Note: Intro -- Dedication -- Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Chapter 1: Arrows of Time -- 1.1 From the Beginning of the Universe to Homo sapiens -- 1.2 Increasing Complexity and Disorder -- 1.3 Everything Changes and Evolves -- 1.3.1 Everything Changes -- 1.3.2 Everything Evolves -- 1.3.2.1 The Universe Has Evolved -- 1.3.2.2 The Earth Has Evolved -- 1.3.2.3 Life on Earth Has Evolved -- 1.3.2.4 Humanity Has Evolved -- 1.3.2.5 The Closeness of Life -- 1.3.2.6 Common Descent -- 1.3.2.7 Evolution -- 1.4 An Historic Perspective -- 1.4.1 Physical, Biological and Structural Uniformity of Living Organisms -- 1.4.2 Societal Complexity -- Chapter 2: Distinct Characteristics of Modern Civilization -- 2.1 The Prevalent Impact of Science and Science-Based Technology -- 2.1.1 Biology, Medicine and Biotechnology -- 2.2 The Fundamental Role of Energy -- 2.2.1 The Significance of Energy for Civilization -- 2.3 Distinct Characteristics of Modern Civilization Related to Energy -- 2.3.1 Increase in World Population -- 2.3.2 Increase in Urban Population -- 2.3.3 Increase in the Consumption of Energy, Principally Fossil Fuels -- 2.3.4 Increase in Resource Consumption and the Consequential Increase in Environmental Pollution and Climate Change -- 2.3.5 The Increased "Negative" Use of Energy (Increased Use of Energy for Destruction and War) -- 2.3.6 Increase of Societal Complexity -- 2.3.7 Increased Gap in the Standard of Living Between the Energy Rich and the Energy Poor Peoples -- 2.3.8 Resource Consumption and Sustainability of Modern Civilization -- 2.3.8.1 Tame Consumerism -- 2.3.8.2 Conserve Energy -- 2.3.8.3 Increase Food Production -- Chapter 3: Science -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Meaning of Knowing -- 3.2.1 The Inductive Method of Science -- 3.2.2 Reductionism and Holism -- 3.2.3 The Indirect and the Complicated. , 3.3 The Nature of Truth and the Image of Reality -- 3.4 The Laws and Concepts of Science (Physics) -- 3.5 Distinct Characteristics of Science -- 3.6 The Universality of Science -- 3.6.1 Limits to the Universality of Science -- 3.6.2 Needs of the Universality of Science -- 3.7 Science and Society -- 3.7.1 The Scientist -- 3.7.2 Scientist and Society -- 3.7.2.1 Mutual Responsibility -- 3.7.2.2 Needs of Scientists and Society -- 3.7.3 The Scientist as Policy Advisor and as Advocate -- Chapter 4: Scientific and Technological Frontiers -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Scientific and Technological Frontiers -- 4.2.1 Complexity -- 4.2.1.1 Complexity in Nature -- 4.2.1.2 Complexity in Society and Values -- 4.2.2 Molecular Genetics and Molecular Medicine -- 4.2.3 New Materials -- 4.2.3.1 Nanomaterials -- 4.2.3.2 High-Temperature Superconductors -- 4.2.4 Energy (New Sources, New Carriers, New Transformations of Energy, and New Ethical Issues) -- 4.2.4.1 Future Energy Sources and Needs -- 4.2.4.2 A Unique Form of Energy: Light -- 4.2.4.3 The Concept of Energy and Its Philosophical Dimension -- 4.2.4.4 The Energy-Climate Era -- Chapter 5: Values of Society and Science -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 The Precepts and Concepts of Values -- 5.3 Traditional Human Values -- 5.3.1 Values of Faiths and Cultures -- 5.3.1.1 Values of Faiths -- 5.3.1.2 Values of Cultures -- 5.3.2 Contextualization of Values -- 5.4 Universal, Common and Complementary Values -- 5.4.1 Universal Values -- 5.4.2 Common Values -- 5.4.3 Complementary Values -- 5.5 Values of and in Science -- 5.5.1 Values in Science -- 5.5.2 Values of Science -- 5.6 The Impact of Science on Values -- 5.7 The Future of Values -- Chapter 6: Boundaries of Science -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Scientific Questions Without Scientific Answers -- 6.3 Extrapolation of Scientific Knowledge. , 6.4 Examples of Extreme Cases of Scientific Reductionism and Inductive Extrapolation Therefrom -- Chapter 7: Energy -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.1.1 The Fundamental Role of Energy -- 7.1.2 Energy for Civilization -- 7.2 Primary Energy Sources -- 7.2.1 Energy for Today and for Tomorrow -- 7.2.2 Fossil Fuels -- Mainly Coal, Oil and Natural Gas -- 7.2.2.1 Coal -- 7.2.2.2 Oil -- 7.2.2.3 Natural Gas -- 7.2.3 Renewable Energy Sources, Mostly Hydroelectric, Solar, Wind, Biofuels and Geothermal -- 7.2.3.1 Hydroelectric Power -- 7.2.3.2 Solar Energy -- 7.2.3.3 The Role of Light -- 7.2.3.4 Energy from Controlled Nuclear Fusion Using Laser Light -- 7.2.3.5 Wind -- 7.2.3.6 Biofuels -- 7.2.3.7 Geothermal -- 7.2.3.8 Other Renewable Energy Sources -- 7.2.4 Nuclear Power, from Nuclear Fission and, in the Future, from Nuclear Fusion -- 7.2.4.1 Additional Nuclear Options (Breeder Reactors) -- 7.2.4.2 Nuclear Energy from Nuclear Fusion -- 7.2.5 Trends in Primary Energy Consumption by Fuel and Emerging Primary Energy Mix -- 7.2.6 Energy Conservation -- 7.3 Electricity -- 7.3.1 Need for Energy Storage -- 7.3.1.1 Energy Storage Options -- 7.3.1.2 Smart Grids (for Transmission and Distribution) -- 7.3.2 Electrical Energy Transmission and Distribution -- 7.4 Energy and Poverty -- 7.4.1 The Fundamental Role of Electricity -- 7.4.2 The Poor Regions of the Earth and their Need for Energy: Today's Reality -- 7.4.2.1 What Is it in for Today's Poor? -- 7.4.2.2 Supply of Electricity to the Energy-Impoverished Regions of the Earth -- 7.5 Energy and Beyond: Conditions for Sustainability of Modern Civilization -- Chapter 8: The Future: QUO VADIS HOMO SAPIENS? -- 8.1 Change and Its Challenges -- 8.1.1 Future Scientific and Technological Frontiers and Their Challenges -- 8.1.2 Change Our Perception of Resources -- 8.2 Toward a Better Future -- 8.2.1 From a World of Fear to a World of Hope. , 8.2.2 Uphold the Image of Man and Respect His Dignity -- 8.2.3 Society: From Conflict to Complementarity -- 8.3 A Hopeful Future Based on Science and Values -- Appendix: Energy: Scientific, Philosophical and Theological Dimension1 -- Introduction -- The Beginning and the Evolution of the Universe -- Energy at the Beginning and from the Beginning of the Universe -- The Philosophical Dimension of Energy -- Aristotle's Philosophy on Energy and Its Relationship to the Current Scientific View -- The Philosophical / Theological Dimension of Energy -- The Scientific, the Philosophical and the Christian Perspective -- Towards the Whole: Beyond Science -- Index.