Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions.WARPED PASSAGES: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions LISA RANDALL Extra dimensions, wormholes wormhole - back door, and parallel universes may sound like science fiction, but they are concepts being considered by physicists as a way to explain the mysteries of the universe. Randall, a theoretical physicist at Harvard University, explains in clear and accessible language the experiments scientists have done to test the standard model Standard Model, in physics: see elementary particles. of particle physics, which explains the fundamental particles fun·da·men·tal particle (f  n d -m n of matter and the forces between them. Before diving into the more complex ideas behind string theory string theory, description of elementary particles based on one-dimensional curves, or "strings," instead of point particles. Superstring theory, which is string theory that contains a kind of symmetry known as supersymmetry, shows promise as a way of unifying the four known fundamental forces of nature., the author provides an overview of early 20th-century physics, including the key ideas behind relativity and quantum mechanics The branch of physics developed in the first part of the 20th century that was highly successful in explaining the behavior of atoms, molecules and nuclei. Developed between 1900 and 1930 and combined with the general and special theory of relativity, it revolutionized the field of physics.. She then tackles the more speculative and exciting theories that scientists began only recently to consider, including the notion of small, curled-up extra dimensions and infinite braneworlds that are undetectable in our three-dimensional universe. Overall, Randall provides an excellent primer to the most elusive and groundbreaking concepts of modern physics. HarperCollins, 2005, 499 p., b&w illus., $27.95.
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