1st Edition
by Bill Spence (Author)
This engaging and beautifully written book
gives an authoritative but accessible account of some of the most
exciting and unexpected recent developments in theoretical physics.
– Professor Lionel J Mason, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford
String
theory is often paraded as a theory of everything, but there are a
large number of untold stories in which string theory gives us insight
into other areas of physics. Here, Bill Spence does an excellent job of
explaining the deep connections between string theory, particle physics,
and the novel way of viewing space and time.
– Professor David Tong, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge
Foremost
amongst Nature’s closest-guarded secrets is how to unite Einstein’s
theory of gravity with quantum theory – thereby creating a ‘quantum
space-time’. This problem has been unsolved now for more than a century,
with the standard methods of physics making little headway.
It
is clear that much more radical ideas are needed, and our front-line
researchers are showing that string theory provides these. This book
describes these extraordinary developments, which are helping us to
think in entirely new ways about how physical reality may be structured
at its deepest level.
Amongst these ideas are that
- Everything can happen at the same time – it is all Now;
- Hidden spaces, large and small, are everywhere amongst us;
- The basic objects are ‘membranes’ that behave like soap bubbles and can explore the shape of spacetime in new ways;
- We are holographic projections from higher dimensions;
- You can take the ‘square root’ of gravity;
- Ideas from the ancient Greeks are resurfacing in a beautiful new form;
- And the very latest work shows that ‘staying positive’ is essential.
The
book is aimed at a general audience, using analogies, diagrams, and
simple examples throughout. It is intended as a brief tour, enabling the
reader to become aware of the main ideas and recent work. A full list
of further resources is supplied.
Bill Spence is
the founding Director of the Centre for Research in String Theory at
Queen Mary University of London. He has worked on string theory for over
three decades.
