The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory | 
 enlarge | Author: Brian Greene
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  501 reviews
Sales Rank: 4040
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5 x 1
ISBN: 0375708111
Dewey Decimal Number: 539.7258
EAN: 9780375708114
ASIN: 0375708111
Publication Date: February 29, 2000
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| • | Paperback - The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory | | • | Hardcover - The Elegant Universe | | • | Hardcover - The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory | | • | Hardcover - The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory | | • | School & Library Binding - Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory | | • | Library Binding - The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory | | • | Turtleback - Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory |
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Amazon.com
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
Product Description
"[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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| Customer Reviews: Read 496 more reviews...
 science fiction July 17, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
just read lee smolin's book.
The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next (Paperback)
over 30 years,the gang of stringers have been trying to find any evidence even at atomic level for their theory , but they failed.
better to read science fiction novels..
 Elegant Theory for an Inelegant Universe July 10, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
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, should not 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.
 so this string walks into the tenth dimension July 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Fun stuff and all, especially for the first half when he shows an amazing ability to explain complicated concepts in a way that you can understand. Holy crap, I finally get what Einstein was banging on about with all those Special Theories!
But after a while it gets into the kind of territory where he's gotta say "And then there are ten dimensions and the reason why is a whole bunch of math that you won't understand, so take my word for it." It's not his fault; at a certain point, there's just no way to describe things without insanely complex math. I do take his word for it - that's no problem - but still, that doesn't exactly help me understand it intuitively.
But anyway, I guess there are all these dimensions and stuff. So that's...pretty cool.
Interesting and enlightening story June 30, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It is interesting to consider that the subject matter for this book essentially concerns only the last one hundred years or so of human history, ever since the time of Einstein's work, and that by way of comparison it only goes back to the time of Isaac Newton. Prior to Newton's day, the physical laws of the universe were understood almost exclusively in terms of the religious and allegorical. Only very recently in human history has there occurred this intense kind of scientific study, which the author describes here. Of course, the actual work involves a mathematics that is quite complicated, but the author has done a good job in telling the story in layman's terms. A few of the analogies are probably not the best in the world, but I found the book to be excellent reading, especially about how string theory developed, and only really stumbled in chapter 10, the one on quantum geometry.
While relativity and quantum mechanics are notable for being counterintuitive, string theory is especially interesting in that it fills in the gaps (it accounts for gravity in the way the other theories do not), and provides a more intuitive basis. It makes sense to think of the most basic element of the universe as a vibrating string, certainly much more so than as a point particle. I think of a vibrating string as being a nexus between energy and the most fundamental kind of matter. It makes more sense to think that energy comes before matter rather than matter before energy.
Although the author does not directly deal with the question, it seems that he posits that string theory is an explanation of a self-contained universe. In the instances in which the fabric of space is torn, he explains that string theory provides a way for space to be mended. If the universe contracts back to the time of the big bang, it will not go back to nothing but rather to a "big crunch". Even the multiple dimensions of the theory, which lead one to think of another universe, have the sense of being on this side of the known universe. The biggest question that I could see concerns how string theory explains black holes. Is information lost in a black hole? The author seems to be on the side of those who don't think so, but concedes that there is no way to know at this point.
Great Explanation of Superstrings and More! June 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am an engineer by education and experience. Like many engineers I am fascinated with the subject of quantum mechanics, superstrings, hidden dimensions, the quest for the theory of everything, parallel universes and more. Much of it isn't easy to understand, but it sure is fun!
For years I had been hearing about superstrings. I have read In Search of Schroedinger's Cat, Schroedinger's Kittens, books on Einstein's theories, and more. I have also read articles on these subjects, watched several amazing TV shows and movies. Some teased the idea of superstrings, but I never came away with a feeling that the concept had been explained properly.
Brian Green's book the Elegant Universe, and the subsequent PBS show does just that! It gives the best explanation of superstrings I have read (and seen) to date. Green also does a great job explaining parallel universes, hidden dimensions, quest for the ultimate theory and more.
The subject matter in the Elegant Universe is tricky to explain. Green has to do a balancing act to present the concepts in a way that are easy enough for the educated layman to understand, but complex enough to preserve their richness.
Fortunately, Green does an exceptional job at presenting the material. And, he does it with great insight, passion and humor!
My head hurt when he talked about some of the concepts such as 12 dimensions instead of the 4 we know about...but it was a good hurt. Overall a fantastic book and PBS show!
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