Caleb Scharf.
The Copernicus Complex: our cosmic significance in a universe of planets and probabilities.
Scientific American. 2014
In The Copernicus Complex, the renowned astrophysicist Caleb Scharf
takes us on a scientific adventure from tiny microbes within the Earth to
distant exoplanets, probability theory, and beyond,
revealing a new way of understanding our place in the cosmos.
When Copernicus proposed that the Earth was not a fixed point at the center of the known universe,
he set in motion a scientific juggernaut that forever changed our vision of nature.
But his principle has never been entirely true—we do live at a particular time,
in a particular location, under particular circumstances.
Bringing us to the cutting edge of scientific discovery, Scharf argues for embracing the peculiarity of our circumstance without denying the Copernican vision, and reconsiders where we stand in the balance between cosmic significance and mediocrity, between order and chaos. Presenting a bold view of our true status, The Copernicus Complex proposes a way forward in the ultimate quest: determining life’s abundance, not just across this universe but across all realities.