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The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos

Brian Greene

Start date: September 1, 2012

Finish date: September 30, 2012

Discussion: Book Club 2012

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Book Club 2012

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What Members Thought

Oct 06, 2011 David Rubenstein rated it liked it

Shelves: physics, audiobook, astronomy, science

Much of this book describes speculative hypotheses about parallel universes. Some of the explanations--for example, the bubble universes--really made my head hurt. The explanation for why string theory requires ten space-time dimensions seems a bit glib to me. Some of the analogies--imagine a bunch of clones of Cartman from South Park standing atop mountain peaks--are just too silly to take seriously. The description of black holes and entropy is fascinating. Some parts of the book are rather ph ...more

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Dec 11, 2011 bup rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science, 2012, trying-to-get-theoretical-physics

This book wouldn't be great without his first two. Or maybe it would, but it would seem like a fantasy ride in some bologna-artist's woo-science book. It's basically a survey of the different multiverse ideas out there - all the different ways people have dreamed up multiple universes.

Given the scientific gravitas Brian Greene is able to bring, though, one has to take these ideas seriously. At least, as seriously as one can. I'm not a physicist, but I have taken a statistics course or two, and t This book wouldn't be great without his first two. Or maybe it would, but it would seem like a fantasy ride in some bologna-artist's woo-science book. It's basically a survey of the different multiverse ideas out there - all the different ways people have dreamed up multiple universes.

Given the scientific gravitas Brian Greene is able to bring, though, one has to take these ideas seriously. At least, as seriously as one can. I'm not a physicist, but I have taken a statistics course or two, and the thinking about how we can test some ideas of multiple universes by looking at our own universe make absolutely no sense to me. Our universe is one data point. It gives you zero degrees of freedom. There is no hypothesis one could reject by theorizing, as Greene seems to do, that multiverses where a universe like ours would be more likely, and then turning around and looking at the data from our universe.

Whether or not he's right about testability, though, even constructing hypotheses is a portion of science. Science is the process of developing and testing hypotheses. There's nothing wrong with developing hypotheses you have no idea how to test, and calling it a scientific step. OK, so we have no idea how to test, or if we can. Don't let that limit the process of developing hypotheses.

Two more nitpicks (I gave this 5 stars, too - why am I only complaining? I guess I found the book so intriguing and engaging that I want to talk back to it):

1) He never talked about the fact that many of these multiverse theories are not mutually exclusive - bubbles in the expansion of space and simulated multiverses could obviously coexist, as could many of the others.

2) In the ultimate universe model, the universe with nothing in it obviously exists - inasmuch as it needs to. We have to accept that one, just like we have to accept the empty set in every set of subsets ever.

Anyway, good book. I recommend "The Elegant Universe" and "Fabric of the Cosmos" before this, but I guess it would work on its own, too. ...more

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Feb 11, 2011 John J. rated it did not like it

Shelves: nonfiction, science

I don't know how much more I can take. With The Hidden Reality, Brian Greene has strapped on his superstring skis and jumped the shark. I'm not sure if this multiverse nonsense qualifies as pseudoscience, but it sure seems a bit too abstract and downright mystical to qualify as real science. One more book like this and I will move Brian Greene into my "Cranks, Crackpots, Kooks & Loons" folder.

JJTC 7/27/2011 ...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Maureen added it

Such a beautifully written explanation of the therorhetical "multiverse" cosmos, lyrical in places, even though I could grasp but a fraction of the cosmic implications of quantum mechanics and string theory, the experience was quite thrilling. What a beautiful, elegant web of potentionality he paints. ...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Patricrk patrick rated it it was ok

Shelves: science

Gives an explanation why the multiverse concept is probably right. The math is in the notes so the main text is readable and understandable. Still it was a slog through the book rather than devour it.

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