Probable Impossibilities: Musings on Beginnings and Endings

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By Alan Lightman ’70

Published April 26, 2021

Alan Lightman ’70 probes basic questions about human life and its origins, such as the anatomy of a smile or what creates consciousness. Through 17 essays, ranging from vignettes to journal entries, Probable Impossibilities: Musings on Beginnings and Endings (Random House) leaves the reader marveling at the universe and how even its simplest aspects are often supremely complex.

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PAW's October 2026 cover, featuring a photo of a loaf of challah bread and the headline "The Braids That Bind."
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