About this title: In this groundbreaking book, a renowned theoretical physicist argues that physics--the basis for all other science--has lost its way. With clarity, passion, and authority, he charts the rise and fall of string theory and takes a fascinating look at what will replace it.
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Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Purchasing this DVD supports the North Central Regional Library. Thriftbooks and NCRL have partnered to help raise additional funds for the library system. Library ID found on DVD and case. Ex-Library book-will contain library markings. Book has appearance of light use with no easily noticeable wear. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Fine. 061891868X NEVER USED! This book has never been read. There are no highlights, No pen marks, No missing pages. The binding is sturdy. This book may have slight shelf wear. Upgraded shipping on orders over $49.99. Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed! read more
Edition: 1st Mariner Bk Ed.2007, 1st Print.
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: A Mariner Book/ Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, New York
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780618918683ISBN:061891868X
Description: Michael Prendergast (Illustrations); Robert Overhottzer (Book Design) Like New. Academic, Scholarly, Research. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. 392 pp. Flawless copy. read more
Description: Fine. 0618551050 2006 Binding, DJ & pages are in good condition. Contents are crisp, clean, complete and undamaged. Book was donated to Friends of the Omaha Public Library. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Mariner Books
Date Published: 2007-09-04
ISBN-13:9780618918683ISBN:061891868X
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780618918683. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Mariner Books
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780618918683ISBN:061891868X
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Edition: First Edition, First Printing
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780618551057ISBN:0618551050
Description: Fine in Fine jacket. Collectible. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. xxiii, 392 pp., bib. notes, index; 24 cm. AS NEW. Dust jacket protected in a mylar book cover. "In this groundbreaking book, the renowned theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that physics--the basis for all other science--has lost its way. The problem is string theory, an ambitious attempt to formulate 'a theory of everything' that explains all the forces and particles of nature and how the universe came to be. With its exotic new ... read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Date Published: 2006-09-19
ISBN-13:9780618551057ISBN:0618551050
Description: NEW. Hardcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780618551057. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: PENGUIN BOOKS LTD Country = UNITED KINGDOM
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780141018355ISBN:0141018356
Description: BRAND NEW PAPERBACK. 416 pages. Presents an account of the state of modern physics: of how we got from einstein and relativity through quantum mechanics to the strange and bizarre predictions of string theory, full of unseen dimensions and multiple universes. (Paperback) read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780618551057ISBN:0618551050
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
"Prof. Smolin grapples with the question of whether our understanding of the most basic questions of our physical universe is progressing. Contrary to popular belief and and to the view of many theoreticiians his answer is a definite, 'No'. He proves his point by examining progress in physics in the past and describing the characteristics of real progress . The book is well written and does not require a PhD in physics to understand."
"Here's a book that is good but could be better. It has the general aim of explaining the current state of fundamental physics, first in terms of the physics itself and second in terms of how it is practised (with particular reference to the USA).
Smolin starts with five big problems extant in fundamental physics. Here, right at the beginning, comes the first weakness of the book: two of these fundamental problems may not be problems at all. One is the so called "observer problem" of quantum mechanics. Many highly competent physicists don't think there is any "observer problem" at all - this is barely acknowledged anywhere in the book. The second is the 20 arbitrary constants of the Standard Model - many physicists find these 20 constants annoying and would like some deeper explaination of them. There is, however, no reason to think any such explanation exists, except insofar as there is reason to think (because of the other three big problems) that there is a more fundamental physical theory than the standard model. He also seems to have missed a couple of questions I would ask (though maybe they have actually been explained and I don't know about the answers).
The next weakness is in Smolin's explanations. Whilst talking about the Standard Model and General Relativity Smolin is somewhat unclear a number of times. In the former case a more detailed description of precisely what is included in his definition of the Standard Model is required even though this is a fairly hefty deviation on his road to explaining String Theory. In the latter, I was confused by a statement about the Principle of Equivalence that I'm sure actually just means that General Relativity is a local and Classical theory - not controversial at all - but seemed to say that one could tell gravity from any other acceleration simply by waiting long enough...
Smolin's (and almost everybody else's) explaination of the "Gauge Principle" relies on its symmetry properties and is not all that clear. This is like explaining conservation of charge by its symmetry properties - missing the fundamental point. People make this mistake because the principle was recognised as necessary from the the symmetry requirements of theories that would explain the observed fundamental particles. For the record the Gauge Principle is that phase is locally conserved.
The above leads me to wonder how many mis-apprehensions I've been left with when Smolin leads me into unfamiliar territory....
The reader is then given a long section explaining why String Theory is neither a theory nor physics. The length is unavoidable if a proper treatment of the topic is to be made. This confirmed my own opinion that it simply isn't worth my time to try to get a more mathematically sound grasp of the concepts.
Next comes a set of different (i.e. non-stringy) ideas for dealing with any of the five problems mentioned at the start. This was by far my favourite part of the book because it presented ideas that were entirely new to me.
After this comes a section where-in Smolin muses on the nature of science and the gap between the ideal and the reality. This is largely a disaster. The two chapters on the definition of science contradict much of what is obviously Smolin's true belief on the matter, as gleaned from his complaints about String Theory earlier on. They also contain a huge heap of ill-conceived pseudo-scientific mumbo jumbo that is embarressing to read from such an intelligent man.
Finally Smolin gives his view of how physics is being smothered by the academic system. This applies in detail only to the USA. He regains my respect by offering actual concrete policies for changing the system that could be implemented; so many people is so many walks of life merely complain and can't offer a suggestion for a solution. My view is that the most useful suggestion he makes is the hardest to implement; the abolishment of tenure.
Well, that all seems pretty harsh! Smolin can't complain about that given what he hands out to others in this book, however. It is definitely worth reading if you want to get a grasp of what String Theory can do (nothing) and why. I (as ever) have no idea how some-one without a strong physics background would cope with the book."
"I read this book as a counterpoint to the string theory craze. I had read a few string theory books, but I wanted to see what the other side had to say about the subject.
Smolin makes many good points, but in the end I think he comes off as a rather fustrated naysayer. While he does discuss a lot of theories that are alternatives to string theory, and he does point out a lot of string theories (very publizied) holes, he spends a lot of time laymenting about the state of the physics community and the petty personal issues that keep seemingly good science from taking place. When you think of scientists, you think of people with open minds, a willingness to listen to ideas, and a strong conviction for the truth. You wouldn't think of some kind of Totalitarian dictatorship, promoting the pro-string theory party line against all odds, and devoted to keeping down the desenters. You might find this in governemnt, but this is what Smolin describes in taking place in labratories everyday."
This is a good book that describes the crisis in one branch of science in the twentieth century. Smolin describes the progress made in physics since 1980. The preceding period of up to 200 years saw explosive growth, often with work on theory break-throughs of new ideas resolved within ten years. The recent decades, however, have produced theories or variations on theories by the hundreds, but hardly a single prediction.
The author chose to concentrate his own theoretic work in quantum gravity. Such a choice led many others to lose their chance at a career. Most of the political forces and money were flowing to string theory. Physics is not immune to groupthink.
In Chapter 1, he introduces the five great problems in theoretical physics: 1. The problem of quantum gravity - to combine general relativity and quantum theory into a single theory, a complete theory of nature. 2. The problem of the foundation of quantum mechanics, either by making sense of it as it stands, or by inventing new theory. 3. Can the various particles and forces be unified in a theory that explains them all as manifestations of a single, fundamental entity? 4. How are the values chosen by nature for a number of values in the standard model that are theoretically free values? 5. Explaining dark matter and dark energy. Or, if they do not exist, how is the speed of the universe's expansion explainable?
On page 13, in explaining the free variables (problem #4), the author asserts that we understand some exotic behavior such as "gravitational lensing" as an effect of the curvature of space. To this reader, that "lensing" is sufficient explanation by itself, what we see and can measure, without making it the effect of the curvature of nothing. Nothing means no thing, and has no attributes, that is, it is neither flat nor curved.
In the second chapter, "The Beauty Myth" I find on page 30 curious statements "...mathematical beauty can be misleading. Simple observations made from the data are often more important." To me this underlines the truth that an appealing idea can send us chasing after facts that might support it (and end up imagining that we have found the facts). It also seems true that sometimes an ugly pair of ideas - conflicting mathematics or theories - lead on to the finding of what we need to resolve the ugliness.
In chapter 3, he opens on page 38, on the theme of "Matter must then be made from fields." Superconductor particle collisions clearly show that particles can be converted into energy - or force fields. Perhaps we will end up one day concluding that reality consists of energy or force fields which we perceive as solids and measure as having mass.
On page 41, the author picks up again on the misuse of the word that ordinarily is almost synonymous with "nothing" as an entity. Here it is said that space has properties, namely dimensions and geometry. He does, however, acknowledge that what Einstein predicted and what was found is that "light rays are bent by gravitational fields" but drops into nonsense immediately by adding "the presence of matter affects the geometry of space." In fact the geometry has no reference points except for the detectable matter by means of observing the light rays reflected by the matter and/or bent by the matter. Sticking a reified "entity' of space into this is a misuse of language, or, worse, a pseudo-explanation.
When we observe an animal using a stick to get an object of desire, it does not really help to explain the behavior by asserting that the animal has a stick-using instinct.
To this reviewer, who is primarily a student of the humanities, a chapter entitled "The Anthropic Solution", chapter 11, would seem especially attractive. However, it was full of just the obvious. Since we are here, the laws of physics that always existed were obviously friendly toward developing life. But the surprise was, on page 167, the thought that material reality evolved, that there was a "cosmological natural selection." Why not? And more radically, how can we be sure that the competition is over, that we are down to just one set of real things and forces and only one set of physical laws?
The larger part of the book has several chapters that present string theory, or super-string theory, which seem both intriguing and fanciful. In chapter 14 "Building on Einstein", we encounter the thought on page 234, that "Double Special Relativity" has been shown to be consistent by demonstrating that there is a "possible universe" in which it could be true. I was totally puzzled. It was not the first time I have encountered the notion of a "possible" world or universe, as it is common in philosophy. Are there perhaps rules for forming such a concept so that I would be able to construct a possible universe where unicorns could be real or "consistent?" What can this possibly add to human knowledge of reality?
In chapter 16, "How do you fight sociology?" I found great insight into the concept of groupthink. I noted the five earmarks of it on page 287: 1. It overestimates its invulnerabilities or high moral stand, 2. collectively rationalizes the decisions it makes 3. demonizes or stereotypes out-group and their leaders, 4. has a culture of uniformity where individuals censor themselves and others so that the façade of group unanimity is maintained, and 5. contains members who take it upon themselves to protect the leader by keeping information, theirs or other group members', from the leader.
String theory physics is in this regard very much like the global warming movement.
The goal of science is consensus, p. 302. Does that mean that having some apparent consensus means an issue is settled and concluded? No. Good science requires controversy (p. 234) to avoid consensus until the evidence compels it.
In chapter 18 "Seers and Craftspeople" we start down the final stretch. Where has the massive investment in string theory taken us? It has not brought us a single book for decades (p. 313) there has been no paper relating of string theory to the established older writers on physics foundations. Furthermore, none of the five greatest problems has been resolved."
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