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1、--1--TheElegantUniverse:Superstrings,HiddenDimensions,andtheQuestfortheUltimateTheoryBrianGreene--2--ContentsPrefacePartI:TheEdgeofKnowledge1.TiedUpwithStringPartII:TheDilemmaofSpace,Time,andtheQuanta2.Space,Time,andtheEyeoftheBeholder3.OfWarpsandRipples4.MicroscopicWeirdness5.TheNeedfo
2、raNewTheory:GeneralRelativityvs.QuantumMechanicsPartIII:TheCosmicSymphony6.NothingbutMusic:TheEssentialsofSuperstringTheory7.The"Super"inSuperstrings8.MoreDimensionsThanMeettheEye9.TheSmokingGun:ExperimentalSignaturesPartIV.StringTheoryandtheFabricofSpacetime10.QuantumGeometry11.Tearing
3、theFabricofSpace12.BeyondStrings:InSearchofM-Theory13.BlackHoles:AString/M-TheoryPerspective14.ReflectionsonCosmologyPartV:UnificationintheTwenty-FirstCentury15.ProspectsGlossaryofScientificTermsReferencesandSuggestionsforFurtherReadingE-booknotes--3--PrefaceDuringthelastthirtyyearsofhi
4、slife,AlbertEinsteinsoughtrelentlesslyforaso-calledunifiedfieldtheory—atheorycapableofdescribingnature'sforceswithinasingle,all-encompassing,coherentframework.Einsteinwasnotmotivatedbythethingsweoftenassociatewithscientificundertakings,suchastryingtoexplainthisorthatpieceofexperimentald
5、ata.Instead,hewasdrivenbyapassionatebeliefthatthedeepestunderstandingoftheuniversewouldrevealitstruestwonder:thesimplicityandpoweroftheprinciplesonwhichitisbased.Einsteinwantedtoilluminatetheworkingsoftheuniversewithaclarityneverbeforeachieved,allowingusalltostandinaweofitssheerbeautyan
6、delegance.Einsteinneverrealizedthisdream,inlargepartbecausethedeckwasstackedagainsthim:Inhisday,anumberofessentialfeaturesofmatterandtheforcesofnaturewereeitherunknownor,atbest,poorlyunderstood.Butduringthepasthalf-century,physicistsofeachnewgeneration—throughfitsandstarts,anddiversions
7、downblindalleys—havebeenbuildingsteadilyonthediscoveriesoftheirpredecessorstopiecetogetheraneverfullerunderstandingofhowtheuniverseworks.Andnow,longafterEinsteinarticulatedhisquestforaunifiedtheorybutcameupempty-handed,physicistsbelievetheyhavefinallyfoundaframeworkforstitching
