Product Description

Is our universe dying?
Could there be other universes?
In Parallel Worlds, world-renowned physicist and bestselling author Michio Kaku—an author who “has a knack for bringing the most ethereal ideas down to earth” (Wall Street Journal)—takes readers on a fascinating tour of cosmology, M-theory, and its implications for the fate of the universe.

In his first book of physics since Hyperspace, Michio Kaku begins by describing the extraordinary advances that have transformed cosmology over the last century, and particularly over the last decade, forcing scientists around the world to rethink our understanding of the birth of the universe, and its ultimate fate. In Dr. Kaku’s eyes, we are living in a golden age of physics, as new discoveries from the WMAP and COBE satellites and the Hubble space telescope have given us unprecedented pictures of our universe in its infancy.

As astronomers wade through the avalanche of data from the WMAP satellite, a new cosmological picture is emerging. So far, the leading theory about the birth of the universe is the “inflationary universe theory,” a major refinement on the big bang theory. In this theory, our universe may be but one in a multiverse, floating like a bubble in an infinite sea of bubble universes, with new universes being created all the time. A parallel universe may well hover a mere millimeter from our own.

The very idea of parallel universes and the string theory that can explain their existence was once viewed with suspicion by scientists, seen as the province of mystics, charlatans, and cranks. But today, physicists overwhelmingly support string-theory, and its latest iteration, M-theory, as it is this one theory that, if proven correct, would reconcile the four forces of the universe simply and elegantly, and answer the question “What happened before the big bang?”

Already, Kaku explains, the world’s foremost physicists and astronomers are searching for ways to test the theory of the multiverse using highly sophisticated wave detectors, gravity lenses, satellites, and telescopes. The implications of M-theory are fascinating and endless. If parallel worlds do exist, Kaku speculates, in time, perhaps a trillion years or more from now, as appears likely, when our universe grows cold and dark in what scientists describe as a big freeze, advanced civilizations may well find a way to escape our universe in a kind of “inter-dimensional lifeboat.”

An unforgettable journey into black holes and time machines, alternate universes, and multidimensional space, Parallel Worlds gives us a compelling portrait of the revolution sweeping the world of cosmology.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #345494 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-28
• Released on: 2004-12-28
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 448 pages

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.

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

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.

Customer Reviews

Excellent Reading For Any Technical Skillset
Michio has done an excellent job at describing the current understanding of the Universe, based on the latest proven theories. He has the ability to reach out to all skill levels. This is simply the best book I have ever read regarding the Universe. Thanks to my good friend and colleague, Neal Bailey, for recommending this book.

Well written, covers a lot of material
I was quite impressed to find that this book touched on every subject I had expected or just hoped for, and more. Not only does it contain an update on the most current understanding of our universe and the possibilities of a greater "multiverse" of parallel universes; it also gives a historical view of how we got there, including some background knowledge and stories about the great physicists who got us this far.

I am a physics student and hence have some background knowledge that aids in understanding, but the author doesn't assume readers to have a physics background and does a good job of explaining things in a down-to-earth manner. I can highly recommend this book to anybody who is curious about what the latest science has to say about any of the following:

The universe, its beginning and its end, dark matter, dark energy, wormholes, black holes, multiple theories for parallel universes (relativity, quantum and string theory all suggest them as a possibility), string theory, higher dimensions, possibilities of travelling in spacetime and other dimensions, teleporting, travel faster than the speed of light, development of civilizations and what our future may look like (e.g. how we can manage to escape when our spot in spacetime becomes uninhabitable).

An excellent explanation of status quo physics
In this book, Michio Kaku, a leading theoretical physicist, discusses the current state of the search for a unified theory to explain everything, from quantum physics to relativity and everything in between. In layman's terms, he discusses the history of string theory and M-Theory, the current form of string theory, and what it all means in terms of the possibilities of alternate universes, time travel, and the origin of the universe. Kaku discusses the possibilities of more than 3 spacial dimensions, as implied by the theory. Kaku goes on to discuss the ultimate fate of the universe: a continual expansion resulting in temperatures too cold to support life, or a crushing implosion resulting in temperatures too hot to support life. Kaku discusses the possibility that M-Theory may increase our understanding of the universe (or multiverse) enough to be able to travel into a different universe, or back in time, before our universe collapses. Kaku ends with a philosophical discussion on our place in the universe and what the point of it all is.

If you have read Kaku's book "Hyperspace", some of this book will be review, as he includes some of the same concepts of extra dimensions in this book.

Kaku explains the science in such a way that the layperson can understand it fairly well. He doesn't go into much mathematical detail; he only explains enough so that the reader understands what the theory means and doesn't get bogged down with all the details. This is what makes Kaku's writing great. His books, such as this one, are written for those who haven't studied physics in depth but who are interested in what is going on in the field of physics and the search to understand the universe.

The bottom line: Kaku is a great resource for the latest developments in theoretical physics and our understanding of the universe.