The Fabric Of The Cosmos - Post 5

Final Thoughts On The Book-

      The fabric of the cosmos was an extremely engaging read, and can be understood by almost any reader with little to no scientific background.  This makes the book unique from others on the subject, that are meant for people who have studied these topics extensively.  Covering many cosmological theories, and the principles that make them possible, the book gives an excellent summary of the findings of the 20th century.  Brian Greene delivers this information through the use of excellent metaphors, and simplistic explanations.  He is extremely talented in his ability to explain these complicated ideas to almost anyone.  

The Fabric Of The Cosmos - Post 4

     The uncertainty principle is a key idea in quantum mechanics, and is extremely important in discussing cosmological ideas.  In its basic form, the principle states that particles and energy waves are connected, no matter how distant.  Because of these connections, all particles exist in a state of limbo, so to speak, in which they are both a particle and a wave, until it is observed.  When the particle, or energy wave is observed, it exhibits the properties we characterize it with.  The connections between particles and their respective waves is extremely important when considering the beginning of the universe.
      Before the big bang, it is assumed the matter and energy in our universe was extremely condensed. During this time, particles formed bonds with certain other particles.  As the Big Bang progressed, these particles moved to different parts of the universe, becoming separated by extreme differences.  Because of the uncertainty principle, many of these particles are recorded as energy waves.  However, when the connected particle is being observed, its counterpart will exhibit similar properties.  After this breakthrough discovery, many more scientists subscribed to the Big Bang Theory.

The Fabric Of The Cosmos - Post 3

      Continuing with his analysis of cosmological principals, Brian Greene relates the very beginning of the Big Bang, referred to as the singularity, to that of a black hole.  It is the belief of many scientists today that black holes could hold the key to understanding exactly how our universe, and the space time continuum were formed.
      Although black holes have not been definitively proven, and some physicists are still skeptical, the mathematical and physical results are extremely assuring.  Studying black holes proves extremely difficult, as physics, and time itself begin to break down at the singularity.  What lies beyond that point, as well as before the big bang, is purely speculation among scientists. Any attempt to mathematically explore these concepts has proved ineffective.  In these chapters, Greene explores some of the speculations in an intuitive way.

The Fabric Of The Cosmos - Post 2

     After discussing the expansion of the universe, Greene addresses a common misconception, that this expansion defies the second law of thermodynamics.  First, he explains the law, which states that in a closed system, such as the universe, the total amount of entropy will always remain the same.  Some physicists pose the dilemma  that because the universe is expanding, and the matter in the universe is becoming more sparse, the total entropy in the universe decreases, which defies the law.  The misunderstanding behind this idea lies in the definition of entropy.
      A word commonly used as synonymous with entropy is chaos.  More specifically, entropy is defined as the lack of organization of matter in a system.  As the matter in the universe becomes less dense, it can be seen as decreasing entropy, as more densely packed matter formations tend to be more chaotic.  However, much like a child spreading his peas to make it look like he ate more, the appearance of decreasing entropy is only an illusion.  This disproves the misconception behind the second law of thermodynamics.  

The Fabric of The Cosmos - Post 1

      From the beginning of the book, Brian Greene discusses cosmological principles, and how they fit in with theories of the twentieth century.  One example in particular is the big bang, string theory, and the big crunch.  Once string theory was developed, a principle was discovered about the matter concentration of the universe.  The theory, in its most basic sense, explains how the universe has been expanding since the big bang, and will continue to expand due to the low concentration of matter in the space time fabric.  The lower the concentration of matter is in the system, the less gravitational pull it exerts, keeping the system steady.  Because our universe is expanding, the concentration of matter in space decreases, which in turn decreases the total gravitational pull on the system, causing the universe to expand faster.  This fact was discovered decades ago, and it has been the belief of some scientists that the universe will exist in an ever expanding state until the matter in it becomes so incredibly sparse, that it is impossible to distinguish any forms.  This is know as the big freeze. However, with the discovery of string theory, it is discovered that although the matter in the universe remains unchanging, different Planck string vibration frequencies could off-put gravitational pull constants, thus reversing the expansion of the universe.  Once the universe began its contraction, it would increase in speed until the matter became so dense, it ceased to exist in the matter form.  This is known as the big crunch.  This principle has been explored by recent cosmologists, and is favored by many.

Wizard And Glass - Post 5

      Although both plans have been sabotaged Roland's improvisation skills prove far better in combat.  In these chapters, he completely lets fate go, and realizes that for things to fall into place for him, he needs to make them that way.  After winning his game with the Big Coffin Hunters, Roland and his friends need to make a hasty escape, but their plans go awry.
     Susan, depending to heavily on her new found belief for fate's matching, makes dangerous mistakes, turning Roland's objective into rescuing the damsel in distress.  Roland takes matters completely into his own hands, disregarding fate's properties completely, and this costs him dearly.
       One of the major morals of the story is about how relying too heavily on a principle or concept, such as fate, can be very dangerous.  However, the opposite is also true, not believing at all can be equally disastrous.

Wizard And Glass - Post 4

     Roland, still determined to discover the Coffin Hunters' secrets, enlists Susan's help in snooping around their frequents.  It is at an old oil patch where they discover the real reason the trio is visiting Mejis.  The alliances for which the hit men are employed are harboring crude oil to be brought west and refined, in preparation for all out war.  While alone in the oil patch Susan breaks her promise, and proclaims her love for Roland.  He expresses his feelings toward her as well, but the couple decide to keep their relationship a secret.
      After discovering the Big Coffin Hunters' plans, Roland feels the need to sabotage them with the help of his two friends, in order to protect his homeland.  They secretly spy on the workings at the oil patch, and formulate their own plan, with Susan's help.  In these chapters, Roland begins to let go and rely less on his belief that fate will work things out.  When he decides to take action against the Big Coffin Hunters, he is taking his actions into his own hands.  Susan also begins to believe more in the idea of fate, giving up her own promises and arrangements for fate's match, her and Roland.
     As the alliance discovers Roland and his friends' true identities, as well as their plans against them, they begin to take actions of their own, to counterpart Roland's.  Finally, the alliance decides to move the stocked oil to the west, and Roland knows this is when he must take action.  Both sides of the situation have planned extensively, and both sides know the other side has plans.  The question remains, who will have the better preparations when it comes to the final showdown.

Wizard and Glass - Post 3

      Roland and Susan, madly infatuated with one another, cannot stop thinking of one another, and blame mostly fate for their good fortune.  At this point in the story, we are introduced to three hit men, known as the big coffin hunters.  They also have business in Mejis, and it is apparent they are working for the very same troublemakers that caused turmoil in Roland's home town.  Again, fate plays a key element in the story, as all six character arrive in Mejis at the same time.
      Roland, upon discovering Susan's preoccupation, is at first angry with her, which caused her to be angry at him.  However, their feelings for each other prove to strong to be destroyed by this trivial upsetting.  They meet again, and decide that it is not the time for them to be together, as Susan must honor her promise.  To his dismay, Roland agrees, and his faith in fate falters.
     The Big Coffin Hunters encounter Roland's trio for the first time, and immediately encounter difficulty coexisting.  Their dispute gives Roland the reason to believe they have shady dealings in Mejis, and he begins to investigate them.
      Some of the major questions in the story remain; what, if anything, will happen between Roland and Susan, and what are the Big Coffin Hunters really doing in Mejis.

Wizard and Glass - Post 2

     In the beginning of Roland's flashback, we are introduced to the young protagonist, Susan Delgado, who, endearing hard times financially, has agreed to become a surrogate mother for money.  We are also introduce to young Roland Deschain, as well as his two peers and close friends, Alain Jones and Cuthbert Allgood.   The trio has been sent to the small town in which Susan lives under fake names, in order to keep them safe from turmoil in their own town.  When Susan and Roland first meet each other, the element of love at first sight is enforced heavily.  The two characters are completely smitten by each other, and again the theme of fate comes into play.
      Roland, a heavy believer in fate, leaves it up to the gods to decide what will happen among the two of them.  Susan thinks of fate as foolish, and prefers to take the responsibility for her own actions.  At this point in the story, the reader is left with many unanswered questions.  Susan, although infatuated with Roland, has already promised to bear a child for another man.  Roland, clearly feeling the same way about Susan, may not take the information lightly.

Wizard And Glass - Post 1

     The book, being the fourth in the series, begins off the cliffhanger of the third book.  The protagonists are trapped on a possessed monorail train, that only answers to riddles.  One of the major themes of the third book was to look outside the box, and beyond the obvious to find solutions.  This idea is further enhanced in the beginning chapters of Wizard and Glass, as the main characters use unconventional methods to escape their peril.  When they reach a post apocalyptic alternate universe, part of the environment triggers strong memories for the main character.  To explain himself, he launches into a flashback story that will last the entire novel.
     Some of the major themes in part one of the book included looking outside the box, and how the force of fate plays into the characters' endeavors.  Many allusions were made to modern culture in the second half of part one, because the characters find themselves in post-apocalyptic Kansas City, and rely on their knowledge of our world to find their way around.

The Elegant Universe - Post 5

      When developing his theory of relativity, Einstein was able to use the existing properties of three dimensional geometry put forth by Bernhard Riemann.  He applied Riemann's theories to his own theory of space time to explain mathematically the theory of relativity.  However, Riemann's geometric theories aren't applicable to the small scale models used in quantum mechanics and string theory.  For this, a new type of geometry was invented, called quantum geometry.  When this math is intertwined with string theory, new cosmological insights were discovered.
       Brian Greene closes his book by discussing the uncertainty of string theory.  Every established theory in physics has one basic concept to understand the entire theory.  This is one thing string theory lacks.  As of today, the search for a unifying theory of the universe continues.  While string theory looks promising, there is still much physicists need to know about it.

The Elegant Universe - Post 4

     Since its discovery, string theory has been troubled with many problems.  The main issue being the sheer number of possibilities the theory entails.  String theory opens up infinite possibilities about the universe; many more than we could ever hope to explore.  This has led physicists to refine the theory about more specific details of the universe.  Many different versions of String Theory have emerged from the single main theory.  Each attempts to simplify it, and focus its properties on small portions which are easier to calculate.  Physicists hope to one day unite all of these theories into one common "M-Theory"

     Another issue within String Theory is the manipulation of space time.  The fabric of space time, as put forth by Einstein, cannot be ripped.  Ideas in string theory suggest the spatial fabric must be ripped to create universal phenomenon such as wormholes and black holes.  These curious attractions have failed to be explained by physicists, and many are still unsure of their existence.   

The Elegant Universe - Post 3

     The conflicts between Relativity and Quantum mechanics appear nonexistent when applied to the super string theory.  The concept has been in the works for over 45 years, but only in the last decade has it really been examined.  String theory works behind the idea that the mass of elementary particles, and the energy they exert causes Planck strings to vibrate.  Different strings have different Planck tensions, which affect the movements of the particles.  What is most promising about string theory is its compatibility with gravity.  When the gravitational laws of our universe are applied to the Planck tension of the strings, the elementary particles exert the same properties as those found in our own universe.  This truly unifies the large and small scale theories of the universe.
      String Theory, it seems, is too good to be true .There are inconsistencies within the theory that cannot be explained.  The vast number of Planck possibilities, and the small portion that can be applicable has led many physicists to believe it is a dead end, full of too many possibilities to reasonably explore.  However, in the 1990s, it was discovered that, when applied to multiple dimensions, the inconsistencies and incalculable figures were explained, and applicable.  The properties of string theory led scientists to believe that the universe consisted of ten spacial dimensions, and one time dimension.  This discovery stabilized string theory, and surprised physicists.  The only question was, where are the extra dimensions?  This is explained through the analogy of a garden hose.  Brian Greene explains that, from a distance, the hose looks to be a one dimensional line, but up close, it is apparent the hose has three dimensions.  This concept can be applied to string theory when physicists realized that some dimensions may be too small to observe, while others may be much to large.

The Elegant Universe - Post 2

      Brian Greene explains the idea of relativity, as put forth by Einstein.  In 1905, he realized that all movement in the universe is relative to a stationary observer.  The concept is explained by Stephen Hawking by using the analogy of a moving train.  To an observer at the station, the train appears to move at x miles per hour.  For the person on the train, the station appears to move at x miles per hour.  This concept led Einstein to believe that there is no truly simultaneous observer.  In unifying space and time, he discovered that time is experienced slower to the moving observer than it is to the stationary observer.  This concept caused me to wonder about a dilemma known as the twin paradox, which I later researched.  The twin paradox poses the situation of a pair of twins, one pilots a rocket ship at near light speed, the other remains stationary.  According to time dilation, the twin moving at near light speed would have experienced time much more slowly, and thus aged very little, while the stationary twin aged normally.  However, according to relativity, both twins are moving at near light speed, depending on the observer.  The resolution of the paradox, lies in a technicality.  It does prove however, that the concept of relativity is extremely counter intuitive.

The Elegant Universe - Post 1

      Brian Greene begins his novel with the description of two ideas: Einstein's theory of relativity, and quantum mechanics.  The theory of relativity explains and documents the movements of the universe on a large scale.  The secrets of the planets, stars, solar systems and galaxies can be unlocked with the theory of relativity, which is based on the key foundation of the combination of space and time.  Quantum mechanics explains how the universe moves on a much smaller scale.  In the subatomic world, quarks, neutrinos, muons, and their antiparticles move in synchrony with the ideas put forth in quantum mechanics.

      These two theories explain both of the major parts of the surrounding universe with unmatched precision.  However, when combined, the results are impossible figures and incalculable numbers.  The so-called "unifying theory" has puzzled physicists for years, and was the subject of Einstein's studies in the last years of his life.  In the last few decades, a new theory has emerged.  Put forth by physicist Dr. Michio Kaku, the string theory suggests that the entire universe is made of vibrating strings, smaller than the smallest subatomic particles.  The mechanics of such strings fill major gaps between the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, and opens new insight to ideas such as multiple dimensions and black holes.