I recently bought the Elegant Universe, a great book by Brian Greene. He tried his very best to distil String Theory and other mad cap science into what an average Joe could understand. I understand (well, I think I do) what he wrote but I have more questions than answers so I did what should be the right thing, I wrote him an email:
Dear Brian,
I recently read your book, The Elegant Universe and I must say, with the few things I learned, even if they dont really resonate with me, I can spend a dinner with a bunch of physicists without falling asleep from boredom. However, I would be happy if I could get answers to some nagging questions:
- Based on the big bang theory, if the universe started from the big bang about 15billion years ago, and has been expanding since (with some theories about its contraction happening after, but then both of us would have been long gone, it is not an event that I look forward to), what was the state of the universe a year before the big bang? Or a billion before then? Where did all those matter come from?
- If for about 300 years, the classical physicists felt they were right and then Einstein blew them off and then string theory is stringing Einstein up, do you think String theory could hold up forever?
- Is it possible that there could be a form of life inside the sub particles?
- Is it possible that the components of the whole universe are like sub particles? May be we are the makeup of a giant body!
I would love your take on those questions.
Best regards,