Lisa Randall Livres

This text makes clear the biggest scientific questions we face and reveals how answering them could ultimately tell us who we are and where we came from.

The universe conceals secrets, possibly including extra dimensions beyond our imagination. Remarkable concepts such as parallel universes, warped geometry, and three-dimensional sinkholes now populate the scientific landscape. Despite our increased understanding, we face greater uncertainty about the universe's true nature. Have we reached a level of scientific advancement where existing laws of physics are inadequate? Will we soon accept explanations that once belonged to science fiction? Lisa Randall is at the forefront of these breakthroughs, challenging the boundaries of science to address fundamental questions posed by Nature. For instance, why does Earth's gravitational field seem so weak against a tiny magnet? Pursuing answers to such perplexing questions has led physicists to consider the existence of extra dimensions, which could significantly enhance our scientific knowledge. Randall explores the fascinating realm of warped, hidden dimensions that may underpin our universe, discussing how we might prove their existence while examining the unanswered questions they raise. This work offers an exhilarating overview of the journey from early twentieth-century physics to contemporary particle physics and string theory, engaging with current debates on relativity, quantum mechanics, and gravity. In a highly accessible style, Randall demystifies complex science and unravels the mysteries of the potential worlds that may lie

66 million years ago, a ten-mile-wide object from outer space hurtled into the Earth at incredible speed. The impact annihilated the dinosaurs, along with three-quarters of the other species on the planet. But what if this catastrophe was the sign of something greater- an opening vista onto the interconnectedness of the universe itself? This is the story of the astounding forces that underpin our existence; a horizon-expanding tour of the cosmos that unifies what we know about the universe with new thinking. From the far-flung reaches of space, the makeup of the universe and our solar system's place within it, to the mysterious and elusive stuff of dark matter and how it affects life here on Earth.