Science News - October 23, 2010

I
D
M
E
T
T
I
M
E
O
F
I
F
L
E
R

off 70%

O R

2

D

2

E
R
Y
B
C
E
D
.

Could String Theory Be the Long-Sought “Theory of Everything”?

Superstring Theory: The DNA of Reality
Professor S. James Gates, Jr.
University of Maryland at College Park
Winner, the Klopsteg Award of the American Association of Physics Teachers
Consultant, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy

One of the most exciting scientific adventures of all time is the search for the ultimate nature of physical reality. The latest advance in this epic quest is string theory—known as superstring or M-theory in its most recent versions. Based on the concept that all matter is composed of inconceivably tiny filaments of vibrating energy, superstring theory has potentially staggering implications for our understanding of the universe.

In Superstring Theory: The DNA of Reality, you explore this intriguing idea at a level deeper than that available in popular articles. Your guide is Dr. S. James Gates Jr., the John S. Toll Professor of Physics and Director of the Center for String and Particle Theory at the University of Maryland at College Park. Throughout these 24 lectures, he explains the concepts of superstring theory and mathematical ideas like hidden dimensions, dark matter, and black holes—all at the level of the nonscientist. He also draws on the illustrative power of graphics and animations to enhance your understanding and take you to the heart of these cutting-edge ideas.

Designed to meet the demand for lifelong learning, The Great Courses is a highly popular series of audio and video lectures led by top professors and experts. Each of our more than 300 courses is an intellectually engaging experience that will change how you think about the world. Since 1990, over 8 million courses have been sold.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

The Macro/Micro/ Mathematical Connection Who Is Afraid of Music? Apropos Einstein’s Perfect Brainstorm Year Honey, I Shrunk to the Quantum World—Part I Honey, I Shrunk to the Quantum World—Part II Dr. Hawking’s Dilemma I’d Like to See a Cosmos Sing in Perfect Harmony Einstein’s Hypotenuse and Strings—Part I

9. Einstein’s Hypotenuse
and Strings—Part II
10. Tying Up the Tachyon Monster
with Spinning Strings
11. The Invasion of the Anti-
Commuting Numbers
12. It’s a Bird—A Plane—
No, It’s Superstring!