Freethought & Rationalism Archive

HallaK9 · 04-02-2002, 04:05 PM

Having spent some time on these fora, I've come to the realisation that I don't know jack s**t about QM.

Could someone recommend some good (popularizing) books on the subject? I'm smart enough to fool people in to believing that I actually understood something about The Brief History of Time, so I'm looking for something on about the same level. Also any interesting works Chaos Theory would not go amiss.

Thanks,

Antti

I am · 04-02-2002, 04:21 PM

"Alice in Quantumland" by Robert Gilmore - Alice tumbles down the electron tube in her television set and talks to sub-atomic particles.

Toto · 04-02-2002, 04:37 PM

Not a Joke. Buy it here:

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0387914951/internetinfidelsA" target="_blank">Alice in Quantumland: An Allegory of Quantum Physics</a>

HallaK9 · 04-02-2002, 04:43 PM

Heh. I actually had to check whether 'I am' was pulling my leg or not. Looks like a good book to begin with.

Thanks,

Antti

Bookman · 04-03-2002, 09:53 AM

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140092501/internetinfidelsA/" target="_blank">Chaos: Making a New Science</a> is a good introduction to first-year-of-study topics in the area of chaotic systems. Its not recent (1988) but is accessible and readable. I enjoyed it.

Also, though you didn't ask for it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679725105/internetinfidelsA/" target="_blank">Einstein for Beginners</a> is a good (and entertaining!) introduction to relativity, if you want to touch up on that before tackling QM.

Bookman

Celsus · 04-03-2002, 01:43 PM

John Gribbin has quite a lot of books related to the subject, and is usually easy to read. Most of what I know about QM I learnt from his books.

ohwilleke · 04-04-2002, 12:37 PM

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0691024170/internetinfidelsA/" target="_blank">Feynman, "QED"</a>

This books is short (maybe a hundred pages), focuses mostly on only the best developed part of QM which causes electromagnetism, allowing for depth, and briefly discusses the quantum mechanical ideas behind the weak force and strong force in a final chapter. It isn't mathematically sophisticated, but a little knowledge of calculus will make some of the mathematical concepts described without mathematics obvious. (I'd welcome a give internet infidels credit link to this from anyone with the know how to edit it in).

[Edited for Amazon.Com link.]

[ April 05, 2002: Message edited by: Bill ]</p>

Bill · 04-05-2002, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by joejoejoe:
<strong>John Gribbin has quite a lot of books related to the subject, and is usually easy to read. Most of what I know about QM I learnt from his books. </strong>

John Gribbin wrote two books that were directly about quantum mechanics, although the second book is more of a lead-in to string theory. The two books are: <ol type="1">[*]<a href="http://www.secweb.org/bookstore/bookdetail.asp?BookID=120" target="_blank">In Search of Schrodinger's Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality</a>; and[*]<a href="http://www.secweb.org/bookstore/bookdetail.asp?BookID=119" target="_blank">Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality</a>.[/list=a]In the second book, Gribbin expresses surprise that so soon after writing the first book, the field had changed so much that he felt it necessary to write a second book on the subject of quantum mechanics. As I say in my review of the first book:

Quote:

This is the first book of a two book set. It gives the classical development of the field of quantum mechanics, and sets the stage for the second book, Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality (which see).

And as I say in my review of the second book:

Quote:

If you know nothing about the scientific field of quantum mechanics, you should start with the first book of this two book set, In Search of Schrodinger's Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality. If you understand the classical Copenhagen explanation of quantum mechanics, but not the more recent interpretations, then this is your book. Even if you know very little about quantum mechanics, this is a very readable book. Since the subject of quantum mechanics is used by both theists and atheists to defend their philosophical positions, it is imperative for those who would interpret such philosophical debates to have at least the grounding in quantum mechanics you would receive through study of this book. Once you take the time to read and understand this book, you will surely have a much better grasp of the limits placed on the ability of humans to perceive the full extent of 'reality' and the best interpretation of what our search for ultimate 'reality' might ultimately discover.

== Bill

Skepticwithachainsaw · 04-09-2002, 11:15 AM

Yeah I just finished Alice in Quantum Land a week ago and I thought it was pretty good, some of the annolgys are really quite amusing.

My Advanced Extension Physics Teacher reconmended it. (Umm, thats like an extension of the normal A-Level, similar to the old S-Level to any fellow Englishers out there...)

It is a bit simplisic and doesn't go into a great deal of explanation and depth in some places, which creates more questions than it answeres.

From what I'm learning this is rather the trend in Quantum Mechanics...

DNAunion · 04-12-2002, 11:42 AM

Quote:

HallaK9:
Having spent some time on these fora, I've come to the realisation that I don't know jack s**t about QM.

Could someone recommend some good (popularizing) books on the subject?

DNAunion: I might be able to do one better.

If you are like me, you would rather watch something on TV than read it from a book. Well, there is an excellent video lecture series that covers quantum mechanics and special (and even some general) relativity in introductory, non-mathematical, conceptual language. It is called "Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists". The lecturer is Professor Richard Wolson from Middlebury College. The lecture series is available from The Teaching Company ( <a href="http://www.teachco.com" target="_blank">www.teachco.com</a> ).

PS: Here's the link to the actual lecture series:

<a href="http://www.teach12.com/ttcstore/assets/coursedescriptions/P153.asp" target="_blank">http://www.teach12.com/ttcstore/assets/coursedescriptions/P153.asp</a>

[ April 12, 2002: Message edited by: DNAunion ]</p>

04-02-2002, 04:05 PM	#1
HallaK9 Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 191	Quantum Mechanics for Dummies? Having spent some time on these fora, I've come to the realisation that I don't know jack s*t about QM. Could someone recommend some good (popularizing) books on the subject? I'm smart enough to fool people in to believing that I actually understood something about The Brief History of Time*, so I'm looking for something on about the same level. Also any interesting works Chaos Theory would not go amiss. Thanks, Antti

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

04-02-2002, 04:21 PM	#2
I am Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Atl, GA Posts: 89	"Alice in Quantumland" by Robert Gilmore - Alice tumbles down the electron tube in her television set and talks to sub-atomic particles.

04-02-2002, 04:37 PM	#3
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	Not a Joke. Buy it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0387914951/internetinfidelsA" target="_blank">Alice in Quantumland: An Allegory of Quantum Physics</a>

04-02-2002, 04:43 PM	#4
HallaK9 Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 191	Heh. I actually had to check whether 'I am' was pulling my leg or not. Looks like a good book to begin with. Thanks, Antti

04-03-2002, 09:53 AM	#5
Bookman Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Nashville, TN, USA Posts: 2,210	<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140092501/internetinfidelsA/" target="_blank">Chaos: Making a New Science</a> is a good introduction to first-year-of-study topics in the area of chaotic systems. Its not recent (1988) but is accessible and readable. I enjoyed it. Also, though you didn't ask for it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679725105/internetinfidelsA/" target="_blank">Einstein for Beginners</a> is a good (and entertaining!) introduction to relativity, if you want to touch up on that before tackling QM. Bookman

04-03-2002, 01:43 PM	#6
Celsus Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Singapore Posts: 2,875	John Gribbin has quite a lot of books related to the subject, and is usually easy to read. Most of what I know about QM I learnt from his books.

04-04-2002, 12:37 PM	#7
ohwilleke Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Denver, Colorado, USA Posts: 4,834	<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0691024170/internetinfidelsA/" target="_blank">Feynman, "QED"</a> This books is short (maybe a hundred pages), focuses mostly on only the best developed part of QM which causes electromagnetism, allowing for depth, and briefly discusses the quantum mechanical ideas behind the weak force and strong force in a final chapter. It isn't mathematically sophisticated, but a little knowledge of calculus will make some of the mathematical concepts described without mathematics obvious. (I'd welcome a give internet infidels credit link to this from anyone with the know how to edit it in). [Edited for Amazon.Com link.] [ April 05, 2002: Message edited by: Bill ]</p>

04-09-2002, 11:15 AM	#9
Skepticwithachainsaw Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: In your Imagination Posts: 69	Yeah I just finished Alice in Quantum Land a week ago and I thought it was pretty good, some of the annolgys are really quite amusing. My Advanced Extension Physics Teacher reconmended it. (Umm, thats like an extension of the normal A-Level, similar to the old S-Level to any fellow Englishers out there...) It is a bit simplisic and doesn't go into a great deal of explanation and depth in some places, which creates more questions than it answeres. From what I'm learning this is rather the trend in Quantum Mechanics...

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.