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 December 2025 cover, with a photo of Michael Park ’98.
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December 2025

Judge Michael Park ’98; shifts in DEI initiatives; a night at the new art museum.