Parallel Worlds - The Science of Alternative Universes
and Our Future in the Cosmos.
Michio Kaku
Penguin
Reviewed by Gail Jamieson, 4 May 2005
This is a wonderful book, written by a physicist who has the skills of an
author. He takes us through the past, present and future history of our
Universe in a way that keeps you reading to see what will happen next.
We start off with data from the WMAP satellite which has given us a picture
of the early Universe when it was a mere 380 000 years old, showing us
the microwave radiation created by the big bang itself.
He takes us through the theories of Inflation and Parallel Universes. We
follow the ideas of Newton and Einstein and finally end up with the M-theory,
which encompasses String Theory - based on tiny vibrating strings such that
each mode of vibration corresponds to a subatomic particle. Kaku tells us
that it is the only theory that can combine gravity with the quantum theory
thus making it the leading candidate for a theory of everything.
We go on to the future of our Universe and theories of what will finally
happen to it. Will it contract and then rebound into another big bang or will
it freeze and cause the death of all intelligent life?
Then finally what intelligent life can do to escape if there is no hope for
our Universe. The possibility of escape to parallel universes and beyond.
I would say that this book would appeal to anyone who is curious about our
world and as it is written in a way that anybody with even just an idea of
Newtonian and Quantum physics can understand. He gives us the conclusions in a
very clear manner without us having to get bogged down in the Maths.
He also uses a lot of Science Fictional examples from novels we have all
read to illustrate his points, which I found clever and interesting. He
presents all the options, and there are many, and then leaves us to think
about them.
Highly recommended.
|
