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God and the Multiverse: Humanity's Expanding View of the Cosmos
Cosmologists have reasons to believe that the vast universe in which we live is just one of an endless number of other universes within a "multiverse" — a mind-boggling array that may extend indefinitely in space and endlessly in both the past and the future. In this comprehensive history of multiverse theory, Victor Stenger reviews the key developments in the history of science that led to the current consensus view of astrophysicists, taking pains to explain essential concepts and discoveries in accessible language. He shows that science’s emerging understanding of the multiverse — consisting of trillions upon trillions of galaxies — is fully explicable in naturalistic terms with no need for supernatural forces to explain its origin or ongoing existence.
How can conceptions of God, traditional or otherwise, be squared with this new worldview? The author shows how, in the light of science, long-held beliefs will need to undergo major revision or otherwise face eventual extinction.
How can conceptions of God, traditional or otherwise, be squared with this new worldview? The author shows how, in the light of science, long-held beliefs will need to undergo major revision or otherwise face eventual extinction.
447 pages, Hardcover
First published October 9, 2014
32 people are currently reading
909 people want to read
About the author
Victor J. Stenger
29 books216 followersVictor John Stenger was an American particle physicist, outspoken atheist and author, active in philosophy and popular religious skepticism.
He published 13 books for general audiences on physics, quantum mechanics, cosmology, philosophy, religion, atheism, and pseudoscience. He popularized the phrase "Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings".
He published 13 books for general audiences on physics, quantum mechanics, cosmology, philosophy, religion, atheism, and pseudoscience. He popularized the phrase "Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings".
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 8, 2018
Having read at least a dozen books on cosmology over the last 8 years or so, I believe Victor Stenger's book, God and the Multiverse, is the best because he does such an excellent job of explaining difficult scientific concepts in ways that are understandable as he traces the historical development of cosmology from ancient times until the present. This is not true of all of his books--some earlier volumes are much more difficult to understand, but this one is one of the clearest explanations of astro- and quantum physics that I've ever seen. It has become my favorite out of all the works on cosmology that I've read.
September 16, 2014
God and the Multiverse: Humanity’s View of the Cosmos by Victor J. Stenger
“God and the Multiverse" traces the history of humanity’s view of the cosmos and examines how that view has changed over the last ten thousand years to the present. Sadly, Dr. Stenger passed away before the release of this book in which he makes use of disciplines within physics to present plausible scenarios for a natural origin of our universe and though more speculative infers that our universe is but one of an eternal multiverse that contains unlimited number of other universes. This provocative yet challenging 447-page book includes the following sixteen chapters: 1. From Myth to Science, 2. Toward the New Cosmos, 3. Beyond Unaided Human Vision, 4. Glimpses of the Unimagined, 5. Heat, Light, and the Atom, 6. The Second Physics Revolution, 7. Island Universes, 8. A Dynamic Cosmos, 9. Nuclear Cosmology, 10. Relics of the Big Bang, 11. Particles and the Cosmos, 12. Inflation, 13. Falling Up, 14. Modeling the Universe, 15. The Eternal Multiverse, and 16. Life and God.
Positives:
1. A well-written and well-researched book.
2. An interesting topic, humanity’s evolving understanding of the cosmos.
3. Dr. Stenger has a great command of the topic and tries his darndest to keep it accessible.
4. The book’s emphasis is on science. That is a focus on observation and experiment than theory. “If a model agrees with the data, then it has something to do with reality.”
5. Plenty of graphs, illustrations and charts to assist the reader.
6. Provocative. “Short of divine revelation, for which no evidence exists, I know of no method by which we can determine what is ultimately real. The best we can do is make ever-improving observations and describe them with ever more accurate models.”
7. The interesting and often times difficult interaction between religion and science. “They also tried to deal with Psalm 93, which declares that the foundation of Earth remain forever unmoved, and other biblical contradictions. Rheticus wrote a tract attempting to rectify Copernicus with holy scripture, but it was never published.”
8. Far-out facts. “From these and other observations, it has been determined that luminous matter—the stars and hot gas we see in the sky by eye and instrument—constitutes a mere 0.5 percent of the total mass of our universe.”
9. Contributions from the great scientists of the past and present throughout the book. “Einstein also predicted that a clock in a gravitational field runs slower, as observed by someone outside the field. This is called gravitational time dilation and is derived directly from general relativity. This effect is also well confirmed. If the GPS in your car did not correct for gravitational time dilation, it would not always take you to where you want to go.”
10. Does a great job of chronicling the history of astronomy by highlighting the most note-worthy developments in cosmology. “Then, in January 1913 he obtained his result: The spectrum of Andromeda was blue-shifted, that is, shifted to shorter wavelengths. Assuming the mechanism was a Doppler shift, Slipher calculated that Andromeda is moving toward us with a speed or radial velocity of 300 kilometers per second.”
11. An interesting look at the big bang model and its implications. “In other words, the big bang should not be taken as evidence for a creator God since that God is hidden. Many like Lemaître who choose to believe in God despite the fact that his existence is far from obvious have little recourse but to assume that he must have reasons to hide from us. However, this “hiddenness argument” has been shown to fail.”
12. The discovery of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and the rise of particle physics. A look at the theoretical ideas behind the standard model.
13. An interesting look at the theoretical problems with the big-bang model: the flatness problem, the horizon problem, the structure problem, and the monopole problem.
14. Key concepts of science conveyed to the public. “Even when a model passes a test that could have falsified it, this does not mean that the model has been proved conclusively and will not someday be superseded by a better model.” Another one, “Major discoveries in physics usually lead to simpler theories with fewer adjustable parameters.”
15. Provides conclusions based on the best of our current knowledge. “In short, our universe had a beginning, but it need not have been the beginning of everything.”
16. Explains the concept of the multiverse. “The ‘World Ensemble’ or multiverse was motivated by established science—with no thought whatsoever to theology. It is the conclusion of our best current models of cosmology based on the extremely precise observations of modern astronomy and our best knowledge of fundamental physics.”
17. Eternal Inflation. “According to eternal inflation, once expansion starts it never ends, with new universes being created all the time. In 1986, Andrei Linde elaborated the idea, showing how it was possible that the universe reproduces itself indefinitely and “may have no beginning or end.”
18. The last chapter of the book covers some of the big philosophical questions. “However, based on our best current knowledge it is hard to imagine that in this immense universe there aren't countless planets with some form of life.” “Why should nonbeing, no matter how defined, be the default state of existence rather than being?”
19. Dr. Stenger takes glee in debunking some of the more popular arguments for theism including the Fine-Tuning Argument. “In short, nothing in our observations of the universe requires the existence of God. Furthermore, the absence of evidence that should be there for the actions of God rules out beyond a reasonable doubt the kind of God worshipped by most of humanity.”
20. Notes and formal bibliography included.
Negatives:
1. Though intended for the masses, most laypersons will struggle with this book. Elementary particle physics and astrophysics even at its most basic is challenging.
2. Surprisingly, this book is not as engaging as I’d hoped. It can be dry and even tedious.
3. A graphical timeline of the multiverse theory would have been helpful.
4. It requires an investment of your time.
In summary, this may be too challenging of a book for the layperson to really enjoy. Elementary particle physics and astrophysics even at its most basic will perplex the average reader plus the book does not do any favors by being too dry. The late Dr. Stenger does provide the public with a solid chronicle of the cosmos and makes a good case for the multiverse. A solid effort but may have limited appeal. Recommended for science lovers but not for laypeople.
Further recommendations: "God: The Failed Hypothesis", "The Fallacy of Fine Tuning", and "God and the Folly of Faith" by Victor Stenger, “The Universe” by John Brockman, “A Universe from Nothing” by Lawrence M. Krauss, “Our Mathematical Universe” by Max Tegmark, “Farewell to Reality: How Modern Physics Has Betrayed the Search for Scientific Truth” by Jim Baggott, “The Elegant Universe” and “Hidden Reality” by Brian Greene, “About Time” by Adam Frank, “Higgs Discovery” and “Warped Passages” by Lisa Randall, “The Grand Design” by Stephen Hawking, and “The Quantum Universe” by Brian Cox.
“God and the Multiverse" traces the history of humanity’s view of the cosmos and examines how that view has changed over the last ten thousand years to the present. Sadly, Dr. Stenger passed away before the release of this book in which he makes use of disciplines within physics to present plausible scenarios for a natural origin of our universe and though more speculative infers that our universe is but one of an eternal multiverse that contains unlimited number of other universes. This provocative yet challenging 447-page book includes the following sixteen chapters: 1. From Myth to Science, 2. Toward the New Cosmos, 3. Beyond Unaided Human Vision, 4. Glimpses of the Unimagined, 5. Heat, Light, and the Atom, 6. The Second Physics Revolution, 7. Island Universes, 8. A Dynamic Cosmos, 9. Nuclear Cosmology, 10. Relics of the Big Bang, 11. Particles and the Cosmos, 12. Inflation, 13. Falling Up, 14. Modeling the Universe, 15. The Eternal Multiverse, and 16. Life and God.
Positives:
1. A well-written and well-researched book.
2. An interesting topic, humanity’s evolving understanding of the cosmos.
3. Dr. Stenger has a great command of the topic and tries his darndest to keep it accessible.
4. The book’s emphasis is on science. That is a focus on observation and experiment than theory. “If a model agrees with the data, then it has something to do with reality.”
5. Plenty of graphs, illustrations and charts to assist the reader.
6. Provocative. “Short of divine revelation, for which no evidence exists, I know of no method by which we can determine what is ultimately real. The best we can do is make ever-improving observations and describe them with ever more accurate models.”
7. The interesting and often times difficult interaction between religion and science. “They also tried to deal with Psalm 93, which declares that the foundation of Earth remain forever unmoved, and other biblical contradictions. Rheticus wrote a tract attempting to rectify Copernicus with holy scripture, but it was never published.”
8. Far-out facts. “From these and other observations, it has been determined that luminous matter—the stars and hot gas we see in the sky by eye and instrument—constitutes a mere 0.5 percent of the total mass of our universe.”
9. Contributions from the great scientists of the past and present throughout the book. “Einstein also predicted that a clock in a gravitational field runs slower, as observed by someone outside the field. This is called gravitational time dilation and is derived directly from general relativity. This effect is also well confirmed. If the GPS in your car did not correct for gravitational time dilation, it would not always take you to where you want to go.”
10. Does a great job of chronicling the history of astronomy by highlighting the most note-worthy developments in cosmology. “Then, in January 1913 he obtained his result: The spectrum of Andromeda was blue-shifted, that is, shifted to shorter wavelengths. Assuming the mechanism was a Doppler shift, Slipher calculated that Andromeda is moving toward us with a speed or radial velocity of 300 kilometers per second.”
11. An interesting look at the big bang model and its implications. “In other words, the big bang should not be taken as evidence for a creator God since that God is hidden. Many like Lemaître who choose to believe in God despite the fact that his existence is far from obvious have little recourse but to assume that he must have reasons to hide from us. However, this “hiddenness argument” has been shown to fail.”
12. The discovery of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and the rise of particle physics. A look at the theoretical ideas behind the standard model.
13. An interesting look at the theoretical problems with the big-bang model: the flatness problem, the horizon problem, the structure problem, and the monopole problem.
14. Key concepts of science conveyed to the public. “Even when a model passes a test that could have falsified it, this does not mean that the model has been proved conclusively and will not someday be superseded by a better model.” Another one, “Major discoveries in physics usually lead to simpler theories with fewer adjustable parameters.”
15. Provides conclusions based on the best of our current knowledge. “In short, our universe had a beginning, but it need not have been the beginning of everything.”
16. Explains the concept of the multiverse. “The ‘World Ensemble’ or multiverse was motivated by established science—with no thought whatsoever to theology. It is the conclusion of our best current models of cosmology based on the extremely precise observations of modern astronomy and our best knowledge of fundamental physics.”
17. Eternal Inflation. “According to eternal inflation, once expansion starts it never ends, with new universes being created all the time. In 1986, Andrei Linde elaborated the idea, showing how it was possible that the universe reproduces itself indefinitely and “may have no beginning or end.”
18. The last chapter of the book covers some of the big philosophical questions. “However, based on our best current knowledge it is hard to imagine that in this immense universe there aren't countless planets with some form of life.” “Why should nonbeing, no matter how defined, be the default state of existence rather than being?”
19. Dr. Stenger takes glee in debunking some of the more popular arguments for theism including the Fine-Tuning Argument. “In short, nothing in our observations of the universe requires the existence of God. Furthermore, the absence of evidence that should be there for the actions of God rules out beyond a reasonable doubt the kind of God worshipped by most of humanity.”
20. Notes and formal bibliography included.
Negatives:
1. Though intended for the masses, most laypersons will struggle with this book. Elementary particle physics and astrophysics even at its most basic is challenging.
2. Surprisingly, this book is not as engaging as I’d hoped. It can be dry and even tedious.
3. A graphical timeline of the multiverse theory would have been helpful.
4. It requires an investment of your time.
In summary, this may be too challenging of a book for the layperson to really enjoy. Elementary particle physics and astrophysics even at its most basic will perplex the average reader plus the book does not do any favors by being too dry. The late Dr. Stenger does provide the public with a solid chronicle of the cosmos and makes a good case for the multiverse. A solid effort but may have limited appeal. Recommended for science lovers but not for laypeople.
Further recommendations: "God: The Failed Hypothesis", "The Fallacy of Fine Tuning", and "God and the Folly of Faith" by Victor Stenger, “The Universe” by John Brockman, “A Universe from Nothing” by Lawrence M. Krauss, “Our Mathematical Universe” by Max Tegmark, “Farewell to Reality: How Modern Physics Has Betrayed the Search for Scientific Truth” by Jim Baggott, “The Elegant Universe” and “Hidden Reality” by Brian Greene, “About Time” by Adam Frank, “Higgs Discovery” and “Warped Passages” by Lisa Randall, “The Grand Design” by Stephen Hawking, and “The Quantum Universe” by Brian Cox.
October 9, 2021
Kitap esasen evrenin ince ayarlanmış olduğu argümanını çürütüyor. "Bilmem ne değeri şu kadarcık daha az veya fazla olsa yaşam olmazdı" şeklindeki argümanlardan bahsediyorum. Bunların çoğunun ya başka koşullardan ortaya çıkan ve bizim gelişigüzel atfettiğimiz değerler olduğunu ya da aslında gayet geniş aralıklarda yaşama izin verdiğini gösteriyor.
Bunu yapabilmek için evrene dair bildiklerimizi anlatması gerektiğinden, kitabın %80'i falan aslında fizikte son geldiğimiz aşamaya dair bilgilerden oluşuyor. Ki tanrı meselesini pek düşünmeyen biri olarak, fiziğe dair bildiklerimi katlamış oldu bu şekilde. Kuantum mekaniği ve kozmolojiye dair duyduğum fakat pek anlamadığım biçok şeyi anlamış oldum (şişme vs big bang, evrenin kuantum dalgalanmayla oluşması, çoklu evrenler hipotezi, kuantum mekaniğinin farklı yorumları vs)
Ayrıca daha önce duymadığım Emmy Noether'le ve başka birçok ilginç bilimciyle tanışmış oldum.
Kitabın başları en çok hoşuma giden kısımlar oldu. Bugün bildiğimiz anlamda bilimin henüz ortaya çıkmadığı Antik Yunan'dan başlayarak, felsefe tarihindeki kozmoloji hipotezlerini inceliyor. Hem eğlenceli hem de ağır fizik içeren ileriki kısımlara göre anlaması daha basit.
Kitaptan çıkardığım sonuçlar:
- Atomcular (Demokritos falan) günümüz kozmolojisiyle baya uyumlu bi evren anlayışına sahiplermiş. İlginç bi şekilde Stoacılar'ın kozmolojisi de fena değilmiş. (Aristo ise saçma sapan görüşleriyle Kilise'ye ve başka teologlara binlerce yıllık yakıt sağladığı için artık kendisini sevmiyorum)
- Kant da bu konuda başarılı imiş, helal olsun sana Kant
- Noether teoremi önemli bir mevzu, Emmy Noether de süper bi insanmış. Özetle bizim fizik kanunu dediğimiz, enerjinin korunumu gibi kanunlar aslında simetriden kaynaklanan zorunluluklar
- Big Bang'in açıklayamadığı birtakım mevzuları şişme (inflation) ile kolayca açıklayabiliyoruz
- Çoklu evrenler tezi halen herhangi bir kanıtla desteklenmiş değil ancak deneysel gözlemlerle uyumlu ve bir gün başka evrenlerin bizim evrenimiz üzerinde bırakmış olduğu bir izi gözlemlemek en azından teorik olarak mümkün, yani çoklu evrenler derken asla gözlemleyemeyeceğimiz fantastik bi şeyden bahsetmiyoruz. Kuantum fiziğindeki çoklu-dünyalar yorumu (many-worlds interpretation) ise pek öyle değil sanırım. Tam anlamadım. Ama bu ikisinin alakasız iki farklı şey olduğunu anlamak bile baya ufuk açıcı oldu
- Tanrı veya "akıllı tasarım" tezi, bilimin açıklayamadığı herhangi bir şeyi açıklamadığı gibi, hiçbir açıklamanın bir parçası olmayan ek bir hipotez olduğundan işleri daha da karmaşıklaştırıyor
- Bugün geldiğimiz haliyle fiziği, işin içine matematiği mümkün olduğunca katmadan, biraz olsun anlayabilmem için aynı şeyi farklı kaynaklardan defalara okumam/işitmem ve üzerine düşünmem gerekiyor yoksa kafam basmıyor. Yine de tüm bu anlama çabası başlı başına bir keyif.
Bunu yapabilmek için evrene dair bildiklerimizi anlatması gerektiğinden, kitabın %80'i falan aslında fizikte son geldiğimiz aşamaya dair bilgilerden oluşuyor. Ki tanrı meselesini pek düşünmeyen biri olarak, fiziğe dair bildiklerimi katlamış oldu bu şekilde. Kuantum mekaniği ve kozmolojiye dair duyduğum fakat pek anlamadığım biçok şeyi anlamış oldum (şişme vs big bang, evrenin kuantum dalgalanmayla oluşması, çoklu evrenler hipotezi, kuantum mekaniğinin farklı yorumları vs)
Ayrıca daha önce duymadığım Emmy Noether'le ve başka birçok ilginç bilimciyle tanışmış oldum.
Kitabın başları en çok hoşuma giden kısımlar oldu. Bugün bildiğimiz anlamda bilimin henüz ortaya çıkmadığı Antik Yunan'dan başlayarak, felsefe tarihindeki kozmoloji hipotezlerini inceliyor. Hem eğlenceli hem de ağır fizik içeren ileriki kısımlara göre anlaması daha basit.
Kitaptan çıkardığım sonuçlar:
- Atomcular (Demokritos falan) günümüz kozmolojisiyle baya uyumlu bi evren anlayışına sahiplermiş. İlginç bi şekilde Stoacılar'ın kozmolojisi de fena değilmiş. (Aristo ise saçma sapan görüşleriyle Kilise'ye ve başka teologlara binlerce yıllık yakıt sağladığı için artık kendisini sevmiyorum)
- Kant da bu konuda başarılı imiş, helal olsun sana Kant
- Noether teoremi önemli bir mevzu, Emmy Noether de süper bi insanmış. Özetle bizim fizik kanunu dediğimiz, enerjinin korunumu gibi kanunlar aslında simetriden kaynaklanan zorunluluklar
- Big Bang'in açıklayamadığı birtakım mevzuları şişme (inflation) ile kolayca açıklayabiliyoruz
- Çoklu evrenler tezi halen herhangi bir kanıtla desteklenmiş değil ancak deneysel gözlemlerle uyumlu ve bir gün başka evrenlerin bizim evrenimiz üzerinde bırakmış olduğu bir izi gözlemlemek en azından teorik olarak mümkün, yani çoklu evrenler derken asla gözlemleyemeyeceğimiz fantastik bi şeyden bahsetmiyoruz. Kuantum fiziğindeki çoklu-dünyalar yorumu (many-worlds interpretation) ise pek öyle değil sanırım. Tam anlamadım. Ama bu ikisinin alakasız iki farklı şey olduğunu anlamak bile baya ufuk açıcı oldu
- Tanrı veya "akıllı tasarım" tezi, bilimin açıklayamadığı herhangi bir şeyi açıklamadığı gibi, hiçbir açıklamanın bir parçası olmayan ek bir hipotez olduğundan işleri daha da karmaşıklaştırıyor
- Bugün geldiğimiz haliyle fiziği, işin içine matematiği mümkün olduğunca katmadan, biraz olsun anlayabilmem için aynı şeyi farklı kaynaklardan defalara okumam/işitmem ve üzerine düşünmem gerekiyor yoksa kafam basmıyor. Yine de tüm bu anlama çabası başlı başına bir keyif.
May 5, 2020
For me, it's hard to say something concrete about the 'God and the Multiverse' because in my mind I've a lot of arguments.
On the one hand, book is very good to trace the timeline of the Astronomy development from ancient times to present theoretical hypotheses era. I would replace the title of the book as "From God to the Multiverse" because it would sound much more rational. It is obvious that scientific methods developed drastically to prove and theorize some things, tools that cosmologists use to explore and experiment hypothesis. Victor Stenger mentions all key figures who contributed to the development of Astronomy as an applied science as well as to other disciplines such as mathematics, physics and chemistry. Furthermore, author examines his own researches along with his contemporaries, discusses main events in astronomy and gives his own ideas about the future of astronomy.
On the other hand, however, book is full of technical details that can easily confuse reader. If you forget terms or formulas in one chapter, you'll find it difficult to understand the next one. In some parts, it seemed to me that I was reading college textbook about cosmology, not popular science. In contrast, this complexity, made this book really ground-finding in understanding basics of cosmology.
All in all, this book is perfect tool to those who want to read about arguments between theists and atheists in proving God vs. Science, or who want to read about astronomy and the development of Universe in scientific and technical terms. Personally, I do not regret that I read this book, because I had gained a lot of important background about cosmology.
On the one hand, book is very good to trace the timeline of the Astronomy development from ancient times to present theoretical hypotheses era. I would replace the title of the book as "From God to the Multiverse" because it would sound much more rational. It is obvious that scientific methods developed drastically to prove and theorize some things, tools that cosmologists use to explore and experiment hypothesis. Victor Stenger mentions all key figures who contributed to the development of Astronomy as an applied science as well as to other disciplines such as mathematics, physics and chemistry. Furthermore, author examines his own researches along with his contemporaries, discusses main events in astronomy and gives his own ideas about the future of astronomy.
On the other hand, however, book is full of technical details that can easily confuse reader. If you forget terms or formulas in one chapter, you'll find it difficult to understand the next one. In some parts, it seemed to me that I was reading college textbook about cosmology, not popular science. In contrast, this complexity, made this book really ground-finding in understanding basics of cosmology.
All in all, this book is perfect tool to those who want to read about arguments between theists and atheists in proving God vs. Science, or who want to read about astronomy and the development of Universe in scientific and technical terms. Personally, I do not regret that I read this book, because I had gained a lot of important background about cosmology.
February 4, 2020
The failure of this book is on a par with a supernova. Read it and descend into a black hole. Stenger is obviously a knowledgeable physicist with an impressive career. The book spews scientific facts at the speed of light, interspersing the strangest trivia and personal reminiscences in an attempt to make it readable. But the traces of readability are marred by so many missing words, extra words, and other non-spelling errors as to make it seem self-published. That makes one doubt the accuracy of his science as well. It ends up being neither an academic scientific publication nor a popular science explanation of his thesis: God is not necessary for physics. I am not shocked by that statement, but I am amazed that someone could put so much effort into this, and presumably his many other books, and yet completely ignore the existence of consciousness in his cosmology or his logic.
March 6, 2024
Anytime I select a book written by an atheist, I know I will be challenged, and then when I even think about the multiverse, I have exceeded my intellectual limits. It then means the read will expand my world and that I will entertain exciting things that may or may not be fully truthful. The statement in Chapter 3 by the author best explains my thinking, "As we will see, scientific consensus today is converging on precisely this cosmological model. But, again, I must emphasize it is a HUMAN-CONSTRUCTED MODEL."
The first few chapters of this read review the known history of early writings about the stars and planets with the additional "facts" gained by modern technology, one can better develop a "theory" about the unknown history, when did this all begin? I am always amazed that atheists become theologians and philosophers in their writings. I tend to look on all with suspect!
I will keep reading, at least until, as the author suggests, the latter part of the book is not for the non-scientist.
I reached my limit t page 115, but went to the last chapter for the Summary. I found Mr.Stenger to be very easy to read and has a non-condescending presentation that honors the greatness of what extends above us. Thanks for asking the questions for which there are currently no answers.
The first few chapters of this read review the known history of early writings about the stars and planets with the additional "facts" gained by modern technology, one can better develop a "theory" about the unknown history, when did this all begin? I am always amazed that atheists become theologians and philosophers in their writings. I tend to look on all with suspect!
I will keep reading, at least until, as the author suggests, the latter part of the book is not for the non-scientist.
I reached my limit t page 115, but went to the last chapter for the Summary. I found Mr.Stenger to be very easy to read and has a non-condescending presentation that honors the greatness of what extends above us. Thanks for asking the questions for which there are currently no answers.
January 5, 2015
This book by the late VJ Stenger, probably his last, is an extended tour of current-day Cosmology and its mind-bending ideas to explain the universe(s). Like all his other books, it has a very personal account of science, sometimes super-detailed, always historically-grounded, and sometimes excessively advanced for the mainstream reader (who might hate the many plots and calculations). There are, however, quite a few gems of clarity for the reader who’d persist through the book, and a sense of getting a comprehensive view of things not available elsewhere.
Perhaps because of this extensiveness, the religious component suffers and gets compressed to occasional bursts (a Mormon universe?) and to an argument against fine-tuning (aka the Anthropic Principle) that goes on way too long. There isn’t here—the book’s title notwithstanding—much about God on the traditional sense, and certainly not about why He might have created a multiverse. Did He get bored after the Seven Days of Creation? Is He still out there, busily creating other universes? Cosmology has, in some sense, gone well beyond our holy book-bound theologies.
I’m saddened by the loss of such a great mind, and hope a book like this, a true labor of love, will remain in a visible spot in our shelves, now being crowded by so-and-so, book-of-the-month science offerings. This is more of a last philosophical stand for reason, or a benchmark of what we can say about what we (don’t) know. I don’t think it will be improved upon any time soon.
Perhaps because of this extensiveness, the religious component suffers and gets compressed to occasional bursts (a Mormon universe?) and to an argument against fine-tuning (aka the Anthropic Principle) that goes on way too long. There isn’t here—the book’s title notwithstanding—much about God on the traditional sense, and certainly not about why He might have created a multiverse. Did He get bored after the Seven Days of Creation? Is He still out there, busily creating other universes? Cosmology has, in some sense, gone well beyond our holy book-bound theologies.
I’m saddened by the loss of such a great mind, and hope a book like this, a true labor of love, will remain in a visible spot in our shelves, now being crowded by so-and-so, book-of-the-month science offerings. This is more of a last philosophical stand for reason, or a benchmark of what we can say about what we (don’t) know. I don’t think it will be improved upon any time soon.
November 26, 2021
If you don't want a creator God you may have to resort to an infinite or near-infinite multiverse. For better or worse a lot of lines of astronomical and cosmological evidence points to the likelihood of a multiverse. This idea which is very hard to test or even untestable in the sense of Karl Popper's falsification kind of looks like philosophy rather than physics and philosophy is a close kissing cousin to theology. I dunno. My predilection is towards the multiverse but my preferences are a minority taste in a god-fearing populace. Stenger gives a lot of new atheism talking points which was hot ten years ago. I dunno. I am not so much afraid of liberal Christians but the evangelicals and the religious right and other Trumpy sectors are still a big problem and while new atheism focuses on a sector of the far right you can be secular and still a far-right baddie. The front to fight is a lot broader to fight than holy rollers. Still, Stenger is good with the physics.
July 3, 2022
If you are interested in the main topics of this book (God and the Multiverse, as mentioned in the title), you can skip the 14 chapters. I worked my way through these 14 chapters, which provide a chronological overview of the developments in physics, from the ancient Greeks to recent findings in cosmology. This section of the book is quite dense and badly written. Without much narrative, Stenger just lists who discovered what. I was getting very disappointed, until I reached the final two chapters. Here, he nicely described the scientific evidence for the multiverse hypothesis (chapter 15) and the problems with the fine-tuning argument of religious apologetics (chapter 16). He clearly shows how these apologetics misunderstand and misrepresent science, and how their fine-tuning arguments fail.
June 2, 2015
A very cleverly designed book. Stenger starts the reader off at the beginning of the early cosmological theories and takes them through the histories of the various discoveries that changed humanities understanding of the universe. The science in the book can get a little heavy and theoretical for a single sit down and read however this book is worth reading for a clear understanding for one of the theories of the creation of the multiverse.
August 2, 2023
Amazone
Cosmology for beginners, theology for the discontented
If you know nothing of cosmology, this book might be a good introduction. It reviews the history of cosmology, but it is very basic. If you have done any reading in history of science, technology, or physics, you will not learn anything new in this book.
Moreover, if you keep up with developments in astronomy, you also will be reading a review of recent physics.
Despite the title, the author has no interest in God, but in describing a reductionist universe in which the idea of a God is not necessary.
He takes every opportunity to point out that anyone who believes in a metaphysical reality are ignorant, under-educated, or nefarious.
Once everyone understands physics, Stenger argues, humans will no longer need God. His animosity towards any religious views is interjected in jarring ways throughout the book.
He does not seek to understand or explain the ubiquity and tenaciousness of humanity's search for the divine, which might have actually addressed the subject being promoted in the title.
Caroline Wagner
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The failure of this book is on a par with a supernova
The failure of this book is on a par with a supernova. Read it and descend into a black hole. Stenger is obviously a knowledgeable physicist with an impressive career. The book spews scientific facts at the speed of light, interspersing the strangest trivia and personal reminiscences in an attempt to make it readable.
But the traces of readability are marred by so many missing words, extra words, and other non-spelling errors as to make it seem self-published.
That makes one doubt the accuracy of his science as well. It ends up being neither an academic scientific publication nor a popular science explanation of his thesis: God is not necessary for physics.
I am not shocked by that statement, but I am amazed that someone could put so much effort into this, and presumably his many other books, and yet completely ignore the existence of consciousness in his cosmology or his logic.
A. R. Davis
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one good review
With insight and sometimes with personal stories, Stenger takes us in eminently readable fashion through the history of the universe and of our understanding of it. He is a friendly guide, and both historically minded readers and those searching for the latest about the Higgs boson, dark matter, inflation, and gravity waves are accommodated.
He evaluates the relevance of religion at many points, as a theme, but the book can be happily read with or without that interest.
Jay M. Pasachoff
[yet there are so many better books out there without the dumb shit Pasachoff, even if i love some of your textbooks!]
November 10, 2024
Victor J. Stenger’ın "Tanrı ve Çoklu Evren" (2014) yılında yazılmış ve benim de bilim-teoloji konusunda çok merak ettiğim eserlerden biriydi. Kitap, kozmoloji ve teoloji arasında sürükleyici bir köprü kuran, çok katmanlı bir bilimsel eser.Victor J. Stenger’ın Tanrı ve Çoklu Evren kitabı, bilim ve inanç arasındaki ilişkide yeni bakış açıları arayanlar için ilgi çekici ve cesur bir eser. Stenger, bu kitabında Tanrı’nın varlığını sorgularken, evrenin işleyişine dair fiziksel teorileri anlamamıza yardımcı oluyor. Kitabı okurken, evrenin kökenine dair ezber bozan fikirlerle karşılaşıyorsunuz; sanki kozmolojinin derinliklerine yolculuğa çıkmış gibi hissediyorsunuz.
En etkileyici yönlerinden biri, karmaşık konuları sade ve akıcı bir dille anlatması. Çoklu evren teorisi, kuantum mekaniği, kozmik sabitler gibi zorlayıcı kavramları bile anlaşılır kılarak, evrenin sınırlarını düşündüğümüzden çok daha farklı olabileceğini gözler önüne seriyor. Stenger’ın anlatımı sayesinde "Acaba Tanrı gerçekten de gerekli mi?" diye kendinize sormaya başlıyor, bilimsel merakın peşinden gitmenin keyfini yaşıyorsunuz. Kitabın güçlü yönlerinden biri, karmaşık fiziksel teorileri geniş bir okuyucu kitlesi için erişilebilir hale getirmesi olduğunu düşünüyorum. Stenger, okuru bilgiye boğmadan, sade ve anlaşılır bir dille çoklu evren teorisinin bilimsel temellerini ve olası Tanrı hipotezlerine yönelik eleştirilerini sunuyor. "Sade ve anlaşılır," dediğime bakmayın, zira matematikçi ve fizikçi değilseniz, sadece sayılara bakar durursunuz benim gibi. Ama bu kitap, özellikle "kozmolojik sabitler," "kuantum mekaniği" ve "evrenin genişlemesi" gibi zorlayıcı konuları anlaşılır bir şekilde özetleyerek, hem bilimle ilgilenen amatörleri -benim gibi- hem de akademik bilgiye sahip okuyucuları tatmin edecek cinsten.
Kitabı okuduğunuzda, sadece bilimsel bir perspektif değil, aynı zamanda inanç üzerine yeni düşünme yolları da kazanıyorsunuz. Tanrı ve Çoklu Evren, bilimle iç içe düşünmekten hoşlanan herkesin kesinlikle kütüphanesinde bulunması gereken, ilham verici ve düşündürücü bir kitap. Stenger’ın yazım dili ve bilimi dinle tartışmaya açma konusundaki cesur tavrı, eseri yalnızca bilim meraklıları için değil, her düşünsel seviyeden okur için mutlaka okunması gereken bir başyapıt haline getiriyor bu çalışmayı.
En etkileyici yönlerinden biri, karmaşık konuları sade ve akıcı bir dille anlatması. Çoklu evren teorisi, kuantum mekaniği, kozmik sabitler gibi zorlayıcı kavramları bile anlaşılır kılarak, evrenin sınırlarını düşündüğümüzden çok daha farklı olabileceğini gözler önüne seriyor. Stenger’ın anlatımı sayesinde "Acaba Tanrı gerçekten de gerekli mi?" diye kendinize sormaya başlıyor, bilimsel merakın peşinden gitmenin keyfini yaşıyorsunuz. Kitabın güçlü yönlerinden biri, karmaşık fiziksel teorileri geniş bir okuyucu kitlesi için erişilebilir hale getirmesi olduğunu düşünüyorum. Stenger, okuru bilgiye boğmadan, sade ve anlaşılır bir dille çoklu evren teorisinin bilimsel temellerini ve olası Tanrı hipotezlerine yönelik eleştirilerini sunuyor. "Sade ve anlaşılır," dediğime bakmayın, zira matematikçi ve fizikçi değilseniz, sadece sayılara bakar durursunuz benim gibi. Ama bu kitap, özellikle "kozmolojik sabitler," "kuantum mekaniği" ve "evrenin genişlemesi" gibi zorlayıcı konuları anlaşılır bir şekilde özetleyerek, hem bilimle ilgilenen amatörleri -benim gibi- hem de akademik bilgiye sahip okuyucuları tatmin edecek cinsten.
Kitabı okuduğunuzda, sadece bilimsel bir perspektif değil, aynı zamanda inanç üzerine yeni düşünme yolları da kazanıyorsunuz. Tanrı ve Çoklu Evren, bilimle iç içe düşünmekten hoşlanan herkesin kesinlikle kütüphanesinde bulunması gereken, ilham verici ve düşündürücü bir kitap. Stenger’ın yazım dili ve bilimi dinle tartışmaya açma konusundaki cesur tavrı, eseri yalnızca bilim meraklıları için değil, her düşünsel seviyeden okur için mutlaka okunması gereken bir başyapıt haline getiriyor bu çalışmayı.
November 24, 2022
The title not exactly matching..
POSTED AT AMAZON 2015
...the content of the book, but it is OK with me. I read 3 books by Victor Stenger ('Timeless Reality',' Has Science found God', 'The Comprehensible Cosmos'), all very interesting and having diversified level of difficulty with respect to text and mathematics. I reviewed all three in the past.
This book however, is a beauty of its own, classic true popular science compendium. As with any author's book, writing here is clear, straight and of high quality. Book is not about God, and not particularly about Multiverses, only certain parts of it connects with both. In general, it is splendid introduction to all we know RIGHT NOW about contemporary cosmology and science of particle physics. I love short subtitles addressing individual topics, it is like a concise dictionary but not exactly. Reader beyond the layman level, can pick up any topic in random way, and update his knowledge instantly. "God and Multiverse" is the most accessible and easy to peruse work by Victor Stenger, practically without any math, just interesting graphs. The last of his books, came as the best. Buy it and keep it on your shelve.
POSTED AT AMAZON 2015
...the content of the book, but it is OK with me. I read 3 books by Victor Stenger ('Timeless Reality',' Has Science found God', 'The Comprehensible Cosmos'), all very interesting and having diversified level of difficulty with respect to text and mathematics. I reviewed all three in the past.
This book however, is a beauty of its own, classic true popular science compendium. As with any author's book, writing here is clear, straight and of high quality. Book is not about God, and not particularly about Multiverses, only certain parts of it connects with both. In general, it is splendid introduction to all we know RIGHT NOW about contemporary cosmology and science of particle physics. I love short subtitles addressing individual topics, it is like a concise dictionary but not exactly. Reader beyond the layman level, can pick up any topic in random way, and update his knowledge instantly. "God and Multiverse" is the most accessible and easy to peruse work by Victor Stenger, practically without any math, just interesting graphs. The last of his books, came as the best. Buy it and keep it on your shelve.
May 12, 2019
It’s a very comprehensive book on the topic of cosmology throughout history, but it’s not what I was expecting and it doesn’t discuss much theology.
The book was also very technical, with many graphs, charts, and equations that are almost useless to the layperson without a background in physics.
With that being said, the book covers many interesting topics and the author clearly possesses a great understanding of the topic - but I don’t feel like he makes this information accessible.
The book was also very technical, with many graphs, charts, and equations that are almost useless to the layperson without a background in physics.
With that being said, the book covers many interesting topics and the author clearly possesses a great understanding of the topic - but I don’t feel like he makes this information accessible.
October 2, 2017
Its wonderful for atheist.
January 14, 2025
Unless you are a physics major, this is a very difficult read.
April 6, 2025
He gets to the multiverse topic late, and even then it's not substantial, but his empiricism is sound. Most jabs on God didn't miss. The bitterness defeats the purpose of a good lecture.
March 24, 2016
This is a very good overview of the history of cosmology, but it suffers from two flaws, in my mind. First, it would be difficult for most general readers to wade through. Stenger repeatedly wades into the deep end with a minimum of explanation, relying on the reader to know a considerable amount of physics and mathematical reasoning. He not uncommonly will flippantly say things in the vein of, "this obviously leads to this," or "this, of course, leads to . . ." I am pretty sure that there are many general readers who would put the book down once they get into the modern cosmology portions of the book where he wades deeply into particle physics. I even had a tough time in places, and I have a moderately strong scientific background in the topics.
Second, he seems to have visceral need to refute theistic and deistic beliefs and continually takes jabs at religious belief. I would have no problem with that if his arguments were as sound as he believes they are. Although I can recognize some of the validity in his arguments against fine-tuning arguments for the existence of a creator, he oversteps his bounds when he so emphatically supports a belief in the multiverse. He seems to believe that unless there is evidence to the contrary, the multiverse is a perfectly reasonable explanation for why our universe is the way it is and that it is amenable to life. The problem is, there is no evidence whatsoever in support of the multiverse, so, although it is an acceptable theory, its weight is nowhere near what he makes of it.
Lastly, even if all the fine-tuning arguments can be refuted, which I am not convinced he has accomplished, the origin of life problem remains. He offhandedly mentions that there is currently no theory that explains the origin of life, and then goes on to act as if that is no barrier to life being possible on many of the other very numerous planets in the universe sporting the correct conditions to support life. Being able to support life, and evolving life are two very different things. To rule out an intelligent designer who is responsible for life in our universe on such nonexistent grounds is irresponsible, and represents a poor argument at best.
Second, he seems to have visceral need to refute theistic and deistic beliefs and continually takes jabs at religious belief. I would have no problem with that if his arguments were as sound as he believes they are. Although I can recognize some of the validity in his arguments against fine-tuning arguments for the existence of a creator, he oversteps his bounds when he so emphatically supports a belief in the multiverse. He seems to believe that unless there is evidence to the contrary, the multiverse is a perfectly reasonable explanation for why our universe is the way it is and that it is amenable to life. The problem is, there is no evidence whatsoever in support of the multiverse, so, although it is an acceptable theory, its weight is nowhere near what he makes of it.
Lastly, even if all the fine-tuning arguments can be refuted, which I am not convinced he has accomplished, the origin of life problem remains. He offhandedly mentions that there is currently no theory that explains the origin of life, and then goes on to act as if that is no barrier to life being possible on many of the other very numerous planets in the universe sporting the correct conditions to support life. Being able to support life, and evolving life are two very different things. To rule out an intelligent designer who is responsible for life in our universe on such nonexistent grounds is irresponsible, and represents a poor argument at best.
May 13, 2015
I loved the science in this book and it was nice to get an update to the rapidly changing field of astrophysics and cosmology. He makes a convincing argument that ours is not the only Universe, hence the "Multiverse" title. The author's primary objective in the book is to use science to convince the reader that there is no God. I don't know why my belief system (and that of many others) offends him. I enjoyed the science so much that I am now rereading Bill Bryson's book, "A Short History of Nearly Everything" which I first read 10 years ago.
September 27, 2014
After reading Tegmark's Our Mathematical Universe and Greene The Hidden Reality, I buried myself in Stegner's God and the Multiverse. The author has taught physics, astronomy and philosophy a the university level and addresses the theological implications of our ideas since the ancient days of Homo sapiens about our outside environment. "In short," Stegner summaries, "nothing in our observations of the universe requires the existence of God."
March 1, 2015
There is no other author that better explains scientific concepts than Victor J. Stenger. I have read several of his books - even own a few - and I refer to them often. He will be missed, as he passed away last year.
May 28, 2015
One or two chapters are heavily laden with technical jargon and formulas, but the rest is accessible to us more mundane star-stuff clumps. A worthy parting gift from the late Professor Stenger.
July 10, 2015
Fascinating — mostly non-technical — explains the implications and meaning of the word MULTIVERSE quite well
November 4, 2015
There just isn't enough acid in the world for me to understand particle physics.
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