Time and Entropy in the Cosmos

Brian Greene, a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University, and the author of three previous books on cosmology, explores the physical principles that yield orderly structures, from stars and galaxies to life and consciousness. He discusses the mathematical laws governing the cosmos and the efforts of the human mind to understand the universe, and he explains how life and mind emerged from the initial chaos of the Big Bang. Though human life is short and most physical objects are impermanent, the mind seeks to find truth, meaning, and timelessness in human experience. He transitions from particles to planets, consciousness to creativity, and matter to meaning, showing how humans employ narrative, myth, religion, and art. And he traces the cosmic timeline between evolution and entropy. He poses two big questions: How do humans fit into the grand expanse of time?; and What are the physical principles that yield orderly structures within a universe destined for decay? Greene is a fine writer, and he has written this book for the general reader.