Brian Greene: The Kindle Singles Interview

by Rivka Galchen

In this exclusive Kindle Singles Interview, celebrated physicist and author Brian Greene (The Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos) discusses the origins of string theory, Einstein's cosmological misstep, how to picture the nothingness of empty space, the triumph of the Higgs boson, and how a baseball hanging from the ceiling by a piece of chewing gum became a pivotal moment in his scientific career. Greene, who recently launched World Science U, which offers free online science courses, explains what it is that's so "elegant" about string theory while lamenting the possible limits of what dogs (and by implication humans) can ever hope to understand about the universe.

The interview was conducted by Rivka Galchen, an acclaimed fiction writer and journalist, named by The New Yorker as one of 20 Writers Under 40.

Cover design by Adil Dara Kim.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

35 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 30, 2014

About the author

Rivka Galchen (born 1976) is a Canadian-American writer and physician. Her first novel, Atmospheric Disturbances, was published in 2008. She currently is an adjunct professor in the writing division of Columbia University's School of Art. In 2010, she was chosen as one of the 20 best writers under 40 by The New Yorker.

Reviews

[Ryan Alsaihaty · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interview with Brian Greene in which he talks briefly about different topics including string theory, Higgs boson, and the Large Hadron Collider.

Unfortunately, most of the questions were not interesting, and because the answers were short (as appropriate for interviews), you will not get great insight into those topics by reading this interview alone.

[Book Shark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Greene: The Kindle Singles Interview (Kindle Single) by Rivka Galchen

“Brian Greene: The Kindle Singles Interview" is a very entertaining and educational interview with renowned physicist, author and educator Brian Greene. The brief interview covered a number of topics, including: the Higgs boson, nothingness, the reality of math, the cosmological constant, string theory, the general theory of relativity, and the limits of what we can know about our universe. The interview was conducted by journalist Rivka Galchen. This stimulating 35-page book covers all these topics and then some.

Positives:
1. An engaging brief interview.
2. Brian Greene is an interesting topic on his own.
3. Galchen does a good job of covering a lot of interesting subjects in a short period of time.
4. The purpose of string theory. “In string theory, unified theory, we’re really trying to understand the structures of space and time on the deepest possible level.”
5. The meaning of elegance in science. “I in particular, take elegance to reflect the mathematical power of an equation to describe a large swath of reality and yet do it from a few symbols on a piece of paper.”
6. The power of the general theory of relativity. “So this most beautiful of all 20th century discoveries, the general theory of relativity, pops out from string theory which is just an amazing thing to realize.”
7. The importance of math. “You could actually use mathematics to describe the external world.”
8. Can space be ripped? Find out.
9. Is math real? “So, I don’t know if math is real in the sense that it’s woven into the fabric of the cosmos, or if it’s something that we invent and impose upon it. I don’t know.”
10. What science is? “Science is a way of life that allows for a rational evaluation of all that you experience to figure out what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s true and what’s not.”
11. Greene discusses his educational platform for people to enjoy science.
12. Reality. “Your intuition is an incredibly poor guide to the deep reality that’s out there, and special relativity is the first time you encounter that.”
13. An interesting look at nothingness and how it differs from empty space.
14. A brief look at the Large Hadron Collider.
15. Examples of how science ideas become mainstream knowledge from experimental verification.
16. An inexpensive and brief drop of knowledge.

Negatives:
1. With a scientist of Brian Greene’s pedigree I was hoping for even more content.
2. It wasn’t as provocative as I was hoping for. Not a single question on religion or his views on how politics impacts science.
3. In such a short interview don’t expect depth.
4. No notes, appendices or additional material.

In summary, despite its brevity I really enjoyed this interview. The interview covered many modern science topics in an accessible manner. Greene makes science fun and enlightening and is known for his ability to make esoteric topics accessible to the masses. This Kindle Single is an excellent appetizer for the layperson. I wished the interview had included some provocative questions (perhaps at no fault of the author as Greene may have considered some topics off limits) and more content but it will do. I recommend it!

Further recommendations: “The Elegant Universe” and “Hidden Reality” by Brian Greene, “Hidden in Plain Sight” by Andrew Thomas, “Farewell to Reality: How Modern Physics Has Betrayed the Search for Scientific Truth” by Jim Baggott, “Spectrums” by David Blatner, “A Universe From Nothing” by Lawrence M. Krauss, “About Time” by Adam Frank, “Higgs Discovery” and “Warped Passages” by Lisa Randall, “The Grand Design” by Stephen Hawking, “The Quantum Universe” by Brian Cox, “The Blind Spot” by William Byers, and “The Fallacy of Fine-Tuning” and “God and the Atom” by Victor Stenger.

[Jason Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazon.com Review: Popularizers of science have become household names in the last decade. At one of the spectrum smirks Neil deGrasse Tyson, waving jazz hands and openly mocking ideas like intelligent design and the 6,000-year-old universe. At the other, there's Michio Kaku, who for all his legitimate accomplishments writes science books for a popular audience that I hear middle-schoolers disparaging as "not scientific enough." Squarely in the middle sits Brian Greene, whose first book, 1999's The Elegant Universe , launched my own interest in physics and cosmology, still burning hot after 15 years. In this candid interview , Greene offers what you'll rarely get in TV interviews with even well-known scientists accustomed to the spotlight: a frank insistence on the beauty, the challenge, and the sheer inspirational bravado of ideas at the forefront of scientific theory and discovery. Greene understands lay readers, exudes infectious enthusiasm, and doesn’t pull punches. "Science is not a subject," he insists. "Science is a way of life that allows for a rational evaluation of all that you experience… There's a grand poetry in [even] the most esoteric science." Reading this interview vividly refreshed the memory of coming across his work for the first time. --Jason Kirk

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone like me who is scientifically literate enough to not be completely lost in a discussion, but lacking even basic expertise to speak at all intelligently beyond your basic media discussion on the subject, this Kindle Single is a great little piece involving string theory, theoretical physics, and plenty of other accessible science talk. Definitely worth the look if you're looking for basic-level science chatter.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a small (30 pages) of questions and answers posed to Brian Greene. He is a well known science writer and academic. It had interesting insights into his field of study (string theory). I found it light and enjoyable. I plan on checking out the web site he is supporting and promoting - World Science U.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This interview successfully made want to read Greene's popular science books. He is charismatic, engaging, and well spoken. The questions are interesting and provoke interesting responses pertaining to the position of science within our modern culture, the innovative process, and how and why science should be presented in lay terms and metaphors to non-scientists.

[John Michael Strubhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

Brian Greene does an excellent job of explaining the research in the field of string theory, but I still feel that he's making too many excuses for the fact that there is absolutely no experimental or observational evidence to support it. Richard Feynman would not approve.

[Troy Blackford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great entry in the 'Kindle Singles' line of books, and consisted of a well-conducted interview with physicist and author Brian Greene. Covering a range of topics, this short but not-too-short read was engaging and well worth the time it takes to read. Recommended.

[Rob Hermanowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This interview with the charismatic science writer Brian Greene is rather short but enjoyable - an illuminating glimpse into the thoughts of this very gifted author on string theory, the Higgs boson, and other mind-bending topics in modern physics.

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were nuggets of personal insight in here but mostly I was struck by how little I understand science, even when it is being explained for the "lay person." I do appreciate that everyone has their passions - mine are just different.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great interview. Makes we want to check out Greene's online lectures to find out more.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun interview, but for fans of his work, not a lot new.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Listening" to smart people talk about smart stuff. Awesome.

[Diana Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This interview got deeper than i expected. And i loved it.

[Gary Jasdzewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a book but an interview.

[Rod Haper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A conversation with Brian Greene

A short interview with theoretical physicist Brian Greene covering his work and motivations. Also some thoughts on science in general.

[Danilo DiPietro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Proxy for Unreasonable’ - New Yorker short story discussed w Ann’s book club. Who knew there was so much to learn about bees!

[Tracy Gilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know much about string theory. I still don't. I would like to learn more though.