Sunday, May 8, 2011

Just Finished: The Elegant Universe

Great book, but not as convincing as I had hoped. (Loved the Nova series, though Five stars to that.)
 
 
 
On page 278, Green says "Of course, the after-the-fact agreement was only marginally convincing. When you know the answer you want, it is all too easy to figure out a way of getting it." That's the way I feel about this book's arguments in general. Too many times scientists were faced with insurmountable theoretical problems that were easily fixed, for example, by adding dimensions to the framework. Dimensions, I might add, that can't be seen, can't be proved, can't be expiramentally confirmed, but (wonder of wonders!) completely validate all this theory we couldn't make work before!
 
I wish I was a scientist, so I could evaluate this book's arguments as a scientist. But until I am, I must remain unconvinced.