The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene
387 pages
Started: 9 February 2011
Finished: 2 March 2011
I was first exposed to this book through the three part NOVA program based on the book. It is a fascinating program and Brett and I have now bought it twice (our first copy found itself a new home). So I bought the book now, and it is much better than the movie (the book can go into even more detail, just like all books).
The ideas behind string theory are fascinating ones. It proposes that rather than a universe made of zero dimensional point particles and four spacetime dimensions, we have a universe made of one dimensional vibrating strings in ten space dimensions and one time dimension. I’m sure the math involved in all of it would make me go cross-eyed. I can’t imagine math so hard we can only approximately solve it, but that’s what they work with in string theory. However, this book contains no mathematical formulas. Instead the examples and principles are explained using common every-day experiences (like they are in the NOVA special, only there’s even more in the book). The book made me feel like I could almost explain the whole theory to someone else.
What I really liked about this book though was how it changed the way I think about so many other things in the universe. It gave me a new way to look at things. While my world is still the main three large space dimensions, the possibilities involved in the other seven are definitely things I can imagine.
Rating: 10
AmandaStretch
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Brett L. Dennis
