The Theory of Everything by Stephen W. Hawking

I understood maybe 50% of that. Maybe.

In this series of lectures, first published in 1996, Stephen Hawking tries to ‘splain It All to us. From the early history of universe theories (Ptolemy, Copernicus, Newton, etc.) all the way up to String Theory.

I was fine with stuff up until he started talking about finite space-time with no boundaries, “like the surface of the Earth, but with two more dimensions”. I understand the words, but I can’t get a mental picture of what that actually means practically speaking. Throw in “imaginary time”, and I’m pretty much down for the third time.

I note he says that by the “end of the century”, we should know whether String Theory is worth anything. That is, by 2000.

If Wikipedia is any gauge, String Theory does not (or should not) really enjoy the status of a full blown Scientific Theory, as it is not falsifiable in the foreseeable future until we can do some testing using equipment on a scale of the solar system. Many scientists say it more accurately qualifies as a “mathematic framework”. Whatever that means.

All in all an O.K., albeit challenging, read.