The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
by Brian Greene
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Book Summary Information
Author: Brian GreeneEdition: Paperback
Published: 2000-02-29
ISBN: 0375708111
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Vintage
Book Reviews of The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
Book Review: Elegant Theory for an Inelegant Universe
Summary: 5 Stars
Brian Greene provides an excellent introduction to the topic of superstring theory, its history and evolution; its current status, achievements and obstacles; and its areas of focus for future study. The book is written for the layman, in a style that is honest, clear and concise, using numerous real-world examples to explain the basic theories, and excludes mathematical explanations as much as is possible. The early chapters on special relativity, general relativity, quantum mechanics, and quantum electrodynamics are brief and superficial and serve more as historical backgound to the main focus of the book which is superstring theory. Consequently, the book is somewhat biased in that it does not look at alternative views of the nature of the universe, on the assumption that superstring theory may eventually prove to be the theory of everything. This is because the primary goal of superstring theory is to combine general relativity (theory of the very large) and quantum mechanics (theory of the very small) and provide a unified theory of the four fundamental forces of nature - the weak, strong, electromagnetic, and gravitational forces.
The main chapters on superstring theory and M-Theory can be difficult to understand, even to accept as valid, for the layman, but keep in mind that string theory is extremely complex, not fully developed, virtually impossible to test, and consequently, not fully understood at present. The core of superstring theory is that all matter in the universe is made up of one(2,3,etc)-dimensional vibrating strings and hidden dimensions which currently cannot be observed or measured, and may never be. Consequently, matter is not infinitely small but has a very small finite size. Nor is matter and energy limited to the 3-dimensional world we live in, but can occupy up to 6 or 7 higher dimensions that are hidden from our everyday experience.
This book is well worth reading, but Whether the layman walks away with a better understanding of the universe after this introduction to superstring theory is debatable. What the layman may walk away with after reading this book is a myriad of questions regarding the very assumptions upon which superstring theory is based. That superstring theory is elegant, and its complex mathematics are elegant, there is no doubt, but whether the universe is also elegant will depend on the validity of superstring theory as a true description of our universe.
Here are some questions from a layman reader:
1. If we know that observing a small particle changes its position and velocity, and we know how it changes, then we should still be able to observe it.
2. Where do vibrating strings get there energy from?
3. The hidden curled-up dimensions seem to exist at the micro level. Why do they not exist as extensions of our four spacetime dimensions, in a way that encapsulates them, at a macro level?
4. The theory is now up to 11 spacetime dimensions. Is it due mathematical convenience or limitation? Does it really matter if there are 11, 11 million, or an infinite number of spacetime dimensions?
5. Using duality symmetries, why not assume that gravity is simply a phase transition of the other 3 forces (weak, strong, electromagnetic)?
6. Does a large mass spinning body create friction, and/or a charge, with its surrounding space that would help to explain gravity as more than the mere warping of space?
7. If there is a large black hole at the center of our galaxy, shoulnt our galaxy be shrinking, and cant this be measured?
8. We seem to understand how black holes are created, but not how they die. Why not assume that black holes simply reverse themselves after taking in a suffient amount of matter and energy, and releasing it in the form of a mini-big bang?
9. Why assume that the universe was created in a big bang. Aspects of superstring theory seem to suggest that the universe may be a perpetual, self-sustaining entity. While everything within the universe can change, including the universe expanding and contracting, the universe itself is a constant.
10. Are particle accelerators dangerous? Clearly in an attempt to experimentally verify superstring theory, physicists are going to smash particles not just to create new particles predicted by theory, but to try and tear the fabric of space, or to open a portal to a higher dimension, or even to try and create a mini black hole. Of course this does not seem to be a problem for superstring theory which suggests that most disturbances in the universe eventually get averaged out, zeroed out, smoothed out, smeared out, annihilated out, or simply self-repair themselves.
Summary of The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
There is an ill-concealed skeleton in the closet of physics: "As they are currently formulated, general relativity and quantum mechanics cannot both be right." Each is exceedingly accurate in its field: general relativity explains the behavior of the universe at large scales, while quantum mechanics describes the behavior of subatomic particles. Yet the theories collide horribly under extreme conditions such as black holes or times close to the big bang. Brian Greene, a specialist in quantum field theory, believes that the two pillars of physics can be reconciled in superstring theory, a theory of everything.Superstring theory has been called "a part of 21st-century physics that fell by chance into the 20th century." In other words, it isn't all worked out yet. Despite the uncertainties--"string theorists work to find approximate solutions to approximate equations"--Greene gives a tour of string theory solid enough to satisfy the scientifically literate.
Though Ed Witten of the Institute for Advanced Study is in many ways the human hero of The Elegant Universe, it is not a human-side-of-physics story. Greene's focus throughout is the science, and he gives the nonspecialist at least an illusion of understanding--or the sense of knowing what it is that you don't know. And that is traditionally the first step on the road to knowledge. --Mary Ellen Curtin
"[Greene] develops one fresh new insight after another...In the great tradition of physicists writing for the masses, The Elegant Universe sets a standard that will be hard to beat." --George Johnson, The New York Times Book Review
In a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as elegant as the theories it explains, Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal a universe that consists of 11 dimensions where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter-from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas-is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy.
Green uses everything from an amusement park ride to ants on a garden hose to illustrate the beautiful yet bizarre realities that modern physics is unveiling.????Dazzling in its brilliance, unprecedented in its ability to both illuminate and entertain, The Elegant Universe is a tour de force of science writing-a delightful, lucid voyage through modern physics that brings us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.
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