137: Jung, Pauli, and the Pursuit of a Scientific Obsession

by Arthur I. Miller

Overview

"The history is fascinating, as are the insights into the personalities of these great thinkers." —New Scientist

Is there a number at the root of the universe? A primal number that everything in the world hinges on? This question exercised many great minds of the twentieth century, among them the groundbreaking physicist Wolfgang Pauli and the famous psychoanalyst Carl Jung. Their obsession with the power of certain numbers—including 137, which describes the atom’s fine-structure constant and has great Kabbalistic significance—led them to develop an unlikely friendship and to embark on a joint mystical quest reaching deep into medieval alchemy, dream interpretation, and the Chinese Book of Changes. 137 explores the profound intersection of modern science with the occult, but above all it is the tale of an extraordinary, fruitful friendship between two of the greatest thinkers of our times.

Originally published in hardcover as Deciphering the Cosmic Number.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393071306
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	05/17/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	370
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Arthur I. Miller is a professor emeritus at University College London. He has published many critically acclaimed books, including Einstein, Picasso; Empire of the Stars; and 137. He lives in London.

Editorial Reviews

"A fascinating and an unlikely story…exciting to read as well as informative."

Physics World - Gino Segré

"[Miller's] accessible account should bring this odd couple to a wider readership…His ability to approach the subject from the perspective of both the sciences and the humanities is a great strength."

Times Literary Supplement - Georgina Ferry

"Miller is a master at capturing the intersection of creativity and intelligence."

Walter Isaacson

[Miller's] accessible account should bring this odd couple to a wider readership...His ability to approach the subject from the perspective of both the sciences and the humanities is a great strength.--Georgina Ferry "Times Literary Supplement"

A fascinating and an unlikely story...exciting to read as well as informative.--Gino Segré "Physics World"

A rewarding account of the intersection of two great minds.-- "Publishers Weekly"

Miller is a master at capturing the intersection of creativity and intelligence.--Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Elon Musk

From the Publisher