TOW #15: IRB, The Grand Design by Leonard Mlodinow and Stephen Hawking

In The Grand Design by Leonard Mlodinow and Stephen Hawking, it talks about new theories of quantum physics that explain the existence of many paradoxical situations in the universe. Before these theories, traditional physicists could not logically explain how these situations work. This modern idea quantum physics has helped put a dent in understanding the perplexities of the universe, and it is the purpose of this book to share these new findings with the world.

Of course, since many of their theories are used to explain the unexplainable, Hawking and Mlodinow have to convey the information in a certain way in order to allow the audience to have a clear understanding of it. They do this by creating a problem-solution structure in each chapter, where they pose a problem that seems to be impossible to solve, and then they explain it using their theories.

Hawking and Mlodinow do this one way by posing the problem in a straightforward way. For example, they say, "The problem is, for our theoretical models of inflation to work, the initial state of the universe had to be set up in a very special and highly improbable way." (130). Their scientific, yet common, diction (e.g. saying “improbable”) allows them to introduce the problem. However, many times they introduce the problem using rhetorical questions. For example, they say, “If the total energy of the universe must always remain zero, and it costs energy to create a body, how can a whole universe be created from nothing?” (180). This is a great example of a paradox by asking the reader how the universe can be created from nothing because it perplexes and stumps them. They are forced to come up with a way to explain it, paving the way for the authors to give their theories that explains it. Rhetorical questions are utilized very effectively and they help to move the book forwards through its problem-solution structure.

Overall, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow are posed with the difficult task of using quantum physics to explain complicated and seemingly-impossible situations that occur in the universe. However, they are able to effectively explain their ideas using their problem-solution structure, and it is through this, that they are able to help the common people to further understand where we originated from and how the universe works.

The Universe
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