Introduces the superstring theory that attempts to unite general relativity and quantum mechanics

Introduces the superstring theory that attempts to unite general relativity and quantum mechanics.

Introduces the superstring theory that attempts to unite general relativity and quantum mechanics

NATIONAL BESTSELLER Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize A new edition of the iconic bestseller that introduced legions to modern physics and the quest for the ultimate understanding of the cosmos, featuring a new preface and epilogue. With a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as graceful as the theories it so deftly explains, The Elegant Universe remains the unrivaled account of the modern search for the deepest laws of nature: “a standard that will be hard to beat” (George Johnson, New York Times Book Review). In this new 25th anniversary edition, renowned physicist and author Brian Greene—“the single best explainer of abstruse concepts in the world today” (Washington Post)—updates his classic work with a new preface and epilogue summarizing the significant theoretical and experimental developments over the past quarter-century. From established science, including relativity and quantum mechanics, to the cutting edge of thinking on black holes, string theory, and quantum gravity, The Elegant Universe makes some of the most sophisticated concepts ever contemplated thoroughly accessible and entertaining, bringing us closer than ever to comprehending how the universe works.

The bestselling author of The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos tackles perhaps the most mind-bending question in modern physics and cosmology: Is our universe the only universe? There was a time when "universe" meant all there is. Everything. Yet, a number of theories are converging on the possibility that our universe may be but one among many parallel universes populating a vast multiverse. Here, Briane Greene, one of our foremost physicists and science writers, takes us on a breathtaking journey to a multiverse comprising an endless series of big bangs, a multiverse with duplicates of every one of us, a multiverse populated by vast sheets of spacetime, a multiverse in which all we consider real are holographic illusions, and even a multiverse made purely of math--and reveals the reality hidden within each. Using his trademark wit and precision, Greene presents a thrilling survey of cutting-edge physics and confronts the inevitable question: How can fundamental science progress if great swaths of reality lie beyond our reach? The Hidden Reality is a remarkable adventure through a world more vast and strange than anything we could have imagined.