Convergence: The Idea at the Heart of Science

In this massive tour de force, British intellectual historian Watson (The Age of Atheists) traces the rise of modern science from 1850 to the 21st century. He aims to demonstrate that what began as disparate studies started to converge on “one overwhelming interlocking coherent story: the history of the universe.” Watson asserts that this “deep coherence” is “at the very root of reality” and calls the unity it reflects the “final mystery.” While demonstrating the power of scientific reductionism, Watson is careful to recognize that “emergence,” the natural ordering of a complex system that yields patterns not present in its constituent parts, also plays an important role in how the universe is structured. Watson begins his journey by looking at the physicists of the 19th century who tied mathematics and physics together to create the idea of thermodynamics. He then explores the paradigm-breaking work of Charles Darwin. Watson does this well, though he doesn’t offer much new information. Then he delves into quantum mechanics and molecular biology, explaining their antecedents and demonstrating how advances in one field yielded breakthroughs in another. Bringing in ideas from geology, mythology, psychology, economics, and more to investigate the origins of civilization, Watson persuasively presents a deep and challenging idea. Agent: Robin Straus, Robin Straus Agency. (Mar.)