The Beginning of Infinity

Physicist David Deutsch argues that explanations hold a basic place in the universe and that the search for better ones drives science and every other successful human effort. Because only the laws of physics limit what can be known, he sees no ceiling on progress, and he treats the Enlightenment, with its value on creativity and open criticism, as near the start of an unbounded process of knowledge creation. Chapters range over artificial intelligence, a many-worlds reading of quantum physics, the evolution of culture through memes, a critique of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, and a case for optimism. Deutsch builds on the worldview he laid out in his earlier The Fabric of Reality.

Steven Pinker pointed to it as a deep theory of why humanity is bound to keep progressing, and Naval Ravikant said its ideas convincingly change how one judges what is true. Mark Zuckerberg was also reported to want everyone to read it.