Description
When we hear the words "Quantum Physics" many of us I mmediately change the subject. It just seems too obscure and difficult to comprehend. Yet, every day we rely on quantum physics for it allowed scientists to create what powers our world: the silicon transistors and LEDs in you smartphones; nuclear reactors; the lasers that scan your food in the supermarket. Although you may not realize it, the development of quantum physics is one of science's greatest achievements and made our modern life possible.
Most of us will never understand the mathematics that is foundation of quantum physics. If you ask a room full of physicists to explain quantum physics, you may start a street fight; even they find it confusing and weird. That does not meant that we aren't curious about it and interested in understanding it.
Adam Becker gives us such an opportunity. His book, What is Real?: The Unfinished Quest For the Meaning of Quantum Physics, sketches the historical development of quantum mechanics and introduces us to the fascinating story of how physicists have tried (and fought with one another) to explain this area of physics. Perhaps the most famous brawl of all was the debate between Einstein and Bohr where Bohr's "Copenhagen interpretation" carried the day. That did not, however, silence the debate, and Becker introduces us to a fascinating cast of rebels who have dared to challenge the Copenhagen interpretation ever since. Becker places this story in the context the interactions between physics, politics, and culture throughout the 20th century.
Becker's monograph is highly readable and accessible to scientists and non-scientists alike. He explains the concepts, including Schrödinger’s infamous cat, that have divided physicists in understandable language that does not require familiarity with quantum physics. This should be a fascinating SDG for PLATO members.
Weekly Topics
Week 1 - A Measure of All Things
Week 2 - Something Rotten in the Eigenstate of Denmark
Week 3 - Street Brawl
Week 4 - Copenhagen in Manhattan
Week 5 - Physics in Exile
Week 6 - It Came from Another World
Week 7 - The Most Profound Discovery of Science
Week 8 - More Things in Heaven and Earth
Week 9 - Reality Underground
Week 10 - Quantum Spring
Week 11 - Copenhagen versus the Universe
Week 12 - Outrageous Fortune
Bibliography
Adam Becker, What is Real?: The Unfinished Quest For the Meaning of Quantum Physics, 2018.
