Physics and Consciousness

H. James Birx The Unconscious Quantum: Meta-physics in Modern Physics and Cos-mology, by Victor J. Stenger (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1995) 322 pp., $32.95 cloth.

Advancing beyond the Newtonian worldview, modern science incorpor-ates both quantum mechanics and relativ-ity physics to explain natural phenomena on the microcosmic and macrocosmic lev-els of existence, respectively. This dynamic universe has been expanding for at least fifteen billion years, ever since the big bang, and it has been evolving, with organic history on planet Earth resulting in the emergence of human beings with consciousness. As such, our species is nature aware of itself at least once in this cosmic epoch. But what is the true rela-tionship between a human observer and objective reality?

With clarity and erudition, physicist and astronomer Victor J. Stenger explores the fascinating world of subatomic parti-cles in The Unconscious Quantum: Metaphysics in Modern Physics and Cos-mology. As a naturalist humanist, he offers a comprehensive and critical analysis of those issues that surround various inter-pretations of quantum mechanics and human consciousness. His own viewpoint is devoid of the spiritual and mystical nonsense found in most popular treat-ments of these technical subjects.

The reader is introduced to the key ideas or discoveries of John Bell, David Bohm, Albert Einstein, Werner Heisen-berg, Roger Penrose, Max Planck, Erwin Schrödinger, and Frank J. Tipler (among others). Furthermore, one reads about pre-sent speculations on tachyons (hypotheti-

H. James Birx, professor of anthropology at Canisius College, is the author of Inter-preting Evolution (Prometheus Books, 1991) and executive director for the Alliance of Secular Humanist Societies.

cal particles that always travel faster than the speed of light), wavicles (bodies with properties that behave like waves or parti-cles depending on the detector used), non-locality, alternate histories, parallel uni-verses, and subquantum hidden variables.

Throughout all this explicative treat-ment, of special importance is the crucial distinction between epistemology (human measurement) and ontology (objective reality). An honest consideration of scien-tific evidence does not support theistic metaphysics or Eastern mysticism. From the cosmic and evolutionary perspectives, the alleged mind-body problem is grounded in human egoism and arrogance.

Stenger himself argues that the materi-alist stance does justice to explaining both quantum phenomena and mental activity without resorting to a holistic cosmology, idealistic ontology, or outmoded theology, i.e., the existence of this physical universe

John Schumaker The Varnished Truth: Truth Telling and Deceiving in Ordinary Life, by David Nyberg (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1995) 244 pp., $12.95 cloth, $24.95 paper.

onesty and truthfulness are among the official "common moral decen-

cies" endorsed by humanists. But, in his book The Varnished Truth, philosopher David Nyberg challenges "moral perfec-tionism" and argues that truth is morally

John Schumaker is a lecturer in psychol-ogy at the University of Newcastle and author of the books Wings of Illusion and The Corruption of Reality (Prometheus Books).

is neither a manifestation of nor depen-dent upon human consciousness. Never-theless, scientific inquiry is open to the possibility that a deeper physics exists beneath quantum mechanics.

Following detailed expositions of quantum mechanics that focus on the apparent paradoxes in the microcosm, e.g., the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and Schrödinger's Cat thought-experi-ment, the last three chapters of this excel-lent book are of particular value to secular humanists. They deal with cosmology, chaos theory, and mysticism. Again, the author stresses that scientific evidence does not warrant any religious or mystical notions about material nature or the place of mental activity within it. Despite the "gee whiz" literature of modern meta-physics for a gullible public, the physical universe is utterly indifferent to human beings.

Finally, secular humanists owe a great debt of gratitude to Victor J. Stenger for his level-headed treatment of complex subjects as well as his steadfast commit-ment to science and reason. The Uncon-scious Quantum is a must-read for all nat-uralists and humanists devoted to free inquiry. •

overrated, and that deception and false-hood are important components of moral-ity and ethics. He even makes the case that, in some circumstances, truth telling can be an act of immorality. Without dis-paraging the place and merits of the truth and truth telling, Nyberg writes convinc-ingly that strategic deception and the inclination to misrepresent reality are "in our bones" and here to stay.

Much of this well-written and highly entertaining book deals with the role of "other deception" in social interactions and interpersonal communications. Nyberg does a superb job of demonstrat-ing that deception and lying are ancient, universal, and indispensible features of social intelligence. Mutual deception allows us to organize our social world and

What a Tangled Web We Weave

Spring 1996 59