Front cover image for The elegant universe : superstrings, hidden dimensions, and the quest for the ultimate theory

The elegant universe : superstrings, hidden dimensions, and the quest for the ultimate theory

"String theory, many physicists believe, is the key to the unified field theory that eluded Einstein for more than thirty years. At last, science has found a way to overcome the nearly century-old rift between the laws of the large - general relativity - and the laws of the small - quantum mechanics. String theory deftly unites these two pillars of modern physics into a single, harmonious whole by declaring that all of the wondrous happenings in the universe arise from the vibrations of one single entity: microscopically tiny loops of energy that lie deep within the heart of matter." "In this articulated and clear book, Brian Greene relates the scientific story and the human struggle behind the search for the ultimate theory. Through the artful use of metaphor and analogy, The Elegant Universe makes some of the most sophisticated concepts ever contemplated viscerally accessible and thoroughly entertaining, bringing us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works."--Jacket
Print Book, English, 2003
W.W. Norton & Co., New York, 2003
xv, 448 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
9780393058581, 9780393338102, 0393058581, 039333810X
1001878966
Includes additional preface, 2003
Edition statement from p. vii
"First edition" on t.p. verso