The Fabric of the Cosmos

This PBS-aired NOVA documentary series, hosted by physicist Brian Greene (featuring material partly drawn from his same-titled book), takes viewers on an informative, eye-popping tour of the universe, which Greene describes as a “deeply mysterious” place in which our three-dimensional world may be illusory and human teleportation (as in Star Trek) could be possible. The four-part program kicks off with “What Is Space?”, which examines the make-up of the vast ethereal realm that we often think of as “empty.” “The Illusion of Time” ponders whether events flow in linear fashion or in a series of snapshots; “Quantum Leap” covers the daunting topic of quantum mechanics; and “Universe or Multiverse” presents the startling notion that a series of parallel universes may actually exist. Obviously, these are dense, difficult concepts, but Greene lightens the mental processing load with everyday examples that draw from the worlds of baseball and bowling, as well as Las Vegas casinos. Assorted experts add to Greene's observations, while terms such as “entangled particles” are explained, along with the provocative theory that the Big Bang was not a cataclysmic one-time event, but one that allows for a series of smaller but still significant cosmic eruptions. Suitable for high school and college physics students, and also likely to appeal to cosmology buffs, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)