Print List Price: | $18.00 |
Kindle Price: | $13.99 Save $4.01 (22%) |
Sold by: | Random House LLC Price set by seller. |
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Audible sample
The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything Kindle Edition
Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.
View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.
Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.
Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
When Newton discovered the law of gravity, he unified the rules governing the heavens and the Earth. Since then, physicists have been placing new forces into ever-grander theories.
But perhaps the ultimate challenge is achieving a monumental synthesis of the two remaining theories—relativity and the quantum theory. This would be the crowning achievement of science, a profound merging of all the forces of nature into one beautiful, magnificent equation to unlock the deepest mysteries in science: What happened before the Big Bang? What lies on the other side of a black hole? Are there other universes and dimensions? Is time travel possible? Why are we here?
Kaku also explains the intense controversy swirling around this theory, with Nobel laureates taking opposite sides on this vital question. It is a captivating, gripping story; what’s at stake is nothing less than our conception of the universe.
Written with Kaku’s trademark enthusiasm and clarity, this epic and engaging journey is the story of The God Equation.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherVintage
- Publication dateApril 6, 2021
- File size8468 KB
Customers who bought this item also bought
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“This is an excellent book written by a masterful science communicator. . . . If there is anyone who can demystify the esoteric mathematics and physics of string theory, it is [Kaku]. And in this wonderful little book, that is precisely what he does—explain in clear and simple terms the conceptual breakthroughs, the blind alleys and the unanswered questions—in the search for a grand unified theory of everything. . . . The God Equation dazzles. . . . Kaku, a consummate storyteller, provides an engaging, unvarnished account. . . . His book presents cutting-edge ideas in theoretical physics, and primes readers to be ready when the next major breakthrough occurs.” —The Wall Street Journal
"[Kaku writes] about science in clean, concise language. . . . A clear and engaging story of a difficult scientific quest." —Smithsonian Magazine
"Authoritative and accessible." —Nature
“Kaku eloquently reviews the structure of our universe, highlighting contributions from intellectual giants and those continuing the daunting, decades-long quest for the elusive theory of everything. . . . Examining this tantalizing theory, Kaku outlines its promises, problems, and the breathtaking, almost inconceivable array of possibilities it presents. Kaku's latest captures the awesome and mysterious beauty of the universe, of our planet, and of ourselves, and will intrigue anyone who ponders existence.” —Booklist
“Riveting. . . . Kaku’s expertise at making mind-bending concepts comprehensible makes this a real intellectual eye-opener.” —Publishers Weekly
“An expert account of the search for 'the holy grail of physics.' . . . Illuminating. . . . An important work.” —Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
It was to be the final theory, a single framework that would unite all the forces of the cosmos and choreograph everything from the motion of the expanding universe to the most minute dance of subatomic particles. The challenge was to write an equation whose mathematical elegance would encompass the whole of physics.
Some of the most eminent physicists in the world embarked upon this quest. Stephen Hawking even gave a talk with the auspicious title “Is the End in Sight for Theoretical Physics?”
If such a theory is successful, it would be science’s crowning achievement. It would be the holy grail of physics, a single formula from which, in principle, one could derive all other equations, starting from the Big Bang and moving to the end of the universe. It would be the end product of two thousand years of scientific investigation ever since the ancients asked the question, “What is the world made of?
It is a breathtaking vision.
Einstein’s Dream
I first came across the challenge this dream posed as a child of eight. One day, the newspapers announced that a great scientist had just died. There was an unforgettable picture in the paper.
It was an image of his desk, with an open notebook. The caption announced that the greatest scientist of our time could not finish the work he had started. I was fascinated. What could possibly be so hard that even the great Einstein could not solve it?
That book contained his unfinished theory of everything, what Einstein called the unified field theory. He wanted an equation, perhaps no more than one inch long, that would allow him to, in his words, “read the mind of God.”
Not fully appreciating the enormity of this problem, I decided to follow in the footsteps of this great man, and hoped to play a small role in finishing his quest.
But many others have also tried and failed. As Princeton physicist Freeman Dyson once said, the road to the unified field theory is littered with the corpses of failed attempts.
Today, however, many leading physicists believe that we are finally converging on the solution.
The leading (and to my mind, only) candidate is called string theory, which posits the universe was not made of point particles but of tiny vibrating strings, with each note corresponding to a subatomic particle.
If we had a microscope powerful enough, we could see that electrons, quarks, neutrinos, etc. are nothing but vibrations on minuscule loops resembling rubber bands. If we pluck the rubber band enough times and in different ways, we eventually create all the known subatomic particles in the universe. This means that all the laws of physics can be reduced to the harmonies of these strings. Chemistry is the melodies one can play on them. The universe is a symphony. And the mind of God, which Einstein eloquently wrote about, is cosmic music resonating throughout space-time.
This is not just an academic question. Each time scientists have unraveled a new force, it has changed the course of civilization and altered the destiny of humanity. For example, Newton’s discovery of the laws of motion and gravity laid the groundwork for the machine age and the Industrial Revolution. Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell’s explanation of electricity and magnetism paved the way for the illumination of our cities and gave us powerful electric motors and generators as well as instantaneous communication via TV and radio. Einstein’s E = mc2 explained the power of the stars and helped to unravel the nuclear force. When Erwin Schrödinger, Werner Heisenberg, and others unlocked the secrets of the quantum theory, they gave us the high-tech revolution of today, with supercomputers, lasers, the internet, and all the fabulous gadgets in our living rooms.
Ultimately, all the wonders of modern technology owe their origin to the scientists who gradually discovered the fundamental forces of the world. Now, scientists may be converging on the theory that unifies these four forces of nature—gravity, the electromagnetic force, and the strong and weak nuclear forces—into a single theory. Ultimately, it may answer some of the deepest mysteries and questions in all of science, such as:
· What happened before the Big Bang? Why did it bang in the first place?
· What lies on the other side of a black hole?
· Is time travel possible?
· Are there wormholes to other universes?
· Are there higher dimensions?
· Is there a multiverse of parallel universes?
This book is about the quest to find this ultimate theory and all the bizarre twists and turns of what is undoubtedly one of the strangest chapters in the history of physics. We will review all the previous revolutions, which have given us our technological marvels, starting with the Newtonian revolution, leading up to the mastery of the electromagnetic force, the development of relativity and the quantum theory, and the string theory of today. And we will explain how this theory may also unravel the deepest mysteries of space and time.
An Army of Critics
However, hurdles remain. For all the excitement generated by string theory, the critics have been keen to point out its defects. And after all the hype and frenzy, real progress has stalled.
The most glaring problem is that, for all the flattering press extolling the beauty and complexity of the theory, we have no solid, testable evidence. Once, it was hoped that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) outside Geneva, Switzerland, the biggest particle accelerator in history, would find concrete evidence for the final theory, but this has remained elusive. The LHC was able to find the Higgs boson (or the God particle), but this particle was only a tiny missing piece of the final theory.
Although ambitious proposals have been made for an even more powerful successor to the LHC, there is no guarantee that these costly machines will find anything at all. No one knows for certain at what energy we will find new subatomic particles that could verify the theory.
But perhaps the most important criticism of string theory is that it predicts a multiverse of universes. Einstein once said that the key question was: Did God have a choice in making the universe? Is the universe unique? String theory by itself is unique, but it probably has an infinite number of solutions. Physicists call this the landscape problem—the fact that our universe may be just one solution among an ocean of other equally valid ones. If our universe is one of many possibilities, then which one is ours? Why do we live in this particular universe and not another? What, then, is the predictive power of string theory? Is it a theory of everything or a theory of anything?
I admit I have a stake in this search. I have been working on string theory since 1968, ever since it emerged accidentally, unannounced, and totally unexpected. I have seen the remarkable evolution of the theory that developed from a single formula into a discipline with a whole library’s worth of research papers. Today, string theory forms the basis of much of the research being done in the world’s leading laboratories. This book will hopefully give you a balanced, objective analysis of string theory’s breakthroughs and limitations.
It will also explain why this quest has seized the imagination of the world’s top scientists, and why this theory has generated so much passion and controversy.
Product details
- ASIN : B08CTGL22R
- Publisher : Vintage (April 6, 2021)
- Publication date : April 6, 2021
- Language : English
- File size : 8468 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 215 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #120,424 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #15 in Relativity Physics (Kindle Store)
- #26 in Quantum Theory (Kindle Store)
- #61 in Relativity Physics (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Michio Kaku is the co-founder of String Field Theory and is the author of international best-selling books such as Hyperspace, Visions, and Beyond Einstein. Michio Kaku is the Henry Semat Professor in Theoretical Physics at the City University of New York.
Photo by Cristiano Sant´Anna/indicefoto.com for campuspartybrasil [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book easy to understand and well-written. They appreciate the summary understanding of major theories throughout history, and the profound explanation of the universe. The book is described as a great, fun read that is concise and to the point. Readers praise the author as a distinguished physicist who has done pioneering work.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book easy to read and understandable. They appreciate the clear, simple writing style that makes it accessible to everyone. The writing style is unique in its informative and educational content while at the same time being accessible.
"...On the other hand, it is an easy to read summary of physics, the history of physics, quantum physics and eventually string theory...." Read more
"Very understandable" Read more
"...Kaku with is usual charisma takes a complex topic and makes it understandable for the novice. Highly recommended...." Read more
"...So this book is RECOMMENDED for beginners. I never read a book twice but I definitely read this book many more times." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's knowledge level. They find it provides a summary understanding of major theories throughout time and the history of physics research. The book provides a profound explanation of the universe and how it dwells within all humanity. Readers enjoy the theoretical approach and find learning about quantum theory fascinating.
"...It is very fascinating to learn the history of all of physics and how all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together by some of the greatest physicists..." Read more
"...Not a math major myself so the information was shared in a wonderful way that I could understand and now I will look at some of those equations to..." Read more
"...On the other hand, it is an easy to read summary of physics, the history of physics, quantum physics and eventually string theory...." Read more
"...I enjoyed his theoretical approach. Quantum Theory is fascinating but mind boggling!" Read more
Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They say it's concise and to the point, with good points. The book is interesting and thought-provoking, with an understandable conclusion. Readers appreciate how it combines a good storyline and consider it worth reading for understanding science over time and the human factor.
"This was a excellent book. I find the title to be somewhat misleading, but it does fit...." Read more
"...His explanations are lucid, modest and it was a fun read...." Read more
"...This book is the best book on the current state of physics notwithstanding my objections to quantum physics huge problems...." Read more
"Just started reading. A very good book." Read more
Customers find the string theory a perfect equation that adds gravity. They find it an excellent survey of the origins of string theory and modern physics. The book weaves theoretical contradictions and debates into its discussion with beauty. It starts at the beginning, goes through Neutonian physics, Einstein and relativity, then switches to quantum physics and finally to String Theory.
"...He explains string theory very well in layman’s terms and gives us the truth about the hype and the disappointments but also hope regarding where..." Read more
"An excellent introduction to quantum theory." Read more
"...String theory is a perfect equation in that it has symmetry, and it also adds gravity to the mix, something that had perplexed scientists for..." Read more
"...I enjoyed his theoretical approach. Quantum Theory is fascinating but mind boggling!" Read more
Customers appreciate the author's work. They find him a well-respected physicist who has done pioneering work. The book contains excerpts from scientists, mathematicians, and philosophers. It is written without mathematical equations and does not require a physics background to understand the concepts presented.
"...all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together by some of the greatest physicists...." Read more
"Michio Kaku is a renowned theoretical physicist and an excellent popularizer of science and especially physics...." Read more
"This is my absolute favorite book! Not only does world renowned physicist Michio Kaku mention what the purpose of the God Equation is but also how..." Read more
"...He has a lot of fantastic excerpts from scientists, mathematicians, and philosophers, but then concludes with his own ill informed remarks...." Read more
Reviews with images
Amazing
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2024This was a excellent book. I find the title to be somewhat misleading, but it does fit. The book goes through the history of physics and all of the mathematical discoveries that have lead to string theory and how they all fit together. It is very fascinating to learn the history of all of physics and how all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together by some of the greatest physicists. The author also talks about how it cannot be proven and is not definitive, but mathematically it is the best solution we currently have. Very good book.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2024I thank you Mr. Kaku for sharing your knowledge and special insight into the world of physics. Not a math major myself so the information was shared in a wonderful way that I could understand and now I will look at some of those equations to increase my mathematical understanding. Sincere best wishes and hopefully many more books to come.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2021Michio Kaku is a renowned theoretical physicist and an excellent popularizer of science and especially physics. I love reading his books including this one. If you have read his other books you will not find much new in this book. On the other hand, it is an easy to read summary of physics, the history of physics, quantum physics and eventually string theory. The focus is on the search for the theory of everything or as some call it “the God Equation”.
I found chapter 6 (there are 7 chapters) “Rise of String Theory Promise and Problems” to be very enlightening and honest. He explains string theory very well in layman’s terms and gives us the truth about the hype and the disappointments but also hope regarding where string theory and M-theory might take us. He gives us his view of the promises of string theory and he explains why we should not write it off just because it is difficult to experimentally verify. He convinced me, but it may take time before we will know whether string theory is the path forward.
His explanations are lucid, modest and it was a fun read. However, personally I was expecting something a little bit “deeper”, and I don’t think it is his best book, so not five stars from me, but I still enjoyed it.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2024Very understandable
- Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2021I studies about how peoples get to god, and even with the mystical Kabbalah there is a system with holy number that are really God names. I'm an artist and usually don't visualize anything. But I learned to visualize under a lot of concentration, so that I could look at four blocks at the same time. You know kind of like placing my mind set on both side at a point where I saw most of the cub. I like how one friend said that once you get to the furthest understanding of God and you are really talking to God remember that that is only the first step of talking to the highest power. and that there are maybe ten more sets of Sephirothic trees on with in another or over over the other. In other words if we find the tree of life with the
I'm hoping that once he find the God equation he find away to get to the half dimensions, You know where a person works their magi kind of to see, And I hope that making that equations misplay is figuring out where the portions of the sub quotations sits. So maybe he will make the equations simple each major equations is then given a letter or a symbol. In the equations that is simple where the components sets might be happenstance, like thoroughgoing every known equations into a paper bad and then once you draw out the equations you write the quintessence of that equations into the one larger simple equations. I wonder where the balance or chi, would be in a simple equations, only where the two side balance, half of the equation answer each other leaving a lot of space for all the side equations. If makes a flow chart, that looks like the tree of life, maybe he should look at the whole tree of like like houses on a street. That way the author will not fall. And that way the God with in a God might be brought out of ideas to play with the equations him self. I like the way he enplanes his fields.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2024An excellent introduction to quantum theory.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2024Michiu Kaku with is usual charisma takes a complex topic and makes it understandable for the novice. Highly recommended. I intend to read this topic further after reading this.
Top reviews from other countries
-
Joan Matamoros MárquezReviewed in Spain on November 15, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Buen libro
Interesante. He aprendido cosas nuevas que otros libros de fisica no mencionan.
- Sanskar SharmaReviewed in India on September 8, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Simple and Informative
The language is simple for most of the people.
- PCXReviewed in Belgium on June 26, 2024
1.0 out of 5 stars Not satisfied
Book is written more to let promote Kaku than to address a real scientific progress
- FelixReviewed in Sweden on August 3, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Super good book
Super good book
- Francis ShawReviewed in Germany on July 21, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting
A good interesting read. Unconvinced by string theory. Way more evidence needed and it still feels like the demand to find a theory for everything is driving a belief beyond reasonable proof.