The Quantum Story : A history in 40 moments
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Review
an enjoyable addition to the overall quantum story (Chemistry World )
A truly exceptional book (CERN Courier )
An accessible and informative history (Science magazine )
gripping story (Flipside Magazine )
A truly exceptional book (CERN Courier )
An accessible and informative history (Science magazine )
gripping story (Flipside Magazine )
Product Description
The twentieth century was defined by physics. From the minds of the world's leading physicists there flowed a river of ideas that would transport mankind to the pinnacle of wonderment and to the very depths of human despair. This was a century that began with the certainties of absolute knowledge and ended with the knowledge of absolute uncertainty. It was a century in which physicists developed weapons with the capacity to destroy our reality, whilst at the same time denying us the possibility that we can ever properly comprehend it. Almost everything we think we know about the nature of our world comes from one theory of physics. This theory was discovered and refined in the first thirty years of the twentieth century and went on to become quite simply the most successful theory of physics ever devised. Its concepts underpin much of the twenty-first century technology that we have learned to take for granted. But its success has come at a price, for it has at the same time completely undermined our ability to make sense of the world at the level of its most fundamental constituents. Rejecting the fundamental elements of uncertainty and chance implied by quantum theory, Albert Einstein once famously declared that 'God does not play dice'. Niels Bohr claimed that anybody who is not shocked by the theory has not understood it. The charismatic American physicist Richard Feynman went further: he claimed that nobody understands it. This is quantum theory, and this book tells its story. Jim Baggott presents a celebration of this wonderful yet wholly disconcerting theory, with a history told in forty episodes -- significant moments of truth or turning points in the theory's development. From its birth in the porcelain furnaces used to study black body radiation in 1900, to the promise of stimulating new quantum phenomena to be revealed by CERN's Large Hadron Collider over a hundred years later, this is the extraordinary story of the quantum world.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
First Quantum Book I found readable and informative, placing the ideas as they bloomed, chronologically so that one understood the ideas and the flow of occurances, giving true insight into the phrase, 'standing on the shoulders of giants'. The ideas are no more disconnected. It therefore makes the story so very easy to understand and remember. It should be bedtime reading for all science students, and indead all who love or are just curious about this monster of a subject. It shows us science in the making and takes away the myth from the reality.
Just a great book to read and enjoy.
Just a great book to read and enjoy.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
An interesting and accessible account of a physical theory which dominated the 20th century. The book skilfully guides the reader through the subtleties that mark the historical developments of quantum theory. Adhering to the dictum that `every extra equation, halves sales', much of the technical detail is explained via the use of diagrams. A pity therefore that this approach was not used on pages 14 & 15, where some simple energy diagrams (showing rearrangements of a small assembly of oscillators), may have avoided misunderstanding. Consequently, the explanation of Planck and Boltzmann's reasoning is confusing, as is the distinction between the statistical thermodynamics of classical and quantum particles. With indistinguishable quanta such as photons, we count the number of allowable combinations, whereas for the distinguishable molecules of Boltzmann, we also have to consider permutations of each of these combinations (there are therefore more `fine grained' microstates). Unlike Boltzmann, Planck introduced quantized oscillators but they were still distinguishable, while the much later Bose/Fermi statistics introduced the notion of indistinguishable particle states. [A more pictorial approach to this subjects can be found for example on lulu.com/"Quantum Theory: A concise guide for beginners"]
As well as discussing the various important landmarks in the understanding of quantum theory, the book also contains much detail upon developments in high energy particle physics, as well as cosmology. Overall a very good popular science book, which reveals the somewhat tortuous route to our current understanding of the microcosm and honours the remarkable men who contributed to it.
As well as discussing the various important landmarks in the understanding of quantum theory, the book also contains much detail upon developments in high energy particle physics, as well as cosmology. Overall a very good popular science book, which reveals the somewhat tortuous route to our current understanding of the microcosm and honours the remarkable men who contributed to it.
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a well written, informative and easy to understand book. Although some of the ideas were complex, as a fifteen year old I was able to understand them. I recommend anybody with an interest in this topic to purchase this book.
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