The Next Scientific Revolution

There are numerous ways to view our world but, on the whole, we view our world as a “material” phenomenon. To explain our experience of thought, many believe that our material world is accompanied by a spiritual world. For thousands of years, this tandem determined what we think and do. But what if we are wrong? What if our world is not what we think it is? There are good reasons to believe that this is so. Faint but fundamental findings have popped up in the world of science, findings that are like dots in a puzzle. Connect these dots in a certain way and a novel picture of reality appears, a picture so familiar, yet so different that it will deeply affect the way we interpret our world, if true. Because “reality” is involved, this picture could give new impetus to scientific research as much as it could inspire leaders to rethink their role. This book is not an essay of philosophy but a practical analysis of developments across the natural and social sciences. It explains how the established system of ideas at the heart of the current worldview may be making way for a new system, a new “paradigm”, if you like, that will dictate how we see, study, and manage our world in future. Of course, a paradigm shift remains speculation until it materializes. Nonetheless, this book is relevant to leaders of science and society because it helps them imagine the broad societal drifts that may be ahead of them. This book is also useful to undergraduate and post-graduate students because it puts into perspective “normal science”, that is, the science that they are being made familiar with.

There are numerous ways to view our world but, on the whole, we view our world as a “material” phenomenon. To explain our experience of thought, many believe that our material world is accompanied by a spiritual world. For thousands of years, this tandem determined what we think and do. But what if we are wrong? What if our world is not what we think it is? There are good reasons to believe that this is so. Faint but fundamental findings have popped up in the world of science, findings that are like dots in a puzzle. Connect these dots in a certain way and a novel picture of reality appears, a picture so familiar, yet so different that it will deeply affect the way we interpret our world, if true. Because “reality” is involved, this picture could give new impetus to scientific research as much as it could inspire leaders to rethink their role. This book is not an essay of philosophy but a practical analysis of developments across the natural and social sciences. It explains how the established system of ideas at the heart of the current worldview may be making way for a new system, a new “paradigm”, if you like, that will dictate how we see, study, and manage our world in future. In the first part of this book, I’ll explore why we often do not perceive something even when looking it in the face. I will conclude with a glimpse of this new worldview. In the second part, I’ll explain how I stumbled onto dots that led me to identify the outlines of a new picture of reality. In the third part, I’ll explain the crux of this new picture and why it might set off a scientific revolution. I’ll also discuss how it matches the ideas of established thinkers, refraining from a wider analysis because this is beyond the purpose of this book. In the fourth and last part, I’ll list the main trends that will ripple through society should the new worldview find traction. Of course, a paradigm shift remains speculation until it materializes. Nonetheless, this book is relevant to leaders of science and society because it helps them imagine the broad societal drifts that may be ahead of them. This book is also useful to undergraduate and post-graduate students because it puts into perspective “normal science”, that is, the science that they are being made familiar with.

Author of eight books, recently appraised by Kirkus Reviews, which identifies itself as "the world's toughest book critic", Marc van der Erve holds a BSc in Applied Physics and a PhD in Sociology. He is regularly invited to address audiences on matters ranging from metaphysics and leadership effectiveness to our ability to foretell the evolution of societal phenomena. His academic focus ranges from nonlinear systems to the rise of forms of human organization. With a keen eye on the needs of leaders, he explores both the practical and the philosophical on the crossroads where the natural and social sciences meet.