Frank Wilczek (2018), A
Beautiful Question, Penguin Allen Lane, New Delhi, pp. 436
Does
the world embody beautiful ideas? Is the world a work of art? Is the creator
primarily an artist? These are the fundamental questions that Nobel laureate
Frank Wilczek asks in his book A Beautiful Question. In this tour de
force of physics’ quest to understand the creative principle of the universe,
Wilczek takes us from Pythagoras to quantum mechanics to understand the fundamental
concepts that explain the origin and existing conditions of the universe and
the aesthetic appeal inherent in these ideas.
From
Pythagoras to Quantum Physics
This
book picks out some of the most important arguments from historical figures to
support its basic thesis. In this journey, we cover geometry, physics, music
and the arts in a veritable tour of renaissance. We begin with Pythagoras and
his idea that ‘all things are numbers’, a principle that connects mind, matter
and beauty. Then, we move to Platonic solids and the idea of symmetry as a
principle of beauty. Brunelleschi and his projective geometry help us through
to Newton and his novel method of scientific analysis. Here, we encounter
dynamic laws of change as opposed to the statist ideals of Plato and
Pythagoras. The tension between the ideal and the real is a constant theme that
runs through the book. From Newton, we move to Maxwell (who is portrayed with a
great deal of creative empathy) and his unification theory to culminate in
quantum fulfilment. At the end of this rewarding journey, we do emphatically
arrive at the conclusion that beauty is a fundamental principle in the forces
that created and run the universe. The last chapter is a sober reminder that it
is in this beautiful universe that all the pain and suffering exist too.
Wilczek
helpfully simplifies the more complex portion of his arguments especially in
the last part of the book that describes quantum physics and its evolution. I
found it coming rather rapidly at me as compared to the more languorous description
of Pythagoras and Plato in the beginning (caveat: I did science in college!). What
worked for me was that I could come back to those parts along with their
insightful illustrations and work it out till I understood the basic argument. Let
me add that the illustrations are so integrally woven with the intellectual
fabric of the book that it adds a touch of humanness to the historical figures and
explains complex scientific experiments through interesting visual portrayal. I
was particularly fascinated by a page from Issac Newton’s notebook reproducing the
conjectures about his experiments in his own hand and young Maxwell ruminating
with his colour top. Both in terms of its fundamental thesis and its production
values, this is an exhaustive introduction to the aficionado. To the skeptical lay
person, I’d say, go for it with an open mind with the confidence that this
question is too interesting to give it a miss!
