SQUARE ROOT OF EINSTEIN, THE

What is our universe made of? How did it get here, and how will it end? Why are many scientists currently so excited about these questions? And why is everybody else so scared of the one subject – physics – that promises to give us all the answers?

This book is here to help. Its main aim is to explain a remarkable new idea that has arisen in recent years, that tells us all of our current theories of nature are much more closely related than previously thought possible. It will tell you where these theories come from, why understanding them has traditionally been so difficult, and about the tantalising new hints that our understanding of nature is about to significantly change.

More than this, the book will explain quite why it is so important that more people join the greatest pursuit of knowledge that our species has ever seen. Practical advice is given on how to become a scientist, so that people from all backgrounds may be inspired to become the leading thinkers of the future.

Contents:

• Preface
• About the Author
• Prologue
• Twinkle Twinkle
• The Most Obvious Things Aren't True
• The Light of the Charge Brigade
• Nothing Is Absolute
• Little by Little
• Everything Is Made of Fields
• A Weighty Subject
• Intermission
• When Particles Collide
• The Double Copy: Gravity from Gluons
• The Square Root of a Black Hole and Other Curiosities
• The Double Copy in the Sky
• Where Next?
• How to Become a Scientist
• Epilogue
• Index

Readership: This book is suitable for all members of the general public interested in science. It will be particularly useful for teenagers at secondary or high school level considering a career in science, as well as their parents and teachers.

'This is not just another popular science book. Chris's refreshingly straightforward and witty approach introduces key traditional concepts in physics as well as taking the reader right to the cutting edge of research in quantum field theory and introducing the characters involved. With a key thread addressing the everyday process of being a physicist, including a chapter on how to become a scientist, students of every science will find both guidance and inspiration within its pages. Have no hesitation in picking up a copy and letting Chris welcome you to the wonders of physics and life at the forefront of science.' - Dr James BedfordHead of Physics, Harrow School

'I am so incredibly impressed by Chris's ability to clearly convey the sense of wonder, excitement, and motivation that drive our field's struggle to understand what is uniquely gravitational and what is miraculously universal. His infectious wit highlights the marriage of reverence and playfulness that epitomizes this prediction-driven approach towards understanding the language of the universe. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone, at any stage, with the good taste to ask not only why, but how!' - Prof. John Joseph CarrascoNorthwestern University

Key Features:

• This is a popular science book on very new and exciting research results, that have garnered significant global attention
• Provides a motivational chapter on why physics has a diversity problem, and what can be done about it
• Explains all our current theories of the universe — plus our new results — in accessible terms
• Provides a final chapter on how to pursue a scientific career, giving the kind of advice that is missing in all popular science books aimed at high school students