The Ghost in the Atom: A Discussion of the Mysteries of Quantum Physics (Canto) [Paperback]

P. C. W. Davies (Editor), Julian R. Brown (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521457289 | ISBN-13: 978-0521457286 | Publication Date: July 30, 1993

Anybody who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it. Niels Bohr's dictum bears witness to the bewildering impact of quantum theory, flying in the face of classical physics and dramatically transforming scientists' outlook on our relationship with the material world. In this book Paul Davies interviews eight physicists involved in debating and testing the theory, with radically different views of its significance.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Paul Davies' summary...is one of the clearest short expositions of quantum theory I have ever read." The Good Book Guide

Book Description

Nine distinguished physicists consider the conceptual foundations of quantum physics--its paradoxes as well as its profound implications for the theory of nature--within a text based on a BBC radio documentary broadcast.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (July 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521457289
• ISBN-13: 978-0521457286
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #671,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Davies is an internationally acclaimed physicist, cosmologist, and astrobiologist at Arizona State University, where he runs the pioneering Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. He also chairs the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Post-Detection Taskgroup, so that if SETI succeeds in finding intelligent life, he will be among the first to know. The asteroid 1992OG was officially renamed Pauldavies in his honor. In addition to his many scientific awards, Davies is the recipient of the 1995 Templeton Prize--the world's largest annual prize--for his work on science and religion. He is the author of more than twenty books, including The Mind of God, About Time, How to Build a Time Machine, and The Goldilocks Enigma. He lives in Tempe, Arizona.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to a Fundamental Philosophical Conundrum, May 3, 2002

By 

Michael Wischmeyer (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ghost in the Atom: A Discussion of the Mysteries of Quantum Physics (Canto) (Paperback)

We live in an awkward time. Our understanding of the universe is based on two theoretical models, quantum theory at the atomic scale and relativistic theory at the astronomical scale. Despite valiant efforts, physicists have been unable to unify these two highly successful theories.

Quantum theory itself is based "on a profound and disturbing paradox that has led some physicists to declare that the theory is ultimately meaningless." And yet no experiment has contradicted the predictions of quantum theory. Physicists agree that quantum theory "correctly describes the world to a level of precision and detail unprecedented in science". The problem is philosophical, not technical.

I highly recommend "The Ghost in the Atom" as an excellent starting point for exploring the fascinating implications of quantum theory. P. C. W. Davies (physicist) and J. R. Brown (BBC producer) offer us an intelligent examination of the conflicting and controversial interpretations of this fundamental theory.

"The Ghost in the Atom" begins with a brief exposition (about 40 pages), titled "The Strange World of the Quantum", that summarizes quantum theory and introduces the interpretation problem. A remarkable set of interviews follow: eight noted physicists describe with enthusiasm, even passion, the bizarre implications of quantum theory as they see it.

Alain Aspect, a French experimental physicist, describes his 1982 experiment that challenged our view of reality by apparently confirming that non-locality is an attribute of our universe.

John Bell, a theoretical physicist at CERN, is known for his Bell's Theorem that provided the basis for Aspect's experiment. He discusses whether free will might be an illusion, suggests that we revisit Einstein's theory of relativity, and states that he is "quite convinced that quantum theory is only a temporary expedient".

John Wheeler, Director of the Center for Theoretical Physics at UT Austin, largely agrees with the conventional Bohr interpretation (also called the Copenhagan interpretation) and argues the importance of the conscious observer in the quantum measurement process.

Rudolp Peierls, who formerly held the Wykeham Chair of Physics at Oxford, objects to the term "Copenhagan interpretation", as it suggests that there is more than one acceptable interpretation. He considers other interpretations to be largely speculation.

David Deutsch, Research Fellow in Astrophysics at both Oxford and UT Austin, argues strongly for the many-universes interpretation. He is a proponent for objective reality.

John Taylor, Professor of Mathematics at Kings College, London, argues for the ensemble interpretation (or statistical interpretation). By abandoning any attempt to describe individual systems, he contends that there is no need to associate the collapse of the wave function with the presence of a conscious observer during the measurement process.

The final two physicists, David Bohm and Basil Hiley, both argue that a "hidden variable" interpretation involving a "quantum potential" can accommodate Aspect's non-locality and maintain objective reality.

"The Ghost in the Atom" is quite exceptional and I easily give it five stars. The quantum theory overview alone, as others have pointed out, is worth the price of the book. The interviews are fascinating.

What should you read next? I highly recommend another exceptional book published by Cambridge University Press, "Quantum Physics: Illusion or Reality?" by Alastair Rae. It is more difficult, but does not require mathematics.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A clear, concise, and profound guide to quantum mechanics., June 24, 1998

By 

Jim Hyndman ([e-mail]) (Abingdon, Oxford, England.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ghost in the Atom: A Discussion of the Mysteries of Quantum Physics (Canto) (Paperback)

In 1982 an experiment that may have profound implications for scientific thought was carried out in Orsay, France, by the physicist Alain Aspect. 'Anybody who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it' proclaimed Niels Bohr. Ghost is the clearest writing I have seen on this difficult subject. Guiding the reader through the thoughts of Bohr, Einstein, Schrödinger, and Heisenberg, it sharpens the mind, and prepares one for an understanding of Aspect's ground-breaking work. Ghost is based on interviews with leading quantum physicists. It begins with the need for quantum behaviour to explain black-body radiation and the photoelectric effect. This is contrasted with electromagnetic theory, supported by Young's interference patterns. However, only Bohr and de Broglie could determine how electrons orbit the nucleus - as standing waves - thus explaining atomic structures and spectra. When Schrödinger and Heisenberg described the behaviour of subatomic particles, Quantum Mechanics was born. So why fuss over a theory that has given us transistors and lasers? Photons, should they pass one-at-a-time through Young's slits, know whether there's one slit or two, and build an interference pattern (or not) accordingly. So does the electron somehow manage to pass through both slits simultaneously? Try measuring this, and we're led to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. Einstein never accepted the intrinsic nature of uncertainty, believing in a hidden but measurable mechanism operating at the subatomic scale, below light speed. An experiment was needed that could display Bohr's ghostly, co-operation-at-a-distance (i.e. faster-than-light 'signals') between photons. Fifty years later, Aspect's experiment conclusively illustrated this. Today's physicists concur that the philosophical implications are staggering, and this book admirably opens the subject to a wider audience.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, May 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ghost in the Atom: A Discussion of the Mysteries of Quantum Physics (Canto) (Paperback)

This book is a collection of interviews with various quantum physicists and it discusses the different theories that are being promoted in this century in regard to quantum mechanics. While it appears to me that the interviewer is biased in his own ideas regarding which quantum theory is the right one, (or the one he prefers) there is a sufficient variety of physicists to insure that several different viewpoints are expressed. Under this format you are then allowed to make up your own mind in regard to how you think quantum physics works. While the book makes no attempt to say it has all the answers, it does let you know what directions they are looking in. Without going into too much detail, I very much prefer the direction that John Bell was going in, on pages 48, & 49. This book is a very good read for those who are curious about quantum physics but don't want to have anyone try and sell them on only one idea or theory. I liked this format a lot.