Waubonsee Community College

The great beyond, higher dimensions, parallel universes and the extraordinary search for a theory of everything, Paul Halpern

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 314-318) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The great beyond

bibliography

54611230

Paul Halpern

"It is among the most elegant, radical, and tantalizing theories ever to be fashioned by the keen lathe of mathematical insight. For the better part of two centuries, the notion of higher dimensions beyond space and time has fueled the imaginations of scientists, writers, occultists, and more than a few con artists." "In The Great Beyond, physicist, mathematician, and author Paul Halpern presents a comprehensive history of the foundations and development of this unfathomable yet irresistible construct. He traces the influence of multidimensional theory on science and society, profiling dozens of brilliant, idiosyncratic thinkers whose labors and insights have advanced, expanded, and popularized the theory. Readers will meet the mathematician who believed that geometry could explain the entire universe, the headmaster who imagined life in two dimensions, and the two theorists who independently discovered the "miracle" that forms the foundation of all modern multidimensional concepts." "The Great Beyond will delight and astonish readers seeking a deeper appreciation of the most profound and controversial questions that confront modern science."--Jacket

higher dimensions, parallel universes and the extraordinary search for a theory of everything

Introduction: the Kaluza-Klein miracle -- The power of geometry -- Visions of hyperspace -- The physicist's stone: uniting electricity, magnetism and light -- Getting gravity in shape -- Striking the fifth chord: Kaluza's remarkable discovery -- Klein's quantum odyssey -- Einstein's dilemma -- Truth under exile: theorizing at Princeton -- Brave new world: seeking unity in an age of conflict -- Gauging the weak and the strong -- Hyperspace packages tied up in strings -- Brane worlds and parallel universes -- Conclusion: Extra-dimensional perception