- Paperback: 176 pages
- Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Reissue edition (July 30 1993)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0521457289
- ISBN-13: 978-0521457286
- Product Dimensions: 21.7 x 13.6 x 1.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 136 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#245,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #22 in Books > Science > Physics > Nuclear Physics > Atomic & Nuclear Physics
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"Paul Davies' summary...is one of the clearest short expositions of quantum theory I have ever read." The Good Book Guide
Product Description
Anybody who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it. Niels Bohr's dictum bears witness to the bewildering impact of quantum theory, flying in the face of classical physics and dramatically transforming scientists' outlook on our relationship with the material world. In this book Paul Davies interviews eight physicists involved in debating and testing the theory, with radically different views of its significance.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
The word 'quantum' means 'a quantity' or 'a discrete amount'. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
The word 'quantum' means 'a quantity' or 'a discrete amount'. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Somewhere in the Multiverse...,
By J A W (Norman, OK United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ghost in the Atom: A Discussion of the Mysteries of Quantum Physics (Paperback)
A version of you woke up next to five lingerie models. Another version of you woke up and butchered your loved ones. Another version of you gets struck by lightening while reading this review. That, according to the Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Physics. This is the attempt of physicists to explain the fundamental weirdness and contradictoriness of subatomic particles--ie, the abilty of particles to transmit information across spacetime instantaneously (non-locality), the ability of particles to be in two places at once (wave fuction)...the author leans towards the Many Worlds Interpretation, the idea that the universe splits in two at every quantum choice or juncture whenever an observer observes particles(whatever a quantum choice is, and how often do these choices occur, and who is ability to collapse these wave functions into two+ universes from one, and if the human mind does this, then what collapses the wave functions that form the neurons and calcium ions that propel the neural functions that enable observation?, and can animals collapse wave functions (I've always wondered about Schrodinger's cat...if the poor cat can't observe his way out of his predicament, than how did the dinosaurs observe their way into theirs?)). If the M.W. Interpretation is true, than there is probably an infinite amount of universes, which means that anything that can be, has been and will be. Nonetheless, this is pretty fun stuff to think about, if you're a science geek or a philosophy geek or, like me, just a geek period. The book begins when about a 40 page summary of Quantum Physics and its dilemmas, and then follows w/ a series of interviews w/ leading physicists on how to resolve these dilemmas. When trying to understand Quantum Physics, you will need to expose yourself to many explanations and sources of the subject--everytime you read Quantum theory, it's like the first time, cause it's so dang weird. This is a good book to have on your shelf to flesh out your understanding of this topic, and it's a topic we should all be aware of.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Confusing and stiff!,
By Luigi (NY United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ghost in the Atom: A Discussion of the Mysteries of Quantum Physics (Paperback)
This book is not for the beginner and it is harder and more confusing than necessary. Also it is somewhat stiff in the overall tone. There are better, easier and more complete books out there.
5.0 out of 5 stars
High standard radio program.,
By
This review is from: The Ghost in the Atom: A Discussion of the Mysteries of Quantum Physics (Paperback)
BBC program consisting of interviews with eight well known physicists about the quantum theory.Although the achievements of most of the interviewed (Alain Aspect, John Bell, John Wheeler) are more extensively explained in other books by themselves or others, these direct dialogues give the authors an excellent opportunity to summarize their work and to reflect on that of others. I was particularly impressed by the interview with Rudolf Peierls, where he interprets the 'many universes' (multiverse) theory of Everett as 'possibilities' or as a 'dictionary of possibilities', rather than 'universes'. Not to be missed. Congratulations to the BBC.
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