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A review by raphaelndonga
Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality by Manjit Kumar
5.0
In the book Quantum, Manjit Kumar describes the epic journey of the quantum from its discovery to its present state. We glance into the lives of the scientists who laid the foundations of Quantum Physics. Illustrious names such as Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg and Schrodinger, just to name a few. The work they did is also described in some depth and the environment in which they conducted their work is also visualized.
So what did I like about the book?
The author of this book was targeting me. The average reader with zero knowledge of quantum physics but eager to learn. Manjit Kumar somewhat simplified the complexities of Quantum Physics(for it rarely contained the Mathematics), but he managed to always deliver the general idea.
I also found the background stories of the scientists quite intriguing. It was interesting to see how these men discovered the mind bending facts that they discovered and how closely they held their discoveries to heart. I really enjoyed witnessing Emotional outbursts frequently ensued when they were challenged. Schrodinger vs Heisenberg. Einstein vs Bohr. Bohr vs Heisenberg. These are the beefs worth following. I came here looking for physics, but I enjoyed these anecdotes. They served as an oasis in the Desert of Physics.
The Journey of the Quantum
-The Quantum is discovered by Max Plank as the discrete packet of energy that can be emitted or received by an electromagnetic wave.
- Einstein suggests that light exists as quantum packets. Quanta (plural of quantum) exists without the need for transmission.
-Niels Bohr associates the newly discovered quantum to the atom. He creates the Quantum Atoom with quantized states known as energy levels. Within these energy levels, electrons don't radiate away their energies.
- Einstein's theory (no. 2) is proven through the Compton effect. The wavelength of an x-ray changes when it bombards an electron.
- Louis de Broglie proposes that an electron is also a wave. A standing wave with whole number differences that predict the positions of energy levels. His theory is proven experimentally when electrons are passed through a crystal. The resultant position of the electron shifts.(They get refracted like a wave).
- Wolfgang Pauli discovers the exclusion principle. No 2 atoms can have the same 4 quantum states. Ehrenfest's students back this up by stating that the 4th quantum state was due to the spin of the electron. It can either be spin up or spin down.
- Heisenberg discovers an equation that sets the foundation for quantum mechanics. Matrix mechanics. It could calculate te displacement and momentum of an electron based on its energy.
- Schrodinger discovers a more intuitive equation that is equivalent to matrix mechanics. Schrodinger's wave equation.
- Heisenberg discovers the uncertainty principle. The more precisely you measure an electron's position, the less precisely you measure its momentum. Heisenberg thought that this was because to observe an electron, you had to interfere with it. But Niels Bohr came up with a more elegant reason. Wave packets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQKELOE9eY4
- The quantum up until this point is understood as the Copenhagen interpretation. Einstein hates fact that depending on the experiment, the electron has different properties. Niels Bohr argued 'There exists no quantum world, just an abstract quantum description'. It exits only when we the experimenters look in. Einstein disagreed. He believed that there exists a reality out there that is independent from the observer.
- Schrodinger's cat. It was invented to prove that the cat's state is definite in reality. It is in a state both dead and alive in some blend of the Schrodinger wave function. It was created to prove that the reality of the cat's state was either dead or alive and it need not depend on the observer to observe it.
- Bell proves that equations that replaced schrodinger's wave equation with hidden variables had to be non-local.
- Everett proposes the many worlds theory. The wave function of Schrodinger's equation was a game of chance and probabilities. Everett proposes that these probabilistic events actually happen, but in another universe in the multiverse.
So what did I like about the book?
The author of this book was targeting me. The average reader with zero knowledge of quantum physics but eager to learn. Manjit Kumar somewhat simplified the complexities of Quantum Physics(for it rarely contained the Mathematics), but he managed to always deliver the general idea.
I also found the background stories of the scientists quite intriguing. It was interesting to see how these men discovered the mind bending facts that they discovered and how closely they held their discoveries to heart. I really enjoyed witnessing Emotional outbursts frequently ensued when they were challenged. Schrodinger vs Heisenberg. Einstein vs Bohr. Bohr vs Heisenberg. These are the beefs worth following. I came here looking for physics, but I enjoyed these anecdotes. They served as an oasis in the Desert of Physics.
The Journey of the Quantum
-The Quantum is discovered by Max Plank as the discrete packet of energy that can be emitted or received by an electromagnetic wave.
- Einstein suggests that light exists as quantum packets. Quanta (plural of quantum) exists without the need for transmission.
-Niels Bohr associates the newly discovered quantum to the atom. He creates the Quantum Atoom with quantized states known as energy levels. Within these energy levels, electrons don't radiate away their energies.
- Einstein's theory (no. 2) is proven through the Compton effect. The wavelength of an x-ray changes when it bombards an electron.
- Louis de Broglie proposes that an electron is also a wave. A standing wave with whole number differences that predict the positions of energy levels. His theory is proven experimentally when electrons are passed through a crystal. The resultant position of the electron shifts.(They get refracted like a wave).
- Wolfgang Pauli discovers the exclusion principle. No 2 atoms can have the same 4 quantum states. Ehrenfest's students back this up by stating that the 4th quantum state was due to the spin of the electron. It can either be spin up or spin down.
- Heisenberg discovers an equation that sets the foundation for quantum mechanics. Matrix mechanics. It could calculate te displacement and momentum of an electron based on its energy.
- Schrodinger discovers a more intuitive equation that is equivalent to matrix mechanics. Schrodinger's wave equation.
- Heisenberg discovers the uncertainty principle. The more precisely you measure an electron's position, the less precisely you measure its momentum. Heisenberg thought that this was because to observe an electron, you had to interfere with it. But Niels Bohr came up with a more elegant reason. Wave packets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQKELOE9eY4
- The quantum up until this point is understood as the Copenhagen interpretation. Einstein hates fact that depending on the experiment, the electron has different properties. Niels Bohr argued 'There exists no quantum world, just an abstract quantum description'. It exits only when we the experimenters look in. Einstein disagreed. He believed that there exists a reality out there that is independent from the observer.
- Schrodinger's cat. It was invented to prove that the cat's state is definite in reality. It is in a state both dead and alive in some blend of the Schrodinger wave function. It was created to prove that the reality of the cat's state was either dead or alive and it need not depend on the observer to observe it.
- Bell proves that equations that replaced schrodinger's wave equation with hidden variables had to be non-local.
- Everett proposes the many worlds theory. The wave function of Schrodinger's equation was a game of chance and probabilities. Everett proposes that these probabilistic events actually happen, but in another universe in the multiverse.