The fabric of the cosmos : space, time, and the texture of reality

Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most mysterious of concepts. Is space an entity? Why does time have a direction? Could the universe exist without space and time? Can we travel to the past? The author uses these questions to guide us toward modern science's new and deeper understanding of the universe. From Newton's unchanging realm in which space and time are absolute, to Einstein's fluid conception of spacetime, to quantum mechanics' entangled arena where vastly distant objects can bridge their spatial separation to instantaneously coordinate their behavior or even undergo teleportation, Greene reveals our world to be very different from what common experience leads us to believe. Focusing on the enigma of time, Greene establishes that nothing in the laws of physics insists that it run in any particular direction and that "time's arrow" is a relic of the universe's condition at the moment of the big bang. And in explaining the big bang itself, Green shows how recent cutting-edge developments in super-string and M-theory may reconcile the behavior of everything from the smallest particle to the largest black hole. This startling vision culminates in the vibrant eleven-dimensional "multiverse," pulsating with ever-changing textures, where space and time themselves may dissolve into subtler, more fundamental entities. Read more... Abstract: Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most mysterious of concepts. Is space an entity? Why does time have a direction? Could the universe exist without space and time? Can we travel to the past? The author uses these questions to guide us toward modern science's new and deeper understanding of the universe. From Newton's unchanging realm in which space and time are absolute, to Einstein's fluid conception of spacetime, to quantum mechanics' entangled arena where vastly distant objects can bridge their spatial separation to instantaneously coordinate their behavior or even undergo teleportation, Greene reveals our world to be very different from what common experience leads us to believe. Focusing on the enigma of time, Greene establishes that nothing in the laws of physics insists that it run in any particular direction and that "time's arrow" is a relic of the universe's condition at the moment of the big bang. And in explaining the big bang itself, Green shows how recent cutting-edge developments in super-string and M-theory may reconcile the behavior of everything from the smallest particle to the largest black hole. This startling vision culminates in the vibrant eleven-dimensional "multiverse," pulsating with ever-changing textures, where space and time themselves may dissolve into subtler, more fundamental entities Space And Time Form The Very Fabric Of The Cosmos. Yet They Remain Among The Most Mysterious Of Concepts. Is Space An Entity? Why Does Time Have A Direction? Could The Universe Exist Without Space And Time? Can We Travel To The Past? The Author Uses These Questions To Guide Us Toward Modern Science's New And Deeper Understanding Of The Universe. From Newton's Unchanging Realm In Which Space And Time Are Absolute, To Einstein's Fluid Conception Of Spacetime, To Quantum Mechanics' Entangled Arena Where Vastly Distant Objects Can Bridge Their Spatial Separation To Instantaneously Coordinate Their Behavior Or Even Undergo Teleportation, Greene Reveals Our World To Be Very Different From What Common Experience Leads Us To Believe. Focusing On The Enigma Of Time, Greene Establishes That Nothing In The Laws Of Physics Insists That It Run In Any Particular Direction And That Time's Arrow Is A Relic Of The Universe's Condition At The Moment Of The Big Bang. And In Explaining The Big Bang Itself, Green Shows How Recent Cutting-edge Developments In Super-string And M-theory May Reconcile The Behavior Of Everything From The Smallest Particle To The Largest Black Hole. This Startling Vision Culminates In The Vibrant Eleven-dimensional Multiverse, Pulsating With Ever-changing Textures, Where Space And Time Themselves May Dissolve Into Subtler, More Fundamental Entities. Pt. 1. Reality's Arena -- Roads To Reality: Space, Time, And Why Things Are As They Are -- The Universe And The Bucket: Is Space A Human Abstraction Or A Physical Entity? -- Relativity And The Absolute: Is Spacetime An Einsteinian Abstraction Or A Physical Entity? -- Entangling Space: What Does It Mean To Be Separate In A Quantum Universe? -- Pt. 2. Time And Experience -- The Frozen River: Does Time Flow? -- Chance And The Arrow: Does Time Have A Direction? -- Time And The Quantum: Insights Into Time's Nature From The Quantum Realm -- Pt. 3. Spacetime And Cosmology -- Of Snowflakes And Spacetime: Symmetry And The Evolution Of The Cosmos -- Vaporizing The Vacuum: Heat, Nothingness, And Unification -- Deconstructing The Bang: What Banged? -- Quanta In The Sky With Diamonds: Inflation, Quantum Jitters, And The Arrow Of Time -- Pt. 4. Origins And Unification -- The World On A String: The Fabric According To String Theory -- The Universe On A Brane: Speculations On Space And Time In M-theory -- Pt. 5. Reality And Imagination -- Up In The Heavens And Down In The Earth: Experimenting With Space And Time -- Teleporters And Time Machines: Traveling Through Space And Time -- The Future Of An Allusion: Prospects For Space And Time. Brian Greene. This Is A Borzoi Book. -- T.p. Verso. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [543]-544) And Index. From the Publisher From Brian Greene, one of the world’s leading physicists, comes a grand tour of the universe that makes us look at reality in a completely different way. Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most mysterious of concepts. Is space an entity? Why does time have a direction? Could the universe exist without space and time? Can we travel to the past? Greene uses these questions to guide us toward modern science’s new and deeper understanding of the universe. From Newton’s unchanging realm in which space and time are absolute, to Einstein’s fluid conception of spacetime, to quantum mechanics’ entangled arena where vastly distant objects can bridge their spatial separation to instantaneously coordinate their behavior or even undergo teleportation, Greene reveals our world to be very different from what common experience leads us to believe. Focusing on the enigma of time, Greene establishes that nothing in the laws of physics insists that it run in any particular direction and that “time’s arrow” is a relic of the universe’s condition at the moment of the big bang. And in explaining the big bang itself, Greene shows how recent cutting-edge developments in superstring and M-theory may reconcile the behavior of everything from the smallest particle to the largest black hole. This startling vision culminates in a vibrant eleven-dimensional “multiverse,” pulsating with ever-changing textures, where space and time themselves may dissolve into subtler, more fundamental entities. Sparked by the trademark wit, humor, and brilliant use of analogy that have made The ElegantUniverse a modern classic, Brian Greene takes us all, regardless of our scientific backgrounds, on an irresistible and revelatory journey to the new layers of reality that modern physics has discovered lying just beneath the surface of our everyday world. With 146 illustrations NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From one of the world's leading physicists and author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Elegant Universe, comes “an astonishing ride” through the universe (The New York Times) that makes us look at reality in a completely different way. Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most mysterious of concepts. Is space an entity? Why does time have a direction? Could the universe exist without space and time? Can we travel to the past? Greene has set himself a daunting task: to explain non-intuitive, mathematical concepts like String Theory, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and Inflationary Cosmology with analogies drawn from common experience. From Newton's unchanging realm in which space and time are absolute, to Einstein's fluid conception of spacetime, to quantum mechanics'entangled arena where vastly distant objects can instantaneously coordinate their behavior, Greene takes us all, regardless of our scientific backgrounds, on an irresistible and revelatory journey to the new layers of reality that modern physics has discovered lying just beneath the surface of our everyday world. A magnificent challenge to conventional ideas' Financial Times'I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It manages to be both challenging and entertaining: it is highly recommended' the Independent'(Greene) send(s) the reader's imagination hurtling through the universe on an astonishing ride. As a popularizer of exquisitely abstract science, he is both a skilled and kindly explicator' the New York Times'Greene is as elegant as ever, cutting through the fog of complexity with insight and clarity; space and time become putty in his hands' Los Angeles Times Book Review