Until the End of Time Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe

Brian Greene — 2020

"From the world-renowned physicist, co-founder of the World Science Festival, and best-selling author of The Elegant Universe comes this utterly captivating exploration of deep time and humanity's search for purpose. Brian Greene takes readers on a breathtaking journey from the big bang to the end of time and invites us to ponder meaning in the face of this unimaginable expanse. He shows us how, from its original orderly state the universe has been moving inexorably toward chaos, and, still, remarkable structures have continually formed: the planets, stars, and galaxies that provide islands in a sea of disorder; biochemical mechanisms, including mutation and selection, animate life; neurons, information, and thought developed into complex consciousness which in turn gave rise to cultures and their timeless myths and creativity. And he describes, as well, how, in the deep reaches of the future, the nature of the universe will threaten the existence of matter itself. Through a series of nested stories Greene provides us with a clearer sense of how we came to be, a finer picture of where we are now, and a firmer understanding of where we are headed. Taken together, it is a completely new perspective on our place in the universe and on what it means to be human"--

Reviews

Abeer A.@fiiraaq

Dec 5, 2021

i think i really broke the record with this book, took me a year and a half to finish—but only because of that one darned part about the peacocks i simply could not get past; it’s actually very readable and written quite beautifully oftentimes. I was less entranced towards the latter half… a tinge of that new atheist condescension towards religion shows through but he tries very hard to be respectful. and he really is, i don’t understand why the religious masses come for him specifically; the only “religion” he ridicules is judy zebra knight but well… even her followers agree she deserves it. the only points it gets a little tedious is when professor greene seems to be suggesting that every discussion of art or meaning should remember the fact that it’s all made of particles and nothing really matters which just sounds absolutely useless to me. in the last chapter he recalls declaring during a play that: “Earth is a pedestrian planet orbiting an unremarkable star in the suburbs of an ordinary galaxy. If we’re taken out by an asteroid, the universe won’t so much as blink. In the grand scheme of things, it just won’t matter.” to which an elderly lady rightly rises to chastise him and asks him what would affect him more, knowing he would die in a year or knowing that in a year the earth would be destroyed? and well… yeah. in his defense he used it as a learning point but it didn’t keep me from calling him an edgelord in my copy. sorry professor. “we are under a constant existential tension, pulled toward the sky by a consciousness that can soar to the heights of Shakespeare, Beethoven, and Einstein but tethered to earth by a physical form that will decay to dust.”

lola@lola7

Nov 2, 2021

the best book to read when you’re struggling with this longing to understand the world from both the scientific and the human, emotional perspective and are trying to connect them to a full reality of the universe. Greene offers some really interesting, thought-provoking ideas while trying to make sense of the universe and us here in the universe and find meaning. Lots of physics at the beginning, but not too difficult to understand and it gets absolutely stunning when you get to the part where Greene combines science and art and human behavior. If anyone’s up to discuss it with me text me pls