratings

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George Johnson

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In the 30 years I have been a journalist and author, I've written hundreds of articles, mostly for the New York Times, and nine books, which have been translated into 20 languages. Three of them, The Cancer Chronicles, Strange Beauty, and Fire in the Mind, were shortlisted for The Royal Society Book Prize. I'm a two-time winner of the AAAS Science Journalism Award, most recently for my work about the science of cancer. You can read more about me on my website, talaya.net

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4.6 out of 5

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Victor Aral

A great book by a great writer

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2013

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What is endlessly fascinating about this book -- which lays out the human search for patterns and meaning -- is the quality of the writing. Johnson can turn a sentence like nobody's business. Highly recommended.

5 people found this helpful

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Turkish Rabbi

Excellent

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2012

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Great thesis tying the human need to find structure and order to science and religion. Atheists can learn from the religion drivers, and religious folks can have a succinct and intelligent review of science.

5 people found this helpful

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Hazel R. Weaver

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2017

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good reading

One person found this helpful

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Bert R. Onstott

A wonderful read!

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2001

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This was a wonderful book - couldn't put it down! The contrast between the Tewa indians and the scientists at Los Alamos made a wonderful backdrop from which to explore the frontiers of current thinking in cosmology and physics. George Johnson is a great writer. Perhaps being from New Mexico enhanced my enjoyment. Anyway, I loved it!

8 people found this helpful

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Nick Robitaille

Three Stars

Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2015

Holy science

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2015

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Love the book

One person found this helpful

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Peyton E. Phillips

Science, Faith, and Symmetry

Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2006

Fire in the Mind passionately relates mans quest for understanding. Johnson sits backs, smiles and equivocates the Anasazi's expressions of order through their beliefs with Gell-Mann's attempt to orderstand elementary particles with extraordinarily complex mathematics. I think, the distinction rests on the level at which one is willing to quit asking questions and seeking answers. Fire in the Mind does not convince me they are both simply faith based exercises since it does not acknowledge that the hotter fire is fed by the fuel of endless questioning.

3 people found this helpful

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Mark A. Moorstein

Emergence

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2010

When Steven Johnson wrote "Emergence" Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software , I found myself pulled into the concept that ordered systems could combine to create higher ordered systems. And this, of course, gave rise to the fact that ordered systems can be deconstructed to reveal lower ordered systems. This process works not only in life systems --- cultures, bodies, cells, DNA, etc --- but with inanimate systems in physics, e.g. planets, buildings, steel girders, molecules, atoms, neutrons, subatomic particles, etc. As it turns out, it also applies to ideas as well: language, books, words, letters, etc. When I began my research into frameworks, which follows and expands upon Thomas Kuhn's (and others') thinking regarding paradigms The Structure of Scientific Revolutions , I found that the order and disorder of the physical and non-physical (including the spiritual) universe follow common patterns: each "framework" of order contains laws, boundaries, "zones" of freedom, and variables, some of which are "visible" and some which are not.
So George Johnson's book, which I somehow had skipped in my research, intrigued me. In my opinion, the book was fresh, insightful and original. The main point he reached, which I also found in my book Frameworks: Conflict in Balance , is that the mind is the clearinghouse of all order in the universe. This ties George Johnson to Spinoza and Einstein in many respects. But unlike them, Johnson realizes we can't uncover all order. Because we can't "see" the mass of order, we rely on tools, such as math, or telescopes, or computers, or even religious seers to find and report patterns for us. But ultimately we have to "believe" in the order via the credibility of others, or through the similarly ordered systems in our brains. To the extent that we doubt, or that our brains are too small to examine the bulk of order, or the information is "unimportant", we fail to see it. Consequently, even if we could discover all knowledge in the universe, where would we store it? Certainly not in our puny heads. Certainly not in the computers --- because much of the "information" is useless random noise and would fill the planet with more computers than grains of sand.
Still, the pursuit of order provides us meaning. But it is an endless pursuit and the only reason we continue the pursuit is because, in most ways, it's an existential effort. We seek truth because we are humans.
The science of the book is fascinating. Johnson did a great job explaining complex ideas, and explaining why complex ideas can't always be explained. The book was sometimes hard to read for any length of time because it was so packed with information. Nevertheless, I give it an A+.

10 people found this helpful

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おののん

ニューメキシコ州の大地を歩きたくなった

Reviewed in Japan on April 3, 2010

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サイエンスライターが、科学と信仰という深遠な問題に取り組んだ本です。信仰に関しては、カトリックについても触れられていますが、ネイティブアメリカンの信仰がメインの調査の対象となっています。ニューメキシコ州の荒野とそこに住む人々の生活がすてきな文体で綴られています。科学は主に究極の真理の探究を目指すとされる現代物理学が中心に扱われています。（サイエンス物の常であるように）ある程度の心得（たとえば量子論や宇宙論や進化論の基礎）がないと少し困惑する箇所もあるかもしれませんが、もし知識がなかったとしても全体の理解に関しては何ら支障はないと思われます。

ニューメキシコという舞台は、実際にプエブロインディアンがまだ住んでいる土地であり、スペイン人のもたらした古いカトリックの風習も残っており、同時に複雑系の研究で有名なSanta Fe Instituteという現代理性の象徴のような施設も同居しているという不思議な場所で、これが物語りとしてうまく作用しています。

宗教色が強いアメリカ社会において物議を醸すような事は書かれておりません。人間には皆、まわりの世界に関する真実や秩序を理解したいという強い欲求があり、そういう意味で科学も宗教も共通するものがあり・・・云々という点に落としどころを求めているという意味では、特に独創的な視点も見られません。しかし、本自体はとても誠実に書かれた秀作です。おすすめ。

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