A passionate scientific self review

I loved it. Keating of course is a brilliant scientific but also a very good writer. It was full of fine tuned sentences with carefully and beautifully chosen words. This book can be devided in 3 chapters; a memoir, a scientific review of the cosmology field, and a sharp criticism on the Nobel prize. Despite the fact that the subjects are scattered somewhat randomly throughout the book, I enjoyed listening to it. It made me angry, emotional, happy, and above all thought me things. Thank you Keating!

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Interesting book about the pursuit of modern astronomy

This book gives a good account of the competition to find evifence to support the theory of cosmological inflation. It clearly shows how the fight for resources to support your research leads to an environment where publishing first is prized above correctness.

I cant help feeling that the author's obsession with the Nobel prize is unhealthy and unnatural. As a scientist you would like to discover a new law, theory or type of object which will carry your name down the centuries. That is the ultimate goal and of course satisying your own curiosity into how it all works. The Nobel may guarantee you immediate fame and funding but in the longer term it doesnt do a great deal for your eternal renown.

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A multiverse of a book

This book is several stories in one. First of all, it's about the Nobel Prize; secondly, it's about the work that Brian Keating did that may have won him the price (in one of his multiverses) and thirdly it's a mini autobiography, and fourthly there's a lot of background material about the discovery of the CMB and inflation. The theme I suppose is how the Nobel Prize by its very existence is skewing physics in how it is conducted, and having a different influence from what its creator ever intended. There's a lot of competing themes there and there is also a lot of frustration I suspect at having made the wrong decisions. He doesn't quite say that the Nobel Prize has ruined his life and his career but the implication is that it's taken the shine off them. Is it any good? The best thing for me is an honest description of how science works and the collaboration and competition between teams. I do have some sympathy with his frustration about the prize but if he really wanted to write about that he should have less of his work and more of the history of the winners and should be winners than he does.

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Messy

There are three or four strands that run through this book; an overview of discoveries and debates over the centuries, the authors involvement in Bicep, Bicep 2, and Polar Bear observations, criticism of the structure of the Nobel selection, along with some other minor issues.

Personally I found it not only messy but largely underwhelming. There are better histories of scientific discoveries over the ages and their implications. I’d have preferred a focus on the methodology, process, and trials of observational science in the experiments but maybe he was more of a bit player than he makes out.

Either way, sorry to say there are better science books out there.

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1 person found this helpful

Cringe, cope and some good science parts

The science parts are good, rest is just a big cope. Also the religious and personal story lines are pure cringe...

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1 person found this helpful