The End of Science

In "The End of Science: Facing the Limits of Knowledge in the Twilight of the Scientific Age" - a book I recently began reading - John Horgan takes us on an existentialist voyage toward the boundaries of human knowledge as measured by the achievements of science. While somewhat dated (1996), the book introduces timeless questions including "The Question" - why are we here? Horgan begins his exploration by outlining the general problem addressed by science, namely how to generate frameworks linking together disparate observations into a cohesive whole: how to create and evaluate theories with explanatory or predictive power. This is a practical problem that has given birth to an entire philosophical branch - the philosophy of science - and in the book Horgan treats us to excerpts from interviews with some of the most influential thinkers of the past century (two of whom he met shortly before they passed away). His description of the interviews adds a colourful touch of humanity to the academic discussion. The reader is reminded that the repercussions of scientific achievement include both enhanced longevity and unimaginable destruction. In addition to probing the nature of the answers obtained through science (are they equivalent to truth?) and their social value (is science superior to religion?) Horgan addresses whether there are limits to this knowledge. As the title not-so-subtly suggests, Horgan is pessimistic, a feeling shared with many of the authorities he interviews. Despite the somewhat somber outlook the book is never too serious and the first three chapters - all of which are titled "The End of ..." - suffice to make this an entertaining and worthwhile read.