The Answer is the Question

"The success of the scientific method in the past has encouraged us to think that with enough time and effort we can unravel nature's mysteries. But hitting the absolute limit of the scientific explanation - not a technological obstacle or the current but progressing edge of human understanding - would be a singular event, one for which past experience could not prepare us." [385]

This is quite the statement. It is potent with meaning and value beyond just the context of this novel. Greene is trying to establish the concept of pushing into the unknown; travelling farther down the rabbit hole. The reason for doing so is because he is concluding his novel. As it becomes more relevant throughout the novel, Greene does not have all the answers to every question we ask. Although it may seem ridiculous to think otherwise, we at least need to be assured that his work has the potential to provide us with the answers. If he can demonstrate that his work will provide us with new knowledge, then we will be convinced and amazed at the capabilities of Theoretical Physics, and come to use it in more common practice.

Up to this point in the novel, Greene has gone about building his structure. This structure is a collaborative process much like any academic subject would be: you must have the basics installed before you can progress. Sure you can buy a spoiler, some fluffy dice, and a little hula girl, but what good are they if you don't have car. The same applies to Greene's novel: if he didn't introduce you his premises you would never have understood nor accepted his ideas. So from that we can deduce that Greene has intentionally led us up to this point, and that if his structure and presentation were both sufficient, we should come to accept his final point.

We revisit Greene's purpose when he precedes the quote above with this idea; "The road from this "in principle" ratiocination to an "in practice" fact is encumbered by many hurdles." [383]

Here he is again, proving his intention of convincing society that his academic does, in fact, fit into the category of the Sciences. He labels the "gap" I discussed in my first blog as "hurdles". Then he goes on in explanation to fill this gap, the beautiful thing about this concluding chapter is that it is built from the previous ones. Due to this form of logic, it becomes so easy for the reader to follow his thoughts and agree with them. Because his previous arguments in each chapter were concise, clear, and well presented; appealing to the human’s intuition, we were led to accept each thesis from each chapter. If not, it was at least clear to see the point he had made, and like a well performed lawyer in a court of law, Greene leaves these points discretely disconnected until the very end when he collaborates his arguments and asserts his verdict to the jury. He shows the reader the path to believing and understanding conclusion and so I am awed at not just the material of the book, but the art of it as well. In any situation, Greene is proclaiming that we should expect the unexpected – as cliché as that may be. In doing so he has essentially grouped Theoretical Physics and Science into the same generalized idea; that if Theoretical Physics hits a dead end, then can be associated with the limits of Science as a whole. This brilliantly, again, persuades the reader to assume that they are of the same origin and nature. Nonetheless, he eloquently finishes his novel with a quote assuring us that life and life’s work is not about finding all the answers, but living fully in the pursuit of the answers. I, for one, was left satisfied and hopeful, with dazzling stars in my eyes.

“As we fix our sight on the future and anticipate all the wonders yet in store for us, we should also reflect back and marvel at the journey we have taken so far. The search for the fundamental laws of the universe is a distinctly human drama, one that has stretched the mind and enriched the spirit... We are all, each seekers of the truth and we each long for an answer to why we are here... And as our generation marvels at our new view of the universe – our new of asserting the world’s coherence – we are fulfilling our part; contributing our rung to the human ladder reaching for the stars” [387]