Overview

Scientists develop theories as attempts to understand the physical world. The more observed phenomena a theory can account for, the more promising it is. One of the main goals of modern physics is to construct a single theory that would explain the four known forces of nature: electromagnetism, gravity, and the strong and weak nuclear forces. The philosophical implications of such a fundamental understanding of the workings of the universe have led many physicists to speak metaphorically of "reading the mind of God." But the ultimate "theory of everything" has yet to be found.

Background

The main objective of science is to find the underlying explanations for the phenomena we observe in nature. The wonderful variety of these phenomena might lead one to conclude that the underlying causes are just as numerous. Who would imagine, for example, that the...