Abstract
A review of "The Maniac", by Benjamin Labatut, focusing on the religious dimension in the story. The Maniac is an exploration of the convoluted and often unsettling relationship between scientific genius and the darker dimensions of the human psyche It takes the reader on a captivating journey through the minds of some of 20th century’s most enigmatic and influential figures in science and mathematics. The book’s centre piece is the story of John von Neumann, called by many “the smartest man who ever lived,” flanked by a prologue featuring physicist Paul Ehrenfest and an epilogue about the 2016 Go match between Lee Sedol and the computer program AlphaGo.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 34-39 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Reviews in Science, Religion and Theology |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Book review of: Mathematics without Soul: A Science & Religion Review of: Benjamin Labatut’s The Maniac (Pushkin Press, 358 pp. ISBN: 978-1-78227-981-5)Keywords
- artificial intelligence
- history of science
- John von Neumann
- AlphaGo
- Benjamin Labatut
- Philosophy of science
- science and religion
- ethics of technology
- theology and science