THIS WAY TO THE UNIVERSE

A theoretical physicist introduces us to his complex scientific discipline.

Physicists study many fields, but when writing for lay readers, they mostly confine themselves to the history, makeup, and future of the universe, and this is an earnest addition to a prolific genre. Veteran readers encountering the traditional question, “Why is there something rather than nothing?” don’t expect a straightforward answer but rather a lesson in cosmology from the Big Bang to the present day, when unexpected discoveries have complicated the lives of theorists such as Dine. While he admits that spectacular explanations from the past have not kept up with new phenomena that require explanation, he and his colleagues are working hard on difficult material. Beginning with the easy part, history, the author maintains that the ancients who used calculations got a few things right, but those who stuck to theory (mostly Aristotle) were mostly wrong. As such, modern physics began with Isaac Newton, who described the only force that figured practically in human lives at the time, gravity. Two centuries passed before James Clerk Maxwell drew a complete picture of an equally essential force, electromagnetism. Few readers will be surprised or confused by Dine’s expert discussion of Einstein, who eliminated many of the difficulties plaguing 19th-century physics; introduced a radically new, flexible conception of space and time; and bequeathed us classical physics, which explains the large-scale universe. Soon, writes the author, “a much more drastic upheaval was in store with quantum mechanics, which Einstein also helped set in motion.” Proceeding well into the 21st century, Dine delivers a detailed, if often skeptical, account of the great questions and often unsatisfactory answers to problems in astro- and quantum physics, examining such topics as the Big Bang, inflation theory, galaxy formation, black holes, dark matter and energy, string theory, and supersymmetry. Lacking equations and illustrations, the book will appeal to educated, science-inclined readers; those with no experience with physics may struggle.

Excellent popular science for readers willing to work.