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Explores the early stages of the development of string theory; essential reading for physicists, historians and philosophers of science.
‘Gravity, a Geometrical Course’ presents general relativity (GR) in a systematic and exhaustive way, covering three aspects that are homogenized into a single texture: i) the mathematical, geometrical foundations, exposed in a self consistent contemporary formalism, ii) the main physical, astrophysical and cosmological applications, updated to the issues of contemporary research and observations, with glimpses on supergravity and superstring theory, iii) the historical development of scientific ideas underlying both the birth of general relativity and its subsequent evolution. The book is divided in two volumes. Volume Two is covers black holes, cosmology and an introduction to supergrav...
During its forty year lifespan, string theory has always had the power to divide, being called both a 'theory of everything' and a 'theory of nothing'. Critics have even questioned whether it qualifies as a scientific theory at all. This book adopts an objective stance, standing back from the question of the truth or falsity of string theory and instead focusing on how it came to be and how it came to occupy its present position in physics. An unexpectedly rich history is revealed, with deep connections to our most well-established physical theories. Fully self-contained and written in a lively fashion, the book will appeal to a wide variety of readers from novice to specialist.
Modern physics is heady stuff. It seems that barely a week goes by without some new astounding science story; some revelation about hidden dimensions, multiple universes, the holographic principle or incredible cosmic coincidences. But is it true? What evidence do we have for super-symmetric squarks', or superstrings vibrating in an 11-dimensional space-time? How do we know that we live in a multiverse? How can we tell that the universe is a hologram projected from information encoded on its boundary? Doesn't this sound like a fairy story? In Farewell to Reality Jim Baggott asks whether all that we currently know about the universe is based upon science or fantasy. In addition he wonders whe...
A clear, plain-English guide to this complex scientific theory String theory is the hottest topic in physics right now, with books on the subject (pro and con) flying out of the stores. String Theory For Dummies offers an accessible introduction to this highly mathematical "theory of everything," which posits ten or more dimensions in an attempt to explain the basic nature of matter and energy. Written for both students and people interested in science, this guide explains concepts, discusses the string theory's hypotheses and predictions, and presents the math in an approachable manner. It features in-depth examples and an easy-to-understand style so that readers can understand this controversial, cutting-edge theory.
In accordance with the established tradition of these annual meetings under the aegis of Orbis Scientiae we have, this year, included the very important field of "The Significance of Non linearity in the Natural Sciences." We are pleased to join many scientists in recognizing the nonlinearity arising from the under lying interaction of all natural phenomena. It is tempting to say that in the long run things are nonlinear and that we shall have to design new techniques and methods to solve nonlinear equations. This year's Orbis Scientiae did include four sessions on nonlinear equations pertaining to elementary particle physics, molecular physics, fluid dynamics, and also to biology. Our Cente...
Economic Morality and Jewish Law compares the way in which welfare economics and Jewish law determine the propriety of an economic action, whether by a private citizen or the government. Espousing what philosophers would call a consequentialist ethical system, welfare economics evaluates the worthiness of an economic action based on whether the action would increase the wealth of society in the long run. In sharp contrast, Jewish law espouses a deontological system of ethics. Within this ethical system, the determination of the propriety of an action is entirely a matter of discovering the applicable rule in Judaism's code of ethics. This volume explores a variety of issues implicating moral...
In the ultimate guide to the ultimate mystery--the quantum world--an award-winning scientist and a master of popular science writing explains recent breakthroughs and the wondrous possibilities that lie in the future. Illustrations throughout.
Offers a new paradigm of reality, based on the interaction between science, culture, spirituality, religion, and society. The quantum, biological, and information revolutions of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries should have thoroughly changed our view of reality, yet the old viewpoint based on classical science remains dominant, reinforcing a notion of a rational, mechanistic world that allows for endless progress. In practice, this view has promoted much violence among humans. Basarab Nicolescu heralds a new era, cosmodernity, founded on a contemporary vision of the interaction between science, culture, spirituality, religion, and society. Here, reality is plastic and its people are active participants in the cosmos, and the world is simultaneously knowable and unknowable. Ultimately, every human recognizes his or her face in the face of every other human being, independent of his or her particular religious or philosophical beliefs. Nicolescu notes a new spirituality free of dogmas and looks at quantum physics, literature, theater, and art to reveal the emergence of a newer, cosmodern consciousness.
Recent Advances in Field Theory presents the proceedings of the Fourth Annecy Meeting on Theoretical Physics, held in Annecy-le-Vieux, France, on March 5–9, 1990. This book presents several relevant developments on the subject, including quantum algebra, two-dimensional quantum gravity, and topological quantum theories. Organized into 29 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the Hamiltonian quantization of the topological Chern–Simons theory. This text then examines the conformal affine Liouville model. Other chapters consider the global analyticity properties of functions correlated with causal kernels on de Sitter space. This book discusses as well the three particle models in terms of noncommutative gauge theory, namely, the Peccei-Quinn model, the Glashow–Weinberg–Salam model, and the standard model. The final chapter deals with the development on the construction of lattice integrable models corresponding to the SU (N) coset conformal field theories. This book is a valuable resource for physicists and scientists.