Repository | Book
Space, time and the limits of human understanding
Abstract
In this compendium of essays, some of the world's leading thinkers discuss their conceptions of space and time, as viewed through the lens of their own discipline. With an epilogue on the limits of human understanding, this volume hosts contributions from six or more diverse fields. It presumes only rudimentary background knowledge on the part of the reader. Time and again, through the prism of intellect, humans have tried to diffract reality into various distinct, yet seamless, atomic, yet holistic, independent, yet interrelated disciplines and have attempted to study it contextually. Philosophers debate the paradoxes, or engage in meditations, dialogues and reflections on the content and nature of space and time. Physicists, too, have been trying to mold space and time to fit their notions concerning micro- and macro-worlds. Mathematicians focus on the abstract aspects of space, time and measurement. While cognitive scientists ponder over the perceptual and experiential facets of our consciousness of space and time, computer scientists theoretically and practically try to optimize the space-time complexities in storing and retrieving data/information. The list is never-ending. Linguists, logicians, artists, evolutionary biologists, geographers etc., all are trying to weave a web of understanding around the same duo. However, our endeavour into a world of such endless imagination is restrained by intellectual dilemmas such as: Can humans comprehend everything? Are there any limits? Can finite thought fathom infinity? We have sought far and wide among the best minds to furnish articles that provide an overview of the above topics. We hope that, through this journey, a symphony of patterns and tapestry of intuitions will emerge, providing the reader with insights into the questions: What is Space? What is Time? Chapter [15] of this book is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license.
Details | Table of Contents
the transformation of the concept of space in the post-Kantian philosophy of geometry
pp.3-14
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_1pre-philosophical period
pp.23-41
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_3Husserl, Sartre, Derrida
pp.87-94
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_7quantum theory and probabilism
pp.109-124
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_9facing the ultimate judge
pp.137-148
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_11pp.159-165
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_13a unified gravitational perspective
pp.167-183
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_14pp.185-201
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_15pp.203-215
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_16pp.239-252
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_19pp.253-270
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_20pp.271-277
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_21pp.279-286
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_22human understanding and health implications
pp.337-352
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_27pp.359-369
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_29false metaphors, (de-)synchronous times, and internal dynamics
pp.371-380
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_30pp.381-400
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_31pp.403-415
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_32space and time in Charles Babbage's calculating engines
pp.417-427
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_33pp.443-460
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_35spatiotemporal form and discourse in literary cartography
pp.479-485
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_37pp.487-501
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_38experiencing immersion
pp.503-512
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_39Publication details
Publisher: Springer
Place: Dordrecht
Year: 2017
Pages: 530
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5
ISBN (hardback): 978-3-319-44417-8
ISBN (digital): 978-3-319-44418-5
Full citation:
Wuppuluri Shyam, Ghirardi Giancarlo (2017) Space, time and the limits of human understanding. Dordrecht, Springer.