Dimensions and the quest for the ultimate theory which i found unsatisfying in. String theory, a collection of david foster wallaces writings on tennis will be out next month. Once you find the right principles to describe nature at. Lisa randalls guide to the galaxy science smithsonian. People have made progress but certainly dont know all the answers. Professor lisa randall studies theoretical particle physics and cosmology at harvard university. Randall works with string theory and the fierce competition between competing schools is the context. Randall is happy to take a pop at string theorists who talk of 10 or 11 dimensions when nobody really knows how string theory actually works, and. Lisa randall is a professor of physics at harvard and one of the more original theorists at work in the profession today. Her research connects theoretical insights to puzzles in our current understanding of the properties and interactions of matter.
If you have an open string associated with the electron, for example, its on a brane. One reason resides in string theory, in which it is postulated that the particles are not themselves fundamental but are oscillation modes of a fundamental string. I have a friend, a scientist, who goes down to sante fe, and met cormac. Unraveling the mysteries of the universes hidden dimensions is the debut nonfiction book by lisa randall, published in 2005, about particle physics in general and additional dimensions of space cf. How physics and scientific thinking illuminate the universe and the modern world. The conceptual terrain of contemporary physics centering on rarified and exotic subjects such as string theory and warped geometry mapped by popularizers such as carl sagan, briane greene, and, now, randall is rife with notions such as standard model observables, parallel universes, threedimensional sinkholes, cosmological inflation, baryogenesis, grand unified theories, kaluza klein particles, extra dimensions, branes, and such. Few will be watching the results more carefully than a softspoken young harvard professor named lisa randall, who has been making a name for herself as one of the most promising theoretical. She has developed and studied a wide variety of models to address these questions, the most prominent involving extra. String theory is elegant mathematics but has also been portrayed as castles in the sky due to its lack of relationship to anything observable. The dark energy of a theoretical physicist the new yorker. A week ago, lisa randall recorded another interview. Warped passages provides an exhilarating overview that tracks the arc of discovery from early twentiethcentury physics to the razors edge of todays particle physics and string theory, unweaving the current debates about relativity, quantum mechanics, and gravity. The universe, branes, and the science of multiple dimensions how a needle, a shower curtain, and a new england clam explain the possibility of parallel universes.
Popular string theory books showing 150 of 98 the elegant universe. Particle physics is based on the idea that at a fundamental level, everything is composed of elementary particles. She takes the reader through some marvelous explanations of spaces with more than three dimensions, and gives a great overview of the thinking that lead to string theory. A top female icon lisa randall, harvard, american theoretical physicist and a leading expert on particle physics and cosmology. Lisa randall is an american theoretical physicist and a leading expert on particle physics and cosmology. An introduction to the bosonic string cambridge monographs on mathematical physics by.
Open strings are anchored to the surface of a brane, so the particles associated with them are stuck on the brane. Unraveling the mysteries of the universes hidden dimensions, published by ecco. Scientific debate is healthy, but is better if this is said explicitly. Lisa randall s new book is about to come out, its entitled knocking on heavens door. Lisa randall keynote speakers bureau and speaking fee. Harvard physicist lisa randall, a noted researcher into string theory and dark matter, has written a new book about physics. Nonetheless, fundamental questions remain unresolved, motivating speculations beyond what is already known. Its a book intended for a popular audience, containing an overview of modern physics, but concentrating on the idea of extra dimensions beyond the standard four we know about. Her book is an effort to tie particle physics with string theory. One of the worlds leading theoretical physicists, lisa randall provides astonishing. In her books aimed at a wide audience, she explains both the inner workings of matter at the smallest scales and the content and structure of the universe on the largest.
Lisa randall does a great job of explaining these concepts to the layman. Lisa randall born june 18, 1962 is an american theoretical physicist working in particle physics and cosmology. String theory may or may not pan out but she knows an awful lot of the subject and i respect her greatly. It turns out that its really two books in one, both of which are much better and more clearly written than her previous effort, warped passages. Short of all, string theorists accused of nothing a provocative branch of physics called string theory might explain everything in the universe, such. Theres a lot about string theory in the book, with randall clearly. Unraveling the mysteries of the universes hidden dimensions, and finished reading it last night. No new theory can develop without dedicated scientists working hard to refine and interpret it.
The universe, branes, and the science of multiple dimensions. In string theory there are two types of strings, open ones with ends and closed ones that loop around. Superstrings, hidden dimensions, and the quest for the ultimate theory paperback. As one would expect, there was a question about the lhc, and also one about the socalled string theory backlash. And it was there, in the summer of 1998, that lisa randall, now a professor of. In the fancifully titled knocking on heavens door, her second. Her best known contribution to the field is the randall sundrum model, first published in 1999 with raman sundrum. Warped passages is a book by lisa randall, published in 2005, about particle physics in general and additional dimensions of space cf. Witten below in his strings unravel lets you know what string theory has accomplished. Discusses dimensions of space, early twentiethcentury advances, the physics of elementary particles, string theory and branes, and proposals for extradimension universes knocking on heavens door.
I wanted to meet the theoretical physicist lisa randall because of a novel im trying to write. She studies the standard model, supersymmetry, possible solutions to the hierarchy problem. Lisa randall is a leading scientific authority on m theory, an incredibly powerful model of theoretical physics that offers solutions to problems that are offlimits to conventional physics. American theoretical physicist and expert on particle physics, string theory and cosmology, who worked on several of the competing models of string theory in the quest to explain the fabric of reality.
Randall is visible seated at a table behind sheldon, but was instructed to be inconspicuous. She began her physics career at stuyvesant high school in new york city. She has developed and studied a wide variety of models to address these questions, the most prominent involving extra dimensions of. Well okay, so first of all what problem is string theory trying to solve. Now its time to find out more about some of the scientists themselves, the people who make string theory tick as they research the mysteries of. Professor of science on the physics faculty of harvard university. Last but certainly not least is probably one of the bestknown string theorists, especially among nonphysicists. See more ideas about lisa randall, physicist and physics. Randall, a slender woman, now 50, reminds one of a younger joan didion lightyears of. One reason might be help from wellknown novelist cormac mccarthy who is. One reason resides in string theory, in which it is postulated that the particles are not themselves fundamental but are oscillation modes of a. Two years after her climbing accident, lisa randall shakes her head, still not.
Her research includes elementary particles, fundamental forces and dimensions of space. Warped view of the universe education the guardian. Randall developed the theory of branes, named after their membranelike structure. In a highly readable style sure to entertain and elucidate, lisa randall. Lisa randall and string theory five years ago, peter, larry, and a few other folks established, an online knowledge forum, which has featured interviews with 2,000 or so people so far.
John jeremiah sullivan wrote an introduction, which was published recently in the new yorker the collection is also available on the kindle, without the sullivan intro. She works on several of the competing models of string theory in the quest to explain the fabric of the universe. Lisa randall is a professor of physics at harvard university, where she also earned her phd 1987. My editor thought the problem was the main character, who was supposed to be a writer and a mother. Even if we dont directly test string theory we can test ideas that come out of string theory like extra dimensions and branes if they are related to physical phenomena we observe. She works on several of the competing models of string theory.
A couple days ago i got ahold of a copy of lisa randall s new book warped passages. A couple days ago i got ahold of a copy of lisa randalls new book warped. Superstrings, hidden dimensions, and the quest for the ultimate theory. Lisa randall one of physics brightest stars ventures into 10 dimensions, visits other universes, explains gravity, and keeps her sense of humor. Lisa randall is professor of physics at harvard university. The book has made it to top 50 at, making it the worlds first successful book on theoretical physics by a female author. Contact bigspeak speakers bureau for the top business speakers and keynote speakers including lisa randall. Lisa randall born june 18, 1962 is an american theoretical physicist and a leading expert on particle physics and cosmology. Lisa randall talked about her book warped passages. On gravity, oreos and a theory of everything the new. Plus there are the other issues which are simply that its a hard theory. String theory is a topdown approach to progress in physics total revolution from above.
Brian greenes popularity as a writer and spokesman for the field dates back to his 1999 book the elegant universe. The core idea is that the there are 11 dimensions in the universe, contained on different membranes. String theory is trying to reconcile quantum mechanics and gravity. Throughout this book, you read about some of the pioneering work in string theory.
497 1532 427 1076 145 944 3 292 1057 738 716 84 36 1085 580 1314 1235 1032 290 727 453 547 839 91 1249 72 696 677 1416 273 1418 490 606 999 234 1021 1050 1147 378