Synopses & Reviews
When scientists peer through telescopes at distant galaxies or use gigantic particle accelerators to examine the fabric of matter, they find universal and steadfast laws of physics governing the whole universe, at all times and places. Physicists recognize this as symmetry, and symmetry is now believed to be the basic underlying principle that controls the universe. This insight is one of the greatest conceptual breakthroughs of modern science and drives the contemporary effort to discover a grand unification of all the laws of physics, such as superstring theory. Nobel Laureate Leon M. Lederman and theoretical physicist Christopher T. Hill explain the elegant concept of symmetry and its profound ramifications to art, music, and life on Earth, from quarks to the universe at large. This eloquent and accessible popular science book not only illuminates concepts normally reserved only for physicists and mathematicians but also portrays the profound beauty of nature's inherent design. Central to the story of symmetry is an ascetic, unpretentious, and gifted mathematician named Emmy Noether. Though still little known to the world, she dazzled no less a savant than Albert Einstein, who praised her "penetrating mathematical thinking." She proved that the law of the conservation of energy is centrally connected to the idea of symmetry and time and laid the groundwork for the most important conceptual revolution of modern physics. Lederman and Hill reveal concepts about the universe, based on Noether's work, that are largely unknown to the public yet have wide-ranging implications for the Big Bang, Einstein's theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and many other areas of physics. Throughingenious analogies and illustrations, they bring these astounding notions to life. This book will open your eyes to a universe you never knew existed.