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Sign up todayThe Complete Idiot’s Guide to String Theory
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Everything is connected.
We're living in the midst of a scientific revolution that's captured the general public's attention and imagination. The aim of this new revolution is to develop a "theory of everything," a set of laws of physics that will explain all that can be explained, ranging from the tiniest subatomic particle to the universe as a whole. Here, listeners will learn the ideas behind the theories and their effects upon our world, our civilization, and ourselves.
In this guide you get:
–Clear explanations of quantum mechanics, Einstein's theories of relativity, and how string theory unites them
–A quick, easy-to-understand overview of competing theories and how they might be tested
–Fast facts about black holes, what's inside them, how they're made, and why they're so deeply paradoxical
–Simple, smart tips to help you visualize extra dimensions
Wrap your head around a big idea.
George Musser is an award-winning journalist, a contributing editor for Scientific American, and the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to String Theory. He is the recipient of an American Astronomical Society’s Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award and the 2011 American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award. He has appeared on the Today show, CNN, NPR, the BBC, and more. He lives in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, with his wife and daughter. Follow him on Twitter at @gmusser.
Ray Porter is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator and fifteen-year veteran of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He has appeared in numerous films and television shows, including Almost Famous, ER, and Frasier.
Reviews
“George Musser presents the multidimensional world of string theory in this fantastic primer on all things physics, including the problem of time, the holographic principle, and alternatives to strings. The book is not only for beginners, but its lucid explanations ensure that even an idiot will emerge with an ear for the strange music of reality.”
“[A] thoroughly worthwhile read, doing as good a job as you could hope for in reducing the Gordian complexity of string theory into something that intelligent readers feel that they understand.”
“An excellent popular account of string theory…this book is to be welcomed, not only for explaining the physics in an easily assimilated way, but also for articulating why superstrings and the rest of fundamental physics matter at all…Best of all, Musser…tackles the controversial aspects of string theory, which have been the subject of much journalistic nonsense lately, and gets it all just about right.”
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