The Hidden Reality

by Brian Greene, Knopf. 370 pages.

A heady, intellectual adventure from start to finish, Brain Greene's The Hidden Reality boldly goes where only Star Trek and The Matrix have gone before: the topic of parallel universes. Tackling nine different theories of parallel realities, Mr. Greene carefully explains the science that supports them and in the process manages to prove that for all the goofy pseudo-science found in Star Trek (and I mean that affectionately), the underlying concept of an evil Spock is actually grounded in the deepest laws of the cosmos.

Like John Gribben and Carl Sagan, Mr. Greene has the enviable ability to discuss complex ideas in an engaging way, favoring simple language and amusing anecdotes as a way of getting his ideas across. Whether he discusses quantum mechanics, string theory or black holes, Mr. Greene is able to carry us deftly from one idea to the next. Admittedly, this isn't the first book on cosmology or quantum theory that I've read, so I'm already well grounded in many of the book's basic concepts. It's possible that a quick survey of the Idiot's Guide to Cosmology may be in order - or just maybe just read Mr. Greene's other books, The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos. 

The ideas presented here would seem esoteric if they weren't the natural extension of physics most common theories. A Quilted Multiverse (parallel worlds spread out across infinite space), a Quantum Multiverse (everything the can happen does happen) and the Simulated Multiverse (ala The Matrix) are each presented as complete viable scientific conclusions. Mr. Greene clearly has his own favorite choices, but this doesn't keep him from discussing the controversy surrounding each theory - nor does he shy away from a discussion of why we should bother trying to unravel the mysteries of our reality at all.
     
For all the science, however, at it's heart The Hidden Reality is a philisophical exploration of the most basic question of existence: why. Whichever theory is true, it seems likely (scientifically speaking) that we are part of one multiverse or another, an idea which has the potential to make our existence seem less unique then we like it to be. The Hidden Reality has the possibility to provoke reactions similar to those that followed Copernicus' revelation about the motion of planetary bodies: in other words, it can shake one's perception of both reality and our place in the world. I'd love to read a religious response to this book: not one that ignores the science, but rather one that finds a way to incorporate it into a religious theory.

Although, it's possible this already exists. After all, the theologian Bishop Berkeley theorized that we only exist in the mind of God, which seems to be nothing but an extension of Mr. Greene's idea of a simulated reality.