编辑推荐From Publishers Weekly
Well-known physicist and author Kaku (Hyperspace) tells readers in this latest exploration of the far reaches of scientific speculation that another universe may be floating just a millimeter away on a "brane" (membrane) parallel to our own. We can't pop our heads in and have a look around because it exists in hyperspace, beyond our four dimensions. However, Kaku writes, scientists conjecture that branes—a creation of M theory, marketed as possibly the long-sought "theory of everything"—may eventually collide, annihilating each other. Such a collision may even have caused what we call the big bang. In his usual reader-friendly style, Kaku discusses the spooky objects conjured up from the equations of relativity and quantum physics: wormholes, black holes and the "white holes" on the other side; universes budding off from one another; and alternate quantum realities in which the 2004 elections turned out differently. As he delves into the past, present and possible future of this universe, Kaku will excite readers with his vision of realms that may exist just beyond the tip of our noses and, in what he admits is a highly speculative section, the possibilities our progeny may enjoy countless millennia from now; for instance, as this universe dies (in a "big freeze"), humans may be able to escape into other universes. B&w illus.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Scientific American
In the end, as our universe is dying, will civilization be able to move to another universe? Kaku, professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York, thinks the possibility of such a transition appears in "the emerging theory of the multiverse--a world made up of multiple universes, of which ours is but one." Our universe is now expanding. "If this antigravity force continues, the universe will ultimately die in a big freeze." That is a law of physics. "But it is also a law of evolution that when the environment changes, life must either leave, adapt, or die." Moving to another universe is one possibility cited by Kaku. Another is that civilization could build a "time warp" and travel back into its own past, to an era before the big freeze. A third is that "an entire civilization may inject its seed through a dimensional gateway and reestablish itself, in its full glory." Kaku is good at explaining the cosmological ideas--among them string theory, inflation, wormholes, space and time warps, and higher dimensions--that underpin his argument. Editors of Scientific American--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Bookmarks Magazine
Kaku (Hyperspace) teaches theoretical physics at City University of New York. Sound daunting? It is-considering he deals with recent satellite data suggesting that mysterious dark energy makes up nearly three-quarters of the universe. Parallel Worlds, which meshes Kaku’s interests in physics and futurology, asks hair-raising questions: Do higher dimensions exist? Can black holes bend time? And if our universe is dying, will we be able to jump ship to another? Kaku runs through the recent history of cosmology, from Newton to Einstein, and introduces his own theories. He writes clearly, and a good glossary helps. But with many digressions and complex concepts, most readers will need some help. A few critics recommended starting with Brian Greene’s Fabric of the Cosmos (**** May/June 2004), a snappier, though still difficult, book. Or, just go to superstringtheory.com. That’ll clear it right up. Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* The success of physicist Brian Greene's books (e.g., The Fabric of the Cosmos [BKL F 15 04]) demonstrates the interest in string and membrane (or brane) theories, which posit that matter and energy consist of 10- or 11-dimensional entities vibrating at different frequencies. A pioneering theorist in the field, Kaku is also a fluid general-interest writer (Einstein's Cosmos [BKL Mr 15 04]) able to explain the essence and implications of strings. Purely theoretical constructs, strings have not been detected in nature, but in the course of describing some big-science observatories currently under development, Kaku states that he expects that evidence of their physical existence will be found. From this optimistic platform, Kaku expounds comprehensibly on why astrophysicists love strings and branes: they resolve various vexatious cosmological paradoxes and, Kaku comments, might ultimately be expressible in a single inch-long equation that describes our universe. On the other hand, millions of possible universes are permissible within the mathematical parameters of string theory, and since ours is destined to expand for eternity unto a frigid doom, according to cosmologists' current thinking, early planning for emigrating to a warmer parallel universe makes sense. Speculating about escape routes through spacetime, Kaku caps a riveting popular treatment of the string revolution in physics. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Advance praise for PARALLEL WORLDS
“In Parallel Worlds, Michio Kaku brings his formidable explanatory talents to bear on one of the strangest and most exciting possibilities to have emerged from modern physics: that our universe may be but one among many, perhaps infinitely many, arrayed in a vast cosmic network. With deft use of analogy and humor, Kaku patiently introduces the reader to variations on this theme of parallel universes, coming from quantum mechanics, cosmology, and most recently, M-theory. Read this book for a wonderful tour, with an expert guide, of a cosmos whose comprehension forces us to stretch to the very limits of imagination.” —Brian Greene, Professor of Theoretical Particle Physics, Columbia University, and author of The Fabric of the Cosmos and The Elegant Universe
“Those who might enjoy a tour of cosmology, time travel, string theory, and the universe in 10 or 11 dimensions will find no better guide than Michio Kaku, a rare individual who has undertaken research in these subject areas yet also knows well how to present this intriguing, complex material in an engaging and easily assimilable style.” —Donald Goldsmith, author of The Runaway Universe and Connecting with the Cosmos
“A highly readable and exhilarating romp through the frontiers of cosmology.”
—Martin Rees, author of Our Cosmic Habitat and Our Final Century
“A roller-coaster ride through the universe—and beyond—by one of the world’s finest science writers. Michio Kaku shows that the surface familiarity of the physical world conceals a wonderland of weird entities—dark matter and energy, hidden dimensions of space, and tiny loops of vibrating string that hold the cosmos together. In the universe according to Kaku, reality is as mind-bending as the most exhilarating science fiction.” —Paul Davies, Australi... --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.
Review
“In Parallel Worlds, Michio Kaku brings his formidable explanatory talents to bear on one of the strangest and most exciting possibilities to have emerged from modern physics: that our universe may be but one among many, perhaps infinitely many, arrayed in a vast cosmic network. With deft use of analogy and humor, Kaku patiently introduces the reader to variations on this theme of parallel universes, coming from quantum mechanics, cosmology, and most recently, M-theory. Read this book for a wonderful tour, with an expert guide, of a cosmos whose comprehension forces us to stretch to the very limits of imagination.” —Brian Greene, Professor of Theoretical Particle Physics, Columbia University, and author of The Fabric of the Cosmos and The Elegant Universe
“Kaku employs an amiable style that does much to make the story accessible even for those of us who have trouble telling the difference between superstring theory and Silly String aerosol. . . . Fascinating and sometimes downright boggling.” –Sci Fi Magazine
“Kaku covers a tremendous amount of material . . . in a clear and lively way.” –Los Angeles Times Book Review
“One hundred years ago, Albert Einstein revolutionized the science of cosmology. In Parallel Worlds, Michio Kaku, another genius, updates us on the this science and speculates about the future of the universe.” –San Antonio Express-News
“Those who might enjoy a tour of cosmology, time travel, string theory, and the universe in 10 or 11 dimensions will find no better guide than Michio Kaku, a rare individual who has undertaken research in these subject areas yet also knows well how to present this intriguing, complex material in an engaging and easily assimilable style.” —Donald Goldsmith, author of The Runaway Universe and Connecting with the Cosmos
“A highly readable and exhilarating romp through the frontiers of cosmology.”
—Martin Rees, author of Our Cosmic Habitat and Our Final Century
“A roller-coaster ride through the universe—and beyond—by one of the world’s finest science writers. Michio Kaku shows that the surface familiarity of the physical world conceals a wonderland of weird entities—dark matter and energy, hidden dimensions of space, and tiny loops of vibrating string that hold the cosmos together. In the universe according to Kaku, reality is as mind-bending as the most exhilarating science fiction.” —Paul Davies, Australian Centre for Astrobiology, Macquarie University, Sydney, and author of How to Build a Time Machine
“Michio Kaku has done it again. In Parallel Worlds, he deftly transforms the frontier of physics into a kind of amusement park, where you actually have fun while reading about Einstein's relativity, quantum mechanics, cosmology, and string theory. But the real story here is how Kaku invokes these powerful tools to speculate about multiple universes and their philosophical implications for our perceptions of God and the meaning of life.” —Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist and Director of the Hayden Planetarium, New York City, and author of Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution
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