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Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory & the Continuing Challenge to Unify the Laws of Physics - Hardcover
How does the world work and what is mathematics’ role in its description? An authoritative and well-reasoned account of string theory’s fashionable status among today’s theoretical physicists, and promising new directions, including the role of beauty in mathematics and physics.
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About the Author:
Peter Woit is a physicist and mathematician who is currently a Lecturer in the Mathematics Department at Columbia University. He graduated in 1979 from Harvard University with bachelor's and master's degrees in physics, then went on to get a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Princeton University. He has been a postdoc at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook and at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute at Berkeley. Since 1989 he has been teaching at Columbia where in recent years he has taught graduate courses in quantum field theory, representation theory and differential geometry.
From Publishers Weekly:
String theory is the only game in town in physics departments these days. But echoing Lee Smolin's forthcoming The Trouble with Physics (Reviews, July 24), Woit, a Ph.D. in theoretical physics and a lecturer in mathematics at Columbia, points out—again and again—that string theory, despite its two decades of dominance, is just a hunch aspiring to be a theory. It hasn't predicted anything, as theories are required to do, and its practitioners have become so desperate, says Woit, that they're willing to redefine what doing science means in order to justify their labors. The first half of Woit's book is a tightly argued, beautifully written account of the development of the standard model and includes a history of particle accelerators that will interest science buffs. When he gets into the history of string theory, however, his pace accelerates alarmingly, with highly sketchy chapters. Reading this in conjunction with Smolin's more comprehensive critique of string theory, readers will be able to make up their own minds about whether string theory lives up to the hype. (Sept.)
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- PublisherJonathan Cape
- Publication date2006
- ISBN 10 0224076051
- ISBN 13 9780224076050
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages256
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Not Even Wrong
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Not even wrong : speculating on the nature of the universe at the turn of the millennium / Peter Woit
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Book Description 1st edition. Fine cloth copy in a near-fine, very slightly edge-dulled dust wrapper, now mylar-sleeved. Remains particularly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong. Physical description: 256 p.; 24 cm. Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Subjects: String models; Popular works. Quantum theory; Popular works. Nuclear physics History. 1 Kg. Seller Inventory # 334912
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Not Even Wrong : Speculating on the Nature of the Universe at the Turn of the Millenium
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. "Not Even Wrong" tells a fascinating and complex story about human beings and their attempts to come to grips with perhaps the most intellectually demanding puzzle there is: how does the world work at the most fundamental level and what is the role of mathematics in its description? The author's perspective on this story is unusual since he has worked in both leading physics and mathematics departments and holds very skeptical views about 'string theory', the subject that has dominated research in this field for the past twenty years. The book begins with an historical survey of the experimental and theoretical developments that led to the creation of the phenomenally successful so-called 'Standard Model' of particle physics around 1975. Despite its successes, the Standard Model does not answer all questions that one would expect it to address, and for the last thirty years physicists have been trying to come up with a better theory. What the remaining questions are is explained in detail, together with the history of attempts to answer them, including the spectacular new mathematics that has arisen from these efforts. Lacking guidance from new experimental results, physicists have followed the principle that one should be looking for more 'beautiful' theories, and here, Peter Woit considers what the role of beauty may be in mathematics and physics. In recent years string theorists have found that the theory seems to lead to an unimaginably large number of possibilities and may be inherently unable to make predictions. The author explains what physicist's hopes have been, why they haven't worked out, and what may be more promising directions for investigation. "Not Even Wrong" puts the reader in a position to follow this increasingly controversial story as it continues to develop in the years to come. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR003089681
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Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory and the Continuing Challenge to Unify the Laws of Physics
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No markings, annotations, or inscriptions. Tanning to page block, dusted to top edge. Clean and unclipped dust jacket, light creasing to top, short tear to front bottom corner (approx. 0.5cm). Black cloth with bright silver titling to the spine. Boards clean and sharp. xiii, 290pp. Early misgivings about string-theory hegemony ("authoritative and well-reasoned.an important book" - Roger Penrose.). Seller Inventory # 2046
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Not even wrong : speculating on the nature of the universe at the turn of the millennium / Peter Woit
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Book Description 1st edition. Fine cloth copy in a near-fine, very slightly edge-dulled dust wrapper, now mylar-sleeved. Remains particularly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong. Physical description: 256 p.; 24 cm. Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Subjects: String models; Popular works. Quantum theory; Popular works. Nuclear physics History. 1 Kg. Seller Inventory # 334912
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. 290 pages. Dj worn. Ex-libraryThis book tells a fascinating a nd complex story about human beings and their attempts to come to grips with perhaps the most intellectually demanding puzzle of a ll : how does the universe work at its most fundamental level? Th e story begins with an historical survey of the experimental and theoretical developments that led to the creation of the phenomen ally successful 'Standard Model' of particle physics around 1975. But, despite its successes, the Standard Model left a number of key questions unanswered and physicists therefore continued on th eir attempt to find a powerful, all-encompassing theory. Now, mor e than tweny years after coming onto the scene, and despite the S tandard Model, it is superstring theory that dominates particle p hysics. How this extraordinary situation has come about is a cent ral concern of this book. -- book jacket. Seller Inventory # 2506s
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Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory & the Continuing Challenge to Unify the Laws of Physics
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. 1st Edition. Very good condition. Pages yellowing. All pages clean and unmarked. Dust jacket stretched along top border and slightly creased on back. An authoritative and well reasoned account of string theory's fashionable status among today's theoretical physicists, and promising new directions, including the role of beauty in mathematics and physics. Seller Inventory # ABE-1645070790735
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Not even wrong The failure of string theory and the continuing challenge to unify the laws of physics
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Book Description Condition: OTTIMO USATO. I ED. INGLESE Prima edizione. Rilegato editoriale in tutta tela, copertina rigida nera con titoli in bianco al solo dorso, perfettamente preservata da sovraccoperta patinata con alette illustrata a colori a tutta pagina su entrambi i piatti, con titoli su piatto e dorso ed impercettibili segni di usura. Tagli come nuovi, con velature di polvere al superiore. Legatura ben salda. Pagine come mai sfogliate, pulite e prive di segni particolari. Numero di pagine 290. Seller Inventory # NCJ0280
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Not Even Wrong: The Failure of StringWoit, Peter
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