Space and Time in the Modern Universe

by Paul C.W. Davies

Book Overview

Es tiempo ya de tomar conciencia de que existen varios modelos del universo propuestos por los cient ficos del siglo XX. En opini n del autor esta concepci n distinta de la estructura espacio-temporal... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521291518
• ISBN13: 9780521291514
• Release Date: May 1977
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Introducing the New Physics and Modern Cosmology

"The notion of space-time is something we've cherished for thousands of years, and it's clearly something we're going to have to give up . . . space-time is an uncertain concept, so you've lost your firm footing, . . . And that is a deep conceptual issue we have not yet come to grips with." Andrew Strominger, Harvard physicist Introducing the New Physics: 'Space and time in the modern universe,' was written by Paul Davies thirty years ago, but still best serves to introduce the 'New Physics,' and review the modern physics developments, linking the big bang with the string theory. Certain approaches to string theory dispense with the notion of space-time completely. Yet, they seem to produce the same set of results as string theories with normal space and time. To some theorists, this strongly reflects that space & time are irrelevant. Space and time as fundamental concepts may be about to finally disappear, pulling the floor out from under physics. Issues & Book Contents: Modern physics difficult concepts are introduced in the first three chapters, while in the fourth he proceeds easily from general relativity gravitation to space-time bending, black holes, concluding masterfully with Wheeler's space-time breaking up, that brought to my memory the talents of G. Gamow. 1 The many faces of space and time 2 The relativity revolution 3 The symmetry of past and future 4 Gravitation and bending of space-time 5 Modern cosmology 6 the beginning of the end 7 mankind in the universe Space & Time Illusion: Quantum mechanics has even introduced more uncertainty, "Trying to pin down a subatomic particle's location or motion is like trying to put your finger on a snowflake; the very act of measurement destroys the thing being measured." Concurs physicist Nathan Seiberg, of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton: "I am almost certain that space and time are illusions. These are primitive notions that will be replaced by something more sophisticated." That conclusion, is rocking the foundations of physics, causing metaphysical reechoings that inevitably follow radical changes in our basic understanding of how the universe works. String Theory: String theory emerged as the only viable solution to reconcile gravitation with quantum mechanics, by eliminating the notion of infinitely small particles. The loop of string is the smallest allowable size. The cause behind this confusion is the string theory, a concept that has become dominant in modern physics. It proposes that the basic ingredients in the universe are no longer the familiar particles, electrons and quarks, but absolutely small vibrating strings of unknown fundamental essense. Different configurations of strings produce different harmonic chords. The vibrating string gives rise to the particles, and the way the string vibrates determines each particle's properties. The string theory appears to be propelling this evolution one inevitable drastic step further.