TOW #8: "The Fabric of the Cosmos" (IRB)

            For many years, our world had thought that the Earth was at the center of the universe, but in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, famous scientists like Isaac Newton and Nicholas Copernicus began to challenge that. Now, Brian Greene is beginning a similar revolution with string theory, a theory that attempts to consolidate multiple theories of the world into one single theory. Brian Greene’s book The Fabric of the Cosmos uses diagrams and exemplification to foster interest in science amongst the general public.

            Greene uses diagrams of abstract concepts throughout his book in order to make the concepts more understandable to the general public. While discussing strings, which are tiny strands of energy thought to be smaller than an atom, Greene included a diagram of different patterns that a string could vibrate in (357). This was important to include since the general public would have a hard time picturing exactly what a string would look like and how it behaved. In this specific diagram, different patterns are shown of string vibrating, and it is used to reinforce the concept of differing vibrational patterns making different kinds of matter. For Greene’s audience, although they might be in the clouds when it comes to the actual theory, the visualization of strings is made possible through the use of the diagram. This makes the theory that the audience is reading about more understandable, which in turn can foster interest.

            The diagrams themselves function as examples of certain characteristics of the theories Greene discusses, but other types of exemplification are used by Greene in order to promote science to the general public. While talking about strings and black holes, Greene includes an example of an experiment done in the 1970’s, by Stephen Hawking and Jacob Bekenstein. He writes, “…Jacob Berkenstein and Stephen Hawking discovered that this isn’t right” (479). This shows that recognizable scientists can prove Greene’s points, which makes him more credible to his audience. Since the audience now trusts his work, they can believe in the theories he discusses, which in turn can foster interest in the field.

            Brian Greene continues to make himself more recognizable with his book. By using rhetorical strategies throughout his book that seek to make his book more understandable to his audience, he is able to foster interest in the field.