Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

BBC program consisting of interviews with eight well known physicists about the quantum theory.
Although the achievements of most of the interviewed (Alain Aspect, John Bell, John Wheeler) are more extensively explained in other books by themselves or others, these direct dialogues give the authors an excellent opportunity to summarize their work and to reflect on that of others.
I was particularly impressed by the interview with Rudolf Peierls, where he interprets the 'many universes' (multiverse) theory of Everett as 'possibilities' or as a 'dictionary of possibilities', rather than 'universes'.
Not to be missed. Congratulations to the BBC.

Paul Davies tackles the confusing subject of Quantum Physics in this very interesting book. After giving us an understandable summary of what we know and don't know about the sub-atomic world (this is an achievement in and of itself), Davies interviews several physicists from around the world who explain to us their views of Quantum Theory. If you have ever had an interest in the mysteries of elementary particles, "The Ghost in the Atom" is a must for you

A version of you woke up next to five lingerie models. Another version of you woke up and butchered your loved ones. Another version of you gets struck by lightening while reading this review.

That, according to the Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Physics. This is the attempt of physicists to explain the fundamental weirdness and contradictoriness of subatomic particles--ie, the abilty of particles to transmit information across spacetime instantaneously (non-locality), the ability of particles to be in two places at once (wave fuction)...the author leans towards the Many Worlds Interpretation, the idea that the universe splits in two at every quantum choice or juncture whenever an observer observes particles(whatever a quantum choice is, and how often do these choices occur, and who is ability to collapse these wave functions into two+ universes from one, and if the human mind does this, then what collapses the wave functions that form the neurons and calcium ions that propel the neural functions that enable observation?, and can animals collapse wave functions (I've always wondered about Schrodinger's cat...if the poor cat can't observe his way out of his predicament, than how did the dinosaurs observe their way into theirs?)). If the M.W. Interpretation is true, than there is probably an infinite amount of universes, which means that anything that can be, has been and will be. Nonetheless, this is pretty fun stuff to think about, if you're a science geek or a philosophy geek or, like me, just a geek period.

The book begins when about a 40 page summary of Quantum Physics and its dilemmas, and then follows w/ a series of interviews w/ leading physicists on how to resolve these dilemmas. When trying to understand Quantum Physics, you will need to expose yourself to many explanations and sources of the subject--everytime you read Quantum theory, it's like the first time, cause it's so dang weird. This is a good book to have on your shelf to flesh out your understanding of this topic, and it's a topic we should all be aware of.

This is not a great introduction to the philosophy of quantum mechanics. It provides an inadequate explanation of the Copenhagen interpretation, and spends too much time on the weird alternatives. The discussion of photons and wave/particle duality is too short for a beginner to get a useful picture of the important issues.

The all-too-brief introduction spends far too much time on irrelevant detail, when the short space should have been devoted to quantum fundamentals. For instance, a detailed account of the Aspect experiment is surely totally inappropriate here.

The eight physicists involved are probably all the BBC could drum up at short notice. There is no mainstream representative of the Copenhagen interpretation, and the interviews leave you wishing to know what the real big hitters (Bohr, Einstein, Heisenberg...) *really* thought about these issues. To find out, you need other books.

I have read a LOT of books on physics, but no where have I seen the various interpretations of QM explained so clearly. Davies asks the hard questions which we ask ourselves during the course of studying QM. Since there are several physicists present you are exposed to a wide range of beliefs, unlike most books where you are at the mercy of the author's biases.

I thought that this book cleared up a lot of questions I had with quantum physics. I would highly recomend it for anyone interseted in physics.

This is an excellent book for anyone who is interested in the the problem of reality as defined by quantum theory. Davies interviews well known quantum physicists on the subject of "quantum reality" and thereby provides a very stimulating and revealing variety of views on the subject.