Such robust or reliable behavior at macroscopic scales makes possible higher-level entities, from biological life to nanotechnology. The book emphasizes more study of such macroscopic phenomena, sometimes called emergence, over the ever-downward dive into theoretically fundamental ideas such as string theory, which at some point become empirically irrelevant by having no observable consequences in our world.
The book argues that robust or reliable behavior at large scales is crucial for creating higher-level entities, from biological life to nanotechnology. It suggests focusing more on studying these macroscopic phenomena, often called emergence, rather than endlessly pursuing theoretical concepts like string theory, which become practically useless when they don't have observable effects in our world.