Beneath all of the complex and formidable mathematical structures that formulate physical laws rest simple but deep nuggets of truth. It is these simple truths, and not the complicated technical details, that scientists strive for when uncovering the laws of nature. Fortunately, these core ideas can often be illustrated with simple mathematical puzzles. These puzzles are so simplified that one can tackle them and appreciate their meaning without using any complicated math.
A new book by Prof. Cumrun Vafa, Puzzles to Unravel the Universe, aims to take the reader on a journey to unravel the laws of the universe through fun puzzles. It includes over a hundred puzzles and their solutions, along with discussion on how they relate to deep ideas in physics and math. Examples are drawn from classical physics, such as Newton's laws and Einstein's theory of relativity, as well as from modern physics, including black holes and string theory.
This book is designed for the general public, and it does not require extensive background in mathematics or physics--just a sense of curiosity!