Reality Is Not What It Seems

The Journey to Quantum Gravity. What are the elementary ingredients of the world? Do time and space exist? And what exactly is reality? Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli has spent his life exploring these questions. He tells us how our understanding of reality has changed over the centuries and how physicists think about the structure of the universe today.

In elegant and accessible prose, Rovelli takes us on a wondrous journey from Democritus to Albert Einstein, from Michael Faraday to gravitational waves, and from classical physics to his own work in quantum gravity. As he shows us how the idea of reality has evolved over time, Rovelli offers deeper explanations of the theories he introduced so concisely in Seven Brief Lessons on Physics.

This book culminates in a lucid overview of quantum gravity, the field of research that explores the quantum nature of space and time, seeking to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity. Rovelli invites us to imagine a marvelous world where space breaks up into tiny grains, time disappears at the smallest scales, and black holes are waiting to explode - a vast universe still largely undiscovered.

"The man who makes physics sexy... the scientist they’re calling the next Stephen Hawking."
The Times Magazine

"An utter joy."
Adam Rutherford

"Rovelli writes with crystalline simplicity."
James McConnachie, Sunday Times

Author`s Note
Preface: Walking along the Shore
Roots

• Grains
• The Classics

The Beginning of the Revolution

• Albert
• Quanta

Quantum Space and Relational Time

• Spacetime is Quantum
• Quanta of Space
• Time Does Not Exist

Beyond Space and Time

• Beyond the Big Bang
• Empirical Confirmations?
• Quantum Black Holes
• The End of Infinity
• Information
• Mystery

Annotated Bibliography
Notes
Index