Part 2: The Physics Upon Which String Theory Is Built
Chapter 4: Putting String Theory in Context: Understanding the Method of Science
Exploring the Practice of Science
Understanding How Scientific Change Is Viewed
Chapter 5: What You Must Know about Classical Physics
This Crazy Little Thing Called Physics
All Shook Up: Waves and Vibrations
Newton’s Revolution: How Physics Was Born
The Forces of Light: Electricity and Magnetism
Chapter 6: Revolutionizing Space and Time: Einstein’s Relativity
What Waves Light Waves? Searching for the Ether
No Ether? No Problem: Introducing Special Relativity
Changing Course: Introducing General Relativity
Applying Einstein’s Work to the Mysteries of the Universe
Kaluza-Klein Theory — String Theory’s Predecessor
Chapter 7: Brushing Up on Quantum Theory Basics
Unlocking the First Quanta: The Birth of Quantum Physics
Fun with Photons: Einstein’s Nobel Idea of Light
Waves and Particles Living Together
Why We Can’t Measure It All: The Uncertainty Principle
Dead Cats, Live Cats, and Probability in Quantum Physics
Does Anyone Know What Quantum Theory Means?
Quantum Units of Nature: Planck Units
Chapter 8: The Standard Model of Particle Physics
Atoms, Atoms, Everywhere Atoms: Introducing Atomic Theory
Popping Open the Atomic Hood and Seeing What’s Inside
The Quantum Picture of the Photon: Quantum Electrodynamics
Digging into the Nucleus: Quantum Chromodynamics
Looking into the Types of Particles
Gauge Bosons: Particles Holding Other Particles Together
Exploring the Theory of Where Mass Comes From
From Big to Small: The Hierarchy Problem in Physics
Chapter 9: Physics in Space: Considering Cosmology and Astrophysics
The Enlightened Universe and the Birth of Modern Astrophysics
Introducing the Idea of an Expanding Universe
Finding a Beginning: The Big Bang Theory
Using Inflation to Solve the Universe’s Problems of Flatness and Horizon
Dark Matter: The Source of Extra Gravity
Dark Energy: Pushing the Universe Apart
Stretching the Fabric of Space-Time into a Black Hole
7 Part 3: Building String Theory: A Theory of Everything Chapter 10: Early Strings and Superstrings: Unearthing the Theory’s Beginnings Bosonic String Theory: The First String Theory Why Bosonic String Theory Doesn’t Describe Our Universe Supersymmetry Saves the Day: Superstring Theory Supersymmetry and Quantum Gravity in the Disco Era A Theory of Everything: The First Superstring Revolution But We’ve Got Five Theories! How to Fold Space: Introducing Calabi-Yau Manifolds String Theory Loses Steam Chapter 11: M-Theory and Beyond: Bringing String Theory Together Introducing the Unifying Theory: M-Theory Branes: Stretching Out a String Matrix Theory as a Potential M-Theory Chapter 12: Exploring Strings and Their Landscape Strings and Fields: String Field Theory String Theory Gets Surprised by Dark Energy Considering Proposals for Why Dimensions Sometimes Uncurl Understanding the Current Landscape: A Multitude of Theories Chapter 13: Gaining Insights from the Holographic Principle What’s a Hologram? Using Holograms to Understand Black Holes Considering AdS/CFT Correspondence Turning the Tables: Using Holography to Study Strongly Interacting Matter Chapter 14: Putting String Theory to the Test Understanding the Obstacles Analyzing Supersymmetry
