Book review - Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You (Marcus Chown)

[cybermule]

Another random library top-shelf pick-up. I think I grabbed it to brush up on my quantum physics which I realised had disappeared out of my ears after 15 years of hard life stuff. It's been sitting next to my bed for weeks and weeks though, so I thought I'd grab it, read it, and take the poor thing back to fly free among the interested non-hoarders.

It's a good and engaging read. I find it hard to judge science books objectively - cos I did biology, chemistry and physics at degree level to some extent, it's hard to guess how other people would read it. I think it's a good primer. On a personal level, it used Feynman as a reference quite a lot, which has to be win, and namechecks Hugh Everett III who's my own personal Tesla in that he was before his time and once you see his name, it starts cropping up everywhere.

Favourite quotelet is the possibility that there is in fact only one electron in the universe, which weaves backwards and forwards like thread going through a tapestry. We see a multitude of places where the thread comes through the fabric and mistakenly attribute each to a separate electron.

Comments

[quercus.livejournal.com]

I've never really understood the post-QM Everett, although it sounded even more interesting than his QM work. OTOH, I really don't know much maths and Lagrange always scared me.

For your authorial synchronicity theory, I picked up a book by Chown just this morning! As it was 'The Never-Ending Days of Being Dead', that's even more Everetty.

[cybermule.livejournal.com]

Ah - cool. May well pick that one up. Was good to see you yesterday :)