Als Einstein und Gödel spazieren gingen

Among physicists and mathematicians, the walks across the Princeton campus have become legendary, connecting the nearly 70-year-old Albert Einstein with the 25 years younger exceptional mathematician Kurt Gödel. Two walkers who each revolutionized their fields, crossed boundaries, and revealed new ones. Gödel had early on decided to focus only on mathematical problems that also have a philosophical dimension. In this way, he is almost a kindred spirit to Jim Holt, the philosopher and mathematician who enjoys grappling with ultimate questions—and with those who dedicated their lives to them. Thus, in this book, he tells the story of a friendship while also narrating the tale of the revolutionary intellectual upheavals of the 20th century. In addition, Holt gathers 22 more narratives and reflections in this volume, written in impressively beautiful language and rich in biographical and cultural anecdotes. They address the most exciting intellectual achievements I have encountered in my life. The topics include cosmological thinking about time and space, infinity in the large and small, the rise of the computer age, the code of life, and the question of what can be called true. Sometimes science and philosophy take center stage, while at other times, the extraordinary stories of their significant protagonists are highlighted, captivatingly told by Holt with depth, intimacy, and a unique personal perspective. Jim Holt is one of the truly best science writers of recent times.