In the preface to this book, John Hunter shares the goal of his work – marrying the science of the day with unanswerable questions. As he takes readers through the big questions and the various approaches to arrive at logical answers, the quest feels nothing less than an exciting ride full of discovery.
The book’s title, Rules for Eternity, is the perfect teaser for Hunter’s central theme that runs through the 12 chapters in the book. What rules determine the existence and evolution of the universe? What rules govern the creation and evolution of life, particularly intelligent life, on a planet? Are these rules pre-determined or do they also come into play at the time of creation? Do we have hope for eternal existence of life or are we doomed for a dismal scenario?
These are just some of the many interesting and important questions the author explores with facts from research in cosmology and examples from everyday science. Hunter discusses various scientific models for universe in the context of their implications for natural and biological rules governing all operations.
Notably, Rules for Eternity is more than a work exploring cosmology via philosophical questions as it pays a good deal of attention to human psychology. Fundamental questions about behavior, instinct, and intelligence are brought up in the context of the book’s main themes. Readers also don’t miss on seeing the social and psychological roles of religion in shaping human thought on these key points as explored by Hunter in the chapter Why We Need Gods.
In a special and kind of unique chapters in the book, “Science Fiction – A Reality Check,” readers go through issues in popular science that are presented in works of science fiction– time travel, artificial intelligence, telepathic communication, etc. Exploring the boundary between scientific reality and science fiction is significant to today’s readership as humans increasingly invest time and effort in developing futuristic technologies, a theme Hunter discusses in a following chapter.
Perhaps the most important question that this book attempts to answer is as philosophically grand as it is scientifically challenging: what are our limits? The final chapter “No Beginnings No Ends,” also part of the book’s subtitle, sums it up full circle. In the vastness of the space and time and surrounded by unending uncertainty, life in the moment is still precious and worth celebrating; in fact more so for these exact reasons.
In Rules for Eternity, John Hunter offers a great serving of food for thought for the science enthusiast and truth-seeking minds. It’s a discussion the thoughtful reader can’t resist nor afford to miss.
