A Universe from Nothing
by Lawrence Maxwell Krauss · first published 2010
47% recommend53% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Accessible popular-science account of how the universe could arise from nothing, drawing on physics such as negative gravitational energy; suits general readers curious about cosmology and the origins of the universe.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"Internationally known theoretical physicist and bestselling author Lawrence Krauss offers provocative, revelatory answers to the most basic philosophical questions: Where did our universe come from? Why is there something rather than nothing? And how is it all going to end? Why is there something rather than nothing?" is asked of anyone who says there is no God. Yet this is not so much a philosophical or religious question as it is a question about the natural world--and until now there has not been a satisfying scientific answer. Today, exciting scientific advances provide new insight into t
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Here are 3 that I particularly liked in the last few years: The Information, James Gleick A Universe from Nothing, Lawrence Krauss Abundance, Peter Diamandis
on “Ask HN: Books with a high signal to noise ratio?” ↗I feel this video is apt for this topic - Laurence Krauss - A universe from nothing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImvlS8PLIo&feature=playe... It had me mesmerized and mystified for the whole run.
…"Breaking the spell" by Daniel Dennett "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkings "God is not great" by Christopher Hitchens "End of Faith" by Sam Harris But books by Steven Hawking "The Grand Design", "Universe from Nothing" by Lawrence Krauss and "Your Inner Fish - A Journey into the 3.5 billion year history of the human body" by Neil Shubin, are also great although somewhat more technical. All other books are softer read.
on “"Sometimes science must give way to religion"” ↗Lila - Pirisg Walden - Thoreau A Universe From Nothing - Krauss Goedel, Escher, Bach - Hofstadter
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2012” ↗Lawrence Krauss’ “A Universe from Nothing” might be of interest. Can’t say I’ve read it but it’s on my reading list and sounds good, and exactly on topic.
on “Ask HN: Is there a name for the idea that there is no beginning to the universe?” ↗It's not difficult to derive why the gravitational potential energy must be negative.[0] For the cosmological implications of this fact, there's Lawrence Krauss's book "A Universe from Nothing", also "The Inflationary Universe" by Alan Guth, and Stephen Hawking touches on it in "A Brief History of Time." [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_energy
on “Scientists are searching for a mirror universe” ↗* The Brain by David Eagleman * Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse * A Universe From Nothing by Lawrence Krauss
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in the past decade?” ↗This article helped me to understand a great talk by Lawrence Krauss which then became the book A Universe from Nothing.
on “What Is the Geometry of the Universe?” ↗I highly recommend Krauss' book A Universe From Nothing on this topic.
on “The Bridge From Nowhere” ↗"A universe from nothing" by Lawrence Krauss presents the possibility of a universe without a beginning, even one containing "nothing", yet still be compatible with present cosmology. My general impression is that by "nothing"…
on “Mathematics of Eternity Prove The Universe Must Have Had A Beginning” ↗…themselves regularly engage in metaphysics. [...] George F. R. Ellis, the physicist-mathematician-cosmologist, an authority on the Big Bang and other cosmic mysteries. [...] Horgan: Lawrence Krauss, in A Universe from Nothing, claims that physics has basically solved the mystery of why there is something rather than nothing. Do you agree? Ellis: Certainly not. He is presenting untested speculative theories of how things…
on “George Ellis Knocks Physicists for Knocking Philosophy, Falsification, Free Will” ↗A Universe from Nothing by Lawrence Krauss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9urEFoaI1iY
on “Nothingness (2017)” ↗…against? "We don't know yet." is really the answer to whatever you are mad about. Krauss or pick-your-favorite-scientists doesn't really shy away from this fact. Are you mad because of the wording "UNIVERSE FROM NOTHING", then you just judging the book by its cover.
reminds me of this joke from a lecture Lawrence Krauss gave in 2009 of his work in 'A Universe From Nothing': > it was made after the discovery that on a log log plot everything is a straight line(o) i'd recommend the entire lecture, but definitely at least check out the anecdote this joke bookends it is…
on “Why isn't everything normally distributed?” ↗…slipping away from us, crossing the event horizon never ever to be learned about. Not a fun thing to know. Personally for me that was a discovery thanks to the explanation by Lawrence Krauss in his ‘A Universe From Nothing’ popular talk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImvlS8PLIo).
on “Notch's next game is an MMO” ↗