Probable Impossibilities: Musings on Beginnings and Endings

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.