We’ve all witnessed it: students who are obliged to fulfill a science requirement flocking to biology or geology classes and tip-toeing away from physics. Some claim math phobia, others are bored by the thought of those ubiquitous boxes sliding down inclined planes. Yet, paradoxically, many from this same audience eagerly seek out the latest books on theoretical physics, resulting in such works as Brian Greene’s The Elegant Universe and Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time setting records on the best-seller lists.
Let’s face it—modern physics is both fun and enthralling, with its particle/wave duality, spooky action-at-a-distance, quantum tunneling, and superstrings. Like barkers at a carnival, such phenomena are a surefire way to draw people into the physics tent. After previously teaming up to write their well-received Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe, which demonstrated how symmetry is a vital mathematical component throughout the laws of physics, Nobel laureate Leon...
