Warped Passages - Lisa Randall [2]
To make the transition for the new ideas in each chapter, I’ve begun the chapters with a brief story that isolates a key concept using more familiar metaphors and settings. I’m having fun with these stories, so go back to catch the references after you’ve read the chapter if you like. You might think of the stories as a two-dimensional narrative going “down” through the chapters and “horizontally” across the book. Or you might treat them as a sort of playful homework problem that lets you gauge when you’ve absorbed the ideas in a chapter.
Many friends and colleagues helped me accomplish my goals for this book. Although I often knew what I was after, I didn’t always know when I had succeeded. A number of people deserve thanks for their generosity with their time, encouragement, and excitement and curiosity about the ideas I’m describing.
Several talented friends deserve particular thanks for their invaluable comments on the manuscript at various stages. Anna Christina Büchmann, a wonderful writer, gave beautifully detailed comments that helped me learn to complete the stories I was telling, both about physics and in general. She provided invaluable writing tips, always peppered with encouragement. Polly Shulman, another extremely talented friend, carefully read and commented on every chapter. I admire her logical and playful mind, and am very fortunate to have had her assistance. Lubos Motl, a brilliant physicist and dedicated science communicator (whose specious ideas about women in science we’ll ignore), read everything, even before it was readable, and gave extraordinarily useful suggestions and encouragement at every stage. Tom Lewenson offered the important advice that only a skillful science writer could provide and contributed several critically important suggestions. Michael Gordin gave the perspective of a historian of science and a connoisseur of this type of literature. Jamie Robins gave insightful comments on more than one version of the manuscript. Esther Chiao gave useful comments on the manuscript and the extremely helpful perspective of a smart, interested reader with a background outside the sciences. And I’m delighted that Cormack McCarthy volunteered valuable encouragement and suggestions in the final stages of this book.
Several people provided interesting stories and observations that helped me in the beginning stages of this project. Massimo Porrati is a storehouse of fascinating facts, some of which appear here. Gerald Holton’s insights into early twentieth-century physics enriched my ideas about quantum mechanics and relativity. Jochen Brocks gave useful insights about what he liked in science writing and stimulated some writing ideas. Conversations with Chris Haskett and Andy Singleton helped me understand what non-physicists might hope to learn. Albion Lawrence made some valuable contributions that helped me sort out some difficult chapters. And John Swain passed along a couple of nice ways of presenting material.
Many colleagues gave valuable comments and suggestions. Among the many others to whom I am grateful, Bob Cahn, Csaba and Zsusanna Csaki, Paolo Creminelli, Joshua Erlich, Ami Katz, and Neil Weiner all read substantial portions of the book and provided insightful commentary. I also thank Allan Adams, Nima Arkani-Hamed, Martin Gremm, Jonathan Flynn, Melissa Franklin, David Kaplan, Andreas Karch, Joe Lykken, Peter Lu, Ann Nelson, Amanda Peet, Riccardo Rattazzi, Dan Shrag, Lee Smolin, and Darien Wood, who all gave useful comments and advice. Howard Georgi advised me and many of the physicists listed above about the effective theory way of thinking that is espoused in this book.