▁physics ▁has ▁been ▁motiv ated ▁by ▁" f ant as ies ▁of ▁universal ▁master y ". ▁ ▁The ▁second , ▁The ▁Pear ly ▁G ates ▁of ▁Cy bers pace , ▁charts ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁scientific ▁thinking ▁about ▁space ▁from ▁D ante ▁to ▁the ▁Internet . ▁Andrew ▁Leonard , ▁review ing ▁the ▁book ▁for ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁calls ▁W ert heim ' s ▁th esis , ▁that ▁cy bers pace ▁( and ▁behind ▁it , ▁physics ) ▁opens ▁up ▁spiritual ▁possibilities , ▁" amb it ious ▁and ▁fasc in ating , ▁although ▁in ▁less er ▁hands ▁it ▁would ▁border ▁on ▁ris ibility ." ▁Leonard ▁finds ▁her ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁phys ic ists ' ▁concept ▁of ▁space ▁impress ive , ▁but ▁express es ▁the ▁view ▁that ▁ultimately ▁she ▁los es ▁faith ▁in ▁her ▁th esis : ▁even ▁if ▁there ▁is , ▁indeed , ▁something ▁human ▁about ▁a ▁great ▁network ▁of ▁relationships ▁that ▁" c annot ▁be ▁captured ▁by ▁an ▁equation ▁or ▁a ▁teles cope ". ▁ ▁The ▁third , ▁Physics ▁on ▁the ▁Fr inge : ▁Sm oke ▁R ings , ▁Cir cl ons , ▁and ▁Altern ative ▁The ories ▁of ▁Everything , ▁looks ▁at ▁the ▁id ios ync r atic ▁world ▁of ▁" outs ider ▁phys ic ists " ▁such ▁as ▁Jim ▁Carter , ▁people ▁with ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁scientific ▁training ▁who ▁develop ▁their ▁own ▁alternative ▁theories ▁of ▁the ▁universe . ▁Fre eman ▁D ys on , ▁review ing ▁the ▁book ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Review ▁of ▁Books , ▁notes ▁that