Strange Matters: Undiscovered Ideas at the Frontiers of Space and Time.TOM SIEGFRIED What's the universe made of? How does it work? These are the two questions that stoke the creative and intellectual fires of physicists. The answers that they offer nowadays seem counterintuitive coun·ter·in·tu·i·tive adj. Contrary to what intuition or common sense would indicate: "Scientists made clear what may at first seem counterintuitive, that the capacity to be pleasant toward a fellow creature is ... and sometimes downright crazy. Siegfried, the science editor at The Dallas Morning News, provides a highly accessible and engaging look at mindbending theories that could, for instance, explain the so-called dark matter in the universe or reconcile Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity Noun 1. Einstein's general theory of relativity - a generalization of special relativity to include gravity (based on the principle of equivalence) general relativity, general relativity theory, general theory of relativity with quantum mechanics quantum mechanics: see quantum theory. quantum mechanics Branch of mathematical physics that deals with atomic and subatomic systems. It is concerned with phenomena that are so small-scale that they cannot be described in classical terms, and it is . He dubs such ideas pre-discoveries--things imagined but not yet proven. For one prediscovery, Siegfried introduces Vic Teplitz, who suggests that "strange quark nuggets Nuggets can refer to several branches of interest:
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