The Mind of God: Scientific Basis for a Rational World by P. C. W. Davies
Complementing his metaphysical exploration of the meaning and origin of life in God and The New Physics, physicist Paul Davies further investigates theological and scientific explanations for the creation of the universe. He examines the nature of scientific enquiry and our role in the cosmos, focusing on our increasing understanding of organised complexity thanks to the advent of fast computers. Different ages have used their own metaphors to describe the universe. For 300 years, science has been dominated by the search for simple patterns in nature. But now, with the advent of fast computers, we can see that the laws of physics play a two-fold role: they provide the simple patterns that underlie all physical phenomena, and they are also of the form that enables depth - organised complexity - to emerge. That the laws of our universe possess this crucial dual property is a fact of literally cosmic significance for it enables us, the children of the universe - animated stardust - to reflect on the nature of that same universe, even to the extent of glimpsing the rules by which it runs. The author also wrote Superforce, The Cosmic Blueprint and The Edge of Infinity.