String Theory

  (out of 5 stars)

Lee Smolin is a well-respected physicist who isn't currently working on string theory (yes, there is such a person). The Trouble with Physics represents Smolin's well-developed and highly-engaging view of the current landscape of physics, the problems presented by string theory's dominance, alternative research underway in the field, and a call to academia to reform for the sake of science.

The first part of the book is largely an extension of the first half of his earlier book, Three Roads to Quantum Gravity. Here, Smolin expands the story and gives a more robust picture of some of the key players and key parts of various theories, beginning by defining five main problems which physics must attack directly.

In the second section, Smolin gives a broad and balanced view of string theory's history, successes, and failures. He does this in a very humane and reasonable way (unlike the bitter negative view in Peter Woit's book Not Even Wrong). Smolin himself worked on string theory for several years before coming to his senses and looking for new ways to attack the five problems of physics.

For me, the third section was the best in the book. Smolin gives us an overview of the world of physics after string theory, introducing unexplainable phenomenons and exploring several alternative areas of research currently underway, including cutting edge thoughts like double special relativity, the 'axis of evil', and twistor theory. Smolin advises us not to lose heart even if string theory is ultimately discredited (he argues politely but firmly that it already is so as the ultimate unification theory while conceding that it has opened up other areas of insight and advancement).

Finally, Smolin's last section is aimed primarily at his peers and those in positions of power in the academic world, though the non-academic reader should really take in his points here as they apply to our understanding of the academic world and the politics that often hinder the advancement of science. He challenges traditional notions of scientific method, peer review, and tenure, while arguing for more opportunities for alternative thinkers and researchers. His chief argument is that the Einsteins of the current physics world are unable to get jobs unless they give in to academic pressure to work on a very narrow range of accepted theories (most especially string theory), often leading them to abandon the independent thinking which may have lead to breakthroughs in the field. This, Smolin states, is a primary problem for physics to overcome in order to complete the revolution Einstein and other started decades ago.

I had just finished up Smolin's Three Roads prior to this one, so let me offer just a few thoughts. In Three Roads, Smolin was much more diplomatic about string theory's place in physics. While Trouble offers many reasons why string theory deserves attention, it also shows Smolin's hardened stance that alternative theories must be given much greater attention than they currently receive. Smolin also offered predictions in Three Roads which he has clearly backed away from, namely string theory's ultimate role in the unification of forces (he now shows considerable doubt that such a theory may even exist). To be fair, in Trouble, he also admits his disappointment of his own loop quantum gravity theory to provide results he thought showed great promise in Three Roads.

This is the book that needed to be written about Physics. It is well balanced, with loads of cutting edge science and personalities, but it is broader than most, less stary-eyed, more sober. It challenges traditionally held beliefs in how the physics world moves forward, and advocates strongly for a revolution in academia to preserve the vital nature of science itself.

What more can I say? Smolin is level-headed, presents an engaging and insightful book, and develops his thoughts with a hopeful but measured eye toward the future. Trouble with Physics is the book you should read if you like Brian Greene or Michio Kaku's books, but need to understand a more balanced, reality-based view of the world as physics really understands it (which is to say, not nearly as well as Greene, Kaku, and other string theorists would have us believe). Five stars, one of the best popular science books I have read in a long time.

  (out of 5 stars)

I just started Smolin's latest book, The Trouble With Physics, and had gotten about 50 pages into it when my copy of Three Roads to Quantum Gravity arrived, so I decided to dig into it before moving to Trouble. Three Roads is Smolin's excellent overview of the landscape and issues involved in the pursuit of a quantum theory of gravity. A very quick read, filled with useful diagrams, I was able to knock it out in a quick evening.

Rather than giving a hundred pages of history or dozens of 'nifty' side stories, Smolin hits a few brief points needed to understand the book and quickly moves into describing how black holes, loop quantum gravity, and string theory have appeared to lead the way in the search for the elusive gravitational theory.

Smolin is one of the pioneers of loop quantum gravity, but is fairly rare in that he has also worked with string theory during his career. His perspective on the competition of the two theories offers some hope for progress by way of synergy (though of course, this was published in 2001 and the lack of a solid theory of quantum gravity, as well as the title of his latest book, The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next, leads me to believe he has lost his rose-colored glasses).

Unlike string theory books by Brian Greene, Michio Kaku and others, and especially unlike the bitter, sarcastic (and relatively boring) anti-string theory book by Peter Woit (titled Not Even Wrong), Smolin offers a very balanced, complimentary account of physics as it stood in 2001, much of which is still accurate and pertinent today.

The discussions of casuality, black hole horizons and entropy, and the implication that space is quantized offer some well-articulated additions to the discussion of popular physics. Smolin doesn't weigh down this book with math or complex discussions of symmetry (unlike Woit). However, this book is not dumbed down for the average reader. You need some strong interest in science, and a basic understanding of physics in order to enjoy this book, but again, it isn't overwhelming or overly complex.

Later chapters cover loop quantum gravity, string theory, M-Theory (which was still extremely new at the time of publication), the holographic principle, and some meta discussions on the subject of anthropic arguments. I hope to find a more detailed presentation of loop quantum gravity, whether from Smolin or another physicist, because the discussion of the 'knots, links, and kinks' offered here is a summary and skips most of the details in favor of brevity and clarity.

I look forward now to picking up Smolin's latest book (Trouble) again and charging into a more recent offering on the subject. I'm glad I read this one before getting too far into Trouble because it really establishes the dynamics of physics as seen through Smolin's eyes as well as setting Smolin's own mindset for comparison with the latter offering. Four and one-half stars and highly recommended to the science junkie.

  (out of 5 stars)

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. Having picked it up a few weeks ago, I expected it to sit on my shelf unread for some time to come. I was in the mood for a physics book, but couldn't pick between two others I have sitting on my shelf, Lisa Randall's Warped Passages and Lee Smolin's The Trouble With Physics. So instead of making a decision, I picked up Webb's book and gave it a quick read.

I'm glad that I did. Out of This World was an excellent overview of physics up through its publication date of 2004. Since I don't work in the field, it can be tough to remember all the specific theories, controversies, and terms that make up the modern landscape of physics. This book was perfect for such a refresher and more. Webb wastes no time at any point in elaborate metaphor or side story, he stays on message throughout, and I appreciated his brevity and clarity in presenting a notoriously difficult subject to write about. Webb is only rarely a cheerleader (unlike Kaku or even Greene, both of whom I enjoy reading), and offers a level-headed look at physics.

He states up front that this book's point was to present physics to a non-mathematical reader, but one should not mistake that for meaning the 'average joe'. Out of This World is meant for an intermediate reader who has some familiarity with science and a patience for reading theories not easily visualized. In other words, this was a perfect format for me at this point. The book includes numerous diagrams and photos to enhance Webb's presentation.

Webb gives a quick overview of some fundamentals of physics, including symmetry, relativity, quantum mechanics, and the Standard Model. His discussion on symmetry is the 'kindest' I've read yet to the non-math genius, and serves as an excellent introduction to the subject and its importance to physics (side note: Peter Woit badly needed this sort of presentation on symmetry in his anti-string theory book Not Even Wrong, as opposed to his included 100-page dry slog through the subject).

Later chapters cover more recent theories, especially string theory and M-theory, duality, and branes, as well as excellent overviews of anti-de Sitter spacetime and conformal field theory. He finishes up with postulations about future research into higher dimensions, supersymmetry, and offers an excellent introduction to the Arkani-Hamed--Dimopoulos--Dvali model and the Randall-Sundrum Scenario, the latter of which is well-timed since I will read Randall's Warped Passages in the next couple of weeks.

Webb doesn't outright take a position on the main controversy in physics, namely the place of highly-mathematical (and light on testable science) string theory and M-theory, although he presents them as primary subjects for much of the second half of the book. Part of the reason he does this is that there aren't many other games in town right now, though he does make a quick side reference to the work of Smolin and others on the emerging loop quantum gravity theory, and he clearly wanted to present the ideas currently leading the way in the field.

Out of This World was an unexpected, no frills yet highly-readable and enlightening gem for the intermediate physics reader. Well recommended, four stars.