String Theory For Dummies, 2nd Edition

String Theory For Dummies, 2nd Edition

by Andrew Zimmerman Jones, Alessandro Sfondrini
Released July 2022
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119888970

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Book description

Unravel the secrets of the universe and untangle cutting-edge physics

Yes, you actually can understand quantum physics! String Theory For Dummies is a beginner’s guide, and we make it fun to find out about the all the recent trends and theories in physics, including the basics of string theory, with friendly explanations. Build a foundation of physics knowledge, understand the various string theories and the math behind them, and hear what the opponents to string theory have to say. It’s an exciting time to be alive in advanced physics, and this updated edition covers what’s new in the string world—the Large Hadron Collider, the Higgs Boson, gravitational waves, and lots of other big headlines. Unleash your inner armchair physicist with String Theory For Dummies.

  • Brush up on the basics of physics and the approachable math needed to understand string theory
  • Meet the scientists who discovered string theory and continue to make waves (and particles) in the physics world
  • Understand what it’s all about with real-world examples and explanations
  • Learn why string theory is called "The Theory of Everything"—and what it means for technology and the future

Aspiring scientists or life-long learners will both be able to gain valuable information from this book. This accessible intro into string theory is for the theorists inside anyone.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Introduction
    1. About This Book
    2. Foolish Assumptions
    3. Icons Used in This Book
    4. Beyond the Book
    5. Where to Go from Here
  5. Part 1: Introducing String Theory
    1. Chapter 1: So What Is String Theory Anyway?
      1. String Theory: Seeing What Vibrating Strings Can Tell Us about the Universe
      2. Introducing the Key Elements of String Theory
      3. Understanding the Aim of String Theory
      4. Appreciating the Theory’s Amazing (and Controversial) Implications
      5. Why Is String Theory So Important?
    2. Chapter 2: The Physics Road Dead-Ends at Quantum Gravity
      1. Understanding Two Schools of Thought on Gravity
      2. Describing Matter: Physical and Energy-Filled
      3. Grasping for the Fundamental Forces of Physics
      4. Infinities: Why Einstein and the Quanta Don’t Get Along
      5. Unifying the Forces
    3. Chapter 3: Accomplishments and Failures of String Theory
      1. Celebrating String Theory’s Successes
      2. Considering String Theory’s Setbacks
      3. Looking into String Theory’s Future
  6. Part 2: The Physics Upon Which String Theory Is Built
    1. Chapter 4: Putting String Theory in Context: Understanding the Method of Science
      1. Exploring the Practice of Science
      2. Understanding How Scientific Change Is Viewed
    2. Chapter 5: What You Must Know about Classical Physics
      1. This Crazy Little Thing Called Physics
      2. All Shook Up: Waves and Vibrations
      3. Newton’s Revolution: How Physics Was Born
      4. The Forces of Light: Electricity and Magnetism
    3. Chapter 6: Revolutionizing Space and Time: Einstein’s Relativity
      1. What Waves Light Waves? Searching for the Ether
      2. No Ether? No Problem: Introducing Special Relativity
      3. Changing Course: Introducing General Relativity
      4. Applying Einstein’s Work to the Mysteries of the Universe
      5. Kaluza-Klein Theory — String Theory’s Predecessor
    4. Chapter 7: Brushing Up on Quantum Theory Basics
      1. Unlocking the First Quanta: The Birth of Quantum Physics
      2. Fun with Photons: Einstein’s Nobel Idea of Light
      3. Waves and Particles Living Together
      4. Why We Can’t Measure It All: The Uncertainty Principle
      5. Dead Cats, Live Cats, and Probability in Quantum Physics
      6. Does Anyone Know What Quantum Theory Means?
      7. Quantum Units of Nature: Planck Units
    5. Chapter 8: The Standard Model of Particle Physics
      1. Atoms, Atoms, Everywhere Atoms: Introducing Atomic Theory
      2. Popping Open the Atomic Hood and Seeing What’s Inside
      3. The Quantum Picture of the Photon: Quantum Electrodynamics
      4. Digging into the Nucleus: Quantum Chromodynamics
      5. Looking into the Types of Particles
      6. Gauge Bosons: Particles Holding Other Particles Together
      7. Exploring the Theory of Where Mass Comes From
      8. From Big to Small: The Hierarchy Problem in Physics
    6. Chapter 9: Physics in Space: Considering Cosmology and Astrophysics
      1. The Enlightened Universe and the Birth of Modern Astrophysics
      2. Introducing the Idea of an Expanding Universe
      3. Finding a Beginning: The Big Bang Theory
      4. Using Inflation to Solve the Universe’s Problems of Flatness and Horizon
      5. Dark Matter: The Source of Extra Gravity
      6. Dark Energy: Pushing the Universe Apart
      7. Stretching the Fabric of Space-Time into a Black Hole
  7. Part 3: Building String Theory: A Theory of Everything
    1. Chapter 10: Early Strings and Superstrings: Unearthing the Theory’s Beginnings
      1. Bosonic String Theory: The First String Theory
      2. Why Bosonic String Theory Doesn’t Describe Our Universe
      3. Supersymmetry Saves the Day: Superstring Theory
      4. Supersymmetry and Quantum Gravity in the Disco Era
      5. A Theory of Everything: The First Superstring Revolution
      6. But We’ve Got Five Theories!
      7. How to Fold Space: Introducing Calabi-Yau Manifolds
      8. String Theory Loses Steam
    2. Chapter 11: M-Theory and Beyond: Bringing String Theory Together
      1. Introducing the Unifying Theory: M-Theory
      2. Branes: Stretching Out a String
      3. Matrix Theory as a Potential M-Theory
    3. Chapter 12: Exploring Strings and Their Landscape
      1. Strings and Fields: String Field Theory
      2. String Theory Gets Surprised by Dark Energy
      3. Considering Proposals for Why Dimensions Sometimes Uncurl
      4. Understanding the Current Landscape: A Multitude of Theories
    4. Chapter 13: Gaining Insights from the Holographic Principle
      1. What’s a Hologram?
      2. Using Holograms to Understand Black Holes
      3. Considering AdS/CFT Correspondence
      4. Turning the Tables: Using Holography to Study Strongly Interacting Matter
    5. Chapter 14: Putting String Theory to the Test
      1. Understanding the Obstacles
      2. Analyzing Supersymmetry
      3. Testing Gravity from Extra Dimensions
      4. Disproving String Theory Sounds Easier Than It Is
      5. Bootstrapping Our Way into String Theory
      6. Looking for Evidence in the Cosmic Laboratory: Exploring the Universe
      7. Looking for Evidence Closer to Home: Using Particle Accelerators
      8. LHC finds a boson, but no superpartners yet
  8. Part 4: The Unseen Cosmos: String Theory on the Boundaries of Knowledge
    1. Chapter 15: Making Space for Extra Dimensions
      1. What Are Dimensions?
      2. 2-Dimensional Space: Exploring the Geometry of Flatland
      3. Three Dimensions of Space
      4. Four Dimensions of Space-Time
      5. Adding More Dimensions to Make a Theory Work
      6. Sending Space and Time on a Bender
      7. Are Extra Dimensions Really Necessary?
    2. Chapter 16: Our Universe — String Theory, Cosmology, and Astrophysics
      1. The Start of the Universe with String Theory
      2. Explaining Black Holes with String Theory
      3. The Evolution of the Universe
      4. The Undiscovered Country: The Future of the Cosmos
      5. Exploring a Finely Tuned Universe
    3. Chapter 17: Have Time, Will Travel
      1. Temporal Mechanics 101: How Time Flies
      2. Slowing Time to a Standstill with Relativity
      3. General Relativity and Wormholes: Doorways in Space and Time
      4. Crossing Cosmic Strings to Allow Time Travel
      5. A Two-Timing Science: String Theory Makes More Time Dimensions Possible
      6. Sending Messages through Time
  9. Part 5: What the Other Guys Say: Criticisms and Alternatives
    1. Chapter 18: Taking a Closer Look at the String Theory Controversy
      1. The String Wars: Outlining the Arguments
      2. Is String Theory Scientific?
      3. Turning a Critical Eye on String Theorists
      4. Does String Theory Describe Our Universe?
      5. A String Theory Rebuttal
      6. Trying to Make Sense of the Controversy
    2. Chapter 19: Loop Quantum Gravity: String Theory’s Biggest Competitor
      1. Taking the Loop: Introducing Another Road to Quantum Gravity
      2. Making Predictions with Loop Quantum Gravity
      3. Finding Favor and Flaw with Loop Quantum Gravity
      4. So Are These Two Theories the Same with Different Names?
    3. Chapter 20: Considering Other Ways to Explain the Universe
      1. Taking Other Roads to Quantum Gravity
      2. Newton and Einstein Don’t Make All the Rules: Modifying the Law of Gravity
      3. Rewriting the Math Books and Physics Books at the Same Time
      4. Mathematics All the Way Down: Are We Living in a Simulation?
  10. Part 6: The Part of Tens
    1. Chapter 21: Ten Tests for a Theory of Quantum Gravity
      1. Reproduce Gravity
      2. Compute Quantum Corrections
      3. Describe How Gravity and Matter Interact
      4. Explain Inflation
      5. Explain What Happens When Someone Enters a Black Hole
      6. Explain Whether Singularities Are Allowed
      7. Explain the Birth and Death of Black Holes
      8. Explain the Holographic Principle
      9. Provide Testable Predictions
      10. Describe Its Own Limitations
  11. Index
  12. About the Authors
  13. Connect with Dummies
  14. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: String Theory For Dummies, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Andrew Zimmerman Jones, Alessandro Sfondrini
  • Release date: July 2022
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119888970