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: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-10-20
ISBN: 0393058581
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Book Reviews of The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
Book Review: Fascinating and mind boggling . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
This book outlines one of the most seductive theories in physics today. Superstring or M theory seeks to reconcile the two opposing theories of quantum mechanics and relativity. Dr. Greene does a fantastic job of trying to explain the abstract concepts behind both of the divergent theories and doesn't shy away from admitting that one or both may be flawed and that string theory itself may be totally wrong. Roughly half of the book explains how far science has come in understanding the structure of the universe, from the smallest to the largest objects.
The other half of the book deals with the next great theory on the horizon and its proposed tenets which are vastly more complex than those underlying relativity and quantum mechanics. Dr. Greene does the best he can to explain a theory that is mostly mathematical in everyday terms and is successful for the most part.
There are problems, especially as this book was written before the discovery that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, something string theory does not predict and can't account for. Greene is also truthful in explaining that string theory is untestable and the equations underlying it have not been written yet. This is the core problem underlying this theory and for now it is a fascinating mathematical construct with no testable way of proving it right or wrong.
The book is mentally challenging, but for those interested in what may be the next 'great idea' it is very interesting and thought provoking. The great debate here is not whether the math is good enough, but whether the theory even applies to our universe and if so, whether or not experiments can verify it sometime in the near future. For now, theory is way ahead of technology and likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future. That fact alone causes one to take the entire premise with a grain of salt and shrug. Ultimately, no one knows how to reconcile relativity with quantum mechanics and this appears to be next great stumbling block.
A great counter argument is provided by Dr. Smolin in 'The Problem with Physics' in which he discusses why string theory may not be correct and may in fact be philosophy masquerading as science. After I had finished this book, I had a vague sense of unease with the entire theory, but I wasn't able to express what it was until I read Smolin's book in which he claims that the theory may be a convoluted hoax that scientists have devoted whole careers to. Physics is at a major crossroads to say the least.
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Summary of The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
A new edition of the New York Times bestseller?now a three-part Nova special: a fascinating and thought-provoking journey through the mysteries of space, time, and matter.
Now with a new preface (not in any other edition) that will review the enormous public reception of the relatively obscure string theory?made possible by this book and an increased number of adherents amongst physicists?The Elegant Universe "sets a standard that will be hard to beat" (New York Times Book Review). 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 eleven 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.Today physicists and mathematicians throughout the world are feverishly working on one of the most ambitious theories ever proposed: superstring theory. String theory, as it is often called, is the key to the Unified Field Theory that eluded Einstein for more than thirty years. Finally, the century-old antagonism between the large and the small-General Relativity and Quantum Theory-is resolved. String theory proclaims that all of the wondrous happenings in the universe, from the frantic dancing of subatomic quarks to the majestic swirling of heavenly galaxies, are reflections of one grand physical principle and manifestations of one single entity: microscopically tiny vibrating loops of energy, a billionth of a billionth the size of an atom. In this brilliantly articulated and refreshingly clear book, Greene relates the scientific story and the human struggle behind twentieth-century physics' search for a theory of everything.
Through the masterful use of metaphor and analogy, The Elegant Universe makes some of the most sophisticated concepts ever contemplated viscerally accessible and thoroughly entertaining, bringing us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.
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
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