false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166641422m/14699.jpg 771 22 There is an ill-concealed skeleton in the closet of physics: "As they are currently formulated, general relativity and quantum mechanics <I>cannot both be right</I>." 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.<p> 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.<p> Though Ed Witten of the Institute for Advanced Study is in many ways the human hero of <I>The Elegant Universe</I>, 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. <I>--Mary Ellen Curtin</I> 907243 book 1999 The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory total:3511|5:1062|4:1634|3:711|2:93|1:11| 3511 14176 5721 486 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 5 3 false Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sat Mar 17 08:07:55 -0700 2007 Sat Mar 17 08:13:23 -0700 2007 This book presents the latest breakdown of empirical existance with string theory- it's really well written and it sugguest how the fundimentals of all existing things come together in a very similar way as our understanding of music (little vibrations). I love this subject because, where the ...more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 5 3 false Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Thu Apr 12 22:15:26 -0700 2007 Thu Apr 12 22:19:54 -0700 2007 more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 2 3 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2001 Tue Dec 16 15:22:52 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 19 04:53:55 -0800 2008 The Trouble with Physics, which I read much more recently, suggests that string theory is in big trouble, and right now I am more tempted to...more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 4 1 false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Fri Jun 13 07:33:53 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 13 07:46:03 -0700 2008 more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 4 1 false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 23 07:32:47 -0800 2007 Sun Mar 23 17:23:58 -0700 2008 more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 4 0 false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Mar 10 20:13:23 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 11 23:17:58 -0700 2009
First, Greene does an astounding job breaking down these incredibly complex concepts so that anyone can understand them...more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 4 0 false Mon Aug 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 03 17:18:17 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 11 15:18:53 -0700 2009 The Language of God by Francis Collins and Quantum Enigma by Bruce Rosenblum, both of which include some discussion of the Big Bang and the origin of the universe. They mention that the problem with understanding more about that early time is that both quantum mechanics and gen...more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 4 1 false Mon Jun 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 08 20:07:37 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 08 20:20:51 -0700 2009 more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 5 0 false Tue Nov 10 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Oct 26 20:01:02 -0700 2009 Tue Nov 10 20:23:27 -0800 2009
There are a few things in the book, layman though I am, that I know are already a little dated - he keeps referring to the age of ...more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 4 0 false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 28 13:11:59 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 19 12:17:24 -0700 2009
But I stand by my summer of physics reading order:

1. The Dancing Wu Li Masters, Gary Zukav
2. A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
3. The Elegant Universe, Brian Greene

--with an optional step 0 that should precede Zuka...more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 4 0 false Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Dec 12 09:06:44 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 12 09:09:21 -0800 2008
I say this because I found the relativity se...more...]]> 922217 3442153743 9783442153749 5 1 4.04 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179487309m/922217.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/922217.Das_elegante_Universum 3 0 false Wed Dec 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 07 20:20:28 -0800 2009 Wed Dec 02 10:16:43 -0800 2009 sehr anschaulich und leicht verständlich, aber während der Lektüre von Kapitel 10-13 war ich mehrmals kurz davor, das Buch zur Seite zu legen, weil ich, ehrlich gesagt, nichts mehr verstand. Vielleich...more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 5 0 false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 28 10:13:40 -0700 2009 Sat May 09 19:51:48 -0700 2009 more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 4 0 false Thu Apr 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 22 20:37:32 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 18 19:41:45 -0700 2009 more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 5 0 false Thu Mar 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 01 12:44:02 -0800 2009 Thu Mar 26 18:28:56 -0700 2009 more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 5 0 false Tue May 14 00:00:00 -0700 2002 Wed Dec 10 20:54:02 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 10 21:20:00 -0800 2008
This book singlehandedly piqued my interest in string theory and astrophysics/cosmolog...more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 4 0 false Tue Mar 17 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Feb 21 22:22:01 -0800 2009 Tue Mar 17 20:49:56 -0700 2009 more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 5 0 false Sun Jan 18 15:12:52 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 22 10:33:25 -0800 2009 "The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ulitmate Theory" by Brian Greene.

It lead me to the question: how do we perceive and define time? This is especially interesting to me since I seem to preceive it vastly differently than ever...more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 2 0 false Mon Nov 30 17:15:39 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 30 17:20:00 -0800 2009 more...]]> 771 0375708111 9780375708114 3265 451 4.04 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/771.The_Elegant_Universe_Superstrings_Hidden_Dimensions_and_the_Quest_for_the_Ultimate_Theory 4 0 false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Thu Apr 09 12:46:42 -0700 2009 Mon May 18 11:40:12 -0700 2009 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=14699