Sunday, July 21, 2019

Brian Cox - Forces Of Nature (William Collins, 2017) ***


Physicist Brian Cox produced and presented one of the most beautiful and educational documentaries on the nature of our nature, answering questions about things that are so everyday that we rarely ask questions about them, such as: why do snow crystals have the form they have or why is the sky blue?

He takes the reader on a fascinating journey from the most obvious and easy to understand things in a step-by-step approach to more complex matter, such as the nature of space and time, or the deepest essence of light, or the origin of life and free will. Cox is a wonderful guide in all this, keeping a big picture view, and once in a while digging deeper in the complexity of our nature.

In passing, he also advocates for more investments in basic research, to help us understand the deepest questions about our universe, even if they do not immediately result in economic or social benefits. I can only support that vision.

I can recommend both the documentary (the quality filming by the BBC is as usual astonishing) and the book. Both really are complementary.

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