"From Eternity to Here" offers an expertly thorough exploration of the nature of time, covering a wide range of concepts in theoretical physics in exquisite detail. The major focus is on time's relation to thermodynamics and entropy, but Carroll goes above and beyond the basic considerations and takes the reader on a journey touching upon a plethora of mysteries in modern physics.
Brief Answers to the Big Questions is a wonderful collection of the late Stephen Hawking's musings on the "Big Questions". Not everyone will agree with all of his views, but it's difficult not to be inspired by the cosmic journey Hawking transports you through, and the heartfelt optimism he has for the future of humanity.
If we do wish to take the theory seriously, as we should since it is so powerfully accurate, then we are led to the Many-Worlds Interpretation as the most "face-value" interpretation.
If we accept quantum mechanics as an accurate description of the world at the microscopic level, then we must translate its mathematical framework into an interpretation.
Many laymen will already have heard of this theory in popular science and sci-fi shows, but may be unsure of how plausible it really is. Is the MWI a serious academic proposal? Or is it just a fanciful interpretation that lends itself well to convoluted plot lines in TV shows?
Many Worlds theory is undeniably a serious academic field, yet most know very little about it other than that it claims there are more worlds than this one, and that it has something to do with quantum theory. I hope you will enjoy learning a bit about what this theory is and why it deserves to be taken seriously.
Symmetry may be very familiar and intuitive to us, but how can we talk about symmetry mathematically? We know that triangles and spheres both possess kinds of symmetry, but how are they related? The mathematics of symmetry can be described by "Group Theory".
To anyone who doesn't use abstract mathematics on a daily basis, the concept of an imaginary number sounds absurd. We can't use them to count things, as we can with natural numbers.
While I will be quick to point out that a theory of quantum mechanics based on consciousness has not been ruled out, it is certainly not the only way to formulate the laws "in a fully consistent way". Pilot wave theory, GRW collapse theory, many-worlds theory, and decoherence theory are all consistent attempts at trying to make sense of quantum mechanics.
Embracing wave-particle duality helps us to come to terms with the strange results of the double-slit experiment, but it leaves us with a very confusing picture of what an electron actually is.
The Platonic Realm 