Aired
October 28, 2003
NOVA
NOVA
The Elegant Universe: String's the Thing (2) #S31E04
Part 2, "String's the Thing," opens with a whimsical scene in a movie theater in which the history of the universe runs backwards to the Big Bang, the moment at which general relativity and quantum mechanics both came into play, and therefore the point at which our conventional model of reality breaks down. Then it's string theory to the rescue as Greene describes the steps that led from a forgotten 200-year-old mathematical formula to the first glimmerings of strings—quivering strands of energy whose different vibrations give rise to quarks, electrons, photons, and all other elementary particles. Strings are truly tiny, being smaller than an atom by the same factor that a tree is smaller than the solar system. But, as Greene explains, they are able to combine the laws of the large and the laws of the small into a proposal for a single, harmonious theory of everything.
Episode 4 of Season 31 from NOVA — available to stream in HD on any device.
Comments & Discussions
Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!
Recommended
Because you liked NOVA
American Monster
American Monster
Northwoods Survival
Northwoods Survival
Land of Gremlins
Land of Gremlins
Slay Queens
Slay Queens
SEVENTEEN: OUR CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN: OUR CHAPTER
Murder at the Motel
Murder at the Motel
Murder on Trial
Murder on Trial
Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films
Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films
In the Eye of the Storm
In the Eye of the Storm
MARINES
MARINES
Search for movies, TV shows, collections, manga, or people
Trending Now