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Key Facts
full title · The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden
Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
author · Brian Greene
type of work · Nonfiction; popular science
genre · Science; physics
language · English
time and place written · New York City; 1990s
date of first publication · 1999; new preface added in 2003
narrator · Brian Greene
point of view · Greene discusses his personal involvement in string
theory research in the first person. He employs the third person
to describe other physicists’ contributions. Occasionally, when inviting
the reader to imagine a difficult scenario, Greene uses the second
person.
tone · This book was written for general audiences, and Greene
tries to keep his explanations simple and straightforward at all
times. From time to time, however, the explanations become detailed and
technical.
tense · Present. When describing scientific innovations of
earlier times, Greene employs the past tense, and when describing
his hopes for the future of string theory, he employs the future
tense.
setting (time) · From the creation of the universe 17 billion years
ago through 2003
setting (place) · Greene investigates the fabric of space in its smallest
and largest dimensions, from the most distant galaxy to the tiniest subatomic
particle
major conflict · A fundamental incompatibility exists between Einstein’s
theory of general relativity and quantum mechanics
themes · The shortcomings of intuition; elegance; Theory of
Everything; theory versus experiment; cosmological uncertainty |
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