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THE GREAT BEYOND: Higher Dimensions, Parallel Universes, and the Extraordinary Search for a Theory of Everything

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 September 2004, 06:00 CDT

THE GREAT BEYOND: Higher Dimensions, Parallel Universes, and the Extraordinary Search for a Theory of Everything

PAUL HALPERN

A theory that would unite all the forces of nature- electromagnetism, gravity, the weak nuclear force, and the strong nuclear force-into a single cohesive expression, or a so-called theory of everything, is the ultimate goal for many modern physicists. The problem has been so formidable, however, that theorists have pinned their hopes on dimensions beyond space and time as the most plausible, albeit imperceptible, sources for all four forces. Halpern examines the course of this pursuit and looks at how the quest for a multidimensional theory has influenced both science and society. He focuses on individuals such as mathematician Theodor Kaluza and physicist Oskar Klein, who in the early 1900s published theories that linked electromagnetism with gravity via extra dimensions. Scores of scientists have tried to elaborate on the Kaluza-Klein approach. Among them was Albert Einstein, who resisted it at first but found it too "luscious and enticing" to ignore. Halpern explores in depth the work of many of these scientists and explains the impact they've had on the modern physicists and mathematicians who are closer than ever to understanding nature's unity and higher dimensions. Wiley, 2004, 326 p., hardcover, $27.95.

Copyright Science Service, Incorporated Aug 28, 2004

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