Join Carlo Rovelli, a bestselling theoretical physicist, and Philip Pullman, the award-winning author of His Dark Materials, as they weave together science and storytelling. Rovelli shares the transformative ideas stemming from Heisenberg's work on quantum theory, discussing its implications for our understanding of reality and consciousness. They explore the interconnectedness of all things and reflect on how solitude inspires creativity. The duo emphasizes the role of inquiry in shaping narratives and the legacy of both science and literature.
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Helgoland's Isolation
Heisenberg sought solitude on Helgoland, a desolate island, to confront complex physics problems.
This isolation, reminiscent of Newton during the plague or Coleridge seeking metaphors, fosters profound insights.
insights INSIGHT
Relational Reality
Quantum mechanics suggests reality is relational, not built on individual objects with inherent properties.
This relational view dissolves problems like consciousness, reframing "I" as a network of relations rather than a separate entity.
insights INSIGHT
Network of Meanings
Meaning isn't solely scientific; this pen's meaning includes its use for writing novels.
We exist within interconnected meanings, not isolatable facts, impacting how we live and love.
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In 'Helgoland', Carlo Rovelli delves into the mysteries of quantum theory, tracing its origins back to Werner Heisenberg's breakthrough on the island of Helgoland in the North Sea. The book discusses how quantum mechanics has led to profound scientific and technological advancements, yet remains deeply mysterious. Rovelli advocates for the relational interpretation of quantum mechanics, suggesting that reality is composed of interactions and relationships rather than fixed objects. He explores the implications of this perspective on our understanding of reality, consciousness, and the nature of self, drawing parallels with philosophical and cultural influences.
Carlo Rovelli is the internationally bestselling theoretical physicist whose many fans include Benedict Cumberbatch, Antony Gormley, Neil Gaiman and Lily Cole. In May 2021 he came to Intelligence Squared to talk about the themes of his new book Helgoland, in which he takes us back to the birth of a revolutionary idea that has reshaped the whole of science and our very conception of the world.
Rovelli told the story of the brilliant young Werner Heisenberg who, suffering from hay fever, retreated to the treeless island of Helgoland in the North Sea where he began to glimpse a world in which nothing exists until it interacts with something else, upending our all-too-solid conception of reality. This is the world of quantum theory.
Now a century on from Heisenberg’s extraordinary insight, Rovelli has done what he dared not do before – to connect quantum theory with a panoply of philosophical ideas, including Buddhist thought, the problem of consciousness and even the discussions between Lenin and Bogdanov at the time of the Russian revolution. He explained that the way we interpret this insight has profound implications for our culture and philosophy. As he says, ‘Our ‘I’ is made of relations, as is our society, our cultural, spiritual and political life… It is time to take this theory fully on board, for its nature to be discussed beyond the restricted circles of theoretical physicists and philosophers, to deposit its distilled honey, so sweet and a little intoxicating, into the whole of contemporary culture.’
Rovelli was in conversation with Philip Pullman, author of the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials, and named by The Times as one of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945. These two master storytellers discussed how it is only through our imaginations that we can truly understand the world we live in.
To buy the book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/helgoland-carlo-rovelli/
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