Not even wrong : the failure of string theory and the continuing challenge to unify the laws of physics : Woit, Peter : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive (2024)

Publication date

2007

Topics

String models -- Popular works, 39.30 cosmology, 33.50 physics of elementary particles and fields: general, String models, String theory, Controversies, Supersymmetry

Publisher

London : Vintage

Collection

internetarchivebooks; printdisabled

Contributor

Internet Archive

Language

English

Item Size

929351282

xiii, 290 pages ; 20 cm

"What happens when scientific theory departs the realm of testable hypothesis and comes to resemble something like aesthetic speculation, or even theology? The legendary physicist Wolfgang Pauli had a phrase for such ideas: He would describe them as "not even wrong," meaning that they were so incomplete that they could not even be used to make predictions to compare with observations to see whether they were wrong or not." " In Peter Woit's view, superstring theory is just such an idea. In Not Even Wrong, he explains that what many physicists call superstring "theory" is not a theory at all. It makes no predictions, right or wrong, and this very lack of falsifiability is what has allowed the subject to survive and flourish." "Woit tells the story of how the field of particle physics arrived at its current state and how it is in some ways a victim of its own success. He describes the exciting dialogue between mathematics and physics as well as the important role that mathematical beauty plays in the ongoing quest for new levels of understanding."--Jacket

Originally published: London: Jonathan Cape, 2006

Includes bibliographical references and index

Particle physics at the turn of the millennium -- The instruments of production -- Quantum theory -- Quantum field theory -- Gauge symmetry and gauge theories -- The standard model -- Triumph of the standard model -- Problems of the standard model -- Beyond the standard model -- New insights in quantum field theory and mathematics -- String theory : history -- String theory and supersymmetry : an evaluation -- On beauty and difficulty -- Is superstring theory science? -- The Bogdanov affair -- The only game in town : the power and the glory of string theory -- The landscape of string theory -- Other points of view -- Conclusion

Access-restricted-item

true

Addeddate

2022-03-23 18:11:28

Bookplateleaf

0002

Boxid

IA40408711

Camera

USB PTP Class Camera

Collection_set

printdisabled

External-identifier

urn:oclc:record:1100663960
urn:lcp:notevenwrongfail0000woit:lcpdf:0f3a2e20-33a1-4a27-92fa-b667da0f9fc4
urn:lcp:notevenwrongfail0000woit:epub:6d2065ba-ba37-4c82-a782-fd8858f2d11a

Foldoutcount

0

Identifier

notevenwrongfail0000woit

Identifier-ark

ark:/13960/s2269ts6f25

Invoice

1652

Isbn

9780099488644
0099488647

Full catalog record

MARCXML

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