Palle Yourgrau - A World Without Time: The Forgotten Legacy Of Godel And Einstein

Having already written a book intended primarily for philosophers about Kurt Gdels attempt to make sense of Einsteins theory of relativity, I was intrigued when William Frucht of Basic Books suggested I write another, this one accessible to normal readers. Such a book would focus on the sheer intellectual drama of the companionship of Gdel and Einsteina relationship sorely neglected in the literature and would place Gdels and Einsteins epoch-making discoveries in the context of the great intellectual movements of the twentieth century, some of which, having helped to father, they tried, belatedly, to abandon. It was an offer too good to refuse, and I didnt. The task, however, turned out to be far from easy, and Frucht had to endure not only the late delivery of the final manuscript, but the drumbeat of my complaints about his editorial adventures at the expense of my beloved prose; it may not have been much, but it was all mine. I am grateful to Frucht both for the initial invitation and for (what turned out to be) his wise editorial advice, at every stage, on how to improve the manuscript.

I have greatly benefited from discussing the book with Mary Sullivan and Ben Callard. Sullivan, attentive as ever to the task of trying to keep me honest, read large parts of the book and offered acute, sobering advice, which I took to heart. Callards critical remarks on every chapter were of great value and are reflected in the final draft. His strange affection for the work, moreover, kept my spirits up during the many dark moments when the project seemed to me ill-advised and misbegotten. Mark van Atten also read the entire manuscript. His extraordinarily detailed remarks, on both substance and style, were a great boon. Robert Tragesser shared with me his deep understanding of Gdels theorem, and Eli Hirsch helped make certain that my discussions of logic and mathematics were clear, accessible, and to the point. To each of these I owe a serious debt of gratitude, but especially to Callard and van Atten, for their extensive and thoughtful comments.

I would also like to express my appreciation for the conversations I had over a period of years with the late Hao Wang, of Rockefeller University, whom I came to know when I taught at Barnard College in New York. With Wang, who was one of Gdels closest associates in his final years, I spent endless hours discussing Gdels ideas, published and unpublished. The question of time was of particular interest to him. He confessed that, finding the topic uncongenial, he had resisted Gdels efforts to discuss his thoughts on this theme, and regretted it. I regretted it, too. It did not diminish, however, the fruitfulness of our conversations, nor the enjoyment we took in contemplating what Gdel has said and written.

In addition to help from my friends, I have also depended on the kindness of strangers. My copy editor, David Kramer, in addition to improving the clarity and flow of the text, made a number of comments and suggestions of a more substantial nature on a wide variety of topics, from music to mathematics, which were an unexpected gift. AnnaLee Pauls, photoduplication coordinator at the Rare Books and Special Collections department of Princeton Universitys Firestone Library, provided much needed assistance in the delicate task of choosing and reproducing the right photos from the Gdel archives, housed in Firestone Library. I am grateful both for her assistance and for the spirit with which she provided it. I would also, finally, like to thank Arudra Burra, who is not a stranger, for his generous help, combined with fine judgment, in the search for the right photos to include in the book.