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List Price: $15.95Amazon.com's Price: $10.85 You Save: $5.10 (32%)Prices subject to change.
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 539.7258
EAN: 9780375708114
ISBN: 0375708111
Label: Vintage
Manufacturer: Vintage
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 464
Publication Date: February 29, 2000
Publisher: Vintage
Release Date: February 29, 2000
Studio: Vintage
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com Review:
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.
Average Rating: 
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This is a tour de force of explaining the great effort to unified all fields of physics through the superstring theory. Needless to say, it is an extremely difficult subject and requires a great deal of technical knowledge and imagination to understand. Compounding that difficulty is the fact that this effort has not yet succeeded. Therefore, the theories are a work in progress and could take many different forms. However, Brian Greene has an uncanny ability to boil down the physics into pieces ... Read More
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Nutshell review - This is a comprehensive review of the development of various theories that try to explain and understand the universe at its most fundamental level. From Newtons laws to quantum physics and beyond, the book covers a lot of material in an accessible and interesting way which keeps the reader fascinated. It is an excellent book for us layman and is similar to books like In Search of Schrödinger's Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality by John Gribbin, and Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview ... Read More
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In this age of rapidly changing theories of cosmology and physics The Elegant Universe explores the shortcomings of quantum physics and classical theory and the emergence of Super String Theory as the possible Great Unified Theory.
This is a very well written book; eminently readable. I enjoyed it immensely and was highly impressed by the analogies used to explain the most difficult of concepts which are being tackled by today's theoretical physicists.
This book discusses ... Read More
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A good read i would recommend for anyone who is interested in science or astronomy.
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This is a fine book but the Real Universe is only HERE: Schroedinger's Universe and the Origin of the Natural Laws
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