The Black Hole War - A Review
Leonard Susskind’s New Book About the Mysteries of the Universe
Aug 14, 2008
The Black Hole War [Little, Brown and Company; 2008; ISBN: 978-0-316-01640-7] describes physicist Leonard Susskind’s journey through quantum physics and string theory as he worked to uncover the true nature of black holes. At the same time, he provides the reader with an introduction to general relativity, elementary particles physics, and quantum mechanics.
His nemesis in the saga was none less than Stephen Hawking, one of the most renown physicists of our time. Hawking had earlier asserted that when matter is sucked into a black hole it is entirely lost. But most everyone knows that matter, like energy, is never lost. So how can that be? That’s the question that drove Susskind to spend more than two decades trying to prove Hawking wrong.
Black Holes, Fascinating and Mysterious
Black hole are real. Susskind makes that point clear, in case anyone was still wondering. Incredibly dense and powerful, a black hole is a unique phenomena but not uncommon in our universe. There is even one in the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. In fact, the possibility that black holes exist has been recognized by scientists since the late 18th century.
Just about three decades ago, however, when Hawking was still a young physicist striving to make a name for himself, he came up with the notion that black holes give off radiation; in other words, over time they evaporate. And when a black hole evaporates and finally disappears, anything swallowed by the black hole disappears, too.
Most scientists seemed willing to accept Hawking’s theory at face value. But to Susskind it rankled. If Hawking was right, then something was terribly wrong with the laws of nature as reflected in the current understanding of physics. Susskind was determined to convince his scientific cohorts to see the danger that he believed was inherent in Hawking’s claims.
A Surprisingly Readable Introduction to the World of Quantum Theory
Susskind's book, while naturally of interest to scientists, is actually aimed at the lay reader. Conversational in tone, Susskind eases the reader into the world of general relativity, quantum mechanics, string theory, and black holes. Balancing explanations of the necessary math and physics concepts with a running storyline of his “battle” with Hawking, Susskind has innate sense for when the reader is likely to be overwhelmed and adjusts his narrative to compensate.
However, “battle” may be a bit of a misnomer. While the title is dramatic and eye-catching, and likely represents Susskind’s view of his research during the preceding decades, the “battle” comes across as rather one-sided. While Susskind is obsessed with proving Hawking wrong, Hawking only ever smiles at Susskind’s efforts.
And the end is a bit anti-climactic since, when Hawking finally concedes, it’s not really even to Susskind that his concession is directed. Rather, it is to another scientist with whom he’d made a bet concerning quantum gravity. This is not a spoiler, as Susskind himself continually refers to Hawking being “wrong,” as if it were a done deal, rather than letting the reader enjoy the suspense of wondering who will win this war.
Probably the most difficult concept in the book for readers to wrap their minds around is Susskind’s Holographic Principle, the theorem by which he “proves” his point that matter is not lost forever in a black hole. The leap from the relatively understandable physics (“understandable” here being a loose term) to his conclusion that everything in the universe—the stars, the planets, his book, us—are simply a holographic projection from the farthest boundaries of space is mind-bending to say the least.
About Author Leonard Susskind
Leonard Susskind is the Felix Block Professor of Theoretical Physics at Stanford University and is widely regarded as one of the fathers of string theory. His previous book, The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design [Little, Brown and Company] was published in 2005.
Related Reading:
Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
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