The Frontiers of Knowledge

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Brought to you by Penguin.

In very recent times humanity has learnt a vast amount about the universe, the past, and itself. But through our remarkable successes in acquiring knowledge we have learned how much we have yet to learn: the science we have, for example, addresses just 5% of the universe; pre-history is still being revealed, with thousands of historical sites yet to be explored; and the new neurosciences of mind and brain are just beginning.

What do we know, and how do we know it? What do we now know that we don't know? And what have we learnt about the obstacles to knowing more? In a time of deepening battles over what knowledge and truth mean, these questions matter more than ever.

Bestselling polymath and philosopher A. C. Grayling seeks to answer them in three crucial areas at the frontiers of knowledge: science, history, and psychology. In each area he illustrates how each field has advanced to where it is now, from the rise of technology to quantum theory, from the dawn of humanity to debates around national histories, from ancient ideas of the brain to modern theories of the mind.

A remarkable history of science, life on earth, and the human mind itself, this is a compelling and fascinating tour de force, written with Grayling's verve, clarity and remarkable breadth of knowledge.

© A.C. Grayling 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Critics Review

Grayling brings satisfying order to daunting subjects
Steven Pinker
Remarkable, readable and authoritative. How he has mastered so much, so thoroughly, is nothing short of amazing
Lawrence M. Krauss, author of A Universe from Nothing
This book hums with the excitement of the great human project of discovery
Adam Zeman, author of Aphantasia
Prof. Grayling interweaves the recent scientific and archaeological advances into a compelling narrative of how much progress humans have made in the understanding of their place in the natural, social and cognitive worlds. And how ignorant we still remain providing strong motivation to further this understanding by new empirical evidence
Tejidner Virdee FRS

AC Grayling tackles the questions science can't answer... a breathtaking book... Scholarly, lucid and accessible without being patronising or diluting, Grayling offers a masterly exegesis of current knowledge in three disciplines, as well as an analysis of what both opens and obstructs our access to such knowledge - in effect, four books in one

The Telegraph
An enthusiastic thinker who embraces humour, common sense and lucidity
Independent

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