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THE TROUBLE WITH PHYSICS
By: Lee Smolin
The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next
Houghton Mifflin
September 2006
On Sale: September 19, 2006
416 pages
ISBN: 0618551050
EAN: 9780618551057
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
In this groundbreaking book, the renowned theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that physics--the basis for all other science--has lost its way. The problem is string theory, an ambitious attempt to formulate "a theory of everything" that explains all the forces and particles of nature and how the universe came to be. With its exotic new particles and parallel universes, string theory has captured the public's imagination and seduced many physicists. But as Smolin reveals, there's a deep flaw in the theory: no part of it has been proven, and no one knows how to prove it. As a scientific theory, it has been a colossal failure. And because it has soaked up the lion's share of funding, attracted some of the best minds, and penalized young physicists for pursuing other avenues, it is dragging the rest of physics down with it. With clarity, passion, and authority, Smolin charts the rise and fall of string theory and takes a fascinating look at what will replace it. A group of young theorists has begun to develop exciting new ideas that are, unlike string theory, testable. Smolin tells us who and what to watch for in the coming years and how we can find the next Einstein. This is a wake-up call, and Lee Smolin--a former string theorist himself-- is the perfect person to deliver it.
 Media BuzzAll Things Considered - November 7, 2006
Talk of the Nation - August 18, 2006
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