Parallel Worlds (book)
First edition cover art | |
Author | Michio Kaku |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Subject | Physics |
Genre | Popular science |
Publisher | Doubleday |
Publication date | December 28, 2004 |
Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
Pages | 428 |
ISBN | 978-0385509862 |
LC Class | QB981 .K134 2005 |
Preceded by | Visions (book) |
Followed by | Physics of the Impossible |
Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos is a popular science book by Michio Kaku first published in 2004.[1]
Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Preface
Part I: The Universe
- Chapter One: Baby Pictures of the Universe
- Chapter Two: The Paradoxical Universe
- Chapter Three: The Big Bang
- Chapter Four: Inflation and Parallel Universes
Part II: The Multiverse
- Chapter Five: Dimensional Portals and Time Travel
- Chapter Six: Parallel Quantum Universes
- Chapter Seven: M-Theory: The Mother of All Strings
- Chapter Eight: A Designer Universe?
- Chapter Nine: Searching for Echoes from the Eleventh Dimension
Part III: Escape into Hyperspace
- Chapter Ten: The End of Everything
- Chapter Eleven: Escaping the Universe
- Chapter Twelve: Beyond the Multiverse
- Notes
- Glossary
- Recommended Reading
- Index
Summary
From the back of the book:
In this thrilling journey into the mysteries of our cosmos, bestselling author Michio Kaku takes us on a dizzying ride to explore black holes and time machines, multidimensional space and, most tantalizing of all, the possibility that parallel universes may lie alongside our own. Kaku skillfully guides us through the latest innovations in string theory and its most recent iteration, M-theory, which posits that our universe may be just one in an endless multiverse, a singular bubble floating in a sea of infinite bubble universes. If M-theory is proven correct, we may perhaps finally find an answer to the question, "What happened before the big bang?" This is an exciting and unforgettable introduction to the cutting-edge theories of physics and cosmology from one of the preeminent voices in the field.
Theme
In Parallel Worlds, Kaku presents many of the leading theories in physics; from Newtonian physics to Relativity to Quantum Physics to String theory and even into the newest version of string theory, called M-theory. He makes available to the reader a comprehensive description of many of the more compelling theories in physics, including many interesting predictions each theory makes, what physicists, astronomers, and cosmologists are looking for now and what technology they are using in their search.
Reception
Scarlett Thomas writing for The Independent calls Parallel Worlds "absolutely impossible to put down."[2] Mark Mortimer for Universe Today felt the book maintains a nice balance between detail and corollary while sometimes drifting to the philosophical side of things.[3] Gerry Gilmore for The Guardian also mocks the notion of trying to escape the far off heat death of the universe.[4] The book was a finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction in the UK.[5]
See also
- Many-worlds interpretation
- The 4 Percent Universe by Richard Panek
- The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene
- The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene
- The Fabric of Reality by David Deutsch
- The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking
- The Science of Interstellar by Kip Thorne
References
- ↑ Kaku, Michio (2004). Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-50986-2.
- ↑ Thomas, Scarlett (February 6, 2005). "Bets with the cosmic bookmaker". The Independent. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
- ↑ Mortimer, Mark. "Book Review: Parallel Worlds". Universe Today. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
- ↑ Gilmore, Gerry (April 30, 2005). "Bang up to date?". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
- ↑ Kaku, Michio. "Samuel Johnson Prize for Non Fiction 2005 - Longlist". Parallel Worlds. BBC.