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The Elegant Universe (October 24, 2003, One)

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Program Summary

What do a loaf of bread and string theory have in common? The bread analogy is a great way of describing the universe according to the theory. The entire universe, as guest Brian Greene puts it, “is this gigantic loaf with many other slices, potentially. So our universe could be one slice, and a different, parallel universe could be living on a different slice.”

But which slice has the butter on it?

“The Elegant Universe,” a new PBS NOVA program hosted by Dr. Greene, will help you and your students understand the fascinating, mind-boggling world according to string theory. The program explores the search for the ultimate theory, or theory of everything, which can unify the physics of general relativity with those of quantum mechanics. At the heart of this quest is string theory. What’s string? Greene explains: “Electrons and quarks, little dots that you couldn’t divide any further,” that was the old idea. “Now we imagine that those dots are really little filaments, little string-like filaments of energy that can vibrate.” Like the strings of a violin, string-theory filaments “vibrate in a wealth of different patterns, but instead of hearing them as notes, we see them as different particles. So an electron is a string vibrating one way; a quark is a string vibrating a different way.”

One of the more intriguing things about string theory is that it implies more than four dimensions, possibly as many as eleven! But the other dimensions are so small that we can’t perceive them. Imagining more than four dimensions is one of the challenges of describing the theory. But “The Elegant Universe” uses numerous graphics to paint a picture that’s easier to understand. Viewers will even get to visit the Quantum Café, where they can experience life at the quantum level, where ice cubes can pass through glasses.

As you’ve probably already guessed, this week’s show is geared toward advanced students. So be sure to catch “The Elegant Universe,” and follow up your viewing with the activities suggested here. They’ll put a new spin on the phrase “no strings attached.”

Guests

Brian Greene, physicist at Columbia University; author of “The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory;” and host of PBS’s “NOVA” series “The Elegant Universe.”

Book Discussed

“The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory,” by Brian Greene. (W.W. Norton, 1998).

Related Links and Resources

NASA’s Imagine the Universe page: Superstrings
The Official String Theory Web Site
PBS’s “NOVA”: The Elegant Universe
Science Friday, January 17, 2003: Stars of the Universe
Science Friday, February 19, 1999: String Theory

The Second Superstring Revolution
Superstrings Home Page

For Discussion:

• Here’s the big question: What is string theory? How is it different from the old notion that atoms were made up of point-like particles?
• What are the four known dimensions? Can students imagine what more than four dimensions might be like?
• How might Einstein’s theory of general relativity connect with string theory?
• Define “quantum mechanics.” How does this study of physics at the very small scale compare with relativity, which tackles the very large scale?
• Scientists are looking for a unified theory or ultimate theory. What is it, in concept?

Activities

Strings and things. Wrapping your head around string theory is easier with the help of Web sites that explain it in simple terms and show illustrations of the concepts. As Brian Greene puts it, when discussing string theory, a ten-second video image is worth ten pages of written explanation. Begin at NASA’s Superstrings page, which serves as a good primer on the topic. Superstrings Home Page features a step-by-step approach to explaining the theory using a tutorial and glossary. Finally, the Official String Theory Web Site offers both basic and advanced discussions of the theory and has quizzes to test students’ understanding of the concepts.

An elegant Web site. The companion site to the PBS program “The Elegant Universe” is chock full of interviews, information, animations, images, and activities that will make your students’ exploration of string theory accessible and fun. Begin with the article “The Theory of Everything,” which slices an apple from core to atom, to electron, to string. To help students gain an idea of just how small a string might be, they can play a slide show that takes them to 10^-33 centimeters (string size). Continue with a primer on elementary particles, and view an animation on string vibration called Resonance in Strings. Other stops to make at the site include interviews with physicist Brian Greene and other scientists. Imagining Other Dimensions guides viewers on a virtual trip from a two-dimensional “Flatland” to a 10-dimensional world. Make sure students try their hands at the Multidimensional Math interactive. Once students have explored what the site has to offer, they’re ready to try some of the excellent activities designed to go along with it and the program. You can download a PDF of the 31-page teacher’s guide at this NOVA Teachers page. By the way, if you miss the program broadcast, you’ll be able to view the entire series online using QuickTime or RealPlayer plug-ins.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

Hear the Program

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