Einstein's unfinished revolution : the search for what lies beyond the quantum / Lee Smolin ; illustrations by Kaca Bradonjić.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smolin, Lee, 1955- author.

Contributor:

Bradonjic, Kaca, illustrator.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Quantum theory.

Physics--Research.

Physics.

Physical Description:

xxix, 322 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Penguin Press, 2019.

Summary:

Quantum physics is the golden child of modern science. It is the basis of our understanding of atoms, radiation, and so much else, from elementary particles and basic forces to the behavior of materials. But for a century it has also been the problem child of science: it has been plagued by intense disagreements between its inventors, strange paradoxes, and implications that seem like the stuff of fantasy. Whether it's Schrödinger's cat--a creature that is simultaneously dead and alive--or a belief that the world does not exist independently of our observations of it, quantum theory challenges our fundamental assumptions about reality. In Einstein's Unfinished Revolution, theoretical physicist Lee Smolin provocatively argues that the problems which have bedeviled quantum physics since its inception are unsolved and unsolvable, for the simple reason that the theory is incomplete. There is more to quantum physics, waiting to be discovered. Our task--if we are to have simple answers to our simple questions about the universe we live in--must be to go beyond quantum mechanics to a description of the world on an atomic scale that makes sense. In this vibrant and accessible book, Smolin takes us on a journey through the basics of quantum physics, introducing the stories of the experiments and figures that have transformed our understanding of the universe, before wrestling with the puzzles and conundrums that the quantum world presents. Along the way, he illuminates the existing theories that might solve these problems, guiding us towards a vision of the quantum that embraces common sense realism. If we are to have any hope of completing the revolution that Einstein began nearly a century ago, we must go beyond quantum mechanics to find a theory that will give us a complete description of nature. In Einstein's Unfinished Revolution, Lee Smolin brings us a step closer to resolving one of the greatest scientific controversies of our age.

Quantum physics is the golden child of modern science. It is the basis of our understanding of atoms, radiation, and so much else, from elementary particles and basic forces to the behavior of materials. But for a century it has also been the problem child of science: it has been plagued by intense disagreements between its inventors, strange paradoxes, and implications that seem like the stuff of fantasy. Whether it's Schro̘dinger's cat--a creature that is simultaneously dead and alive--or a belief that the world does not exist independently of our observations of it, quantum theory challenges our fundamental assumptions about reality. In Einstein's Unfinished Revolution, theoretical physicist Lee Smolin provocatively argues that the problems which have bedeviled quantum physics since its inception are unsolved and unsolvable, for the simple reason that the theory is incomplete. There is more to quantum physics, waiting to be discovered. Our task--if we are to have simple answers to our simple questions about the universe we live in--must be to go beyond quantum mechanics to a description of the world on an atomic scale that makes sense. In this vibrant and accessible book, Smolin takes us on a journey through the basics of quantum physics, introducing the stories of the experiments and figures that have transformed our understanding of the universe, before wrestling with the puzzles and conundrums that the quantum world presents. Along the way, he illuminates the existing theories that might solve these problems, guiding us towards a vision of the quantum that embraces common sense realism. If we are to have any hope of completing the revolution that Einstein began nearly a century ago, we must go beyond quantum mechanics to find a theory that will give us a complete description of nature. In Einstein's Unfinished Revolution, Lee Smolin brings us a step closer to resolving one of the greatest scientific controversies of our age.

Contents:

Part 1: An orthodoxy of the unreal. Nature loves to hide ; Quanta ; How quanta change ; How quanta share ; What quantum mechanics doesn't explain ; The triumph of anti-realism

Part 2: Realism reborn. The challenge of realism : de Broglie and Einstein ; Bohm : realism tries again ; Physical collapse of the quantum state ; Magical realism ; Critical realism

Part 3: Beyond the quantum. Alternatives to revolution ; Lessons ; First, principles ; A causal theory of views

Epilogue/revolutions: Note to self.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 285-295, 305-308) and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Smolin, Lee, 1955- Einstein's unfinished revolution.

ISBN:

9781594206191

1594206198

OCLC:

1045388646

Publisher Number:

99980303521