Out of This World: Colliding Universes, Branes, Strings, and Other Wild Ideas of Modern Physics.

OUT OF THIS WORLD: Colliding Universes, Branes, Strings, and Other Wild Ideas of Modern Physics STEPHEN WEBB

If people could figure out exactly how the universe is put together, then they might be more certain about how it started and how it might end. However, physicists have been profoundly challenged in their efforts to examine the universe through the sometimes unfocused lenses of general relativity and quantum mechanics. In the past, these scientists turned generally to Gedanken experiments that are tested in the imagination of scientists, but laboratory experiments are becoming more plausible. Webb helps readers understand what's involved by defining the concepts of symmetry and space-time before plunging into even more challenging concepts such as string theory and the existence of branes, or membranes that may envelope several universes. Webb presents these ideas so that even nonspecialists can grasp the basics of topics as esoteric as alternative dimensions and particle physics. Copernicus, 2004, 308 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $27.50.