Endless Endings: The Many Forms of Death and What They Teach Us About Life
Aug 2026 · Princeton University Press
Ebook
200
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
A scientific exploration of the varied forms, origins, and meanings of death
While death may be one of life’s most predictable surprises, it has also proved itself to be one of the most fascinating and cutting-edge areas of scientific inquiry. Our bodies and lives tell a story of cellular creation and destruction that can be traced back to Earth’s primordial oceans. Yet when we follow the interwoven thread of beginnings and endings in an effort to discover death’s origins, nature, and meaning, we find that we cannot settle on a single definition of death or even a single interpretation of it. It would seem that there is not one death, but an endless variety of forms, each of which raises further questions about how well we understand death’s counterpoint—life.
Using death as a connecting theme, in Endless Endings, Ricard Solé explores the differing meanings of death in varied forms, reflecting on questions that are pushing forward the frontiers of scientific understanding. What is the physical basis of inevitable decay? Can we manipulate cellular rules to avoid death? What does death mean if life occurs inside a computer? Can a conscious machine save itself from death? Is immortality possible? What does it mean for language, thought, or information to die? As Solé reveals, life’s endings can be just as fascinating and varied as life itself.
While death may be one of life’s most predictable surprises, it has also proved itself to be one of the most fascinating and cutting-edge areas of scientific inquiry. Our bodies and lives tell a story of cellular creation and destruction that can be traced back to Earth’s primordial oceans. Yet when we follow the interwoven thread of beginnings and endings in an effort to discover death’s origins, nature, and meaning, we find that we cannot settle on a single definition of death or even a single interpretation of it. It would seem that there is not one death, but an endless variety of forms, each of which raises further questions about how well we understand death’s counterpoint—life.
Using death as a connecting theme, in Endless Endings, Ricard Solé explores the differing meanings of death in varied forms, reflecting on questions that are pushing forward the frontiers of scientific understanding. What is the physical basis of inevitable decay? Can we manipulate cellular rules to avoid death? What does death mean if life occurs inside a computer? Can a conscious machine save itself from death? Is immortality possible? What does it mean for language, thought, or information to die? As Solé reveals, life’s endings can be just as fascinating and varied as life itself.
A scientific exploration of the varied forms, origins, and meanings of death
While death may be one of life’s most predictable surprises, it has also proved itself to be one of the most fascinating and cutting-edge areas of scientific inquiry. Our bodies and lives tell a story of cellular creat...
Discover more
About the author
Ricard Solé is the ICREA Research Professor at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, where he is head of the Complex Systems Lab, and external professor at the Santa Fe Institute. He is the author of Phase Transitions and coauthor of Viruses as Complex Adaptive Systems, Self-Organization in Complex Ecosystems (all Princeton), and Signs of Life.
Ricard Solé is the ICREA Research Professor at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, where he is head of the Complex Systems Lab, and external professor at the Santa Fe Institute. He is the author of Phase Transitions and coauthor of Viruses as Complex Adaptive Systems, Self-Organization in ...
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
