Warped Passages : Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions

The universe has its secrets. It may even hide extra dimensions, different from anything ever imagined. A whole raft of remarkable conceptsnow rides atop the scientific firmament, including parallel universes, warped geometry, and threedimensional sink-holes. We understand far more about the world than we did just a few short years ago -- and yet we are more uncertain about the true nature of the universe than ever before. Have wereached a point of scientific discovery so advanced that the laws of physics as we know them are simply not sufficient? Will we all soon have to acceptexplanations that previously remained in the realm of science fiction? Lisa Randall is herself making these extraordinary breakthroughs, pushing back the boundaries of science in her research to answer some of the most fundamental questions posed by Nature. For example, why is the gravitational field from the entire Earth so defenseless against the small tug of a tiny magnet? Searching for answers to such seemingly irresolvable questions has led physicists to postulate extra dimensions, the presence of which may lead to unimaginable gains in scientific understanding. Randall takes us into the incredible world of warped, hidden dimensions that underpin the universe we live in, describing how we might prove their existence, while examining the questions that they still leave unanswered. __Warped Passages__ provides an exhilarating overview that tracks the arc of discovery from early twentieth-century physics to the razor's edge of today's particle physics and string theory, unweaving the current debates about relativity, quantum mechanics, and gravity. In a highly readable style sure to entertain and elucidate, Lisa Randall demystifies the science and beguilingly unravels the mysteries of the myriad worlds that may exist just beyond the one we are only now beginning to know.

The universe has its secrets. It may even hide extra dimensions, different from anything ever imagined. A whole raft of remarkable conceptsnow rides atop the scientific firmament, including parallel universes, warped geometry, and threedimensional sink-holes. We understand far more about the world than we did just a few short years ago — and yet we are more uncertain about the true nature of the universe than ever before. Have wereached a point of scientific discovery so advanced that the laws of physics as we know them are simply not sufficient? Will we all soon have to acceptexplanations that previously remained in the realm of science fiction?

Lisa Randall is herself making these extraordinary breakthroughs, pushing back the boundaries of science in her research to answer some of the most fundamental questions posed by Nature. For example, why is the gravitational field from the entire Earth so defenseless against the small tug of a tiny magnet? Searching for answers to such seemingly irresolvable questions has led physicists to postulate extra dimensions, the presence of which may lead to unimaginable gains in scientific understanding. Randall takes us into the incredible world of warped, hidden dimensions that underpin the universe we live in, describing how we might prove their existence, while examining the questions that they still leave unanswered.

Warped Passages provides an exhilarating overview that tracks the arc of discovery from early twentieth-century physics to the razor's edge of today's particle physics and string theory, unweaving the current debates about relativity, quantum mechanics, and gravity. In a highly readable style sure to entertain and elucidate, Lisa Randall demystifies the science and beguilingly unravels the mysteries of the myriad worlds that may exist just beyond the one we are only now beginning to know.

Randall, a professor of physics at Harvard, offers a tour of current questions in particle physics, string theory, and cosmology, paying particular attention to the thesis that more physical dimensions exist than are usually acknowledged. Writing for a general audience, Randall is patient and kind: she encourages readers to skip around in the text, corrals mathematical equations in an appendix at the back, and starts off each chapter with an allegorical story, in a manner recalling the work of George Gamow. Although the subject itself is intractably difficult to follow, the exuberance of Randall’s narration is appealing. She’s honest about the limits of the known, and almost revels in the uncertainties that underlie her work—including the possibility that some day it may all be proved wrong.

Discusses Dimensions Of Space, Early Twentieth-century Advances, The Physics Of Elementary Particles, String Theory And Branes, And Proposals For Extra-dimension Universes. Introduction -- Entryway Passages : Demystifying Dimensions -- Restricted Passages : Rolled-up Extra Dimensions -- Exclusive Passages : Branes, Braneworlds, And The Bulk -- Approaches To Theoretical Physics -- Relativity : The Evolution Of Einstein's Gravity -- Quantum Mechanics : Principled Uncertainty, The Principal Uncertainties, And The Uncertainty Principle -- The Standard Model Of Particle Physics : Matter's Most Basic Known Structure -- Experimental Interlude : Verifying The Standard Model -- Symmetry : The Essential Organizing Principle -- The Origin Of Elementary Particle Masses : Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking And The Higgs Mechanism -- Scaling And Grand Unification : Relating Interactions At Different Lengths And Energies -- The Hierarchy Problem : The Only Effective Trickle-down Theory -- Supersymmetry : A Leap Beyond The Standard Model -- Allegro (ma Non Troppo) Passage For Strings -- Supporting Passages : Brane Development -- Bustling Passages : Braneworlds -- Sparsely Populated Passages : Multiverses And Sequestering -- Leaky Passages : Fingerprints Of Extra Dimensions -- Voluminous Passages : Large Extra Dimensions -- Warped Passage : A Solution To The Hierarchy Problem -- The Warped Annotated Alice -- Profound Passage : An Infinite Extra Dimension -- A Reflective And Expansive Passage -- Extra Dimensions : Are You In Or Out? -- (in)conclusion. Lisa Randall. Originally Published: New York : Ecco, 2005. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. I. Dimensions of space (and thought). Introduction ; Entryway passages : demystifying dimensions ; Restricted passages : rolled-up extra dimensions ; Exclusive passages : branes, braneworlds, and the bulk ; Approaches to theoretical physics II. Early twentieth-century advances. Relativity : the evolution of Einstein's gravity ; Quantum mechanics : principled uncertainty, the principal uncertainties, and the uncertainty principle III. The physics of elementary particles. The standard model of particle physics : matter's most basic known structure ; Experimental interlude : verifying the standard model ; Symmetry : the essential organizing principle ; The origin of elementary particle masses : spontaneous symmetry breaking and the Higgs mechanism ; Scaling and grand unification : relating interactions at different lengths and energies ; The hierarchy problem : the only effective trickle-down theory ; Supersymmetry : a leap beyond the standard model IV. String theory and branes. Allegro (ma non troppo) passage for strings ; Supporting passages : brane development ; Bustling passages : braneworlds V. Proposals for extra-dimensional universes. Sparsely populated passages : multiverses and sequestering ; Leaky passages : fingerprints of extra dimensions ; Voluminous passages : large extra dimensions ; Warped passage : a solution to the hierarchy problem ; The warped annotated "Alice" ; Profound passage : an infinite extra dimension ; A reflective and expansive passage VI. Closing thoughts. Extra dimensions : are you in or out? ; (In)conclusion Glossary Math notes. The universe has many secrets. It may hide additional dimensions of space other than the familier three we recognize. There might even be another universe adjacent to ours, invisible and unattainable . . . for now. Warped Passages is a brilliantly readable and altogether exhilarating journey that tracks the arc of discovery from early twentieth-century physics to the razor's edge of modern scientific theory. One of the world's leading theoretical physicists, Lisa Randall provides astonishing scientific possibilities that, until recently, were restricted to the realm of science fiction. Unraveling the twisted threads of the most current debates on relativity, quantum mechanics, and gravity, she explores some of the most fundamental questions posed by Naturetaking us into the warped, hidden dimensions underpinning the universe we live in, demystifying the science of the myriad worlds that may exist just beyond our own. This book was a trip. While there is a lot of technical information there is a lot to be learned from the author. She walks through the concepts of string theory and multidimensional theory in a very fun and inventive way. There are areas that you can easily skip and not lose a beat and the author will tell you when she is going to give more information or go off on a tangent and what you will be able to skip. If this is your first time reading about string theory or extra dimensions then I would not recommend this personally. I think having a base to start from will go a long way to ensuring that you comprehend what is being discussed because there are some new concepts that are presented. It took me much longer to get through this book than I had imagined only due to the technical nature and the times I had to re-read sections after putting the book down for a day or two. In "Warped Passages" one of the world's most exciting scientists gives us a glimpse into our future. Incredibly readable - and illustrated throughout - it allows the general reader to understand the questions that scientists are dealing with at the frontiers of research today. Lisa Randall allows the reader to understand the kind of problems that extra dimensions might solve and the kind of speculation that is needed even to imagine them. She also gives an introduction to developments in early twentieth century physics, particle physics and string theory and addresses current debates about relativity, quantum mechanics and gravity - and she describes the questions that are still to be solved Gives us a glimpse into our future. This book allows the reader to understand the questions that scientists deal with at the frontiers of research. It explains the kind of problems that extra dimensions might solve and the kind of speculation that is needed even to imagine them. The word "dimension," like so many words that describe space or motion through it, has many interpretations-and by now I think I've heard them all.