What We Are Reading Today: The Age of Choice

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Updated 08 February 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: The Age of Choice

Author: Sophia Rosenfeld

Choice touches virtually every aspect of our lives, from what to buy and where to live to whom to love, what profession to practice, and even what to believe. But the option to choose in such matters was not something we always possessed or even aspired to. It turns out that not only are we not very good at realizing our personal desires, we are also overwhelmed with too many possibilities and anxious about what best to select. There are social costs too. ‘The Age of Choice’ tells the long history of the invention of choice as the defining feature of modern freedom.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘How the Universe Got Its Spots’

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Updated 02 January 2026
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘How the Universe Got Its Spots’

  • Nimbly explaining geometry, topology, chaos, and string theory, Levin shows how the pattern of hot and cold spots left over from the big bang may one day reveal the size of the cosmos

Author: JANNA LEVIN 

Is the universe infinite or just really big? With this question, cosmologist Janna Levin announces the central theme of this book, which established her as one of the most direct, unorthodox, and creative voices in contemporary science.

As Levin sets out to determine how big “really big” may be, she offers a rare intimate look at the daily life of an innovative physicist, complete with jet lag and the tensions between personal relationships and the extreme demands of scientific exploration.

Nimbly explaining geometry, topology, chaos, and string theory, Levin shows how the pattern of hot and cold spots left over from the big bang may one day reveal the size of the cosmos.