Book Description
In this groundbreaking book, the renowned theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that physics—the basis for all other science—has lost its way. The problem is string theory, an ambitious attempt to formulate "a theory of everything" that explains all the forces and particles of nature and how the universe came to be. With its exotic new particles and parallel universes, string theory has captured the public"s imagination and seduced many physicists. But as Smolin reveals, there"s a deep flaw in the theory: no part of it has been proven, and no one knows how to prove it. As a scientific theory, it has been a colossal failure. And because it has soaked up the lion's share of funding, attracted some of the best minds, and penalized young physicists for pursuing other avenues, it is dragging the rest of physics down with it. With clarity, passion, and authority, Smolin charts the rise and fall of string theory and takes a fascinating look at what will replace it. A group of young theorists has begun to develop exciting new ideas that are, unlike string theory, testable. Smolin tells us who and what to watch for in the coming years and how we can find the next Einstein. This is a wake-up call, and Lee Smolin—a former string theorist himself— is the perfect person to deliver it.
Customer Reviews:
Scientific progress is never cut and dried.......2007-10-08
Lee Smolin presents a harsh critique of the last 30 years in theoretical physics, written by one of its practitioners. He makes the excellent point that science is a human activity like anything else. Progress is always hard to predict; scientists can and do get caught up in dead ends. Smolin thinks string theory is one such dead end, and makes a good case for it.
I think that, if anything, Smolin is a little too gentle on the field. The development of the atomic and hydrogen bombs left a tremendous impression that big money put into physics would bring big results. In recent years that hasn't happened. There are so many unanswered questions out there in science, so many important fields where solutions are desperately needed. When I consider the construction and operation of particle accelerators and other high-tech equipment, I can't help but think of the huge cost. The same amount of cash invested elsewhere might have brought much more in the way of useful results.
I am the mother of a 10-year-old boy attending public school. His instruction sometimes seems to me like a mishmash of well-meaning educational reforms that have been implemented with little or no testing to see if they worked or not. I am frankly disgusted by the quality of most research in the area of education--sample sizes too small, no proper controls, subjects followed for too short a time, etc. The cost of operating a single particle accelerator for six weeks probably exceeds all the funding for educational research around the world for the entire year. Yet which has the most potential for making major progress? Maybe it's time to back off on funding big physics projects for a while.
I would also like to point out that the building and use of instrumentation for high-energy physics is highly dependent on cheap fossil fuels. The future supply of such fuels is by no means guaranteed. The peak oil problem appears to be largely ignored by high-energy physicists today, but has the potential to significantly affect their ability to conduct experiments.
I really enjoyed Smolin's chapters on looking for seers rather than technicians in science. I especially liked his description of how unconventional scientists have built a career without a university job. Smolin points out that a typical professor spends a majority of his week on teaching, grant proposals, administrative tasks, and the like, leaving a surprisingly small amount of time available for actual research. Having a day job outside the field is not as big a hurdle as it might seem.
I tend to agree with Smolin that the big advances of the future are likely to come from completely unexpected directions. I can't wait to see what they are.
physics from many angles.......2007-10-05
This book provided several discussions pf physics and quantum theory. its good because the author speaks of the history the the originators of physics theory and the current champions of thought.
A mixed bag.......2007-10-04
At the moment, string theory appears to have many (possibly an infinite number) of "metastable vacua", each of which would allow for a universe with its own laws of physics. (For a brief, comic, yet essentially correct summary of the history of this idea, see Peter Shor's review here. For those who don't know, Shor is a celebrated quantum-information theorist.) According to the (far from established) inflationary model of cosmology, there is a vast collection of universes (the "multiverse") with diverse laws of physics. Which universe we find ourselves in is a matter of random selection, but of course we must be in a "biofriendly" universe, one whose laws of physics allow for the appearance of intelligent life.
The core argument of this book is presented on page 164-165 (US hardcover edition), where Smolin writes, "when it comes to the biofriendliness of our universe, we have at least three possibilities:
"1. Ours is one of a vast collection of universes with random laws.
"2. There was an intelligent designer.
"3. There is a so-far-unknown mechanism that will both explain the biofriendliness of our universe and make testable predictions by which it can be confirmed or falsified.
"Given that the first two possibilities are untestable in principle, it is most rational to hold out for the third possibility. Indeed, that is the only possibility we should consider as scientists, because accepting either of the first two would mean the end of our field."
I find this to be an astonishing argument. First of all, I don't know what "most rational" is supposed to mean. More importantly, to reject a scientific hypothesis for purely personal reasons (it "would mean the end of our field") is at best novel, and at worst absurd.
Very few string theorists are happy that #1 seems, at this point, to be the most likely outcome of string theory, and many hope that #3 will somehow eventually emerge. But to throw out the whole framework, simply because we don't like the result, cannot be said to be a scientific attitude.
One thing you won't learn in this book (unless you read it very carefully, and between the lines) is that the other approaches to quantum gravity advocated by Smolin have not come any closer to predicting specific experimental results than string theory has. Smolin talks about possible violations of special relativity, but these are not (as he admits on page 237) a definite prediction of loop quantum gravity. He has said (on Peter Woit's blog) that any quantum field theory in any number of dimensions is compatible with loop quantum gravity. If true, this would make loop quantum gravity even less capable than string theory of picking out our particular laws of physics.
Smolin also discusses issues of sociology in physics. On page 335-336, he asserts that the all the truly negative characterizations of job candidates that he has ever heard have had a component of racism and/or sexism. I am on the faculty of the physics department of a research university, and I can only say that my experience has been entirely different. I have simply never heard a racist or sexist denigration of one scientist by another, nor have I ever felt that anyone was being evaluated by criteria other than merit. I think that there are definitely issues of culture and how we can construct scientific communities that have broader appeal, and that there are physicists who are not as sensitive to these issues as they might be, but I cannot accept Smolin's claim that the relatively small percentage of women and blacks in physics is due to "blatant prejudice".
Finally, Smolin discusses the issues of "seers" vs "craftspeople" in science, and argues that we should be supporting more "seers". Among the existing seers, he lists some (such as Roger Penrose and Gerard 't Hooft) who made their reputations primarily as craftspeople ('t Hooft received the Nobel Prize for his work on the renormalization of gauge theories, and Penrose did celebrated work on the singularity theorems of general relativity). Their record as seers has been less successful; none of their recent ideas on modifications of quantum mechanics have panned out as yet. Smolin laments the fact that more attention is not paid to these forays into alternatives to quantum mechanics. But 't Hooft and Penrose do not agree on what modifications are needed. Other seers identified by Smolin propose violations of special relativity, rather than (or in addition to) violations of quantum mechanics. Perhaps this is all deep thought, but there is little to decide, at this point, which if any of these avenues should be pursued. Most physicists have therefore sensibly adopted a "wait and see" attitude.
Even if we accept Smolin's argument that we need new seers, how are we to find them? Smolin writes (page 353) that in order to discover "the visionaries who ignore the mainstream and follow their own ambitious programs", we should "find at least one accomplished person in the candidate's field who is deeply excited about what the candidate is trying to do". So, the candidate's program had better not be *too* far off the mainstream; there has to be at least one "accomplished person" who is "deeply excited" about it. But if one deeply excited professional is good, wouldn't more be better? Wouldn't that up the odds that the program was, indeed, worthwhile? Oh wait, that would be just what we have now ... a system where there is constant debate, emergent consensus on the most promising approaches, and distribution of research funds primarily (but by no means exclusively!) to those approaches that appear, in the consensus view, to be most promising. To paraphrase Winston Churchill on democracy, this system for distributing funds for science may be the worst ever devised, except for all the others.
So, should you buy the book? I feel that it gives a distorted picture, by emphasizing the weak points of string theory while ignoring the (many more, in my view) weak points of the alternatives. It seems to me that the essence of the book's argument against string theory is captured by the excerpts above, and by Shor's review. Then there is a lot of discussion of groupthink in scientific culture. For me, it doesn't add up to an appealing package, but your mileage may vary.
The Endless Quest Continues .......2007-10-04
I like Lee Smolin and this is a good exposition of the current quandary in Physics. When the mathematicians "hijacked" physics in the 1920's, they created ever-so elegant formulas and abstraction upon abstraction upon abstraction. "Just give me a formula!" was their mantra, and what it all really "means" was not their concern. This is the essence of Bohr's position (no pun intended), and Einstein was not able to answer, even though he knew something was missing.
String theory has many intriguing ideas, and it's supporters should not be easily dismissed. Again and again, we come back to the basic question...particle or wave? Wavicle? Partiwave? String?
Outstanding piece of writing, A must-read for any science enthusiast........2007-09-22
I found this book to be superbly written and full of fascinating insights. I really loved reading it. Many of the longer reviews here do a great job of reviewing the content of the book, so I'll stick to offering my opinion.
I will no doubt read this book again in the future as much of the content was way over my head. However, as with any great book on any subject, this did not prevent me from thoroughly enjoying it and learning a lot. What makes it so great is that each time I read it I will learn more.
I want to thank Lee Smolin for putting the current state of his field in some perspective. I highly, highly recommend this book!
Book Description
The universe has its secrets. It may even hide extra dimensions, different from anything ever imagined. A whole raft of remarkable concepts now rides atop the scientific firmament, including parallel universes, warped geometry, and threedimensional sink-holes. We understand far more about the world than we did just a few short years ago -- and yet we are more uncertain about the true nature of the universe than ever before. Have we reached a point of scientific discovery so advanced that the laws of physics as we know them are simply not sufficient? Will we all soon have to accept explanations that previously remained in the realm of science fiction?
Lisa Randall is herself making these extraordinary breakthroughs, pushing back the boundaries of science in her research to answer some of the most fundamental questions posed by Nature. For example, why is the gravitational field from the entire Earth so defenseless against the small tug of a tiny magnet? Searching for answers to such seemingly irresolvable questions has led physicists to postulate extra dimensions, the presence of which may lead to unimaginable gains in scientific understanding. Randall takes us into the incredible world of warped, hidden dimensions that underpin the universe we live in, describing how we might prove their existence, while examining the questions that they still leave unanswered.
Warped Passages provides an exhilarating overview that tracks the arc of discovery from early twentieth-century physics to the razor's edge of today's particle physics and string theory, unweaving the current debates about relativity, quantum mechanics, and gravity. In a highly readable style sure to entertain and elucidate, Lisa Randall demystifies the science and beguilingly unravels the mysteries of the myriad worlds that may exist just beyond the one we are only now beginning to know.
Customer Reviews:
AMERICA'S GOT TALENT!!!.......2007-09-28
You really don't need my opinion because there are already over 100 reviews. I don't have a serious review to offer because the serious ones have already been done. I will agree with the best of them because this lady author has many great talents in putting such an amazing book together with such STYLE!!!! Many points of praise. I got this book in hardcover and decided I needed another one so I got two.
You go scientists!!!! Please continue writing books like this one that are so so delicious to read and well put together in SO many ways. Keep them (books) real long like this one (or even longer) and packed with lots of goodies. Brian Greene, I still LOVE your work also--ESPECIALLY The Fabric of the Cosmos, so Lisa Randall, Briane Greene and other talented scientists--keep on dishing out books like these that keep us wanting more more more!!!
SOME speculation is HEALTHY SCIENCE. Always know that there is A BEYOND EVERYTHING! Be certain of that. You scientists have now acquired an audience of the MASSES. We will be there to hail you or boo you like the jury of Q in Star Trek The Next Generation. We want more and better and more and better. Ha Ha Ha. Great work!
The Problem With Math.......2007-09-26
Randall, along with many other, such as Susskind The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design makes a serious mistake in leaping to the conclusion that reality corresponds to her mathematical models. Along with other string theorists, they assume that if the math they use to build their models contains some number of additional dimensions, then the real world must contain those dimensions. I see this in much of the literature, including, for example Woit Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory And the Search for Unity in Physical Law who debunks string theory, but nevertheless seems to accept the idea that if the math contains extra dimensions, reality must also contain those extra dimensions.
A mathematical model is just that - a model. It is the best math we can construct at this point in time to describe the reality we are trying to model. It is not the reality itself. If the string theorists are successful in constructing a model that includes six or seven tiny dimensions, that does not mean that those dimensions actually exist. All it means is that the best model we can currently construct has to include those dimensions in the math. Susskind really goes off the deep end with this. We must remember that much more math will come along. Someday, we may have a math that describes the same reality without the additional dimensions.
That said, if the string theorists can make a prediction that absolutely, positively depends upon those extra dimensions and if that prediction is confirmed by experimental results, then they may have a case. So far, the string theorists have failed utterly to make such a prediction. Even here, a different math may come along. The night is young.
Readable!.......2007-09-24
In order to keep this short and sweet, this is a very readable book about string, superstring theory, and branes! An excellent job by the author! Also contains references to nice music lyrics and quotes! Fantastic book, highly recommended!
Randall re where we are........2007-08-24
Superb summary of contemporary cosmological crucial questions. Not not for the novice, but she writes so clearly--who knows?
Interesting, the idea is similar to the experiences left by some Buddists and Taoists.......2007-08-10
1.
Why not use any possible monitoring system to collect the local variatons in space as beings dying, being born and fertilizing? We may find something come from and go to some other dimensions or layers.
2.
According to some old chinese books of Buddhism and Taoism,(a) some Buddhists and Taoists could see the future, but they could not change the future, (b) the space is layered, (c) there is something called "the singular door and the invisible armour" in Taoism.
3.
The results of some experiments, such as experiments described in the book authored by "SHE DING MING", in hypnosis are seemly relevant to this dimensional idea.
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The Mathematical Theory of Cosmic Strings (Series in High Energy Physics, Cosmology and Gravitation)
M.R. Anderson
Manufacturer: Taylor & Francis
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ASIN: 0750301600 |
Book Description
This book is a comprehensive survey of the current state of knowledge about the dynamics and gravitational properties of cosmic strings treated in the idealized classical approximation as line singularities described by the Nambu-Goto action. The author's purpose is to provide a standard reference to all work that has been published since the mid-1970s and to link this work together in a single conceptual framework and a single notational formalism. A working knowledge of basic general relativity is assumed. The book will be essential reading for researchers and postgraduate students in mathematics, theoretical physics, and astronomy interested in cosmic strings.
Book Description
This book is intended as a highly readable introductory text on the concepts of astronomy, cosmology, relativity, quantum physics, particle physics, and string theory. From the smallest quantum scales, to the largest cosmic scales, the author uses a broad brush to fill in your understanding of the key ideas in these fields and theories. It is hoped that The Humbled Blue Orb will wet the reader's appetite with its clearly written text and illustrations; prompting them to explore more extensively into these interesting and mysterious areas of science.
Customer Reviews:
Good information, but poor editing makes it difficult at times.......2007-07-14
I know quite a bit about the topics covered in this book, but I always find it good to read material from a variety of sources. That's why I picked this up.
The information is clear (I would imagine this being the case for a novice as well). Klein uses some clever examples to drive home his points and to make some of the complex subjects easier to understand.
However, the editing is downright AWFUL. Taken from the BACK COVER (!!) of the book:
"It is hoped that The Humbled Blue Orb will wet the reader's appetite with its clearly written text and illustration;..."
I assume most of you reading this review will notice that he should have used "whet" instead of "wet." Also, all too often there are typos that make the sentences hard to understand ("as" will be written "at", etc.), and some of the punctuation is just dreadful. I guess that's what happens when authors self-publish!
If you can get by these flaws, then pick up this book as a good primer for the subject.
good content.......2006-06-30
Despite the book losing me at certain points, especially in attempting to drive through all the 'weeds' of particle physics, I overall found this book very readable and enjoyable.
I have read a couple of books similar to this and found this one to be on par with the rest, and even provide some new insights on certain topics.
Recommended - especially for those just getting into the reading topics.
highly readable.......2006-06-16
I have just started reading this type of material and was concerned about the content going over my head. I was pleasantly surprised to find this book relatively easy to read with minimal confusion and good examples and pictures.
I would recommend this book for any budding science reader.
Good Book.......2006-04-21
I just happened to download the e-book version of this to see how it read since I do not normally read science topics.
Despite this, I found it a good book that flowed nicely. Overall, I would definately recommend it for the popular science reader audience.
If there is a second edition, a glossary might be helpful for people who are not familiar with some of the terminology.
great read........2006-04-04
Great read.
Overall I really enjoyed it and found it to be well written.
I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants a high-level overview of Quantum Physics and String Theories.
The illustrations and tables were useful as well, despite them being a bit small at times.
I have read quite a few of these types of books, and I found this book to be just as readable as other books on the topics presented.
Very enjoyable.
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Particles, Strings and Cosmology: 11th International Symposium on Particles, Strings and Cosmology; PASCOS 2005 (AIP Conference Proceedings / High Energy Physics)
Manufacturer: American Institute of Physics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0735402957 |
Book Description
PASCOS is an interdisciplinary symposium on the interface of of Particle physics, String theory and Cosmology. Over the past two decades these three disciplines have increasingly become closer. Historically there was always a strong overlap between particle physics and cosmology. This connection has become even stronger with the realization that some of the fundamental issues in cosmology such as the presence of dark matter and dark energy may possibly find a resolution only via new theories of particle physics. At the same time string theory has begun to play an increasingly important role in particle physics as a possible framework for building unified models of particle interaction including gravity. In recent years we have seen an increasing overlap between cosmology and string theory and currently the area of string cosmology is one of the most active fields of research. PASCOS 2005 aimed to provide coherent discussions of recent developments on the interface of the three disciplines and also on their interconnections. In particular, superstring aspects in low energy particle theory (SUSY) and cosmological applications (moduli stabilization) are extensively covered in this volume. Topics include dark matter and dark energy, baryogenesis, flavor and CP violation, neutrino physics, supersymmetry and extra dimensions, flux compactification, string model building, as well as brane cosmology.
Book Description
This book presents contributions on particle theory, quantum field theory, general relativity, quantum gravity, string theory and cosmology. These represent the outcome of numerous discussions, taking place among the authors over a period of several years, about the research landscape of present-day fundamental theoretical physics. Indeed, the resultant book documents their attempt, out of their respective and highly specialized scientific positions, to find a way of communicating about methods, achievements and promises of the different approaches which shape the development of this field. It is therefore also an attempt to elucidate the connections between these approaches, and present them not as disjoint ventures but rather as facets of a common quest for understanding. Readers interested in fundamental approaches of theoretical physics will find this book highly stimulating and enlightening.
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- Kursunoglu's (et al.'s) Confluence of Cosmology
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Confluence of Cosmology, Massive Neutrinos, Elementary Particles, and Gravitation
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0306462087 |
Book Description
This conference was based on the discovery that neutrinos are massive objects, which gives elementary particle physics a new direction. This is the first in a series of conferences that will discuss the implications of this discovery and related issues, such as the impact on cosmology, proton spin content, strings, fractional spin and statistics, gravitation, and accelerated expansion of the universe.
Customer Reviews:
Kursunoglu's (et al.'s) Confluence of Cosmology.......2000-03-30
This is the 12th volume of the Global Foundations RecentConference Proceedings. The Global Foundation is located at CoralGables, Florida, and for most of its history has consisted of Nobel Prize winners and similarly high level physicists. I had the honor of presenting a paper on Quantum Gravity at their December 1999 Orbis Scientiae Quantum Gravity Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and I was very impressed with the genius, energy, and creativity of the members of the Foundation and the other presenters. This volume continues the excellence of the previous ones. It begins with Edward Teller on the neutrino mass, followed by Kursunoglu's excellent paper on the massive neutrino experiments and theories, including his own extended unified field theory/quantum theory which began as his Ph.D. Dissertation at Cambridge University under P. Dirac and (partly) A. Einstein. Kursunoglu continues the tradition of P. Dirac in an incredible open-mindedness to new ideas and creativity which is often lacking once "Great Men" attain positions of power or prestige. I have commented on this in reviewing Cao's volume and other books. He predicted the massive neutrino before it was discovered. As usual, there are up to date papers on Project Ligo (gravity wave detection), string theory (by L. Dolan of Chapel Hill), dark matter by Arnowitt and Nath, Mintz' neutrino paper, and a fascinating paper by P. H. Frampton which indicates that the cosmological constant is non-zero now although it was probably negligible in the past, and that the radius of the universe will grow exponentially with time (times times the cosmological constant)in the coming years, which seems to agree with recent results on the accelerating expansion of the universe. Readers not specializing in the required mathematics or physics should hire a consultant or tutor to translate the book into approximately ordinary English (which, with a good consultant, loses only a little of the rigor), and should read all the previous volumes including the 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997 volumes.
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Cosmic Strings and Other Topological Defects
A. Vilenkin ,
E. P. S. Shellard ,
Alexander Vilenkin , and
E. Paul S. Shellard
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0521654769 |
Book Description
This book is a comprehensive and coherent introduction to the role of cosmic strings and other topological defects in the universe. After an introduction to standard cosmological theory and the theory of phase transitions in the early universe, the book then describes, in turn, the properties, formation, and cosmological implications of cosmic strings, monopoles, domain walls and textures. It concludes with a chapter considering the role of topological defects in inflationary universe models. Ample introductory material is included to make the book readily accessible. It will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology.
Customer Reviews:
Good book, though dated.......2000-04-27
With so much having happened in cosmology in the past several years, pretty much any book not written very recently or about intro topics has lost some of its relevence. With that restriction in place here, one still finds this book to be very informative and useful. Many pioneering efforts are encapsulated here, and although alternative theories have surpassed some of the theories presented in this book any cosmologist should have this book on his/her shelf.
Book Description
Cosmology in Gauge Field Theory and String Theory focuses on the cosmological implications of the gauge theories of particle physics and of string theory. The book first examines the universe's series of phase transitions in which the successive gauge symmetries of the higher-temperature phase were spontaneously broken after the big bang, discussing relics of these phase transitions, more generic relics (baryons, neutrinos, axions), and supersymmetric particles (neutralinos and gravitinos). The author next studies supersymmetric theory, supergravity theory, and the constraints on the underlying field theory of the universe's inflationary era. The book concludes with a discussion of black hole solutions of the supergravity theory that approximates string theory at low energies and the insight that string theory affords into the microscopic origin of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. Cosmology in Gauge Field Theory and String Theory provides a modern introduction to these important problems from a particle physicist's perspective. It is intended as an introductory textbook for a first course on the subject at a graduate level.
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Frontiers in Particle Theory
Yi-Shi Duan
Manufacturer: World Scientific Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 9971503840 |
Books:
- Their Eyes Were Watching God
- Thin Film Solar Cells: Fabrication, Characterization and Applications (Wiley Series in Materials for Electronic & Optoelectronic Applications)
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems
- Weak Scale Supersymmetry: From Superfields to Scattering Events
- What the Bleep Do We Know!?: Discovering the Endless Possibilities for Altering Your Everyday Reality
- 1984 (Signet Classics)
- A Guide to Physics Problems, Part 1: Mechanics, Relativity, and Electrodynamics (The Language of Science)
- An Introduction to Error Analysis: The Study of Uncertainties in Physical Measurements
- An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory (Frontiers in Physics)
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Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory And the Search for Unity in Physical Law
The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe
Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions
The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design
Many Worlds in One: The Search for Other Universes
