Best Selling Books by Roger Penrose

**WINNER OF THE 2020 NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS** The Road to Reality is the most important and ambitious work of science for a generation. It provides nothing less than a comprehensive account of the physical universe and the essentials of its underlying mathematical theory. It assumes no particular specialist knowledge on the part of the reader, so that, for example, the early chapters give us the vital mathematical background to the physical theories explored later in the book. Roger Penrose''s purpose is to describe as clearly as possible our present understanding of the universe and to convey a feeling for its deep beauty and philosophical implications, as well as its intricate logical interconnections. The Road to Reality is rarely less than challenging, but the book is leavened by vivid descriptive passages, as well as hundreds of hand-drawn diagrams. In a single work of colossal scope one of the world''s greatest scientists has given us a complete and unrivalled guide to the glories of the universe that we all inhabit. ''Roger Penrose is the most important physicist to work in relativity theory except for Einstein. He is one of the very few people I''ve met in my life who, without reservation, I call a genius'' Lee Smolin

For many decades, the proponents of `artificial intelligence'' have maintained that computers will soon be able to do everything that a human can do. In his bestselling work of popular science, Sir Roger Penrose takes us on a fascinating tour through the basic principles of physics, cosmology, mathematics, and philosophy to show that human thinking can never be emulated by a machine. Oxford Landmark Science books are ''must-read'' classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas, and shaped the way we think.

Presents the author''s thesis that consciousness, in its manifestation in the human quality of understanding, is doing something that mere computation cannot; and attempts to understand how such non-computational action might arise within scientifically comprehensive physical laws.

Nobel Prize–winning physicist Roger Penrose questions some of the most fashionable ideas in physics today, including string theory What can fashionable ideas, blind faith, or pure fantasy possibly have to do with the scientific quest to understand the universe? Surely, theoretical physicists are immune to mere trends, dogmatic beliefs, or flights of fancy? In fact, acclaimed physicist and bestselling author Roger Penrose argues that researchers working at the extreme frontiers of physics are just as susceptible to these forces as anyone else. In this provocative book, he argues that fashion, faith, and fantasy, while sometimes productive and even essential in physics, may be leading today''s researchers astray in three of the field''s most important areas—string theory, quantum mechanics, and cosmology. Arguing that string theory has veered away from physical reality by positing six extra hidden dimensions, Penrose cautions that the fashionable nature of a theory can cloud our judgment of its plausibility. In the case of quantum mechanics, its stunning success in explaining the atomic universe has led to an uncritical faith that it must also apply to reasonably massive objects, and Penrose responds by suggesting possible changes in quantum theory. Turning to cosmology, he argues that most of the current fantastical ideas about the origins of the universe cannot be true, but that an even wilder reality may lie behind them. Finally, Penrose describes how fashion, faith, and fantasy have ironically also shaped his own work, from twistor theory, a possible alternative to string theory that is beginning to acquire a fashionable status, to "conformal cyclic cosmology," an idea so fantastic that it could be called "conformal crazy cosmology." The result is an important critique of some of the most significant developments in physics today from one of its most eminent figures.

The author of the provocative works The Emperor''s New Mind and Shadows of the Mind now presents a masterful summary of the complex ideas presented in those books, highlighting areas of research where he perceives there are major unsolved problems that strike at the heart of our understanding of the laws of physics. Illustrated with cartoons & diagrams. 3 tables. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Can the quantum theory of fields and Einstein''s general theory of relativity be united in a single quantum theory of gravity? Can quantum and cosmos ever be combined? Two world-famous physicists debate the issue in this work, based on a series of lectures and a final debate held at the University of Cambridge. 75 line drawings.

Robert Geroch builds on Einstein''s work with commentary that addresses the ideas at the heart of the theory, bringing a modern understanding of relativity to the text. He elucidates how special relativity is a reconciliation of the contradictions between the nature of light and the principle of relativity; he expands on Einstein''s treatment of the geometry of space-time and the fundamental notion of an "event"; he explains in detail, but without technical language, the equivalence of inertial and gravitational mass, a cornerstone of general relativity.

From Nobel prize-winner Roger Penrose, this groundbreaking book is for anyone "who is interested in the world, how it works, and how it got here" (New York Journal of Books). Penrose presents a new perspective on three of cosmology’s essential questions: What came before the Big Bang? What is the source of order in our universe? And what cosmic future awaits us? He shows how the expected fate of our ever-accelerating and expanding universe—heat death or ultimate entropy—can actually be reinterpreted as the conditions that will begin a new “Big Bang.” He details the basic principles beneath our universe, explaining various standard and non-standard cosmological models, the fundamental role of the cosmic microwave background, the paramount significance of black holes, and other basic building blocks of contemporary physics. Intellectually thrilling and widely accessible, Cycles of Time is a welcome new contribution to our understanding of the universe from one of our greatest mathematicians and thinkers.

In the two volumes that comprise this work Roger Penrose and Wolfgang Rindler introduce the calculus of 2-spinors and the theory of twistors, and discuss in detail how these powerful and elegant methods may be used to elucidate the structure and properties of space-time. In volume 1, Two-spinor calculus and relativistic fields, the calculus of 2-spinors is introduced and developed. Volume 2, Spinor and twistor methods in space-time geometry, introduces the theory of twistors, and studies in detail how the theory of twistors and 2-spinors can be applied to the study of space-time. This work will be of great value to all those studying relativity, differential geometry, particle physics and quantum field theory from beginning graduate students to experts in these fields.

Professor Sir Roger Penrose is one of the truly original thinkers of our time. He has made several remarkable contributions to science, from quantum physics and theories of human consciousness to relativity theory and observations on the structure of the universe. Unusually for a scientist, some of his ideas have crossed over into the public arena. Now his work, spanning fifty years of science, with over five thousand pages and more than three hundred papers, has been collected together for the first time and arranged chronologically over six volumes, each with an introduction from the author. Where relevant, individual papers also come with specific introductions or notes.

Acquaints the specialist in relativity theory with some global techniques for the treatment of space-times and will provide the pure mathematician with a way into the subject of general relativity.

Volume 1 introduces and systematically develops the calculus in a first detailed exposition of this technique which provides shortcuts for some very tedious calculations.

"Contents selected from volumes 3 and 14, Journal of cosmology."

A 21st-Century Utopia Two of England''s most distinguished thinkers have created a bold and startling vision of a new society escaping the ashes of the old. In the not-so-distant future, Man will have begun to colonize our planetary neighbor, Mars. Entrenched corporate and national interests have footed the bill, but a few visionary people attempt to keep Mars free of the hidebound ideologies that have plagued the Earth and turned it into a polluted wasteland of war and hunger. The colony has barely begun to take root in the Martian soil when all communication with EUPACUS--as the industrialized nations of Earth are known--is cut off completely. Environmental and economic stresses have finally spun out of control, and civilization as we know it has collapsed. With no hope of escape or support from Earth, the Martians must overcome the dire obstacles that face them and forge a new alliance for survival. Led by the brave Tom Jefferies, the colonists struggle to build a new way of living based on the search for knowledge, the improvement of human conditions, and the elimination of the hatreds and delusions that lead to misery in the past. Included in an appendix is the complete text of the Charter for an Independent Mars, written by Dr. Laurence Lustgarten, a renowned expert on international law.

A breathtaking vision of a utopian future on Mars by one of science fiction’s most renowned authors In the middle decades of the twenty-first century, the corporate powers on Earth have established a thriving colony on Mars as an alternative to life on the overpopulated, war-torn, ecologically ravaged home planet. But when the economy of EUPACUS—Earth’s collective industrialized nations—collapses, all contact between the two worlds abruptly ceases, and the Martian pioneers are left to fend for themselves. Led by Tom Jeffries, a philosopher and a visionary, the colonists now face a twofold challenge: No longer supported and subsidized by Earthbound interests, they must somehow form a working planetary alliance to create a new society based firmly in freedom and fairness for all while at the same time eliminating war, hunger, hatred, environmental abuse, and other former scourges of humanity. But first and foremost, they must survive. Brian W. Aldiss, a Hugo and Nebula Award–winning Grand Master of Science Fiction, presents a vision for the future that is startling, uplifting, and endlessly exciting. Written in collaboration with noted mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose—and with essential input from international law expert Laurence Lustgarten—Aldiss’s remarkable White Mars opens a window onto a relentlessly thrilling and gloriously possible tomorrow.

Published for the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich

Is consciousness an epiphenomenal happenstance of this particular universe? Or does the very concept of a universe depend upon its presence? Does consciousness merely perceive reality, or does reality depend upon it? Did consciousness simply emerge as an effect of evolution? Or was it, in some sense, always "out there" in the world? These questions and more, are addressed in this special edition. FEATURING Cosmological Foundations of Consciousness Origins of Thought Evolution of Consciousness Neuroscience of Free Will Quantum Physics & Consciousness Out-of-Body and Near Death Experiences Dreams & Hallucinations Paleolithic Cosmology & Spirituality Self-Consciousness in Apes, Dolphins, Cephalopods, Machines Consciousness in Extra-Terrestrials Sexual Consciousness How Consciousness Becomes the Physical Universe Over 70 Consciousness Raising Articles By: Deepak Chopra, Roger Penrose, Stuart Hameroff, Brandon Carter, Michael Persinger, Walter Freeman, Howard Shevrin, Arnold Trehub, Bruce MacLennan, GianCarlo Ghirardi, Don Page, Shan Gao, Gordon Globus, Fred Kuttner, Bruce Rosenblum, Jack Sarfatti, Etzel Cardena, Larry Dossey, Bruce Greyson, Roger Nelson, Paola Zizzi, Rudolph Tanzi, Ernesto Di Mauro, Michael Nauenberg, Thomas Suddendorf, Lori Marino, Andrea E. Cavanna, Ian Tattersall, Ellert R.S. Nijenhuis, Bruce Greyson, Milford H. Wolpoff, Edgar Mitchell, Thomas H. Huxley, RenA A(c) Descartes, Sigmund Freud, Williams James, and many more. This Text Is Divided into 14 Sections with 70+ Chapters Section I. Cosmology of Consciousness Section II. Brain and Mind Section III. What is Consciousness Section IV. Consciousness and Thought Section V. The Neuroanatomy of the Unconscious Section VI. Remote Consciousness Section VII. Self-Consciousness - Dissociated, Shared, Near Death Consciousness Section VIII. Dreams, Hallucinations & Altered States of Consciousness Section IX. Origins & Evolution of Consciousness Section X. Paleolithic Consciousness: Neanderthals, Cro-Magnon, Spirituality, Sexuality Section XI. Animal and Artificial Consciousness Section XII. Quantum Physics and Consciousness Section XIII. Consciousness and ExtraTerrestrials Section XIV. Consciousness and the Universe About the Editors Dr. Penrose shared the Wolf Prize in physics with Stephen Hawking, and is renowned world-wide for his work in general relativity, quantum mechanics, geometry and consciousness. He is the author of many important papers and books including The Emperor s New Mind, Shadows of the Mind, The Road to Reality, and his latest Cycles of Time, which proposes serial universes. Dr Stuart Hameroff, of the University of Arizona, is a world famous consciousness researcher and organizer of the conference series Toward a Science of Consciousness."

In seinem Klassiker erläutert der international führende Mathematiker und Physiker, Sir Roger Penrose, seine These, dass die geistigen Fähigkeiten des menschlichen Gehirns nicht durch Berechnungen von Elektronengehirnen erreicht werden können - und provozierte eine neue KI-Debatte. ...des Kaisers neue Kleider - steht auf dem Buchumschlag. Der renommierte englische Physiker Penrose will damit sichtbar machen, daß die Vertreter der Künstlichen Intelligenz (KI) nackt dastehen. Mit einem 400 Seiten langen Exkurs versucht er, ihre Behauptung zu widerlegen, daß Maschinen ebenso intelligent sein können wie Menschen. bild der wissenschaft Roger Penrose (...) gelang das Kunststück, mit dem formelgespickten Wälzer "The Emperors''s New Mind" (auf deutsch jetzt unter dem geistlosen Titel "Computerdenken" erschienen) auf den US-Bestsellerlisten zu landen, ungeachtet aller Quanten-Ket-Vektoren und Einsteinscher Krüümungstensoren, mit denen der Autor seine Leser plagt. DER SPIEGEL Das erklärte Ziel dieses Buches ist, den Standpunkt einiger KI-Enthusiasten zu widerlegen, daß Computer irgendwann all das können, was menschliche Gehirne können - und sogar mehr. Aber der Leser merkt bald, dass Pnerose vor allem das Ziel verfolgt, einen Wegzur großen Synthese von klassischer Physik, Quantenphysik und Neurowissenschaften aufzuzeigen. John Horgan in Scientific American Wer "Computerdenken" liest (oder durcharbeitet), sollte nicht auf Antwort hoffen, darf aber neue Sichtwiesen und überraschende Interpretationen erwarten. Ein nahrhaftes Geschenk für naturwissenschaftlich Interessierte. Die Zeit Trotz des mathematichen Themas wurde The Emperor''s New Mind prompt ein Bestseller und sein Autor zum bestgehaßten Mann der KI-Szene (...) Als Anfang der neunziger Jahre in England die Fördermittel für KI-Projekte nicht mehr so reichlich flossen, orteten manche eine KI-feindliche Stimmung in der Öffentlichkeit, die Penrose verschuldet habe. Die Zeit

This book centers around a dialogue between Roger Penrose and Emanuele Severino about one of most intriguing topics of our times, the comparison of artificial intelligence and natural intelligence, as well as its extension to the notions of human and machine consciousness. Additional insightful essays by Mauro D''Ariano, Federico Faggin, Ines Testoni, Giuseppe Vitiello and an introduction of Fabio Scardigli complete the book and illuminate different aspects of the debate. Although from completely different points of view, all the authors seem to converge on the idea that it is almost impossible to have real "intelligence" without a form of "consciousness". In fact, consciousness, often conceived as an enigmatic "mirror" of reality (but is it really a mirror?), is a phenomenon under intense investigation by science and technology, particularly in recent decades. Where does this phenomenon originate from (in humans, and perhaps also in animals)? Is it reproducible on some "device"? Do we have a theory of consciousness today? Will we arrive to build thinking or conscious machines, as machine learning, or cognitive computing, seem to promise? These questions and other related issues are discussed in the pages of this work, which provides stimulating reading to both specialists and general readers. The Chapter "Hard Problem and Free Will: An Information-Theoretical Approach" is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Contents I: How Consciousness Became the Universe 1. How Consciousness Becomes the Physical Universe 2. Perceived Reality, Quantum Mechanics, and Consciousness 3. Quantum Reality and Mind 4. Space, Time and Consciousness 5. Does the Universe have Cosmological Memory? Does This Imply Cosmic Consciousness? 6. Cosmological Foundations of Consciousness 7. What Consciousness Does: A Quantum Cosmology of Mind 8. Detecting Mass Consciousness: Effects of Globally Shared Attention and Emotion II: Neuroscience, Cosmology and the Evolution of Consciousness of the Universe 9. Paleolithic Cosmic Consciousness of the Cosmos 10. The Brain and Consciousness: Dynamics and Evolution 11.Quantum Physics the Multiplicity of Mind: Split-Brains, Fragmented Minds, Dissociation, Quantum Consciousness 12. Many Mansions: Special Relativity, Higher-Dimensional Space, Neuroscience, Consciousness and Time 13. Brain, Consciousness, and Free Will 14. Consciousness in the Universe: Neuroscience, Quantum Space-Time Geometry and Orch OR Theory III. Consciousness, Quantum Physics, Relativity, Precognition, Retrocausation, Multiple Dimensions, Entanglement, Time 15. The Theory of MindTime 16. Consciousness of Continuity in Time 17. The Time Machine of Consciousness. Past Present Future Exist Simultaneously. Entanglement, Tachyons, Relative Time, Circle of Time, Quantum Time, Dream Time, PreCognition, Retrocausation, Deja Vu, and Premonitions 18. The Observer''s Now, Past and Future in Physics from a Psycho-Biological Perspective 19. Synchronicity, Entanglement, Quantum Information and the Psyche 20. Consciousness, the Paranormal and Higher Dimensions IV. Uncertainty Principle, Parallel Universes, Wave Functions, Entanglement, Violations of Causality, and Paradoxes of Time Travel 21. Multiverse Scenarios in Cosmology: Classification, Cause, Challenge, Controversy, and Criticism 22. Classical Anthropic Everett Model: Indeterminacy in a Preordained Multiverse 23. Cosmology, The Uncertainty Principle, Wave Function, Probability, Entanglement, and Multiple Worlds 24. Logic of Quantum Mechanics, Parallel Worlds and Phenomenon of Consciousness V: THE AFFECT OF CONSCIOUSNESS OBSERVING THE UNIVERSE 25. Consciousness and Quantum Physics: A Deconstruction of the Topic 26. Consciousness and Quantum Measurement 27. A Quantum Physical Effect of Consciousness 28. The Conscious Observer in the Quantum Experiment 29. Does Quantum Mechanics Require A Conscious Observer? 30. Quantum Physics, Advanced Waves and Consciousness

La compréhension de la conscience appartient au champ d''action de la science. L''auteur en est persuadé. Mais faut-il pour cela penser que nous disposons déjà de tous les éléments nécessaires ? Le cadre scientifique actuel suffit-il à l''explication des mécanismes de l''esprit ? Roger Penrose articule sa pensée selon deux axes. Il montre d''abord, en se fondant sur des arguments mathématiques liés au théorème de Gödel, que la pensée consciente est irréductible au calcul. Aucun ordinateur ne pourra donc jamais émuler la conscience humaine. Il explique ensuite la nécessité d''une nouvelle physique pour comprendre l''esprit. Sa thèse repose sur une réexposition des principes fondamentaux de la mécanique quantique et l''affirmation que l''activité cérébrale n''est pas uniquement d''ordre déterministe. C''est en se dotant de nouveaux outils conceptuels que la science percera un jour le mystère de la conscience. Outre l''intérêt extrême de son sujet, ce livre constitue une superbe occasion de se familiariser avec les théorèmes fondateurs des mathématiques du XXe siècle ainsi qu''avec les principaux concepts de la physique et les derniers développements de la neurobiologie.

Les lois de la matière et celles de l''esprit seront-elles un jour unifiées ? L''ordinateur est-il a porte ouverte sur ce nouveau monde de la conscience et de la connaissance ? Face à ces questions nées du progrès des sciences et à la vision réductionniste de certains défenseurs de l''intelligence artificielle, un grand physicien et mathématicien ose proclamer que le roi est nu : il soutient que la physique est encore loin de pouvoir apporter le moindre élément de réponse et que le problème se situe tout autant du côté de la théorie quantique, dont nul n''ignore qu''elle est incomplète, que du côté de la relativité générale. Il a l''élégance de le faire en honnête homme, en humaniste et en savant : situant son lecteur dans une perspective historique, il cite Euclide et Lobatchevski, Gödel, Hamilton et Newton ; instruit des enjeux actuels de la recherche, il parle de Turing, de Mandelbrot, de Weyl, de Hawking ; fasciné par la pensée créatrice et l''intuition géniale, il se fait l''écho de Platon et de Poincaré ; à la recherche de la vérité de l''intelligence, il décortique notre cerveau. Son propos est limpide et abondamment illustré. Dans le débat éternel de l''homme face à son génie et à ses propres créatures, il ne donne pas à son lecteur l''impression d''être intelligent dès la première phrase, il lui permet tout simplement de le devenir un peu plus.