for Evidence Closer to Home: Using Particle Accelerators LHC finds a boson, but no superpartners yet
8 Part 4: The Unseen Cosmos: String Theory on the Boundaries of Knowledge Chapter 15: Making Space for Extra Dimensions What Are Dimensions? 2-Dimensional Space: Exploring the Geometry of Flatland Three Dimensions of Space Four Dimensions of Space-Time Adding More Dimensions to Make a Theory Work Sending Space and Time on a Bender Are Extra Dimensions Really Necessary? Chapter 16: Our Universe — String Theory, Cosmology, and Astrophysics The Start of the Universe with String Theory Explaining Black Holes with String Theory The Evolution of the Universe The Undiscovered Country: The Future of the Cosmos Exploring a Finely Tuned Universe Chapter 17: Have Time, Will Travel Temporal Mechanics 101: How Time Flies Slowing Time to a Standstill with Relativity General Relativity and Wormholes: Doorways in Space and Time Crossing Cosmic Strings to Allow Time Travel A Two-Timing Science: String Theory Makes More Time Dimensions Possible Sending Messages through Time
9 Part 5: What the Other Guys Say: Criticisms and Alternatives Chapter 18: Taking a Closer Look at the String Theory Controversy The String Wars: Outlining the Arguments Is String Theory Scientific? Turning a Critical Eye on String Theorists Does String Theory Describe Our Universe? A String Theory Rebuttal Trying to Make Sense of the Controversy Chapter 19: Loop Quantum Gravity: String Theory’s Biggest Competitor Taking the Loop: Introducing Another Road to Quantum Gravity Making Predictions with Loop Quantum Gravity Finding Favor and Flaw with Loop Quantum Gravity So Are These Two Theories the Same with Different Names? Chapter 20: Considering Other Ways to Explain the Universe Taking Other Roads to Quantum Gravity Newton and Einstein Don’t Make All the Rules: Modifying the Law of Gravity Rewriting the Math Books and Physics Books at the Same Time Mathematics All the Way Down: Are We Living in a Simulation?
10 Part 6: The Part of Tens Chapter 21: Ten Tests for a Theory of Quantum Gravity Reproduce Gravity Compute Quantum Corrections Describe How Gravity and Matter Interact Explain Inflation Explain What Happens When Someone Enters a Black Hole Explain Whether Singularities Are Allowed Explain the Birth and Death of Black Holes Explain the Holographic Principle Provide Testable Predictions Describe Its Own Limitations
11 Index
List of Tables
1 Chapter 8TABLE 8-1: Elementary Particle Families for Fermions
2 Chapter 10TABLE 10-1 Some Superpartner Names
List of Illustrations
1 Chapter 1FIGURE 1-1: Type I strings can go through five fundamental interactions, based ...FIGURE 1-2: In string theory, strings attach themselves to branes.FIGURE 1-3: Strings wrap around extra dimensions to create particles with diffe...
2 Chapter 2FIGURE 2-1: If you zoom in on space-time enough, you may see a chaotic “quantum...FIGURE 2-2: If supersymmetry is added, the strengths of the forces in the Stand...
3 Chapter 4FIGURE 4-1: The circle has symmetry, but the trapezoid doesn’t.
4 Chapter 5FIGURE 5-1: Waves come in two types: transverse, shown on top, and longitudinal...FIGURE 5-2: When two waves overlap, the total displacement is the sum of the tw...FIGURE 5-3: Examples of standing waves, demonstrating the first three normal mo...FIGURE 5-4: Like repels like, but opposites attract.FIGURE 5-5: A magnet moving toward