Best books about String Theory

For science lovers, string theory is a term that keeps popping up time and again. Sure enough, it’s not something an average person knows much about, except that it exists. Nevertheless, it’s possible to familiarize yourself with different versions of string theory through popular science books, many of which are in the audiobook format and available in Speechify’s ever-growing catalog. As such, let’s talk a bit about theoretical physicists and their views on string theory.

The string theory in simple terms

String theory is a framework in theoretical physics. In essence, it replaces massless particles from the standard model of particle physics with strings—one-dimensional objects. This theory tries to explain how strings interact with space-time as well as each other. It was first studied in the 60s. However, it was soon abandoned for quantum chromodynamics.

Just like particles, the strings have both mass and charge, as well as other properties depending on their state of vibration. Vibration states match the graviton—a quantum physics particle that carries force. As such, the string theory is often referred to as a theory of quantum gravity.

String theorists will agree that this is a very broad theory. It addresses numerous subjects and provides advancements in how we perceive the entire universe, Hawking’s black holes, and even quarks in nuclear physics. It’s also a self-contained model that describes the fundamental forces of matter. Nevertheless, we don’t know how much freedom of choice it gives to its interpreters.

String theory developed into superstring theory, as it was found suitable for studying supersymmetry and bosons—a special group of particles. It is now part of Edward Witten’s M-theory, a single unification theory that describes various problems in an astonishing eleven dimensions. String theory is also closely related to the quantum field theory through the AdS/CFT correspondence.

Popular books on string theory

The string theory has been around for almost a century now. Therefore, various mathematicians and physicists have worked on it, trying to come one step closer to the essence of the universe and, in turn, our existence. Yet, even an average person can learn more about such important matters thanks to popular science books about string theory. Check these out.

Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals by Richard Feynman and Albert Hibbs

Although not in the title, the string theory is a major part of Richard Feynman’s Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals. He is a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who developed path integrals, which can explain much about astrophysics. Luckily for us, his book is devoid of complicated writing, as it’s meant for everyone with basic math and physics knowledge to understand.

A First Course in String Theory by Barton Zwiebach

Barton Zwiebach offers a thorough demonstration of the key ideas involved in string theory, making it accessible to everyone. First, he covers key concepts and introduces the idea of Calabi-yau-shaped extra dimensions while examining special relativity and electromagnetism. Later on, he goes over D-branes, the T-duality of open and closed strings, and the classical dynamics of relativistic strings, along with a brief introduction to the superstring theory.

Superstrings and the Search for The Theory of Everything by John Gribbin

In Superstrings and the Search for The Theory of Everything, John Gribbin gives us a brief and accessible insight into particle physics, from subatomic particles to current research, bringing us one step closer to the essence of the universe. In the book, you can learn more about supersymmetry, string vibrations, as well as high-energy photons and protons.

The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene

Published way back in 1999 in New York, Brian Greene’s The Elegant Universe is a concise explanation of the string and superstring theory. The book is considered one of the best pieces on this matter that brings an observable overview of complex issues. Brian Greene won the Royal Society Prize for Science Books in 2000, making it a must-read for anyone studying string theory.

The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene

In The Fabric of the Cosmos, Brian Greene once again takes us on an amazing journey through the realms of spatial dimensions, electrons, and general relativity in a concise manner. He also discusses Newton and Albert Einstein and their views on space-time and quantum mechanics. It’s safe to say that it will make you question reality as we know it.

The problem and flaws with string theory

Like all theories, the string theory has its fair share of criticisms. The first major dispute with it is that it doesn’t offer an adequate definition in all circumstances. Another one is that it proposes countless universes through compactification, which, in turn, doesn’t work with particle physics.

The string theory also doesn’t work with the most popular dark energy theories, as it eliminates the possibility of positive vacuum energy. And on a side note, unlike Einstein’s general theory of relativity with its background independence, the string theory doesn’t include it.

Discovering if string theory has been proven

Although it has been around for quite some time now, physicists and mathematicians are yet to prove the string theory as they are still lacking experimental evidence. The same goes for the likes of loop-space theory or any other unified theory because there aren’t good enough ideas on how to acquire evidence.

The difference between string theory and quantum physics

In essence, quantum physics is an area of physics that examines the nature and behavior of matter and energy on an atomic and subatomic level. On the other hand, string theory is just a theory of quantum physics that talks about strings that vibrate and create gravity, and it tries to merge everything into a unified theory.

Listen to audiobooks on the string theory with Speechify audiobooks

If you’re fascinated by the prospect of the time dimension, the strong forces of the Big Bang, or quantum accelerators and the large hadron collider at CERN, you’ve come to the right place. Speechify is home to numerous popular science audiobooks, including the works of Neil deGrasse Tyson and Florian Freistetter.

To try out the service, you can get your first title for free and enjoy the book on your favorite. Then again, if you want to rest after hours of listening to quantum mechanics and physics, you can browse Speechify’s extensive catalog of over 70,000 fiction audiobooks.

FAQ

What does string theory say about the Big Bang?

The string theory suggests that time existed before the Big Bang. In fact, it suggests that time doesn’t have a beginning or an end, just a cycle of death and rebirth.