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John Maddox

What Remains to be Discovered

The progress of science in the 20^th was impressive, but there are still plenty of gaps which need to be resolved. In What Remains to Be Discovered: Mapping the Secrets of the Universe, the Origins of Life, and the Future of the Human Race John Maddox discusses what some of these gaps are.

The book is in three parts, starting with the physical sciences. Maddox looks at cosmology, particle physics and the promises of a Theory of Everything. The second part deals with life sciences. Here the question of the origin of life on earth is still open, and we have much to do in working out the workings of the cell. Maddox also discusses the mapping of genomes and the theory of evolution. The final part includes a look at what we know about the workings of the brain, and the new fields, such as chaos theory that fast computers are opening up. The final chapter examines some of the threats to humanity which we need to find a way to deal with. Being hit by an asteroid is an obvious example, but Maddox is also worried about genomic instability. Some inherited diseases get worse with each generation, and he thinks the same sort of thing may be happening to humanity as a whole.

My opinion is that this is a strange sort of book, or at least that it doesn't match what you would expect from the title. If you're looking for speculation about what is likely to happen in the next century then you're likely to be disappointed. Maddox has a tendency to be more dogmatic than speculative, and the gaps in our knowledge seem to be failures rather than opportunities. But if you ignore the title, then you might find the book useful as a readable summary of some of the important areas of twentieth century science.

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Paperback 448 pages
ISBN: 0684863006
Salesrank: 851239
Weight:1.28 lbs

Published: 1999 Free Press

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Paperback 448 pages
ISBN: 0684863006
Salesrank: 1051548
Weight:1.28 lbs

Published: 1999 Simon & Schuster

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Paperback 448 pages
ISBN: 0684863006
Salesrank: 528335
Weight:1.28 lbs

Published: 1999 Free Press

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Product Description
What wonders of science will the 21st century bring? John Maddox takes up this challenge by describing precisely what remains to be discovered. Building on twenty-three years' experience at the helm of the world's preeminent science magazine, Nature, Maddox identifies new areas of discovery in physics, biology, health, intelligence, and global catastrophe. As Maddox shows, the rate of scientific discovery will continue to accelerate, hurtling us toward ever more exciting discoveries in the next century.

Product Description

What wonders of science will the 21st century bring? John Maddox takes up this challenge by describing precisely what remains to be discovered. Building on twenty-three years' experience at the helm of the world's preeminent science magazine, Nature, Maddox identifies new areas of discovery in physics, biology, health, intelligence, and global catastrophe. As Maddox shows, the rate of scientific discovery will continue to accelerate, hurtling us toward ever more exciting discoveries in the next century.

Pessimistic Overview, Already Outdated ****
The title of the review suggested a negative reaction to the book. It is only in light of succeeding events that my attitude has been affected. It it were 1998 (the year of publication) I would probably give five stars but the role of prophet is fraught with danger and already several of his findings have been challenged. Maddox speaks a great deal about the origin of life. Recently, scientists repoerted overwhelming evidence that life originated in the interior of comets where the correct ingredients and more important, the necessary time existed. Other groups report that "synthetic life" is probably within ten years. We may not know exactly how life started but creating animate from inanimate matter is the best first step. The author bemoans our ignorance of how our brain operates and of consciousness itself, yet computers faithfully representing the entire neural pattern of small areas of the brain have been created and test results mirror reality. Knowledge in this area increases at an astounding rate. The author wrote in the midst of the Human Genome Project that was completed in an exponential factor, far ahead of what the "experts" predicted. Since completion, work has accelerated on identification, organization, testing and manipulation. Despite the mantra of "nothing has really changed", a cursory perusal of the subject reveals incredible insights daily. Genetic manipulation, albeit on a simple scale, has cured cancer patients in Japan. Ontogeny, the science of embryonic development, has made startling advances as we close in on the keys within DNA that transform an egg into a caterpillar and then a butterfly. It is NOT true that all we are doing is "listing discoveries" or "naming cell parts". Knowledge from one area affects another: A working theory of photosynthesis at the quantum level has led to nanotech discoveries revolutionizing solar cell efficiency. Physics and cosmology are vibrant. Quantum Mechanics swirls with theories, some (or all) of which may be true (sorry for the inside joke). The author repeatedly states that knowing a fact is not the same as understanding it but it is the best first step. The GUT may be a chimera (Feydman thought so), gravitons may be unique (doubtful but possible) and string theory may be wrong but efforts in those areas uncover peripheral knowledge and aid in our understanding of the nature of reality. Some areas of evolution remain cloudy. A recent discovery places human separation from other primates millions of years earlier than previously thought and firmly set our origins in Africa. The Big Bang, multiple universes and the essence of time remain outside confirmed knowledge. The "problem" is that increasingly, the so-called "scientific" questions are becoming philosophical ones that require a fresh approach to the subject. The author is correct when he says that we are learning with each new discovery how little we know and how much more we have to learn.

Pessimistic Overview, Already Outdated ****

The title of the review suggested a negative reaction to the book. It is only in light of succeeding events that my attitude has been affected. It it were 1998 (the year of publication) I would probably give five stars but the role of prophet is fraught with danger and already several of his findings have been challenged.

Maddox speaks a great deal about the origin of life. Recently, scientists repoerted overwhelming evidence that life originated in the interior of comets where the correct ingredients and more important, the necessary time existed. Other groups report that "synthetic life" is probably within ten years. We may not know exactly how life started but creating animate from inanimate matter is the best first step. The author bemoans our ignorance of how our brain operates and of consciousness itself, yet computers faithfully representing the entire neural pattern of small areas of the brain have been created and test results mirror reality. Knowledge in this area increases at an astounding rate. The author wrote in the midst of the Human Genome Project that was completed in an exponential factor, far ahead of what the "experts" predicted. Since completion, work has accelerated on identification, organization, testing and manipulation. Despite the mantra of "nothing has really changed", a cursory perusal of the subject reveals incredible insights daily. Genetic manipulation, albeit on a simple scale, has cured cancer patients in Japan. Ontogeny, the science of embryonic development, has made startling advances as we close in on the keys within DNA that transform an egg into a caterpillar and then a butterfly. It is NOT true that all we are doing is "listing discoveries" or "naming cell parts". Knowledge from one area affects another: A working theory of photosynthesis at the quantum level has led to nanotech discoveries revolutionizing solar cell efficiency.

Physics and cosmology are vibrant. Quantum Mechanics swirls with theories, some (or all) of which may be true (sorry for the inside joke). The author repeatedly states that knowing a fact is not the same as understanding it but it is the best first step. The GUT may be a chimera (Feydman thought so), gravitons may be unique (doubtful but possible) and string theory may be wrong but efforts in those areas uncover peripheral knowledge and aid in our understanding of the nature of reality.

Some areas of evolution remain cloudy. A recent discovery places human separation from other primates millions of years earlier than previously thought and firmly set our origins in Africa. The Big Bang, multiple universes and the essence of time remain outside confirmed knowledge. The "problem" is that increasingly, the so-called "scientific" questions are becoming philosophical ones that require a fresh approach to the subject. The author is correct when he says that we are learning with each new discovery how little we know and how much more we have to learn.

Great one-volume overview, but there are better books out there ***
I have to confess that I did not finish this book, as I was convinced of its merits about halfway through. "What Remains to be Discovered" provides a good overview of astronomy, the origin of life, and the future of our world. It is nice to have all three in one volume. However, the writing is uninteresting and inconsistent. The first section, on astrophysics, is very strong and authoritative, but written much more engagingly by Stephen Hawking in "A Brief History of Time." The second section, on life, was much weaker and the reason I stopped reading. Written at a high school level (most readers are already familiar with cholorplasts and mitochondria, but he takes time to define them), this section presented general ideas on the origin of life, but provided few facts. Maddox seems much less familiar with the extant scientific literature on this subject than he does on astronomy. He presents few results of scientific studies and focusses mostly on a logical, theoretical approach. I much prefered Stuart Kauffman's "At Home in the Universe." I give it three stars because it presents these ideas in one volume, an ambitious undertaking and would be a decent overview for someone who did not wish to take the time to read the several other, and more thorough, books on these subjects.

Great one-volume overview, but there are better books out there ***

I have to confess that I did not finish this book, as I was convinced of its merits about halfway through.

"What Remains to be Discovered" provides a good overview of astronomy, the origin of life, and the future of our world. It is nice to have all three in one volume. However, the writing is uninteresting and inconsistent.

The first section, on astrophysics, is very strong and authoritative, but written much more engagingly by Stephen Hawking in "A Brief History of Time."

The second section, on life, was much weaker and the reason I stopped reading. Written at a high school level (most readers are already familiar with cholorplasts and mitochondria, but he takes time to define them), this section presented general ideas on the origin of life, but provided few facts. Maddox seems much less familiar with the extant scientific literature on this subject than he does on astronomy. He presents few results of scientific studies and focusses mostly on a logical, theoretical approach. I much prefered Stuart Kauffman's "At Home in the Universe."

I give it three stars because it presents these ideas in one volume, an ambitious undertaking and would be a decent overview for someone who did not wish to take the time to read the several other, and more thorough, books on these subjects.

The more we know the more we do not know ****
I am among those who found this book quite difficult to read. I am not a scientist by training and a good share of the most technical description and discussion did not really make that much sense to me. Nonetheless I learned much from the book. The main premise that there remains much to be discovered and known seems to me indisputable .And this even though there may be realms such as quantum physics where the main map is already largely drawn, and the questions which remain are of more minor significance. The most challenging questions are as I understand it those which relate to the human mind and human situation. It is clear that we are not even close in having a real understanding of how the ' mind ' works. And in a world in which there are so many rapid developments scientifically and techologically it is clear that the major question, of the future of mankind( And our possible replacement or supplementation by other intelligences) has no clear and simple answer. Maddox writing toward the end of the book on the possible disasters of Mankind is especially disconcerting. He does not go into the detail that Martin Rees does in presenting the various ways we may finish ourselves off, or be finished off, but he is disconcerting enough. Above all though I think he achieves his main purpose in the book, and refutes those who want to argue that the main scientific problems (John Horgan) have already been taken care of. Anyone who studies history or the creative life of mankind knows that so long as we are here and thinking and exploring we will be making and creating new problems and new questions.

The more we know the more we do not know ****

I am among those who found this book quite difficult to read. I am not a scientist by training and a good share of the most technical description and discussion did not really make that much sense to me.
Nonetheless I learned much from the book. The main premise that there remains much to be discovered and known seems to me indisputable .And this even though there may be realms such as quantum physics where the main map is already largely drawn, and the questions which remain are of more minor significance.
The most challenging questions are as I understand it those which relate to the human mind and human situation. It is clear that we are not even close in having a real understanding of how the ' mind ' works. And in a world in which there are so many rapid developments scientifically and techologically it is clear that the major question, of the future of mankind( And our possible replacement or supplementation by other intelligences) has no clear and simple answer.
Maddox writing toward the end of the book on the possible disasters of Mankind is especially disconcerting. He does not go into the detail that Martin Rees does in presenting the various ways we may finish ourselves off, or be finished off, but he is disconcerting enough.
Above all though I think he achieves his main purpose in the book, and refutes those who want to argue that the main scientific problems (John Horgan) have already been taken care of.
Anyone who studies history or the creative life of mankind knows that so long as we are here and thinking and exploring we will be making and creating new problems and new questions.

The welcome influence of healthy scepticism ****
Probably written originally for the `fin de siecle' market, I suspect this book will have a much longer shelf life. John Maddox has a finely honed sense of what constitutes good science, which is not surprising for the long time editor of the prestigious journal `Nature'. He writes with authority on a vast array of subjects, and seems comfortable with the complexities of all of them. As a result, he is well qualified to distinguish between what is good science and what is metaphysics. Why is this important? Many science writers have written books on string theory, evolution, black holes, dark matter, quintessence etc. and have done so as though writing about real entities. It is as if media departments, under pressure from funding agencies for results, have pushed them into proclaiming the reality of their theories, and then sold them onto an unsuspecting public in impressive looking books (often heralded by the supposed cognoscenti who should know better) as the latest discovery. John Maddox makes it his business to pour very cold water on most of them and argues, for instance, that `putative' or `tentative' or `candidate' black holes are not quite the same thing as experimentally established, tried and tested ideas that we normally associate with good science and science practice. This is therefore an extremely timely book, for it is the writers of science that have foisted metaphysics on us as a fait accompli, half suggesting that theories of everything are within our grasp in a short while. In contrast, John Maddox points out that for all our knowledge, we know hardly anything at all about many traditional areas of enquiry such as cell division, and that most of our efforts seem to be spent on the `naming of parts'. The genome project is a good example, but while that is a huge achievement, knowing how all the parts are put together is an undertaking that will tax our understanding for very many years yet. What is left to discover is therefore breathtaking, and it is his healthy scepticism that reveals this. The quantum gravity problem, for instance, will not be resolved by the accumulation of data, and points at serious conceptual difficulties of a qualititative rather than quantitative form. Yet if string theory is likely to solve this, it will not be in this century that it will be testable, and at the moment stands as a lone contender that is no better than an educated guess. But there is a darker side to John Maddox. As editor of Nature, he played a crucial role in the Bienveniste fiasco, in which a magician was employed to discredit homoeopathic experiments which suggested that water could hold a memory of what had been in it, and which had been removed. At such times, healthy scepticism turns into prejudice, and yet still appears to retain its own character. I doubt whether a magician was used to discover the errors of calculation that caused CERN scientists to proclaim prematurely the discovery of the Higgs boson. The irony is that this particle is said to have a nature not dissimilar to that of a homoeopathic remedy, having an effect more by memory than presence. Yet despite such errors, such `exotic' ideas receive major funding, and are not discredited. When advances in ideas in such areas as homoeopathy are announced, they are the spur to renunciation at any cost, and its absence even of mention is to be noted in this book. Gene structure is based on memory, and we also experience an effect of memory when something or someone is removed from our presence; it is called grief, or sadness. Perhaps such cross-categorial references are distasteful to us, but that is no reason to pillory ideas that are striving for advancement. Such ideas may appear to threaten basic scientific assumptions, but it may well be these that are preventing progress in so many areas. Scepticism is necessary for this to happen, but it so easily disguises itself as something else entirely. Notwithstanding, this book goes a long way in correcting the focus created by other books concerning science which claim far too much for themselves and for this one fact alone, this is a book well worth the effort of reading.

The welcome influence of healthy scepticism ****

Probably written originally for the `fin de siecle' market, I suspect this book will have a much longer shelf life. John Maddox has a finely honed sense of what constitutes good science, which is not surprising for the long time editor of the prestigious journal `Nature'. He writes with authority on a vast array of subjects, and seems comfortable with the complexities of all of them. As a result, he is well qualified to distinguish between what is good science and what is metaphysics.
Why is this important? Many science writers have written books on string theory, evolution, black holes, dark matter, quintessence etc. and have done so as though writing about real entities. It is as if media departments, under pressure from funding agencies for results, have pushed them into proclaiming the reality of their theories, and then sold them onto an unsuspecting public in impressive looking books (often heralded by the supposed cognoscenti who should know better) as the latest discovery. John Maddox makes it his business to pour very cold water on most of them and argues, for instance, that `putative' or `tentative' or `candidate' black holes are not quite the same thing as experimentally established, tried and tested ideas that we normally associate with good science and science practice. This is therefore an extremely timely book, for it is the writers of science that have foisted metaphysics on us as a fait accompli, half suggesting that theories of everything are within our grasp in a short while. In contrast, John Maddox points out that for all our knowledge, we know hardly anything at all about many traditional areas of enquiry such as cell division, and that most of our efforts seem to be spent on the `naming of parts'. The genome project is a good example, but while that is a huge achievement, knowing how all the parts are put together is an undertaking that will tax our understanding for very many years yet.
What is left to discover is therefore breathtaking, and it is his healthy scepticism that reveals this. The quantum gravity problem, for instance, will not be resolved by the accumulation of data, and points at serious conceptual difficulties of a qualititative rather than quantitative form. Yet if string theory is likely to solve this, it will not be in this century that it will be testable, and at the moment stands as a lone contender that is no better than an educated guess.
But there is a darker side to John Maddox. As editor of Nature, he played a crucial role in the Bienveniste fiasco, in which a magician was employed to discredit homoeopathic experiments which suggested that water could hold a memory of what had been in it, and which had been removed. At such times, healthy scepticism turns into prejudice, and yet still appears to retain its own character. I doubt whether a magician was used to discover the errors of calculation that caused CERN scientists to proclaim prematurely the discovery of the Higgs boson. The irony is that this particle is said to have a nature not dissimilar to that of a homoeopathic remedy, having an effect more by memory than presence. Yet despite such errors, such `exotic' ideas receive major funding, and are not discredited. When advances in ideas in such areas as homoeopathy are announced, they are the spur to renunciation at any cost, and its absence even of mention is to be noted in this book. Gene structure is based on memory, and we also experience an effect of memory when something or someone is removed from our presence; it is called grief, or sadness. Perhaps such cross-categorial references are distasteful to us, but that is no reason to pillory ideas that are striving for advancement. Such ideas may appear to threaten basic scientific assumptions, but it may well be these that are preventing progress in so many areas. Scepticism is necessary for this to happen, but it so easily disguises itself as something else entirely.
Notwithstanding, this book goes a long way in correcting the focus created by other books concerning science which claim far too much for themselves and for this one fact alone, this is a book well worth the effort of reading.

Great Survey of Science Now, Past & Future. *****
John Maddox was long-time editor "Nature". Magazine. All in professional scientific research know "Science" and "Nature" are the two preeminent journals where technical papers are first published. Some of the great discoveries such as the electron, DNA and quantum theory have been published in these journals. It is a great fortune that John Maddox, the retired editor of "Nature" took the time write this book and at the turn of the century, turn of the Millennium. It is a gift of great learning that Mr. Maddox has given to the world at the turn of the millennium. Some writers have commented this book is hard reading, hard to follow and dense technical writing. Friends, this is not "People" or "Time" magazine. This is not supposed to be light reading; this is a discussion of what science has discovered and what science may discover in the future. Many commentators and professional scientists have long awaited this book. Mr. Maddox breaks the book into three parts. 1. Matter 2. Life 3. Our World. This alone is noteworthy breakdown of our present knowledge of the world. Of note, Mr. Maddox writes that all scientific explanation of anything must include a "physical or materialistic" explanation. The physical explanation or rather Physics has triumphed over virtually all other sciences. Indeed, physics is the foundation of all the sciences. We all know the chief problem of physics is the unity of theory of relativity with the quantum theory. Indeed as writer Michio Kaku said, our sum total knowledge of the universe is in the theory of relativity and of the quantum. Mr. Maddox was a Physics professor before and his knowledge of physics allows him to delve into great details about the unification of the two great theories of the 20th. Century. The second and third part of the book on "Life" "Our World". This discussion is a bit murky. We all know biology is not an exact science and any discussion of "Our World" is bound to be of a subjective nature. Mr. Maddox discusses the computer, mathematics, and a family tree of man, avoidance of asteroids. Needless, one 400 page book is not going cover this in detail nor with precision or clarity. The book can be read in one or two days. It not a textbook per se but a general discussion now, past and the future of science. It provides a sense of "time" and "place" of science for the lay reader and the professional scientists. It is great for practicing scientists and for individuals who aspire to be scientists. It may even offer general roadmap of where we want to be headed in science. This book is a must buy.

Great Survey of Science Now, Past & Future. *****

John Maddox was long-time editor "Nature". Magazine. All in professional scientific research know "Science" and "Nature" are the two preeminent journals where technical papers are first published. Some of the great discoveries such as the electron, DNA and quantum theory have been published in these journals.

It is a great fortune that John Maddox, the retired editor of "Nature" took the time write this book and at the turn of the century, turn of the Millennium. It is a gift of great learning that Mr. Maddox has given to the world at the turn of the millennium.

Some writers have commented this book is hard reading, hard to follow and dense technical writing. Friends, this is not "People" or "Time" magazine. This is not supposed to be light reading; this is a discussion of what science has discovered and what science may discover in the future. Many commentators and professional scientists have long awaited this book.

Mr. Maddox breaks the book into three parts. 1. Matter 2. Life 3. Our World. This alone is noteworthy breakdown of our present knowledge of the world. Of note, Mr. Maddox writes that all scientific explanation of anything must include a "physical or materialistic" explanation.

The physical explanation or rather Physics has triumphed over virtually all other sciences. Indeed, physics is the foundation of all the sciences. We all know the chief problem of physics is the unity of theory of relativity with the quantum theory. Indeed as writer Michio Kaku said, our sum total knowledge of the universe is in the theory of relativity and of the quantum.

Mr. Maddox was a Physics professor before and his knowledge of physics allows him to delve into great details about the unification of the two great theories of the 20th. Century.

The second and third part of the book on "Life" "Our World". This discussion is a bit murky. We all know biology is not an exact science and any discussion of "Our World" is bound to be of a subjective nature.

Mr. Maddox discusses the computer, mathematics, and a family tree of man, avoidance of asteroids. Needless, one 400 page book is not going cover this in detail nor with precision or clarity.

The book can be read in one or two days. It not a textbook per se but a general discussion now, past and the future of science. It provides a sense of "time" and "place" of science for the lay reader and the professional scientists. It is great for practicing scientists and for individuals who aspire to be scientists. It may even offer general roadmap of where we want to be headed in science. This book is a must buy.

Not the best, but recommended ***
I do not want to emphasise on what the previous reviewers have said about the book, so I will be short. I consider that Sir John Maddox is in a very good position while trying to show the main achievements of modern science, giving some clues about science evolution in the near future. However, this achievement has, to a great extent, missed the target since some other issues of modern science have been either forgotten or only slightly touched. The book is too much concentrated in more or less what the magazine Nature publishes, and although I do not question its major relevance, I still consider it rather biased. I know that it is not possible to touch all relevant subjects: so my 3 crowns note is justified.

Not the best, but recommended ***

I do not want to emphasise on what the previous reviewers have said about the book, so I will be short. I consider that Sir John Maddox is in a very good position while trying to show the main achievements of modern science, giving some clues about science evolution in the near future. However, this achievement has, to a great extent, missed the target since some other issues of modern science have been either forgotten or only slightly touched. The book is too much concentrated in more or less what the magazine Nature publishes, and although I do not question its major relevance, I still consider it rather biased. I know that it is not possible to touch all relevant subjects: so my 3 crowns note is justified.

Can we know everything? ****
Excellent, challenging and insightful book. John Maddox makes it very clear that there remains a lot te be discovered. Although Maddox is very optimistic that we will one day know the answers to most of the questions that are still open, I feel that, contrary to what he intends to, he actually makes a case for arguing that these questions are so complex and our methods so limited in their possibilities that there actually seems to be a limit to what we can scientifically know.

Can we know everything? ****

Excellent, challenging and insightful book. John Maddox makes it very clear that there remains a lot te be discovered. Although Maddox is very optimistic that we will one day know the answers to most of the questions that are still open, I feel that, contrary to what he intends to, he actually makes a case for arguing that these questions are so complex and our methods so limited in their possibilities that there actually seems to be a limit to what we can scientifically know.

Maddox missed his target audience by more than a few degrees **
Heaven help the reader who tries to decipher this book without a B.A., B.S., M.A., M.S., M.Ed., and Ph.D. Although intended for the general public, Maddox has completely missed the mark with his highly technical writings. The only chapters that I could fully comprehend were those in which I have completed college courses. The rest is a boggling mass that defty defies comprehension. Unless you're a professional, or a highly devoted amateur, the book will hold little value for you. Don't get me wrong: I love scientific journals and have always taken the label "nerd" as a compliment but this book was not worth while. The only people who will fully comprehend the book are those who do not need to be told What Remains to be Discovered.

Maddox missed his target audience by more than a few degrees **

Heaven help the reader who tries to decipher this book without a B.A., B.S., M.A., M.S., M.Ed., and Ph.D. Although intended for the general public, Maddox has completely missed the mark with his highly technical writings. The only chapters that I could fully comprehend were those in which I have completed college courses. The rest is a boggling mass that defty defies comprehension. Unless you're a professional, or a highly devoted amateur, the book will hold little value for you. Don't get me wrong: I love scientific journals and have always taken the label "nerd" as a compliment but this book was not worth while. The only people who will fully comprehend the book are those who do not need to be told What Remains to be Discovered.

Very interesting but not an easy read. ****
My colleagues and I are in an office book club and thought this was an important book. However, most of us found it harder to read than we had expected. It gets a bit easier about half way through.

Very interesting but not an easy read. ****

My colleagues and I are in an office book club and thought this was an important book. However, most of us found it harder to read than we had expected. It gets a bit easier about half way through.

Very much informative, but too many serious mistakes. *
I will show some exmaples of mitakes or false statemants: (1) 1925 must be 1927. I think this is a careless mistake,. (2) This was done not by Dirac but by Schoroedinger himself. Serious mistake. (3) "Fermat's Last Theorem" was not one of his 23 (not 1+26!) problems. Principia Mathematica appeared between 1910 and 1913. So, "talking soon after" is very much misleading. (4) If "then" maens "at that time," this is a false statement. Goedel was in Europe in 1930 or 1931. (5) Cartan must be a German mathematician Georg Cantor. This is a very much serious mistake.

Very much informative, but too many serious mistakes. *

I will show some exmaples of mitakes or false statemants: (1) 1925 must be 1927. I think this is a careless mistake,. (2) This was done not by Dirac but by Schoroedinger himself. Serious mistake. (3) "Fermat's Last Theorem" was not one of his 23 (not 1+26!) problems. Principia Mathematica appeared between 1910 and 1913. So, "talking soon after" is very much misleading. (4) If "then" maens "at that time," this is a false statement. Goedel was in Europe in 1930 or 1931. (5) Cartan must be a German mathematician Georg Cantor. This is a very much serious mistake.

A Superb Overwiev of the Known Mysteries of Science ****
This book presupposes some scientific background. If you want to feel comfortable with every chapter you read, you need to have broad (but not deep) understanding of the sciences. I am a social scientist, but found almost all of this book highly readable. Maddox, who was knighted for his contribution to science, presents the known mysteries that are yet to be solved. Among these are the workings of the brain, the exact origin of the universe and its exact nature (e.g. what is dark matter and where is it?), and the origin of life. These are important questions to which we do not have (completely) satisfactory answers. This goes against the "end of science" thesis postulated a few years before by John Horgan and others. Of course, Maddox can only deal at length with those things which we know are unanwwered, but these mysteries may not be the only ones there are. Perhaps new deep mysteries will arise, and perhaps some are so deep that even the relevant questions that have to be asked about them are forever beyond merely human intelligence. Maddox gives a vast overview, and it makes you awestruck at the sight of this grand world and the sheer power of science and technology that continue to probe ever deeper into its mysteries.

A Superb Overwiev of the Known Mysteries of Science ****

This book presupposes some scientific background. If you want to feel comfortable with every chapter you read, you need to have broad (but not deep) understanding of the sciences. I am a social scientist, but found almost all of this book highly readable. Maddox, who was knighted for his contribution to science, presents the known mysteries that are yet to be solved. Among these are the workings of the brain, the exact origin of the universe and its exact nature (e.g. what is dark matter and where is it?), and the origin of life. These are important questions to which we do not have (completely) satisfactory answers. This goes against the "end of science" thesis postulated a few years before by John Horgan and others. Of course, Maddox can only deal at length with those things which we know are unanwwered, but these mysteries may not be the only ones there are. Perhaps new deep mysteries will arise, and perhaps some are so deep that even the relevant questions that have to be asked about them are forever beyond merely human intelligence. Maddox gives a vast overview, and it makes you awestruck at the sight of this grand world and the sheer power of science and technology that continue to probe ever deeper into its mysteries.

Something for Everyone ****
John Maddox has written a readable account of possible future discoveries and the directions science will take in this future. This book, What Remains to Be Discovered, is not fully comprehensive or authoritative but the author, instead, selects certain important topics and digests them into small enough sizes to be understandable to a wide variety of readers and large enough to cover the selected topic with appropriate breadth. It is sometimes a struggle for the non-science minded but the the author always manages to get across the basic idea and, more importantly, just why this idea will be so important in the future. I enjoyed this challenging book more than I had any right to do.

Something for Everyone ****

John Maddox has written a readable account of possible future discoveries and the directions science will take in this future. This book, What Remains to Be Discovered, is not fully comprehensive or authoritative but the author, instead, selects certain important topics and digests them into small enough sizes to be understandable to a wide variety of readers and large enough to cover the selected topic with appropriate breadth. It is sometimes a struggle for the non-science minded but the the author always manages to get across the basic idea and, more importantly, just why this idea will be so important in the future. I enjoyed this challenging book more than I had any right to do.

Heavy Lifting. *****
Though I am not schooled in any of the sciences and my only motivation to read the book was my endless curiosity, I got quite a bit of information and enjoyment out of What Remains To Be Discovered. John Maddox possesses an impressive intellect and the ability to convey the world's most complex theorems in a way many of us can appreciate. To read the book is to receive a graduate degree in physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics--or least the Cliff Notes version. I was left with more questions than answers, but I think that's the point. We'll never know it all. I was fascinated by the riddles and incomprehensible beauty and perfection of life and matter at the sub-atomic levels our knowledge now reaches. The impossibility of how things apparently work is enough to secure one's faith in a supreme being--or not, depending on your point of view. I really enjoyed the section in the end in which Maddox looks at the probabilities of global catastrophe, such as meteor impacts, global warming, etc. I found one gem in there so intriguing, I've made it part of the premise in my next novel (Big Ice, ISBN #1-59286-587-9). This book is clearly not for every reader. Those with marginal vocabulary or reading skills--or no interest in science--will be turned off immediately. This is sophisticated stuff. It's written about as readable as you can make it, but for some that won't be enough. For Brainiacs who would rather slit their wrists than read a Louis L'Amour novel, this book is a dream come true. Prepare to exercise your brain. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

Heavy Lifting. *****

Though I am not schooled in any of the sciences and my only motivation to read the book was my endless curiosity, I got quite a bit of information and enjoyment out of What Remains To Be Discovered. John Maddox possesses an impressive intellect and the ability to convey the world's most complex theorems in a way many of us can appreciate. To read the book is to receive a graduate degree in physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics--or least the Cliff Notes version.

I was left with more questions than answers, but I think that's the point. We'll never know it all. I was fascinated by the riddles and incomprehensible beauty and perfection of life and matter at the sub-atomic levels our knowledge now reaches. The impossibility of how things apparently work is enough to secure one's faith in a supreme being--or not, depending on your point of view.

I really enjoyed the section in the end in which Maddox looks at the probabilities of global catastrophe, such as meteor impacts, global warming, etc. I found one gem in there so intriguing, I've made it part of the premise in my next novel (Big Ice, ISBN #1-59286-587-9).

This book is clearly not for every reader. Those with marginal vocabulary or reading skills--or no interest in science--will be turned off immediately. This is sophisticated stuff. It's written about as readable as you can make it, but for some that won't be enough. For Brainiacs who would rather slit their wrists than read a Louis L'Amour novel, this book is a dream come true. Prepare to exercise your brain. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.