Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000000385785 | QC173.7.P37 1986 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
On Order
Summary
Summary
Thirty years ago Albert Einstein died, his dream of a theory that would unify the universe unfulfilled. He spent the last decades of his life searching for such a theory-a theory that would explain everything from elementary particles and their interac tions to the overall structure of the universe. But he failed, not because he didn't try hard enough, but because the attempt was ahead of its time. When Einstein worked on the problem liter ally nothing was known about black holes, white holes, sin gularities, the Big Bang explosion and the early universe, quarks, gauge invariance, and weak and strong nuclear forces. Today we know that all these things are important in relation to a unified theory, and that they must be incorporated in and explained by such a theory. Thus, in a sense, our problem is much more complex today than it was in Einstein's day. But scientists have persevered and as a result we are now tan talizingly close to achieving this long-sought goal. Important breakthroughs have been made. In this book we will look at these breakthroughs and at recent unified theories-theories that go by the names supergravity, superstrings, GUTs, and twistor theory. In order to understand the problem, however, we must begin at the beginning.
Reviews 2
Booklist Review
Einstein's lifelong goal was simple: to uncover a unified theory of the universe. Thirty years after his death, scientists have come closer to realizing his dream. This book describes both Einstein's original theory of relativity as well as the recent discoveries in the world of physics that have brought us closer to the unified theory. As a physics primer, Parker's work is superb. It is written in a readable style for people with no prior knowledge of the subject, and it neatly summarizes the enormous progress that has been made in the physics field without sacrificing the details that will appease the more advanced science audience. An essential guide to understanding the universe. To be indexed. MES. 523.1 Cosmology / Cosmogony / Einstein, Albert / Relativity (Physics)
Choice Review
This rather small volume is a compressed popularization of much modern physics and astronomy. Parker (physics and astronomy, Idaho State University) is to be commended for this nonmathematical treatment of so many interesting topics. His book certainly largely succeeds in its goal and will appeal to readers without physics, astronomy, or mathematics background who want to find out about such topics as unified field theories, white dwarfs, black holes, the origin of the universe, and particle physics. One can quibble about a few errors of historical detail in the book. However, in a work for the general reader that in no way claims to be a footnoted and scholarly account, minor slipups in historical detail surely have to be overlooked. This book would profit from the addition of more diagrams to help make the technical material more understandable to the general reader. Overall, however, the book is well written, contains many interesting anecdotes about famous scientists, is quite comprehensive for a work that is under 300 pages, and is pleasurable and exciting reading. Strongly recommended for undergraduate libraries.-H. Erlichson, College of Staten Island, CUNY
Table of Contents
| Preface | p. v |
| Chapter 1 The Goal | p. 1 |
| Chapter 2 Warped Space-Time | p. 21 |
| Chapter 3 Early Unified Field Theories | p. 49 |
| Chapter 4 Star Death | p. 73 |
| Chapter 5 The Ultimate Abyss: the Black Hole | p. 97 |
| Chapter 6 The Early Universe | p. 133 |
| Chapter 7 Cosmological Controversy | p. 171 |
| Chapter 8 The Final Fate of the Universe | p. 199 |
| Chapter 9 The World of Particles and Fields | p. 213 |
| Chapter 10 A Unified Theory of the Universe | p. 253 |
| Chapter 11 Epilogue | p. 271 |
| Further Reading | p. 277 |
| Index | p. 279 |
