Chain Reading

I don't think there has ever been a treatise on "ultra-physics" that is so immediately accessible to scientists and non-scientists alike. Greene's expert command of his scientific background lends itself to a wealth of knowledge, but it is his ease of explanation that reveals his true skills. Through the use of common, everyday examples, Greene makes the quest to find the Ultimate Theory one that even those who abhor science will find enlightening.

The Elegant Universe

Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory

by Brian Greene

This is the story of a quest – the quest for the ultimate theory that will provide answers to how and why the universe came to be the way it is. Although the material is a bit dated (how could it not be given the subject matter and a 1999 publish date) but it contains more than enough detail, explanation and conjecture for the more than 99.99% of us who are not cosmologists or particle physicists.

The first part of this book is pure physics primer material that recaps in a most engaging manner elementary particles, particle physics and the fundamental forces. The second part becomes the much more personal story of Greene's involvement in the process of expanding the scope of string theory.

About half way through this book, I asked myself ''Self, why are you reading this book since you will never put this information to any practical use whatsoever?'' By the time I finished the book however, I had my answer. This is an adventure story. It relates in a most engaging way the story of physicists around the globe all working to unravel a fundamental mystery of the universe. People who are into logic puzzles, astronomy, sudoku or the like will probably understand some of the fire that drives these scientists working on the very edge of what is knowable.

Fascinatingly, this book is also a story about faith. Underlying all of the mind-cracking scientific facts is a story of the faith that these scientists have in the theory, in the process being used to develop it, and in the fundamental value of the results of their work. What Greene shows us here is how that scientific process works and how each new development results in a whole galaxy of new questions and possibilities.

'Seraphim' is correct when in her review she says that Brian Greene is a teacher. He has a real skill for the unusual analogy that perfectly illustrates his point. For example, in describing how the fabric of space can rip he writes ''It's more like the handiwork of a moth on wool than that of a deep knee bend on shrunken trousers.'' I would simply add that he is also an example of that rare individual who can be involved in the minutiae of a huge project and still be able to effectively communicate the big picture.

This is not an easy read by any means. After wading through descriptions and explanations of all the elementary particles (electrons, muons, taus, neutrinos, and quarks) and the four fundamental forces (gravity, electromagnetism, the weak force and the strong force) we sail off into string theory where we are introduced to six-dimensional Calabi-Yau structures (and I'm still not clear about what they are!).

It is unfortunate that the book lacks the perfect ending. It would have been great if Greene were able to report on the first experimental results which validate all of the theoretical work done in this area. But he couldn't do it 1999 and still can't in 2006. It’s a breathtakingly grand view of the multiple dimensions, the universe and everything but surely even ardent advocates of String Theory have to occasionally ask themselves ''Where's the beef?''

Clearly this book is not meant for everyone but it does provide a fascinating view into the world of particle physics and string theory. I give it a full recommendation.