The simple beauty of the unexpected : a natural philosopher's quest for trout and the meaning of everything

A personal and engaging tribute to nature from a world-famous theoretical physicist. Marcelo Gleiser has had a passion for science and fishing since he was a boy growing up on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. As a world-famous theoretical physicist with hundreds of scientific articles and several books of popular science to his credit, he felt it was time to once again connect with nature in less theoretical ways. After seeing a fly-fishing class on the Dartmouth College green, he decided to learn to fly-fish, a hobby, he says, that teaches humility. In The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected , Gleiser travels the world to scientific conferences, fishing wherever he goes. At each stop, he ponders the myriad ways physics informs the act of fishing; how, in its turn, fishing serves as a lens into nature's inner workings; and how science engages with questions of meaning and spirituality, inspiring a sense of mystery and awe of the not yet known. Personal and engaging, The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected is a scientist's tribute to nature, an affirmation of humanity's deep connection with and debt to Earth, and an exploration of the meaning of existence, from atom to trout to cosmos. This softcover edition features a new essay by Gleiser on how we need a profound change of worldview if we are to have a vibrant future for our species in this fragile environment. He describes how this book was an incubator for his current thinking.

A personal and engaging tribute to nature from a world-famous theoretical physicist. MarceloGleiserhas had a passion for science and fishing since he was a boy growing up on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.Asa world-famous theoretical physicist with hundreds of scientific articles and several books of popular science to his credit, he felt it was time toonce againconnect with nature in less theoretical ways. After seeing a fly-fishing class on the Dartmouth College green, he decided to learn to fly-fish, a hobby, he says, that teaches humility. In The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected, Gleisertravels the world to scientific conferences, fishing wherever he goes. At each stop, he ponders the myriad ways physics informs the act of fishing; how, in its turn, fishing serves as a lens into nature's inner workings; and how science engages with questions of meaning and spirituality, inspiring a sense of mystery and awe of the not yet known. Personal and engaging, The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected is a scientist's tribute to nature, an affirmation of humanity's deep connection with and debt to Earth, and an exploration of the meaning of existence, from atom to trout to cosmos.This softcover edition features a new essay byGleiseron how we need a profound change ofworldview if we are to have a vibrant future for our species in this fragile environment.He describes how this book was an incubator forhiscurrent thinking.

Contents Prologue The Young Boy and the Sea You Give to the River and the River Gives Back to You A Note to the Reader 1. Cumbria, Lake District, UK On Unsolvable Mysteries Immortally Beautiful Open Spaces Solitude and Solitons Pattern Seeking Leaders, Followers, and Outsiders The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected Belief The Witch of Copacabana Reason, Faith, and the Incompleteness of Knowledge The Allure of the Mysterious A Line between Two Worlds A Path with a Heart 2. São José dos Ausentes, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Tropical Trout Changing Your Worldview Is Hard to Do Love in a Time of Science Freedom in Attachment Limits Are Triggers The Immigrant and the Two Frogs 3. Sansepolcro, Tuscany, Italy Michelangelo’s Trout Baby Earth, Baby Life Knowledge, the Endless Pursuit Is Anybody Out There? 4. Laxá River, Mývatnssveit, Iceland You Must Leave This Ship! Primeval Landscape Modern Creation Narrative: An Integrated View Planetary Awareness The Temple Epilogue to the Second Edition Acknowledgments Index Marcelo Gleiser has had a passion for science and fishing since he was a boy growing up on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Now a world-famous theoretical physicist with hundreds of scientific articles and several books of popular science to his credit, he felt it was time to connect with nature in less theoretical ways. After seeing a fly-fishing class on the Dartmouth College green, he decided to learn to fly-fish, a hobby, he says, that teaches humility. In The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected, Gleiser travels the world to scientific conferences, fishing wherever he goes. At each stop, he ponders how in the myriad ways physics informs the act of fishing; how, in its turn, fishing serves as a lens into natures inner workings; and how science engages with questions of meaning and spirituality, inspiring a sense of mystery and awe of the not yet known.-- "Personal and engaging, The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected is a scientist's tribute to nature, an affirmation of humanity's deep connection with and debt to Earth, and an exploration of the meaning of existence, from atom to trout to cosmos"-- Provided by publisher