Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos
In this thrilling journey into the mysteries of our cosmos, bestselling author Michio Kaku takes us on a dizzying ride to explore black holes and time machines, multidimensional space and, most tantalizing of all, the possibility that parallel universes may lay alongside our own.Kaku skillfully guides us through the latest innovations in string theory and its latest iteration, M-theory, which posits that our universe may be just one in an endless multiverse, a singular bubble floating in a sea of infinite bubble universes. If M-theory is proven correct, we may perhaps finally find answer to the question, “What happened before the big bang?” This is an exciting and unforgettable introduction into the new cutting-edge theories of physics and cosmology from one of the pre-eminent voices in the field.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Well-known physicist and author Kaku (Hyperspace) tells readers in this latest exploration of the far reaches of scientific speculation that another universe may be floating just a millimeter away on a "brane" (membrane) parallel to our own. We can't pop our heads in and have a look around because it exists in hyperspace, beyond our four dimensions. However, Kaku writes, scientists conjecture that branes—a creation of M theory, marketed as possibly the long-sought "theory of everything"—may eventually collide, annihilating each other. Such a collision may even have caused what we call the big bang. In his usual reader-friendly style, Kaku discusses the spooky objects conjured up from the equations of relativity and quantum physics: wormholes, black holes and the "white holes" on the other side; universes budding off from one another; and alternate quantum realities in which the 2004 elections turned out differently. As he delves into the past, present and possible future of this universe, Kaku will excite readers with his vision of realms that may exist just beyond the tip of our noses and, in what he admits is a highly speculative section, the possibilities our progeny may enjoy countless millennia from now; for instance, as this universe dies (in a "big freeze"), humans may be able to escape into other universes. B&w illus.
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From Scientific American
In the end, as our universe is dying, will civilization be able to move to another universe? Kaku, professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York, thinks the possibility of such a transition appears in "the emerging theory of the multiverse--a world made up of multiple universes, of which ours is but one." Our universe is now expanding. "If this antigravity force continues, the universe will ultimately die in a big freeze." That is a law of physics. "But it is also a law of evolution that when the environment changes, life must either leave, adapt, or die." Moving to another universe is one possibility cited by Kaku. Another is that civilization could build a "time warp" and travel back into its own past, to an era before the big freeze. A third is that "an entire civilization may inject its seed through a dimensional gateway and reestablish itself, in its full glory." Kaku is good at explaining the cosmological ideas--among them string theory, inflation, wormholes, space and time warps, and higher dimensions--that underpin his argument.
Editors of Scientific American
From Bookmarks Magazine
Kaku (Hyperspace) teaches theoretical physics at City University of New York. Sound daunting? It is-considering he deals with recent satellite data suggesting that mysterious dark energy makes up nearly three-quarters of the universe. Parallel Worlds, which meshes Kaku’s interests in physics and futurology, asks hair-raising questions: Do higher dimensions exist? Can black holes bend time? And if our universe is dying, will we be able to jump ship to another? Kaku runs through the recent history of cosmology, from Newton to Einstein, and introduces his own theories. He writes clearly, and a good glossary helps. But with many digressions and complex concepts, most readers will need some help. A few critics recommended starting with Brian Greene’s Fabric of the Cosmos (**** May/June 2004), a snappier, though still difficult, book. Or, just go to superstringtheory.com. That’ll clear it right up.
Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.
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String Theory is In! Cool
1. The Wilkinson Microwave anisotropy probe (WMAP) satellite was launched in 2001 giving an unprecedented view of the Universe. The WMAP satellite
2. The age of the Universe is 13.7 billion years.
3. The temperature of space is 2.7249 to 2.7251 degrees Kelvin.
4. 73 percent of the Universe is made of dark energy. Dark energy is thought to create a new anti-gravity field which is driving galaxies apart. Alan Guth inflationary scenario, in the first trillionth of a second, a mysterious antigravity force caused the universe to expand much faster than thought. The inflationary period was unimaginably explosive, expanding faster than light.
5. Andrei Linde proposes self-reproducing inflation or chaotic inflation, tiny patches of a universe suddenly inflating giving birth to a new universe.
6. String theory and M-theory are based on simple and elegant idea that subatomic particles are made up of strings similar to notes one can play on a violin string or on a membrane of a drum head. The strings and membranes exist in ten and eleven dimensional hyperspace.
7. M-Theory has the ability to unify the theory of relativity with quantum theory. Only in ten or eleven dimension hyperspace do we have enough room to unify all the forces of nature in a single elegant theory.
8. A field is a mathematical object that assumes different values at every point in space. The field measures the strength of the magnetic, electrical, or nuclear force at any point in the universe. The fundamental description of electricity, magnetism, nuclear force, and gravity is based on fields. The field theory of strings allows the entire content into one equation.
9. The symmetries of string theory gave it its beauty and power. Strings reside on 2 dimensional surfaces. For string theory to describe both gravity and subatomic world, it meant that strings would on be 10 pow -33 long (planks length).
10. Schwartz and Green showed that string theory is free of anomalies, the theory of everything.
11. Strings can interact by splitting and rejoining, thus the interactions among electron and protons in the atom. Subatomic particles are different vibrations on the string.
12. The lowest vibration of the string, a spin two particle with zero mass, can be interpreted as a graviton, a particle or quantum gravity. The stronger the vibration on the string, the stronger the influence on other gravitons.
13. Kalzua discovered, if you manually separated out the fourth-dimensional pieces contained within the five dimensional equation for the theory or relativity, Maxwell's theory of electromagnetic force tumbles out. Maxwells complex equations emerge effortlessly as the simple vibrations found in the fifth dimension. Higher dimension vibrations reproduced W and Z bosons and gluons found in weak and nuclear forces.
14. Ten dimensions were unstable, six curled up into a ball, and the other four expanded outward in the big bang.
15. In super symmetric theory, all the subatomic particles have a partner: each fermion is paired with a boson. Super symmetric as the potential of unifying all atomic particles into one simple symmetry.
16. Einsteins equations on gravity could become super symmetric if introduce a new field, super gravity. Super gravity was based on point particles.
17. Lisa Randall thought of the universe being a membrane. Randall focused on the fact that gravity is astronomically small. Electromagnetism, weak nuclear force, and the strong force are roughly the same and gravity is wildly different. The masses of quarks are smaller than the mass associated with quantum gravity separated by sixteen orders of magnitude. Randall assumed the universe was a three-brane floating in a five dimensional world. The vibrations on the three-brane corresponded to the atoms around us. The vibrations can not leave the three-brane.
18. The inverse square law of gravity works perfectly for planets, stars, and galaxies. Nowhere in space do we find an inverse cube law for gravity. Dimopoulus suggested maybe the fifth dimension is not infinite but is a millimeter aw from ours. Randall suggested the fifth dimension was infinitely far from us. The three-brane has a gravitational pull preventing gravitons from drifting freely into the fifth dimension. Gravity is diluted and weakened as it leaves the three-brane and drifts into the fifth dimension. Randall introduced the possibility of a second brane where gravity interacts across the two membranes.
Endlessly fascinating!
Like its predecessor Hyperspace, PW is a fascinating tour of physics at the theoretical cutting edge. MK is an ever lucid and entertaining guide. Though he doesn't always succeed in making abstruse ideas completely intelligible, he does so for the most part. And where he is less successful -- as PW progresses to M-theory and beyond -- he nonetheless spurs his readers' enthusiasm to read on. It's hard to imagine 'headier' stuff than one finds between the covers of PW. My thanks to MK for letting us non-physicists/cosmologists in on all the excitement!
THANK YOU SIR !!
THANK YOU MICHIO FOR AT LAST A
READABLE BOOK ON WHAT THE UNIVERSE
IS ALL ABOUT. I CANNOT RECOMMEND
THIS BOOK MORE THAN FIVE STARS
OR I WOULD.
I READ A LOT AND FINDING READABLE
MATERIAL IS NOT EASY.
GENE ADDINGTON
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