COMMENT:Its theme is that a materialist, reductionistic view is warranted by modern science, particularly physics; and that this undermines supernatural or mystical beliefs. States forcefully that no anomalies are known at present of a nature to force a revision of basic physics (e.g. the Standard Model) in any spiritual direction. The book is best when explaining physics, such as in the superb chapter on EPR, or on quantum measurement, holism etc. It still leaves open questions, but gives all that can be expected at a semipopular level, and more. It is subject to minor complaints, with regard to its discussions of AI or brain structure, for example, but nothing fatal to the general thrust of argument. More problematic is the naive history of science, and the occasional reliance on morality tales, e.g. about Crookes, Wallace and Newton. Its negative assessment of religion is not fully developed, and applies with real force only against traditionalists. Overall, recommended. Its substance outweighs its faults by far, and it is a good read.
DATE:19980922
KEYWORDS:paraphysics psi religion skepticism
MISC:323p.
PUBLISHER:Prometheus
SUBMITADDR:bibliographer@csicop.org
SUBMITNAME:Taner Edis
TITLE:Physics And Psychics: The Search for a World Beyond the Senses
