The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality by Brian Greene (PDF)

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From one of the world’s leading physicists and author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Elegant Universe, comes “an astonishing ride” through the universe (The New York Times) that makes us look at reality in a completely different way. Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most mysterious of concepts. Is space an entity? Why does time have a direction? Could the universe exist without space and time? Can we travel to the past? Greene has set himself a daunting task: to explain non-intuitive, mathematical concepts like String Theory, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and Inflationary Cosmology with analogies drawn from common experience. From Newton’s unchanging realm in which space and time are absolute, to Einstein’s fluid conception of spacetime, to quantum mechanics’ entangled arena where vastly distant objects can instantaneously coordinate their behavior, Greene takes us all, regardless of our scientific backgrounds, on an irresistible and revelatory journey to the new layers of reality that modern physics has discovered lying just beneath the surface of our everyday world.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐As an amateur interested in astronomy and astrophysics I enjoyed listening to Brian Green’s the Fabric of the Cosmos very much, learned a lot and thought about fundamental questions about the universe in a different way. The questions below and many others are explored in a very interesting way. The explanations flow smoothly in a logical manner. Questions are raised in a way to get the listener thinking. This audio CD is relevant to both amateurs and professionals on the topic. As an amateur I was not able to understand everything on the CD yet. I am sure that as I listen to the CD several more times I will understand a lot more. These topics are sometimes explained in a boring way in high school physics and college astrophysics courses and therefore can kill interest in the topic. By contrast, this CD introduces them in a very curiosity raising manner. It uses a philosophical and yet at the same time a scientifc approach that is upto date. I have also watched DVDs on similar topics before. So before listening to this CD I was skeptical about whether a CD about the universe lacking the visual elements of a DVD could be interesting or not. My answer now is definitely yes ; the auditory explanations create very interesting mental images in the listener’s mind.Examples to some of the questions, among others, explored in the CD are : What is time ? What is space ? How are they related ? What is reality and how do we perceive it ? Does time always have to flow towards the future or can the direction of flow sometimes reverse ? Does time flow at the same rate in different parts of the universe or not ? How was the universe created ? How is it likely to end ? Is the big bang theory of the creation of the universe valid ? What has banged, how and how long ago? Could the universe actually be a giant brain ? How many dimensions are there in the universe ? Can we perceive all the dimensions or not ? What are matter and energy ? How are they related ? What are black holes ? What could be happening inside black holes ? How does Einstein’s theory of general relativity explain the universe ? According to that theory, why is the velocity of light always constant ? What is light made of ? What are photons ? How does light travel in space ? What are the limitations in Isaac Newton’s explanation of the universe ? Are objects that are billions of light years apart in the universe completely unrelated or can they affect one another despite those awesome distances ? How do we perceive movement ? Movement occurs with respect to what ? What are frames of reference ? Could we perceive movement in space if there were no other objects at all in the universe ? How did atomic theory start ? What are the smallest particles of matter ? What are quarks ? Are electrons matter or energy ? What is quantum theory ? How does it reconcile with the theory of general relativity ? What is the uncertainty principle ? Why can’t the velocity and position of an object be simultaneously determined with absolute certainty ? What is gravity ? Are all forces in the universe such as gravity, electromagnetism etc. actually different manifestations of the same force or not ? What is string theory and how does it explain the universe ? Is a unified theory that explains everything possible ? How is the structure of the atom related to the structure of the universe ? What are the historical developments of various theories that attempt to explain the universe ? What are the contributions of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble and many other scientists and philosophers to the development of our understanding of matter, energy, space, time, the universe and the texture of reality ? As of today how much do we understand the universe ? What questions remain unanswered ? What are the likely developments in these theories in the future ? How do the various theories contradict and / or reconcile with one another ?We may think that the answers to questions such as what is space ? what is gravity ? what is time ? what is reality ? what is movement ? are simple and that we already know the answers from our high school physics courses. So we may reason that there is no need for deep philosophical contemplation about them. However, this CD challenges this type of thinking and makes us aware that what we maybe taking for granted as known facts may not be ultimate answers at all. For example, if you think that space is equivalent to emptiness, to nothingness and if you think that time can flow only in one direction, that is towards what we call the future, think again. This CD challenges these concepts.Thousands of years ago humankind thought that the Earth was carried on the backs of giant elephants or turtles. A few centuries ago humankind was debating whether the Earth was flat or round, if the Earth orbited the sun or the reverse. Humankind’s vision of the universe was limited to the solar system and fixed stars. The only elements were air, soil, fire and water. With the contributions of many scientists including Galileo our understanding of the universe significantly developed to date. However, this CD demonstrates that despite these giant steps, and despite the sophistication of our current theories, we still have a long way to go before we can say that we fully understand the universe. This CD demonstrates that we do not yet have certain and final answers, but we have many questions that are being further explored. Fortunately, we have significant knowledge, that accumulates in the right direction towards the discovery of the ” truth “.So if these matters arouse your curiosity I strongly recommend that you listen to the CD titled ” The Fabric of the the Cosmos ” by Brian Green.

⭐Brian Greene’s latest (equation-less) book “The Fabric of The Cosmos”, addresses why spacetime is not simply a metric but a real “something”, and the overarching question, “Just what is reality?” My take is that everyone should read this book!!Part I contains a magnificent overview of the development of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. This is both fully understandable to the layman and has fascinating new angles – new insights – that are spellbinding to this professional physicist (new views/descriptions of acceleration and gravity, Bell/Aspect vs. EPR, possible conflicts between Relativity and QM on large scales [not just quantum fluctuations at the Plank length], etc.).Part II (what’s time?) is absolutely fascinating! Greene’s whole discussion of what time might be, its apparent “flow” as experienced by us, and his discussion of statistical mechanics and entropy and their insufficiency to define a classical “arrow of time” (“flowing” from past to future), absent something like the Big Bang, are super -AND CLEAR TO THE GENERAL READERSHIP. I loved his review of the whole business of quantum theory and reality, e.g., the so-called “delayed choice” and “quantum eraser” experiments, the various attempts to come up with some glimmer of understanding of “the measurement problem” (technically, the unpredictable collapse of the wavefunction by another system, e,g., a macroscopic instrument still composed of underlying quantum states) and progress on the proposition of “decoherence”.For non-cosmologists, Part III ain’t for sissies but does have some wonderful word pictures, mainly towards the beginning and end, which are extremely worthwhile if one doesn’t get too bogged down in the middle with unified quantum field theories and elementary particle physics. Towards the beginning of Part III is a terrific discussion of the curvature(s) of space, and towards the end are many fresh insights on repulsive gravity, the inflation field, dark matter and energy, wrinkles in the cosmic-ray background, etc. The real gem is Greene’s description of the inflationary (vs. “standard”) Big Bang model, with a great summary of our current understanding – and the potential limitation of our further understanding – of how this universe could have started in the first place. (For the serious student, I would note that Greene’s enthusiastic description of how inflation impacts the problem of “fine tuning” is perhaps overstated. One important aspect of fine tuning is greatly relaxed, but there are many others that are not affected.)I found Part IV (superstring theory) of Greene’s book surprisingly easy going, especially re. the extra space dimensions, M-Theory, and Branes. It provides a far superior view of the “big picture” than is found in his earlier, more detailed and technical book on superstrings, “The Elegant Universe” (1999). I should add a note here for those who have not yet read books like The Elegant Universe. While string/M-theory provides a conceptual framework for reconciling quantum mechanics and general relativity (each being, individually, solidly proven theories but which don’t work together), and therefore affords in principle some way to mathematically describe the origin and elemental constituents of spacetime, it is still a long, long way from being subject to experimental verification, due both to current inadequacies of the theory and to the lack of experimental equipment to conduct relevant experiments.Part V, the final chapters, includes a summary of some future experiments that might confirm some of the stranger aspects of the theoretical constructs, some quantum teleportation phenomena (and their unlikelihood of being extended to macroscopic objects), time travel (including Kip Thorne’s version of wormholes, which are also unlikely), and a final chapter described next. I particularly enjoyed Greene’s introductory discussion of time travel where he explains a resolution of the common apparent paradoxes in a person’s traveling backwards in time (e.g. to kill his parents before he was born) using only classical spacetime, i.e., without resorting to any quantum phenomena (pp. 451-455). The final chapter is titled “The Future of an Allusion” and deals with probable future changes to our ideas about spacetime. These concepts are very exotic and pertain to both the macroscopic and microscopic properties of spacetime. An example of the former and, of those presented, Greene’s favorite, is one in which our everyday universe is a holographic projection of some surface around us upon which the “real” events are happening. The final pages of the book contain this comment: “…regardless of future discoveries, space and time will continue to frame our individual experience; space and time, as far as everyday life goes, are here to stay. What will continue to change, and likely change drastically, is our understanding of the framework they provide – the arena, that is, of experimental reality. After centuries of thought, we still can only portray space and time as the most familiar of strangers. They unabashedly wend their way through our lives, but adroitly conceal their fundamental makeup from the very perceptions they so fully inform and influence.”I would grade the drawings/illustrations in “The Fabric of The Universe” as top-notch aids to understanding. (I once complained that the drawings in a related general readership book by Stephen Hawking, “The Universe in A Nutshell” (2001), appearing after his best-selling “A Brief History of Time” (1998), were the greatest obstacles to understanding the book!)Finally, I would note that an interesting step upwards in generalizing Greene’s question, “what is reality?”, can be found in the three physics chapters (Chapters 4-6) of another excellent (and easier) book, “The Case for a Creator” by Lee Strobel (2004). There, the interpretation of many of the phenomena described by Greene is extended to metaphysics – metaphysics no longer being a stranger to science (a major paradigm shift sparked by scientific advances in the last two decades). A critical question in theism, “did the universe have a beginning?”, is examined vis-à-vis concepts including Hawking’s imaginary-time (no-boundary) proposal, Guth’s inflation theory, and oscillating universes. Superb examples are given of “fine tuning” (for which hard data have been produced since the 1980s) and its arguments for “Intelligent Design” vs. multiple universes. (As atheist Nobel Laureate in Physics Stephen Weinberg said at one conference, these are the only two choices.) Instead of simply hypothesizing enough alternate universes (essentially infinite) to offset fine tuning, the dependence of a multiverse on superstring theory and inflationary cosmology is examined, including cyclical universes with Brane collisions.Martin Fricke, Ph.D.Del Mar, CA1/17/2005

⭐I have many books explaining general relativity and string theory – none of which I actually finished. And none of which I actually understood! But Brian Greene’s book is a breath of fresh air. The Financial Times described it as “sending shivers down the spine” – and it did with me.Greene has a unique ability to lead you by hand through the most complex, mind-bending and bizarre mysteries of our universe – gently and carefully coaxing you through unexpected layers of reality just beneath the surface of our everyday experiences. From dark matter to space warps, quantum mechanics and string wiggles through 11 dimensions, Greene is thought-provoking, highly informed and above all, completely grounded and witty.Make no mistake; this is an extraordinarily complex subject which even particle physicists are still attempting to understand. So this is not going to be an easy read. But I actually finished it – and now at last I have a fair understanding of the theoretical physics of how space and time came to exist. You might consider reading Greene’s “The Elegant Universe” first – he simply is marvellously talented; these two books offer no better introduction to general relativity and quantum mechanics.

⭐Greene manages to make incredible complexity just about accessible even to low-brow idiots like me, and without making it too patronising. It’s a tough read and I confess I did find it very hard work, but well worth the effort. I benefited from re-reading each section several times before moving on in order for it to sink in, so not a quick page-turner. Needs time (no pun intended)!

⭐Having read the author’s “The Elegant Universe” some years ago I came to this book with some confidence. But I must admit I struggled with understanding once it got onto Branes. I did persist. however, and finally reached the end. It turns out the the answer to “What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything?” is not 42 as in Hitchhikers Guide but rather it is 11! If you are at all interested in science this is a must read book.

⭐This is wide ranging and readable but on a mind boggling subject so heads will hurt. Space time, quantum mechanics, string theory, cosmology are all here. I took a lot from it’s illuminating style and liked the lack of maths.

⭐Like most people, I imagine, I’m in no position to challenge or question Brian Greene’s views on any of the diverse topics he goes into in impressive detail in this erudite romp through the world of subatomic physics and cosmology. The author is far smarter than I am and that’s not self-deprecating modesty but plain fact. I got through the book understanding, on a good day, just about what he was getting at. Black holes, gluons, branes, what-have-you; in fact a whole menagerie of exotic players take the stage in due turn and get the full treatment and are explained, as far as it is possible to explain such complex stuff, in loving detail. I found I learned a lot along the way.What I can point out in this short review is how well this lengthy book compares, for me, to a couple of others I’ve read in the same field in terms of how much it engaged and held my interest.Simon Singh in his `Big Bang: The Most Important Scientific Discovery of All Time and Why You Need to Know About It’ is less comprehensive yet I couldn’t put Simon Singh’s book down and somehow `The Fabric of the Cosmos’ I found I could… It’s difficult to put my finger on why but one reason for this lies possibly in the crystalline and lively prose of the former and, if you’ll forgive a practically meaningless made-up expression, the book’s `fun-value’. (But that’s not to say that Brian Greene’s book is in any way dry for he tries hard to keep the humour coming.)John Gribbin too in many of his excellent writings is, for me, Simon Singh’s equal as a fascinating writer on cosmology and science and Bill Bryson, while not going into the depths as the others I’ve mentioned here has produced a real page-turner in his broader and genial `A Short History of Nearly Everything’.Of course, I recognize the above comparisons favouring the other three authors above may be all my fault because Brian Greene is writing at a level difficult for me personally to follow and brighter folks might feel differently but one can only speak as one finds so I have.While `The Fabric of the Cosmos’ makes every effort to analogize everything because the esoteric subject matter demands homely comparisons for non-technical readers I did sometimes feel `analogized to death’ by the sheer weight and number of analogies and some were not as easy to follow as the author obviously intended them to be. Also, the author is an American so, understandably and naturally, he uses his home territory for his imagery. Such imagery isn’t difficult to understand simply because it’s American but it’s just less familiar for a reader more used to British popular life, culture and mores. Finally, I found the lead-ins and introductory sections to chapters more enlightening than the full exposition that followed in the same chapters, on the whole.Re-reading the above I’ve realized I’m giving the wrong impression and I do not want to do the book or its author a disservice. It is an incredibly well-researched and deep book, worth reading and very good in parts but I have to say I think I’ve read better.

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