Is it possible that extraterrestrial life forms exist within our Galaxy, the Milky Way? This book offers a critical analysis by leading experts in a range of sciences, of the plausibility that other intelligent lifeforms do exist. Exploration of the Solar System, and observations with telescopes that probe deep space, have come up empty handed in searches for evidence of extraterrestrial life.
What Is and What Will BeThis book integrates science with values and meaning by making the simplest possible assumption about the connection between physical structure and conscious experience. The implications extend to the foundations of mathematics and physics suggesting that Einstein's intuition near the end of his life was correct that continuous structures do not exist. The book argues that spiritual instincts have evolved to connect us with the creative aspects of biological evolution which are crucial to long term survival.
What is the self? Does it exist? If it does exist, what is it like? It's not clear that we even know what we're asking about when we ask these large, metaphysical questions. The idea of the self comes very naturally to us, and it seems rather important, but it's also extremely puzzling. As for the word "self"--it's been taken in so many different ways that it seems that you can mean more or less what you like by it and come up with almost any answer.
The study of narrative is no longer a literary preserve, but has emerged as an object of enquiry in a whole range of disciplinary contexts, from sociolinguistics to social anthropology, social psychology and beyond. This is because narrative does not exist only between the covers of books; on the contrary, stories have a pervasive role in our everyday life.
From the truth that Flaubert did not fly it follows logically that there was someone who did not fly. From the truth that Emma Bovary did not exist does it follow, similarly, that there was someone who did not exist? Given the fact that Cerberus is non-existent, what sort of information is it that Cerberus guards the gate of hell (and not of heaven)? The first woman to be born in the 21st centrury does not yet exist but is she as unreal as Emma Bovary?
