Parallel Worlds: The Science of Alternative Universes and Our Future in the Cosmos
Reviews (198)
Well worth the time
Since I am a layperson and a non-scientist, this book took me several weeks to read. It was well worth the time. Professor Kaku addresses issues in cosmology thoroughly but with great clarity. Each chapter drew me further into pondering the origins of the universe, the possible existence of parallel universes, and the issues raised by these reflections about the future of humanity. As a Christian, I especially appreciated his reflections about the meaning of life and his unbiased and inclusive thoughts about the relevance of religion to cosmology. Highly recommended.
An Enlightening Tour into String Theory
One of my favorite books. I'm hardly the science-type, but I've gotten sucked into Physics (study of matter) as a kind of hobby. Michio Kaku takes his readers on an entertaining yet enlightening tour of string theory. This is the theory that the smallest material particle in the universe is not a point in space but a string, and how that string vibrates determines the element. Changing the vibration results in a different element. Dr Kaku is not afraid of heretical questions, asking "If the universe is a symphony of strings, then is there a Composer?" In his chapter "A Designer Universe?" he acknowledges the evidence for a Creator and explains his disinclination to believe. Likely Dr Kaku doesn't know or doesn't care that the Bible includes stories of, and references to, and promises of parallel worlds. Dr Kaku has self-promoting tendencies, as his critics rightly claim. But his desire to gain an audience enriches his explanatory skills. He has mastered the ability to present scientific theory in a manner unscientific audiences can understand, yet without talking down to us. This is a skill other Physics authors--Lisa Randall "Warped Passages", Heinerich Pas "The Perfect Wave"--never quite master. (Both books well worth reading.) If you're a Physics hobbyist like myself, or simply enjoy thinking in new ways, "Parallel Worlds" is a great launch pad into current thinking about reality. ~
A layperson's guide for understanding quantum theory.
An incredible amount of information packed into this small book. I read bits and pieces at will based on my interests, for example scientific views on free will and determinism. It is written in laymen's language and one doesn't need to be a scientist to understand. Michio Kaku's views about future reality come from quantum theory micro world, and seem very surreal and bizarre . Very interesting.
A theory of everything for everyone!
Summary in a nutshell (or rather in a string): Kaku has the gift to put into words some of the most sophisticated theories of physics today. He is the one who came up with the equation that summarizes the field theory of strings. The heart of the electron is a vibrating string, tinier than a proton. If we were to pluck the string, its vibrations would change it into any one of the known subatomic particles. Did you know that the 5th dimension is light? If Einstein had never discovered relativity, his theory might have been discovered as a by-product of string theory, because the lowest vibration is a quantum of gravity. All 11 parallel dimensions are probably encoded in these strings, and might be revealed sometime in our technological future. This book was published in 2005 but most of it still stands today in 2014. Perhaps some minor updates for the microwave data from the WMAP satellite (after more recent calculations, 26.8% rather than 23% of the universe is made up of dark matter) and there’s probably more updated information on the LISA antenna and the Large Hadron Collider which are mentioned in the book but were not yet built at the time of publication. Excellent ‘theory of everything’ book for everyone!
Awesome, thought provoking
This book was a fun trip. The beginning and ending are a little mathematics heavy, but I very much enjoyed the mind boggling concepts. It's definitely one you could read several times. I had a lot of fun thought provoking conversations thanks to this book.
Very intriguing, easy and enjoyable read.
The Secret of EXISTANCE is the ultimate question that has inundated humanity since the beginning, be it philosophers, scientists, mathematicians, theologians or the common individual trying to survive and questioning what is it all about? It's fascinating that regardless of how we approach this question; the Journey becomes more valuable than the elusive final answer as we discover more and more about our place in the Universe. This book brings the many pivotal scientific discoveries and theories in the long quest over the years and weave them into a possible interpretation of how and why the Universe happens to be the way it is and possible future events that may impact our existence. String Theory along with a few other possible theoretical explanations of the physical world introduces the concept of Multi-dimensions of existence as a by-product of their mathematical models and interpretations which become the focal point of this book's Parallel Worlds topic. Like many people I'm extremely intrigued by the possibilities of Parallel Universes, Multi-dimensions, and Hyperspace and most of all where did we come from and where are we going? It's a nice book, well written and with a bit of general knowledge about the quest for the Theory of Everything it's an easy and enjoyable read. It does not attempt provide a definite answer to the questions but rather shows a possible interpretations and possible answers. Only time will tell if this is a Scientific Book, or Science Fiction Book. Finally, the author either intentionally or non-intentionally digresses into the inevitable concept of whether there is a Purpose and Intelligences behind the existence of the Universe or is it pure chance and physics. I found the discussions very intriguing as I hope you will.
Enjoyable BUT...
Reading about the birth, evolution, & possible end of the universe has always been one of my favorite subjects. Except this book has (understandably - the author is a physicist!) some formulas & stuff I don't understand. Other than that, good reading.
An excellent explanation of status quo physics
In this book, Michio Kaku, a leading theoretical physicist, discusses the current state of the search for a unified theory to explain everything, from quantum physics to relativity and everything in between. In layman's terms, he discusses the history of string theory and M-Theory, the current form of string theory, and what it all means in terms of the possibilities of alternate universes, time travel, and the origin of the universe. Kaku discusses the possibilities of more than 3 spacial dimensions, as implied by the theory. Kaku goes on to discuss the ultimate fate of the universe: a continual expansion resulting in temperatures too cold to support life, or a crushing implosion resulting in temperatures too hot to support life. Kaku discusses the possibility that M-Theory may increase our understanding of the universe (or multiverse) enough to be able to travel into a different universe, or back in time, before our universe collapses. Kaku ends with a philosophical discussion on our place in the universe and what the point of it all is. If you have read Kaku's book "Hyperspace", some of this book will be review, as he includes some of the same concepts of extra dimensions in this book. Kaku explains the science in such a way that the layperson can understand it fairly well. He doesn't go into much mathematical detail; he only explains enough so that the reader understands what the theory means and doesn't get bogged down with all the details. This is what makes Kaku's writing great. His books, such as this one, are written for those who haven't studied physics in depth but who are interested in what is going on in the field of physics and the search to understand the universe. The bottom line: Kaku is a great resource for the latest developments in theoretical physics and our understanding of the universe.
Cosmology with a dash of string theory
Popularizer of science and professor of physics Michio Kaku returns with "Parallel Worlds," an expose of the recent history of cosmology and a little bit of string theory. Kaku does a remarkable job explaining what we know about the universe around us, from both an experimental and theoretical perspective. As Kaku is a string theorist himself, he does make attempts to bring that into the discussion- but here I think his explanations fall a little flat. I don't think string theory is really the focal point of the book though. Nevertheless, this book is easily approachable and digestible by a science-interested layman. Kaku's enthusiasm for the topic and science in general seeps through every page. This book was a page-turner for me. Among other topics, Kaku discusses the big bang, inflationary theory, parallel universes, quantum mechanics, string theory, and what is in store for us at the end of the universe. Books like this always make me reflect on how truly insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things. As old as the planet is, the universe is far older. As big as the planet is, the universe is far bigger. As dangerous as the planet is, ... you get the idea. This is an engaging and fascinating read, enthusiastically presented by a leading physicist. I highly recommend this to anyone who has ever stared up at the night sky and wondered about...well, everything.
Excellent book by any standard
There are many people who know a lot, but only few who are able to pass their knowledge to the others. Professor Kaku shares his knowledge (and fantasy) with the readers in the best possible way. It is hard me to believe that anybody will have even slightest problem with following His thoughts. I was studying Astronomy in the 60ties, and must confess that this one book includes more information about the universe than I had received during my study. Not every theory has to be taken seriously. The reader should keep in mind that some text is a hypothesis and not necessarily solid knowledge. It was funny to me that some, very similar ideas (like the multiverse), completely independently I have created in my head, only ... as a pure fantasy. Also, regarding the acceleration of the expansion of the universe, I have alternative, and perhaps more logical, but decisively simpler, explanation than the introduction of some weird dark energy. Again, I got my idea from a pure fantasy. No matter how much solid information about the true universe and how much fantasy is included, the book Parallel Worlds is the excellent book, easy to read and to understand. And, please, do not undermine the fantasy. Often, it is the source of the solid theories.
Comments
Post a Comment