The natural laws of the universe : understanding fundamental constants / Jean-Philippe Uzan and 0Bénédicte Leclercq.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 127-128) and index.

Translated from the French.

Foundations : universality in physics -- Fundamental constants : pillars of the edifice -- Planning the edifice : structure of theories -- Proportions : dimensionless parameters -- Atoms under close examination -- A constant in the clouds -- What if they did vary? : gravity waits in the wings -- Strings attached : towards multiple universes.

Constants, such as the gravitational constant and the speed of light, are present in all the laws of physics, yet recent observations have cast doubt on one of them. This book examines constants, the role they play in the laws of physics, and whether indeed constants can be verified. The authors provide an overview of the history of the ideas of physics, evoking major discoveries from Galileo and Newton to Planck and Einstein and raising questions provoked by ever more current accurate observations. They investigate the solidity of the foundations of physics and discuss the implications of the discovery of the non-constancy of a constant. From the laboratory to the depths of space, this highly instructive survey explores the paths of gravitation, general relativity and new theories such as that of superstrings. It even goes beyond the subject of constants to explain and discuss many ideas in physics, encountering along the way, for example, such exciting details as the discovery of a natural nuclear reactor at Oklo in Gabon-- Source other than Library of Congress.