Superstrings: A Theory of Everything?P. C. W. Davies, Julian Brown Superstring theory is one of the most exciting and actively pursued branches of physics today. The far-reaching claims made for this theory would, if correct, provide the much sought-after Theory of Everything, the unification of physics. It would enable the fundamental building blocks of matter to be identified and amalgamated in a common description, with a unified theory of all the forces of nature. This book explains the theory for laymen, in an introduction to the subject which originated in the BBC Radio programme, Desperately Seeking Superstrings. A clear, concise, non-mathematical explanation of the theory and its profound implications is followed by transcripts of interviews with all the most important physicists involved in its development. Superstrings makes a fascinating topic at the forefront of modern scientific research accessible to physicists, philosophers and general readers alike. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
12 Unity at the heart of nature | 6 |
13 The theory of relativity | 8 |
14 The quantum theory | 18 |
15 The world of subatomic particles | 21 |
16 The four forces | 26 |
17 Messenger particles | 29 |
18 Symmetry and supersymmetry | 33 |
John Schwarz | 70 |
Edward Witten | 90 |
Michael Green | 107 |
David Gross | 140 |
John Ellis | 151 |
Abdus Salam | 170 |
Sheldon Glashow | 180 |
Richard Feynman | 192 |
19 Unification of the forces | 47 |
110 Unified gauge theories | 52 |
111 Supergravity | 60 |
112 Mathematical diseases | 63 |
113 String theory | 67 |
Steven Weinberg | 211 |
Glossary | 225 |
Index | 229 |
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