From the Bookshelf of Science and Inquiry…

From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time

Sean Carroll

Start date: November 1, 2011

Finish date: November 30, 2011

Discussion: Book Club 2011

Why we're reading this: Very good book. The author provides a very smooth read of a complicated subject.
[close] Very good book. The author provides a very smooth read of a complicated subject.

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Book Club 2011

September, 2011: The Blind Watchmaker
By David · 47 posts · 151 views

last updated Jun 21, 2018 05:08AM

April 2011 - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
By David · 32 posts · 163 views

last updated Feb 20, 2017 11:56PM

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What Members Thought

Nov 18, 2011 David Rubenstein rated it it was amazing

Shelves: physics

This is a very well-written, and entertaining book on our understanding of the arrow of time. Entropy is a key concept, which deserves (and gets) lots of attention. The second law of thermodynamics states that, in a closed system, entropy can either stay the same or increase--it cannot decrease. Sean Carroll shows why the reversibility of physics at the particle level gives rise to a seeming paradox; if the physics of particles is just as correct with time switched backwards, why can't entropy d ...more

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Feb 06, 2015 Charlene rated it it was amazing

Shelves: philosophy, physics, general-science, history

Sean Carroll is my favorite physicist and science writer. I didn't love the first half of this book, including discussions about time travel, as much as I loved the second half of the book; which discussed black holes, bubbles, pocket universes, and a provided a more in depth look at the low entropy state of the early universe. I read as much as I can about black holes and am always looking for authors who can make the material extremely relatable . Sean Carroll is by far the best at taking comp ...more

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Feb 08, 2014 Don rated it really liked it

Shelves: science

A book about time from the perspective of physics? Sign me up! Though at its surface, it seems like a book just about time, you could almost read it as a primer for some larger concepts in physics in general. Entropy, quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, multiverse, black holes; these are all topics that are presented as a way to help provide a framework for understanding time.

I was fascinated for the whole book, even though some of the chapters were covering some pretty challenging material. Sean ...more

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