The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos

Brian Greene

Alfred A. Knopf, 2011 - Science - 370 pages

From the best-selling author of The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos comes his most expansive and accessible book to date--a book that takes on the grandest question: Is ours the only universe?

There was a time when "universe" meant all there is. Everything. Yet, in recent years discoveries in physics and cosmology have led a number of scientists to conclude that our universe may be one among many. With crystal-clear prose and inspired use of analogy, Brian Greene shows how a range of different "multiverse" proposals emerges from theories developed to explain the most refined observations of both subatomic particles and the dark depths of space: a multiverse in which you have an infinite number of doppelgangers, each reading this sentence in a distant universe; a multiverse comprising a vast ocean of bubble universes, of which ours is but one; a multiverse that endlessly cycles through time, or one that might be hovering millimeters away yet remains invisible; another in which every possibility allowed by quantum physics is brought to life. Or, perhaps strangest of all, a multiverse made purely of math.

Greene, one of our foremost physicists and science writers, takes us on a captivating exploration of these parallel worlds and reveals how much of reality's true nature may be deeply hidden within them. And, with his unrivaled ability to make the most challenging of material accessible and entertaining, Greene tackles the core question: How can fundamental science progress if great swaths of reality lie beyond our reach?

Sparked by Greene's trademark wit and precision, The Hidden Reality is at once a far-reaching survey of cutting-edge physics and a remarkable journey to the very edge of reality--a journey grounded firmly in science and limited only by our imagination.

Contents

• Endless Doppelgängers: 10
• Eternity and Infinity: 37
• Unifying Natures Laws: 72
• Hovering Universes in Nearby Dimensions: 104
• New Thinking About an Old Constant: 128
• Science and the Multiverse: 164
• The Many Worlds of Quantum Measurement: 189
• Black Holes and Holograms: 238
• Universes Computers and Mathematical Reality: 274
• The Limits of Inquiry: 307
• Notes: 323
• Suggestions for Further Reading: 353

About the author

Brian Greene received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his doctorate from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He joined the physics faculty of Cornell University in 1990, was appointed to a full professorship in 1995, and in 1996 joined Columbia University, where he is professor of physics and mathematics. He has lectured at both a general and a technical level in more than thirty countries, and on all seven continents, and is widely regarded for a number of groundbreaking discoveries in superstring theory. His first book, The Elegant Universe, was a national best seller and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His most recent book, The Fabric of the Cosmos, was also a best seller. He lives in Andes, New York, and New York City.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos
• Author: Brian Greene
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011
• ISBN: 0307265633, 9780307265630
• Length: 370 pages
• Subjects: Science / Cosmology; Science / Physics / Astrophysics; Science / Physics / General; Science / Physics / Quantum Theory; Science / Physics / Relativity; Science / Space Science / Cosmology