The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory

Leading string theorist Brian Greene peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal an eleven-dimensional universe in which the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, producing vibrations in microscopically tiny loops of energy that power all matter, from the tiniest quarks to the largest supernovas.

Superstring theory is now the subject of intense global research by mathematicians and physicists, and it is one of the most ambitious ideas ever put out. The secret of Unified Field Theory, which evaded Einstein for almost thirty years, is in string theory, as it is commonly termed. The century-long conflict between General Relativity and Quantum Theory—the big and the small—has finally been settled. According to string theory, everything that occurs in the universe—from the wildly energetic dance of subatomic quarks to the magnificent swirling of celestial galaxies—is a reflection of a single, grand physical principle and an expression of a single, microscopic vibrating loop of energy, a billionth of a billionth of an atom's size. Greene tells the scientific tale and the human battle behind twentieth-century physics' quest for a theory of everything in this masterfully written and surprisingly transparent book.

By means of the deft use of metaphor and comparison, The Elegant world renders some of the most intricate ideas ever pondered viscerally understandable and highly entertaining, therefore advancing our comprehension of the workings of the world.