The New 女生小视频 Book Club has been testing its collective brain power in September with Chanda Prescod-Weinstein鈥檚 . Subtitled 鈥減articles, poetry and the cosmic dream boogie鈥�, this sees the New 女生小视频 columnist and theoretical physicist set out to explain our universe, from the quantum to the inner workings of black holes.
That鈥檚 a lot to get through, but as Chanda writes in her book, it is worth the effort: 鈥淲e should bother with physics because it is, in part, how we as a species learn to use our minds.鈥� She went further in an exclusive essay for book club members, challenging us to get to grips with the quantum nature of space-time. 鈥淪pending time with what feels strange about physics can help prepare us to better reckon with difficult political questions,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淕iven the crises we face 鈥� genocides, climate change, attacks on transgender people 鈥� we need our critical faculties now more than ever.鈥�
Starting with a careful deconstruction of why we need to think hard about the metaphors we use in science writing to make sure they are helping rather than hindering readers in understanding non-intuitive concepts in science, Chanda goes on to take us through some of the most abstract areas of theoretical physics. It is, as member Dee55 put it, a 鈥渨ild ride鈥�, in terms of both the physics and the in-depth conversation that members have been having about the book over on our channel.
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I really enjoyed this book. I am someone who didn鈥檛 manage to finish Stephen Hawking鈥檚 A Brief History of Time, but who, thanks to Chanda鈥檚 friendly, encouraging and (most importantly) clear writing, emerged at the end of this book a little more knowledgeable about physics. I liked how Chanda slipped in multiple references to literature and popular culture to help make her points, as well as how she told us firmly: 鈥淭his is supposed to be fun, and there is no test at the end.鈥� She reiterated this in our interview: 鈥淸Part] of welcoming people into the material is saying, this isn鈥檛 something that only鈥� a lone genius can think about. You鈥檙e entitled to this as well. This is your universe, too.鈥�
Many book club members were similarly enamoured. 鈥淥ne of the earliest statements in this book which blew me away (there have been many) was 鈥楬umanity has only been aware of this cosmic light[from the beginnings of the universe]for sixty-two years鈥�,鈥� wrote Melissa on Discord. 鈥淛ust the incomprehensible fact of cosmic light from the unimaginable ancientness of the beginning of the universe鈥攚hich is just there but people have only found out about it in the space of less than one human lifetime ago.鈥�
Jodie has been 鈥渆njoying it a lot, even if it does make my head ache at times!鈥� 鈥� I think that鈥檚 fair, Jodie! 鈥� while Dee55 has also found Chanda鈥檚 explanations mind-expanding: 鈥淔or years I have been making periodic attempts to understand Quantum Stuff and always come away fairly befuddled but also intrigued 鈥� and this time feels just a little different, as if I am not exactly grasping something but perhaps catching fleeting glimpses of it (we don鈥檛 get far without metaphors, I find).鈥�
鈥淭he wonderful gift this book gives us is the opportunity to spend time in practicing feeling unsettled, sometimes even bewildered, as we experience the strangeness of quantum physics,鈥� added Laura Akers. 鈥淚t鈥檚 several hours, in my case over many days, of practicing the acceptance that science and reality are strange, bizarre鈥� rather than simple and reassuring 鈥� and it鈥檚 really okay.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e really enjoyed The Edge of Space-time,鈥� wrote DavidCl on Discord. 鈥淎bout half way through I realised what my perspective of reading it was like. It鈥檚 like sitting down and spending time with a good friend who is way cleverer and more intelligent than I am while she tries to explain what it is she does, why she does it and what drives her onwards.鈥�
This book is packed with literary allusions, and with Chanda鈥檚 strongly expressed political perspectives 鈥� not everyone appreciated this. 鈥淚 am not really enjoying this book, to be honest. I prefer straightforward scientific information and explanations,鈥� wrote Lowenna, while Katita2026 found that Chanda鈥檚 politics and her subjective takes intruded on the physics a little too much. 鈥淒r. Prescod-Weinstein is an incredible storyteller. I absolutely love how she brings the cold, intimidating world of astrophysics right down to earth. Explaining cosmic inflation through a TR-808 drum machine, or bringing Missy Elliott and Wu-Tang Clan into a physics book, is just brilliant science communication,鈥� wrote Katita. But 鈥渁s much as I鈥檓 enjoying the read, I find myself struggling when she tries to make the physics fit her politics鈥�.
This was a question picked over with great sensitivity by book club members. 鈥淚 do agree that some of the connections are bit forced, but I think the author is trying to show not only how physics says that the universe is, but also how she from a particular background visualises that,鈥� wrote Alan_P. 鈥淲e all bring our own experiences and backgrounds to any field of knowledge and view things through that prism 鈥� she鈥檚 just giving us her prism. She many times explains the sheer wonder and joy that she experiences as a physicist, and that this is finding out about an objective reality.鈥� DavidCl felt similarly: 鈥淭he explanations are peppered with her personal viewpoints and politics but that鈥檚 ok because her passion and occasionally sweary outbursts are all part of painting a compelling picture.鈥�
All in all, I think this was a (challenging) hit with book club members 鈥� on to the next one.
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