The Universe in a Nutshell
by Stephen William Hawking
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Book Summary Information
Author: Stephen William HawkingBrand: Baker and Taylor
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-11-06
ISBN: 055380202X
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Bantam
Book Reviews of The Universe in a Nutshell
Book Review: You might actually begin to understand modern cosmology after reading this book
Summary: 5 Stars
If you want to finally catch a glimpse into the world of modern cosmology, quantum gravity and their mathematical predictions and hypotheses, listen up as I give you a very brief synopsis of some of what I consider to be the more profound concepts made easy in this wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated little hardback.
Let's look at Hawking's justification for accepting "extra dimensions" such as those suggested by proposing an "imaginary" time. On page 54 Hawking prefaces by clearly stating that he is leery of "extra dimensions", but suggests we give them a try. He does so brilliantly in laymen's terms using the sphere and one of its "poles" as an example of how we can now conceptualize our universe in imaginary (extra spatial dimension) time which allows us to consider this pole as a "regular point" in spacetime.
He begins on page 59 by reminding the reader of the brilliant work of Einstein who combined space and time into a fourth dimensional spacetime (3 physical space dimensions and one "real world" time dimension). He describes clearly, with two examples, what it might mean for us to consider "imaginary" time, which can be considered to be a 4th spatial dimension to "real world" time when we properly understand that it is to be taken at a right angle to real time (just like each spatial dimension is at a right angle to real time). As Dr. Hawking puts it, "It is in this imaginary sense that time has a shape."
The first example is presented on pages 61-62 and is the clearest explanation I have ever read toward an understanding of how the universe's "beginning" should not be confused with "beginnings" we typically associate with objects in our human lives (baby being born from parents, start of a competitive race with a "beginning" and a "finish" all with a past cause and effect relationship); nor one that requires us to extrapolate our current understanding of the laws of physics as having to be different in the beginning of the universe from that within its physical duration (troublesome singularities can be conceptualized in imaginary time as "regular points" in spacetime).
He begins in the body of the main text on page 63:
"Suppose that imaginary time was degrees of latitude. Then the history of the universe in imaginary time would begin at the South Pole. It would make no sense to ask, 'What happened before the beginning?' Such times are simply not defined, any more than there are points south of the South Pole."
In the caption of Fig 2.20:
"In an imaginary spacetime that is a sphere, the imaginary time direction could represent the distance from the South Pole. As one moves North, the circles of latitude at constant distance from the South Pole become bigger, corresponding to the universe expanding with imaginary time. The universe would reach maximum size at the equator and then contract again with increasing imaginary time to a single point at the North Pole. Even though the universe would have zero size at the poles, these points would not be singularities, just the North and South Poles on the Earth's surface are perfectly regular points. This suggests that the origin of the universe in imaginary time can be a regular point in spacetime."
So, for me, what were somewhat difficult concepts (singularities, picturing the cosmic expansion and a suggestion for a causeless universe) are solved within the span of two simple paragraphs.
The problem the human mind has is we are used to our conceptualizations; a very strong one is a linear basis upon which real world time exists in it. In our mind's perception of time, there has always been something "south of the South Pole", a.k.a. a Beginner of Things. There may be, but we can now conceptualize a universe own its own terms without postulating the infinite regress or simply having a need to go beyond it. The reason this is important stems from the fact that all understanding of ourselves and the world we live in has come from taking each discovery at face value and then delving into it within its own cause and effect relationship to the rest of the world. With cosmological origins, we remained within the realm of metaphysics up until Dr. Hawking's treatment in this well written and beautifully illustrated book.
So now we can curve back around (I just had to put that in...) and continue with the second example where we are to simply picture our sphere again but this time with longitudinal lines as imaginary time running from the South Pole to the North Pole and converging at them.
Now, remember, we are using imaginary time to picture "extra spatial dimensions" (this aids in our visualization of the extra spatial dimensions of supergravity). Next, Professor Hawking asks us to picture all lines of imaginary time (all extra spatial dimensions) converging at the poles where "time" (extra spatial dimensions) can be considered to be "standing still" (spacetime is curled up). This standing still (curling up of spacetime) is "very similar to how time appears to stand still at the event horizon of a black hole". (Remember, black holes will be places where we can study supergravity, the quantum curling up of all 7 extra dimensions.)
Now, here comes the hard part. We want to relate imaginary time at the poles of a sphere to extra curled up spatial dimensions to the event horizon of a black hole so that we can, in the end, make predictions about the future state of the universe. To make predictions about the future state of the universe, we must have knowledge about the extra spatial dimensions (pictured for the moment as imaginary time "standing still" on the event horizon of a massively gravitating body like a black hole). To have knowledge of a thing, we must have information about it. Now, ordinary or imaginary time (it doesn't matter which, they both work or neither works) "standing still" also means that "spacetime has a temperature," just as Professor Hawking "discovered for black holes." Why is this relevant? Because now we can relate the entropy of a black hole, call it S, to the event horizon of the black hole with Area, A. S is proportional to A. That is, "there is one bit of information about the internal state of the black hole for each fundamental unit of area of the horizon"!!! "This shows that there is a deep connection between quantum gravity and thermodynamics, the science of heat (which include the study of entropy") which leads us to the study of holography and the Holographic Principle. The Holographic Principle is stated by Professor Hawking and along with a final comment neatly sums up what all of this mental gymnastics has been for:
HOLOGRAPHIC PRINCIPLE: The realization that the surface area of the horizon surrounding a black hole measures the black hole's entropy has led people to advocate that the maximum entropy of any closed region of space can never exceed a quarter of the area of the circumscribing surface. Since entropy is nothing more than a measure of the total information contained in a system this suggests that the information associated with all phenomena in the three-dimensional world can be stored on its two-dimensional boundary, like a holographic image in a certain sense the world would be two-dimensional.
Final Comment: "If quantum gravity incorporates the holographic principle, it may mean that we can keep track of what is inside black holes. This is essential if we are to be able to predict the radiation that comes out of black holes. If we can't do that, we won't be able to predict the future as fully as we thought."
I think we are just going to have to trust him on that last statement and what it might mean for us personally. But, for me, with a simple geometric shape (sphere) and some imaginary lines of time, Professor Hawking has: 1. Introduced a conceptualization of time as an extra spatial dimension; 2. Eliminated singularities from big bang cosmology; 3. Eliminated the concept of "beginning" from the big bang model; 4. Kept cosmic expansion intact; 5. Tied holographic information theory to entropy and, in the end, will give you, I'm sure, a better understanding of the supergravity of black holes, the 5 "dualities" of string theory which when seen through Professor Hawkings eyes, gives us M-theory.
I hope I have intrigued you enough to buy a copy today.
Summary of The Universe in a Nutshell
Stephen Hawking?s phenomenal, multimillion-copy bestseller, A Brief History of Time, introduced the ideas of this brilliant theoretical physicist to readers all over the world.Now, in a major publishing event, Hawking returns with a lavishly illustrated sequel that unravels the mysteries of the major breakthroughs that have occurred in the years since the release of his acclaimed first book.
The Universe in a Nutshell
? Quantum mechanics
? M-theory
? General relativity
? 11-dimensional supergravity
? 10-dimensional membranes
? Superstrings
? P-branes
? Black holes
One of the most influential thinkers of our time, Stephen Hawking is an intellectual icon, known not only for the adventurousness of his ideas but for the clarity and wit with which he expresses them. In this new book Hawking takes us to the cutting edge of theoretical physics, where truth is often stranger than fiction, to explain in laymen?s terms the principles that control our universe.
Like many in the community of theoretical physicists, Professor Hawking is seeking to uncover the grail of science ? the elusive Theory of Everything that lies at the heart of the cosmos. In his accessible and often playful style, he guides us on his search to uncover the secrets of the universe ? from supergravity to supersymmetry, from quantum theory to M-theory, from holography to duality.
He takes us to the wild frontiers of science, where superstring theory and p-branes may hold the final clue to the puzzle. And he lets us behind the scenes of one of his most exciting intellectual adventures as he seeks ?to combine Einstein?s General Theory of Relativity and Richard Feynman?s idea of multiple histories into one complete unified theory that will describe everything that happens in the universe.?
With characteristic exuberance, Professor Hawking invites us to be fellow travelers on this extraordinary voyage through space-time. Copious four-color illustrations help clarify this journey into a surreal wonderland where particles, sheets, and strings move in eleven dimensions; where black holes evaporate and disappear, taking their secret with them; and where the original cosmic seed from which our own universe sprang was a tiny nut.
The Universe in a Nutshell is essential reading for all of us who want to understand the universe in which we live. Like its companion volume, A Brief History of Time, it conveys the excitement felt within the scientific community as the secrets of the cosmos reveal themselves.
Stephen Hawking, science's first real rock star, may be the least-read bestselling author in history--it's no secret that many people who own A Brief History of Time have never finished it. Hawking's The Universe in a Nutshell aims to remedy the situation, with a plethora of friendly illustrations to help readers grok some of the most brain-bending ideas ever conceived.
Does it succeed? Yes and no. While Hawking offers genuinely accessible context for such complexities as string theory and the nature of time, it's when he must translate equations to sentences that the limits of language get in the way. But Hawking has simplified the origin of the universe, the nature of space and time, and what holds it all together to an unprecedented degree, inviting nonscientists to share his obvious awe and love of the unseen forces that shape it all.
Yes, it's difficult reading, but it's worth it. Hawking is one of the great geniuses of our time, a man whose life has been devoted to thinking in the abstract about the universe. With his help, and pictures--lots of pictures--we can seek to understand a bit more of the cosmos. --Therese Littleton
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