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    The End Of Physics: The Myth Of A Unified Theory
    The End Of Physics: The Myth Of A Unified Theory
    The End Of Physics: The Myth Of A Unified Theory
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    Basic Books

    The End Of Physics: The Myth Of A Unified Theory

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    For more than a century physicists have hoped that they were closing in on the Holy Grail of modern science: a unified theory that would make sense of the entire physical world, from the subnuclear realm of quarks and gluons to the very moment of creation of the universe. The End of Physics is a history of the attempts to find such a “theory of everything”; a forceful argument it will never be found; and a warning that the compromises necessary to produce a final theory may well undermine the rules of good science.At the heart of Lindley's story is the rise of the particle physicists and their attempts to reach far out into the cosmos for a unifying theory. Working beyond the grasp of the largest telescopes or the most powerful particle accelerators, and unable to subject their findings and theories to experimental scrutiny, they have moved into a world governed entirely by mathematical and highly speculative theorizing, none of which can be empirically verified. Lindley argues that a theory of everything derived from particle physics will be full of untested—and untestable—assumptions. And if physicists yield to such speculation, the field will retreat from the high ground of science, becoming instead a modern mythology. This would mean the end of physics as we know it.
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    Customer Reviews

    Best Overview of History of Physics I've ReadThe author David Lindley defines terms that are often loosely used in physics. Although I have a physics degree, Lindley was the first author I've read who took the time to explicate the classic "action at a distance" and to distinguish it from relativity's propagation of gravity at the speed of light (and as well from Einstein's "spooky action at a distance"). Did you know that Newton viewed "action at a distance" and the separate definitions of inertial and gravitational mass as problematic? Lindley points out such critical details.As my review title states, this book contains the best overview of the history of physics I have read. I wish Lindley would re-release it as just that with a little beefing up and a new title. Most physics majors would gain some clarification by reading this book. 5The Physics of Reality vs. The Physics of ReligionLindley's fine summary of the current state of physics mentions organized religion a few times. He says that "simplicity is the religion of cosmology."After living the life of an orthodox Mormon for forty years until leaving the fold permanently five years ago I am now comparing my old religion to just another "theory of everything."At least Lindley is free to question and scrutinize his fellow scientists. But in religion there is no check and balance system for reality.For instance Mormonism teaches that the planet named Kolob is the center of universe and domicile of God. This absurd claim is treated with religious fervor in the same as many scientific theories are held sacred and special.From Lindley I learned that skepticism is healthy and that we have a long long way to go before we really start understanding the universe and ourselves in it. Fascinating read.One things seems for sure. We don't know. 4I actually read this bookMy opinion of this book is quite different from some of the other reviewers. This book is neither a skeptical anti-science nor bizarre anti-Mormon rant. Rather, by considering the history of particle physics and cosmology Lindley shows again and again that scientific theories are only myths at best, unless they are backed up with solid emperical evidence. This evidence comes via experiments.Lindley does not say a "Theory of Everything" is impossible, he simply states that if a "Theory of Everthing" is going to have any meaning, it must be testable through emperical experiments, just like any other theory which science accepts as the best explaination of a given phenomena.In other words, hard work and imagination have gotten science this far and it needs to be applied again in this particular endeavor. There are no shortcuts. Though the book is probably a little dated now, it still provides an excellent format for one to recieve an introduction to particle physics and cosmology. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it. 5The End of the old Physics, or the Beginning of the New Physics?This is a well-argued but rather pessimistic essay written almost two decades ago by one of the heavyweights in the field of particle physics. It is based on the author's own belief that the present search for a unified theory of everything (TOE) -- based mostly on the developments in string theory -- is a misguided effort.At the time this book went to print in 1992, he believed that string theory coupled closely with its related mathematical techniques, taken as a unit, were all of low predictive power since they relied much too heavily on a suite of untested often ad hoc and speculative semi-deductive ways of theorizing.These "partial theories" and their related techniques are used to bootstrap their way up a seemingly never-ending deductive chain completely suspended in the intellectual ether? The author believes that no matter how sophisticated this mathematical package may become, they could never properly under go systematic scientific testing. The most important of them are those that relied heavily on predictions of symmetry-breaking.The author argued two decades ago that these techniques were based mostly on deductive mathematical speculation, and thus are of low predictive power. Despite this, they just kept on expanding into an entire family of related symmetries-breaking ideas such as supersymmetry, supergravity, super-force, and superstrings themselves. It was the author's view that they all existed as a result of undue reliance on extra-scientific theorizing, theorizing that in the end he believed would be worthless since they could never be tested with real data?Yet, since this book went to print, in 1992, the LHC at CERN, using the theories that this author was so pessimistic about, has been able to produce hard and testable evidence of the existence of the Higgs boson particle, a finding that at least goes a long way towards confirming the standard model. It goes without saying that it was based primarily on the techniques the author gauged to be of low predictive power.Although, in the author' favor, the CERN predictions did not go beyond the standard model to, for instance, predict the W' or Z' gauge bosons. So, at least technically, the author remains right about the lack of scientific verification of models that go beyond the standard model of particle physics. However, given what has been discovered so far, I would not be too sanguine if I were in his position. Three stars 3Who says physics can't be a page-turner?Are the cosomologists correct, or is it the particle physicists? Does quantum theory really invalidate Einstein's deterministic universe? Is the concept of a 26-dimensional universe credible, or are we as enamored with numerology as those in times of yore? Can science provide us with more than a myth about the creation of the universe? Each new discovery seems to beg more questions.The essence of this book is the tension that Lindley so magically captures--the tension between ideas, between scientists, and between philosophies. Lindley enthusiastically relates the drama; he catches the spirit and the excitement of discovery, as well as anxiety over some difficult unknowns.This book is a thrilling ride through some of the most captivating intellectual territory of the 20th century. Do not be put off by the complex nature of the subject matter; this is one of the most accessible science books that I have read. The energy of the ideas certainly outweighs the challenges presented by the difficult subject matter.This book is a great read for passionate learners. 5Thought ProvokingThe premise of this book has intrigued me for years. I have not finished reading the book yet but I find that it makes some interesting and interesting points. 4The Best Concise Tour of the History of PhysicsThis is an amazing book that I would recommend to anyone looking for a concise but illuminating tour of the development of modern physics. What sets this book apart is that the author does not just trace out the major developments of physics from Newton up through the 20th century. He also raises important questions about what the purpose, aim and intention of physics might be. He points out the danger of building ever more-massive super-colliders to discover ever-smaller and more exotic particles without having a philosophical aim to guide that search. The public will grow weary of paying for research they do not understand, and thus our search for smaller particles must go hand in hand with a vision of purpose that can put new discoveries in perspective. He is concerned that unless physics has an intentional "end" in mind, it will come to an "end". He also speaks about times in history when some scientists really had thought that physics had reached the "end" because they thought mechanistic laws could describe all phenomena. He sheds light on hopes of reaching a unified theory in the future as well and whether we should look forward to that "end" of physics. Thus the title of the book is a double entendre that raises some fascinating questions as he goes through the relevant history.Even people who know the history of the development of physics will be interested by the philosophical questions he raises as he goes. 5in goodGot it.....in good shape 4One of the Best of its TypeDavid Lindley's The End of Physics is yet another excellent addition to the growing list of outstanding physics books. Lindley is a long time editor of Science magazine and accomplished author.The book is a lucid and well-written text that provides an overview of recent developments in theoretical physics as well as an examination of what these developments mean. I found the author's discussion of general relativity and inflation to be particularly well handled - better than is often the case in these types of works. Lindley's exception strength, however, is his discussion of contemporary theoretical developments.The quest for a comprehensive "Theory of Everything" has become the Holy Grail of modern physics. The meaning of any such theory, however, has not been the subjected of much popular discussion. Cutting-edge theoretical physics are complex and inundated with esoteric mathematical constructs. These formulations appear to be driven in large part by mathematical expediency rather than empirical evidence; resulting in models seem excessively contrived and ad hoc in nature. Variables appear to be arbitrarily adjusted to account for unwanted variance - leaving something that looks like a modern version of Ptolemy's universal model (a complex intellectual constructs that bare little resemblance to reality).The only shortcoming of the book is its lack of a more direct discussion of philosophical issues pertaining to science. For instance, do mathematical and scientific theories represent reality in some "real" way or are they largely just useful metaphorical constructs. It has been my experience that scientific realism and an associated narrow verificationist view of truth are often unchallenged assumptions of philosophical modernism. Lindley talks around this question; however, a more direct discussion would be instructive. Is science the sole means of acquiring and testing knowledge? Upon examination it appears that we possess a range of logical and moral truths that are not obtained through scientific induction. Regardless of one's view this is an important, and often overlooked, question to ponder.Overall, The End of Physics is an excellent book. It provides a good overview and discussion of modern developments in theoretical physics. I would recommend it to a general audience; however, it may be a bit dense of a starting point for someone with no exposure to quantum theory or cosmology. 4Much too journalist, not enough scientist.I though that the book, The End of Physics was too much like a skeptical newspaper article, and not enough scientific interest. The book was hardly informative, and much too pesimistic. I can't even give the book away. 2
    The End Of Physics: The Myth Of A Unified Theory

    The End Of Physics: The Myth Of A Unified Theory

    3.2
    You can't add more than 500 quantity.
    €45,00
    €45,00
    €74,00
    Sold out
    Save 39% (€29,00)