Kepler, Johannes
Klamath Indians
Lamb shift
Laplace, Pierre-Simon, marquis de
Large Hadron Collider, Geneva
Law of the lever
Laws of nature
ancient Greece and
apparent laws
Aristotle’s errors
changing conception of
dependent on history of the universe
Descartes and
electric and magnetic forces
energy and
exceptions to (i.e., miracles)
as fine-tuned
first recognition of
four classes of known forces
Galileo and
generalizations vs.
God and
grand design
gravity, as first in mathematical language
humans governed by
initial conditions and
Ionian science
mathematical formulation of
mathematical formulation of, first
modern concept of
modern definition
M-theory and
origin of
quantum physics and
rejection of indifferent
soul exempt from
strong anthropic principle and
uniqueness of
uniqueness of (one set of)
Lemaître, Georges
Lieh Yü-K’ou
Life
carbon-based life-form
creation of
definition of living beings
environmental conditions for
existence of
fundamental constants as fine-tuned
God as Creator
Goldilocks zone and
intelligent
multiverse concept and
solar system conditions and
strong anthropic principle
theory of evolution
Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything
weak anthropic principle and
Light
electromagnetism and
interference
Michelson-Morley experiment
Newton’s theory of (particle/corpuscle theory)
photoelectric effect
polarized
refraction
speed of
theory of special relativity and
wavelength and
wave/particle duality
wave theory
Young’s experiment
Lithium
in primordial universe
Lorentz, Hendrick Antoon
Mathematics
development of
laws of nature phrased in
Matrix, The (film)
Maxwell, James Clerk
Mayan people
Mercator projection, world map
Mercury
Meson
Michelson, Albert
Miracles
Model-dependent realism
dualities and
four points of a good model
Game of Life and
meaning of existence and
M-theory and
quarks and
vision and
what happened before the world existed?
Monza, Italy
Moon
eclipse of
as gravitational bound system (with earth)
gravity and orbit of
in myth
of other planets
Morley, Edward
M-theory
eleven space-time dimensions of
as grand design
multiple universes and
p-branes
“why M-theory”
Multiverse concept. See also Universe
Napoleon Bonaparte
Neutrino
Neutron
Newton, Isaac
God as Creator and
theories of, limitations
Newton’s law of gravity
Newton’s laws of motion
earth’s rotation and
macroscopic objects and
“the past” and
planetary orbits and
Newton’s rings
No-boundary condition
Norse mythology
Ørsted, Hans Christian
P-brane
Phase
Photoelectric effect
Photon
delayed-choice experiments
Feynman diagrams and
Physics, classical
Archimedes and
Aristotle and
picture of the universe
shortcomings for atomic and subatomic scales of existence
Physics, modern. See also Quantum physics/quantum theories
Feynman diagrams, importance of
theoretical
Planck’s constant
Plato
Pope, Alexander
Principle of mediocrity
Probability amplitude
Protons
GUTS and
rate of decay (lifetime)
Psychology
Ptolemy
Pythagoras
Quantum chromodynamics (QCD)
asymptotic freedom and
Quantum electrodynamics (QED)
Feynman diagrams
Lamb shift and
renormalization and
sum over histories and
Quantum fluctuations
Quantum jitters
Quantum physics/quantum theory
alternative histories
atomic, subatomic scales, and
buckyball experiment and
determinism and
double-slit experiment
for electromagnetism (see also quantum electrodynamics)
electroweak force
Feynman paths
Feynman’s sum over histories
of forces
four classes of known forces
gravity, problem of
larger objects and
observation of system, and alteration of course
origin of universe as quantum event
“the past” and
Planck’s constant
principles of
principles of, and reality
probabilities and
probability amplitude
quantum chromodynamics (QCD)
quantum superposition
uncertainty principle
wave/particle duality
Quantum superposition
Quarks
asymptotic freedom
baryons and
colors
mesons and
QCD and
Realism
Reality. See also Model-dependent realism
anti-realists
classical picture of objective existence
five-dimensional space-time
goldfish bowl example
holographic principle
law of nature and
model-dependent realism
multiple histories
objective, question of existence of
“the past” and
Ptolemaic model of
quantum physics and
realists
simulated or alternative
Reference frames
Reflection, law of
Renormalization
Resonance
Salam, Abdus
Schönborn, Christoph
Scientific determinism
Scientific method
Second Life
Singularity
Soul
pineal gland as seat of
Space
curvature/curved spaces
planetary orbits and three dimensions
straws and lines
three dimensions of
warpage by matter and energy
Space-ti
me
cosmological constant
as curved and distorted
as fourth dimension
M-theory’s eleven dimensions
string theory’s ten dimensions
warpage by gravity
Standard model
Stars. See also Sun
explosions (supernova)
mass
Stoics
Straus, Ernst
Strings, law of
String theory
internal space
ten dimensions in
Strong anthropic principle
Strong nuclear force
QCD and
Sum over histories
multiverse concept and
Sun
Aristarchus and
as center of earth’s planetary system
governed by fixed laws
life on earth and
in myth
solar eclipse
strong nuclear force and
three dimensional space and
wavelengths of radiation
Supergravity theory
Supernova
Supersymmetry
Symmetry
System
observation of, and alteration of course
Tempier of Paris, Bishop
Thales of Miletus
Theory of everything. See also Feynman, Richard (Dick); M-theory
electroweak force
grand unified theories (GUTS)
gravity, problem of
M-theory
quantum chromodynamics (QCD)
quantum electrodynamics (QED)
standard model
string theory
Theory of relativity. See Einstein’s theory of relativity
Thomson, J. J.
Time. See also Space-time
beginning of
clock in airplane experiment
special theory of relativity and
time dilation
warpage of
Triple alpha process
Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. See also Grand design
Ultimate theory of everything. See Theory of everything
Uncertainty principle. See Heisenberg uncertainty principle
Unified theory. See Theory of everything
Universe. See also Creation; Life
age of
alternative histories of
ancient interpretations and celestial predictions
balloon universe analogy
big bang theory
binary star systems
carbon content
classical picture of
CMBR and
Copernican model of
dimensions of
earth as center of
earth’s planetary system
eccentricity of elliptical orbits
Einstein’s general theory of relativity and
elements in primordial
empty space, impossibility of
episode of inflation
expanding model
Feynman’s sum over histories and
gods as causal in
as God’s dollhouse
grand design
gravity and
helium, lithium, and hydrogen in
human-centered
inflation theory
inhomogeneities in
laws of (see also Laws of nature)
M-theory and
multiple (see also Multiverse concept)
multiple-star systems
no-boundary condition
origin of
phlogiston theory
planetary orbits
planetary systems of
Ptolemaic model of
rejection of indifferent natural laws
size of
size of our galaxy
space-time warpage
spontaneous quantum creation of
stars
static or steady-state theory
Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything
Ussher, Bishop
Vacuum fluctuations
Virtual particles
Von Neumann, John
Wallace, Alfred Russel
Wavelength
radio waves
visible
X-rays
Wave-particle duality
Wave theory. See also Interference
double-slit experiment
Feynman’s sum over histories and
interference
phase
Weak anthropic principle
Weak nuclear force
quantum field theory of
Weinberg, Steven
Wheeler, John
“Which-path” information
Young, Thomas
“Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper” (“On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies” [Einstein])
Zwicky, Fritz
STEPHEN HAWKING was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge for thirty years, and has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including, most recently, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His books for the general reader include the classic A Brief History of Time, the essay collection Black Holes and Baby Universes, The Universe in a Nutshell, and A Briefer History of Time.
LEONARD MLODINOW is a physicist at Caltech and the best-selling author of The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives, Euclid’s Window: The Story of Geometry from Parallel Lines to Hyperspace, Feynman’s Rainbow: A Search for Beauty in Physics and in Life, and A Briefer History of Time. He also wrote for Star Trek: The Next Generation. He lives in South Pasadena, California.