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Philosophy, sociology and religion

Philosophy, sociology and religion

Encountering infinity: the aspects of reality we cannot comprehend

13 Aug 2021
Taken from the August 2021 issue of Physics World where it first appeared under the headline "Infinitesimal to infinite".

David Appell reviews Probable Impossibilities: Musings on Beginnings and Endings by Alan Lightman

sunset over the sea
Beyond imagination The sight of the ocean stretching towards the horizon is evocative of infinity, and the difficulty we have grasping that concept. (Courtesy: iStock/Serjio74)
At his best, Alan Lightman is a wondrous writer: poetic, original, insightful, inspired. In his new

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