God's Laughter: Man and His Cosmos - Softcover

Gerhard Staguhn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060190043 ISBN 13: 9780060190040

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1992

Synopsis

A history of human beings' search to understand the world--through religion and science--discusses preclassical and classical thinkers; the scientific contributions of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton; and recent theories and phenomena. 12,500 first printing. National ad/promo.

About this title

Language Notes:

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

From Library Journal:

God's Laughter is about humanity's search for meaning in the universe through both science and religion. After reviewing world views from the classical philosophers through Newton, Staguhn, a German journalist, centers on the perceptual shift from Newton's stable, mathematically described universe to Einstein's mathematically stable but relativistic universe, which cannot be truly comprehended except as a "cosmic religiousness." He then shows how this view is similar to Taoist and Buddhist world views. Our conception of the world has also been altered by quantum and particle physics. Staguhn says that physics and cosmology have entered the world of metaphysics, overlapping with religion, so that now physics requires as much faith as religion. He concludes with a discussion of recent cosmological theories such as the black holes. This book is similar to Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time (LJ 4/15/88) and will appeal to a broad audience of interested lay readers.
- Eric D. Albright, Galter Health Sciences Lib., Northwestern Univ. , Chicago
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0060190043
• ISBN 13: 9780060190040
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1