The Whitt Review

The most beautiful and deepest experience a man can have is the sense of the mysterious. It is the underlying principle of religion as well as of all serious endeavor in art and science. He who never had this experience seems to me, if not dead, then at least blind.    – Albert Einstein, “My Credo”, 1932

 

When I visit a bookstore I always find myself drawn to the nonfiction science collection. Maybe I’m trying to compensate for a shortcoming in my early education, when I lacked a mature appreciation for concepts that would prove interesting in later life. But it’s easier for me to believe that most science writing before the late 1990s was boring. Or boring and complex.  Or boring, complex, and patronizing. Nevertheless, over the past two decades a new generation of “popular science” writers has emerged, many becoming well-known social commentators and talk show personalities (think Neil deGrasse Tyson). Astute editors recognize that uncomplicated prose, combined with relatable examples from witty practitioners, can make nonfiction science writing a profitable niche. More importantly, these writers and editors make science feel relevant and cool.

 

Are these authors intentionally dumbing down topics for a less-informed, attention-short generation?  Maybe. But I like to think that we now demand more. Our generation is more likely to question. And we want answers that relate to our everyday existence. As life and society have become more uncertain, we seek out information channels that help us feel more secure through a better understanding of the world around us. I know I do. Maybe this desire is what leads me to pick up books like “The Upright Thinkers” by Dr. Leonard Mlodinow. Mlodinow is an accomplished author and physicist who once studied under the umbrella of the Max Planck Society and taught at The California Institute of Technology. More importantly, he once wrote for the television show MacGyver.  Yes, those story lines were actually developed by real life scientists.

 

This book has a little bit of everything. A description of Homo Sapiens? Check. A short history of the greatest philosophers? Check. Galileo, Newton, Darwin and Einstein? Of course. While some authors would have difficulty bringing together such a breadth of information in 352 pages, Mlodinow manages to construct a highly readable narrative about our path from grazing on the African Savanna to building the Large Hadron Collider. He destroys the myth of the lone genius working in a dark room, experiencing flashes of inspiration that change the world overnight. Rather, he shows how our improved understanding of the world through the advancement of science is the result of tireless effort, incremental gains, collaborative effort, and simple luck. A careful balance of competitive individualism and utopian cooperation have gotten us to the present. (Wouldn’t it be nice if our current leaders would strive for a similar balance?)

 

One challenge I have with popular science writing is that many authors treat science and religion as mutually exclusive. Few books bridge the gap between blind faith and experimental rigor. While I don’t believe it was his primary goal (and I’m probably the only reviewer to draw this conclusion), Mlodinow builds a bridge between science and religion. He does this by relating his father’s experiences as a Jew in the Buchenwald concentration camp. He ties together religion and science, highlighting the questions that both disciplines attempt to answer in very different ways. As a physicist Mlodinow falls on the side of truth through observation, with empiricism as the driver of his worldview. But the mix of stories about his father and great scientists through the ages allows for an opening into something spiritual.

 

Most importantly, at least for my peace of mind, the book shows how the greatest scientific minds, while struggling with the metaphysical meaning of their work, often find a way to balance faith and science. Sir Isaac Newton “believed that God is revealed to us through both his word and his works, so that to study the laws of the universe is to study God, and the zeal for science just a form of religious zeal.” Darwin, who eventually lost his religious faith because of the death of a child, nonetheless struggled with the impact his theory would have on the creationist status quo. He didn’t stop believing because he was the father of evolution through natural selection. And Einstein, the greatest of 20th century minds, felt that science, religion, and art carried equal importance in mankind’s inevitable progression. Not every scientist believes (or believed) in the fables of the Bible, but many recognize that there is no inherent conflict between a “knowledge of Nature and a belief in God”. I couldn’t agree more.

 

When a popular science book makes me feel like I’m in a lecture hall, I’m more likely to shelve it than finish it. “The Upright Thinkers” had the opposite effect. Mlodinow provides readers with an understandable assessment of human progression over thousands of years, complete with humorous stories about many great intellects. He pushes no agenda, giving the reader room to appreciate facts that run contrary to their long-held beliefs. But if you decide to read “The Upright Thinkers”, be patient and open-minded. What initially feels like a science lesson will likely end up bolstering your faith.