Customer Reviews

Quantum Dialogue: The Making of a Revolution (Science and Its Conceptual Foundations series)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mara Beller has written an exciting and very valuable portrait of physicists engaged in making a scientific revolution--the quantum revolution. Beller lets us see Niels Bohr and his colleagues as they worked to win general acceptance of the Copenhagen formulation of quantum physics through ongoing dialogues, in print, correspondence, and talks, with fellow scientists. She argues that Bohr et alia prevailed, not because their view is scientifically more robust but because they were more skillful in what amounts to public relations within the scientific community--they were more effective in selling their views. Beller recreates the controversies surrounding the development of quantum theory and the acceptance of the Copenhagen formulation as "the" established view in great detail. She supports her arguments with a mass of gracefully employed archival and published documentation, including some real gems--that one of Bohr's major papers was published with two pages reversed, and nobody noticed, for example. This book is a delight to read, and an important and absorbing book, for everyone interested in how scientists develop, advocate, debate, and come to accept a new theory. I have been skeptical about work in history and philosophy of science, but this book convinces me that the Science Wars are way off base--Beller clearly is knowledgeable about the physics, and about the scientific community too. Read this book especially if you are a scientist, and see if you don't recognize yourself and some of your colleages!

A major sociological question is: how can we make a revolution?.

This question is adressed by Mara Beller in "Quantum Dialogue", which can be seen as a new way to look at the problem of social change beyond Kuhn's "Structure". Indeed, it is well written, informative and, sometimes, technical. But I believe technicalities are at the heart of physics, so, it is necessary to grasp them.

I recommend this reading for all physicists, sociologists and anarchists.

This is the book to read all about the development of Quantum Theory day by day with quotations from individuals, excerpts from theor correspondances. It is shocking to read those geniousess vacciliatting on some concepts. I trust the author is providing actual data but most interesting was to read that Bohr was thinking about the factor on his Energy states factor and his decision to make it one half to match zero state energy. Mr. Heisenberg through out concepts not knowing what he was saying. This is the impression I got from the readings.Author has ceratinly knows a lot about the theory itself and makes clarifications to the arguments that they were shooting to each other.This book is a gem. This book is not for someone who does not know at least a littel about the theory itself otherwise you miss the story behind the correspondances.Recommend to all who is interested in the development of modern physics.