Book Reviewed: Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics by Stephon Alexander

The human side of doing theoretical physics The author offers a personal account as a Black theoretical physicist, and his struggle to fit in a culture that is dominated by white physicists. His personal and professional advancements are hindered by an establishment that is afraid to entertain his ideas because of his race. The author is inspired by ideas of great physicists like Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrodinger, Niels Bohr and Wolfgang Pauli, and their tremendous potential for thought experiments. He is not afraid to take risk by thinking outside the “box” and challenging established theories that does not make sense. His personal style of theorizing often created situations where his peers become doubtful and devalued his scientific ideas. Stephon Alexander discusses various aspects of physics and cosmology to explain the physical reality. The book describes basic concepts in spectacular details and not afraid to offer his own interpretations. In summary, three fundamental principles of physics are discussed, the law of invariance where the laws of physics are unchanging for observers moving relative to each other at constant speeds; the superposition of quantum states of a quantum mechanical system; the principle of emergence such as space and time in the cosmos; and the emergence of matter over antimatter in our universe. He also discusses a host of other big ideas like the mysteries of the Big Bang; the origin of life; the role of consciousness in quantum mechanics; the evolution of the Universe; and theories that seek to reconcile general relativity with quantum mechanics. The last chapter offers an interesting discussion of a universal consciousness and how it could be a part of the cosmos that created spacetime and matter. He even proposes that life may not have been born through a series of accidental historical events. In fact, there is a deeper principle beyond natural selection at work that is encoded in the structure of physical law and the emergence of spacetime. This book serves as a source of inspiration and encouragement for individuals who feel disenfranchised and unwelcome in scientific communities. Offers support to scientists who feel that they are not valued as contributors to the scientific endeavor. This is a beautifully written book, and it is highly recommended to readers interested in racism in academic communities. This is also a great book to understand aspects of physical reality, the life in the cosmos.