Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Hyperspace:A scientific Odyssey

When reading the reveiw of Paul Davies, new book, I was able to recall reading this book. What fun! I love the chase! It is so exciting that our physicists are capable of putting pen to paper, and bringing us into their worlds. How I longed to understand the universe on their terms, how I wished I had been guided in that direction at graduation from high school It was not meant to be, even if I had the choice or the chance, because math and I are strangers at a certain point. Now, with the wisdom from age, and experience, I can luxuriate in the worlds that are painted in the only language I can understand, the written word, translated from mathmatical formulas of such beauty, I can only imagine them and wish, to be entered into that world of knowledge.

Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the Tenth Dimension
by Michio Kaku, Robert O'Keefe (Illustrator)
Product Details
Annotation
From the Publisher
From The Critics
Customer Reviews
Author Description

Product Details
ISBN: 0385477058ISBN-13: 9780385477055
Format: Paperback, 359pp
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Sales Rank: 20,818


AnnotationKaku, a physicist, paints a vivid portrait of the groundbreaking theory of hyperspace and its newest wrinkle--superstring theory.
From the PublisherAre there other dimensions beyond our own? Is time travel possible? Can we change the past? Are there gateways to parallel universes? All of us have pondered such questions, but there was a time when scientists dismissed these notions as outlandish speculations. Not any more. Today, they are the focus of the most intense scientific activity in recent memory. In Hyperspace, Michio Kaku, author of the widely acclaimed Beyond Einstein and a leading theoretical physicist, offers the first book-length tour of the most exciting (and perhaps most bizarre) work in modern physics, work which includes research on the tenth dimension, time warps, black holes, and multiple universes. The theory of hyperspace (or higher dimensional space) - and its newest wrinkle, superstring theory - stand at the center of this revolution, with adherents in every major research laboratory in the world, including several Nobel laureates. Beginning where Hawking's Brief History of Time left off, Kaku paints a vivid portrayal of the breakthroughs now rocking the physics establishment. Why all the excitement? As the author points out, for over half a century, scientists have puzzled over why the basic forces of the cosmos - gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces - require markedly different mathematical descriptions. But if we see these forces as vibrations in a higher dimensional space, their field equations suddenly fit together like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, perfectly snug, in an elegant, astonishingly simple form. This may thus be our leading candidate for the Theory of Everything. If so, it would be the crowning achievement of 2,000 years of scientific investigation into matter and its forces. Already, the theory has inspired several thousand research papers, and has been the focus of over 200 international conferences. Many leading scientists believe the theory will unlock the deepest secrets of creation and answer some of the most intriguing questions of all
From The Critics
Publishers Weekly
Since ingesting Einstein's relativity theory 50 years ago, physics fell down a quantum rabbit hole and, ever since, physicists' reports to the world of popular science have been curiouser and curiouser. This version, from the author of the graduate text Quantum Field Theory , is very curious as he delineates the ``delicious contradictions'' of the quantum revolution: that the new paradigms of subatomic matter require the existence of ``hyperspace,'' an ultimate universe of many dimensions, to accomodate their mostly mathematical behaviors. Unified field theory as it is currently understood does not preclude any of the hypotheses that Kaku invites to this Mad Hatter's Theory Party: superstrings, parallel universes and, his centerpiece, time travel. Although occasionally facile, Kaku remains on solid theoretical ground up to the point of his untestable hypotheses, which lead to his more abstract arguments. In the past decade particle physics has lurched to astonishing contradictions and Kaku's adventurous, tantalizing book should not be penalized for promising more than present technology can test. His intellectual perceptions will thrill lay readers, SF fans and the physics-literate. Illustrations. (Apr.)
Library Journal

With erudition and wisdom, Kaku (physics, CUNY) has written a fascinating overview of the major scientists, discoveries, and ideas involved in an ongoing quest for synthesizing quantum mechanics and relativity physics into a superstring theory of our entire universe (unifying gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces). His clear and concise exposition in cosmology explores many topics, ranging from subatomic particles (e.g., quarks and leptons), exobiology, and black holes to wormholes, time travel, and other universes. Kaku stresses that modern physics still needs a more powerful topology mathematics in order to understand completely our expanding and evolving cosmos. Of value for both specialists and general readers, Hyperspace is an engaging and intriguing book. Highly recommended for all science collections in academic and public libraries.-- James Birx, Canisius Coll., Buffalo, N.Y.
Booknews
Popular science writer and theoretical physicist, Kaku (physics, City College of the City University of New York), offers a look for the general reader into the newest scientific revolution: the theory of hyperspace. Discussion includes the fifth dimension, superstrings, wormholes, time machines, and the fate of the universe. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Author DescriptionMichio Kaku is Professor of Theoretical Physics at the City College of the City University of New York. He graduated from Harvard and received his Ph.D. from Berkeley. He is author of Beyond Einstein (with Jennifer Trainer), Quantum Field Theory: A Modern Introduction, and Introduction to Superstrings. He has also hosted a weekly hour-long science program on radio for the past ten years.
City College of the City University of New York

Books I loved

The Seven Daughers of Eve, by Bryan Sykes, the discovery of the maternal line of DNA, allows us to trace our genetic makeup back to prehistoric times, "to seven primeval women".

Sykes is a professor of genetics at the Institue of Molecular Medicine at Oxford University and his book is wonderful. I highly recommend it

The Divine Matrix, bridging time, space, miracles and belief, by Gregg Braden Gregg was a former senior aerospace computer systems designer, and he has been trying to answer many questions for himself, that we all want to dream of and answer. A book to ponder over. I noticed that I have many page markers to go back to during dreaming time.

I have not read, but I am looking at , The Intention Experiment by Lynne McTaggart
and The Cosmic Jackpot by Paul Davies. Davies is particularly interesting to me, because I just read a brief review in my subscription magazine, Shift: At the Frontiers of Consciousness #16, Sept-Nov. Page 7 first column on the left.

The review states that Davies argues "for a grand cosmic plan. The universe, he believes , is filled with meaning and purpose. He goes on to suggest that human beings-through the sheer act of observation-may have helped shape the laws of physics billions of years ago. What's more he says the universe seems to work like a giant computer. Indeed, it's possible that's exactly what it is, and we-like Neo in The Matrix, might just be living in a simulated virtual world. " This quote was taken from, "We are Meant to Be Here" Steve Paulson,www.salon.com (July3,2007)

Wow! I love it...Davies is an eminent physicist who has written a number of great books, and received many rewards. I am going to that book site to review it some more, I am very interested in that idea. I have had thoughts that we are truly a reflection of a world beyond, that our loved ones return to after they complete their earthly journey, and I say that for reasons, that are hard to believe, but give deep thought to the idea.

Cosmic Jackpot: Why Our Universe Is Just Right for Life
by:
Paul Davies

HISTORICAL SOCIETIES

Historical Societies have much to offer our children and others. They tell the story of life, of globalization, of where we came from, and how we got here. They tells the story of where we are going. What better gift, then for a reunion class to remember the Historical Society of the town that they graduated high shcool from.

My dad was an immigrant from Salsa Maggiore, Italy, my mother was born in this country from Italian immigrants. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to grow up in Framingham, Mass., and I love to think about the history of the town, the people and how it came to be at one time the population center of Massachusetts and the typical American town in the 1950's. It was at that time that the United States government used Framingham as a bell marker for the country,

Famous people, companies, owners and their success came from Framingham, Perini Construction, Bianchi wedding gowns, Ken's Foods, Christa McAuliffe, etc. So hopefully our little Historical Society will be able to preserve , the immigrants, the children of the immigrants, and the change that came to our town in the 50's leading us into the new century. I suggest we consider a program for our museum focusing on these three areas, and that we call it,Becoming Americans.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Globalization, and understanding it

Bound Together, How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers, and Warriors Shaped Globalization by Nayan Chanda

This is a wonderful book to help those taking a stand on Globalization, to understand that it is a normal part of being human. Globalization began when we walked out of Africa.

Wow! I have tried to correct the spelling three times, and it will not work! I have allowed some posts to go without editing for that reason...sorry.