Quantum mechanics is
not my usual cup of tea, so it was with some trepidation that I began
this book (a present).
After an initial
summary of the general picture of quantum mechanics, and the best-known
experiments/theories around it (including a cat which may or may not
be alive, and may be both simultaneously) there’s a historical
section.
I really rather enjoyed
that. Concisely tracing scientific advancement from Newton to
Einstein, and including numerous others who are perhaps less
familiar, is a nice combination of history and science lesson, and
allows the background to quantum mechanics to be gradually built up.
After this the book
moves on to presenting competing scientific interpretations. It’s
interesting to read how much room there is for disagreement, debate
and new ideas in quantum mechanics, instead of one approach being depicted as
The Truth.
In terms of writing
style, it’s easy to read. Scientific terms are explained assuming
little or no prior knowledge. It is worth noting the book is a little
old now (coming out in 2003) so there will be new developments, one
would hope, since its release. Whether those are included in a book
of popular science may be another matter.
I’ve got to say that
whilst I understood, superficially, most of what was described by
Gribbin, who does a good job of explaining things in terms a layman
might comprehend, here and there the science was beyond me.
Overall, I rather liked
it. Diagrams are provided to help illustrate
experiments or scientific principles (perhaps most useful when
discussing whether the Universe is open or close).
Thaddeus
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