Customer Reviews

In Search of Schrodingers Cat

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

PROS:
1. Good narrative style - you won't be bored.

2. Not complicated... not trivial or overly diluted either. High school Math, and Science will suffice for understanding. You'll derive more on a second read though.

3. I like how he weaves history into science and adds personality to the characters way beyond anything you'll find in a textbook. One reader said he wanted just the facts and could do without the extras. I think it's the extras that make this book appealing, approachable and engaging. If you want just facts, get a college textbook.

4. Not too long... he spends just about the right length of time on each topic.

5. He revisits topics to shed extra light at appropriate times... he doesn't try to hammer in everything into your head all at once.

6. Gives credit to respective scientists, including stating who won what Nobel prize when. This is good as otherwise these people and their achievements would be largely unknown by people who are not academics, such as some of the readers of this book.

7. Gives an excellent sense of perspective of how things were developed or arrived at. You really appreciate that it is by collaboration and assistance that a lot has been developed. Previous to this work I hadn't heard of Dirac... everybody knows Einstein. I heard of Bohr, Rutherford, and Planck at school. But there really are other greats of the era: Heisenberg, Dirac, Pauli and Shrodinger for example.

8. Extremely well-researched and woven together.

9. Great to find out the simple origins of anti-matter. (pages 124, and 125)

10. Great to see how many things we take for granted have been derived from Quantum Mechanics... Integrated circuits, computers, laser, laser surgery, nuclear reactors, rockets, space travel.

CONS:
1. He presents the work of the main characters/scientists in a TOPICAL fashion, and when you are reading you would realise that something that occurs some pages later on actually took place at the same time CHRONOLOGICALLY as something in prevous sections. This is moderately disconcerting.

I don't think the author could have done differently though, without disrupting the flow of the book and perhaps altering its comprehensibility. To compensate for this, it would have been good to put a timeline in an Appendix. e.g.:

16xx - Newton lays the groundwork of classical mechanics (based on the work of Kepler)
1900 - Planck introduces his radiation formula and introduces 'quanta' of energy.
1906 - Einstein...
etc.

2. Needs to state EXACTLY which diagram/drawing he is referring to at various points in the explanation. It's easy to lose track of what diagram he is referring to, and it becomes confusing. (This applies mainly to the latter half of the book.)

This is a wonderful book that deals with a rather fascinating subject: quantum mecahnics. For those who may not be familiar w/QM, it is the physics of the microcosmic world of electrons, photons, protons & neutrons. It is where Newtonian causality breaks down, where there appears a "totally new ballgame." Gribbin does an excellent job of writing for the layman, especially considering the recondite nature of the topic. However, I would recommend anyone interested in QM to read Alice In Quantumland by Robert Gilmore first as it is slightly more accessible & also has the advantage of being "fun" to read (it is told as an allegorized story). Note that I still recommend Gribbin's book, but AFTER one has read Gilmore's. It may help to make Gribbin's book make a bit more sense. All in all, though, this is an enlightening work.

John Gribbin obviously has a real enthusiasm for the subject matter, and it makes this book very readable in spite of the often bewildering complexity of the subject matter (which he explains admirably without use of mathematics). The coverage of the history of quantum theory in the first half of the 20th century is excellent, and made me want to read more about it.

Where Gribbin goes wrong, in my view, is in railroading his point "Nothing is real" (a thesis which seems to bookend the whole thing). I know I'll get "not helpful" points for pointing this out, but the quite obvious fact that Gribbin chooses to ignore is that subatomic particles, when collected as aggregates into everyday objects like a wallet or a pen, end up statistically combining to behave in predictable ways; if I leave it in a room and come back several hours later, it's still there unless somebody disturbs it, and I can be absolutely assured it was there in the intervening period--what could be plainer? In other words, if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around, yes, of course it makes a sound. But an electron or photon? Who's to say? The fact that such intractable weirdness in the quantum realm as Gribbin describes ends up getting together to form what we know as matter, is indeed a mystery worth contemplating. It makes me think of the realm of matter as if it were inside some kind of holodeck like in Star Trek, and when we look deep into matter itself we find that it's put together in some way inconceivable to us, and yet seemingly expressly for the purpose of creating the "macro" world in which we live. This idea is consistent with the Anthropic Principle, that has nudged so many scientists in the direction of theism. But 'nothing is real'? Then how can one make any meaningful statements, including the statement of universal unreality?! Come, now...

I wrote this review before reading the sequel to this book (Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality). After reading the sequel I have an additional comment, which is included at the end of the review.

This book rests somewhere between being a history book and a popular science physics text that focuses on the underlying implications of quantum theory. It introduces the history of the development of quantum mechanics and develops this physics in a general, non-mathematical, manner. In my opinion, Gribbin does a fine job in both areas. The book is very readable and very informative. It begins with the particle/wave nature of light and how attempts to explain this paradox formed the basis of modern scientific thought. From this, Gribbin introduces the notion that matter (initially electrons) also exhibit wave as well as particle characteristics. This is then used to describe Bohr's initial attempts at describing the nature of the atom. Gribbin shows how the Heisenberg uncertainty principle grew naturally out of attempts to explain the nature of an atom, as depicted by the splitting of spectral lines. The uncertainty principle is often incorrectly depicted as just an adjunct to quantum theory, not as its central idea. Gribbin shows that it is intimately tied up with the particle/wave paradox and that it is not (as it is often portrayed) just an experimental limitation. (He also shows that Heisenberg himself is responsible for this misconception because he used this analogy to try to explain the concept.)

The hardcover version of this book was published in 1984, so one could justly question reading a book that is over 20 years old. This is, however, not a reason skip this book, as the first half is concerned with the development of quantum theory up to the late 1920's. By this time, many of the basic ideas had been developed into a cohesive theory and since this is a history of this development, the fact that the book is over 20 years old is not a problem. Gribbin does a good job of introducing the many strange paradoxes and irrational (at least in terms of classical physics and human expectations) experimental results upon which the theory is based. Gribbin is, however, on much less firm ground in the second half of the book, which is concerned with the strange concepts of reality (or really un-reality) that the theory implies. As strange as they are (especially to elimination of causality at a quantum level and its replacement with probabilities) they are based upon experimental facts, not philosophical ramblings. Much of the theories presented in this part of the book were in their formative stages at the time the book was written and much has changed since 1983, but from a historical perspective this portion of the book is also useful. Likewise, the interpretations of quantum mechanics developed in the 1920's should be viewed from a historical context, having been modified before and after 1984.

Most importantly, this book delves into the strange implications of quantum theory. Strange is not an adequate word to explain these implications. When Alice went down the rabbit hole she encountered a world that was ordinary and rational compared to the shocking world depicted (and verified by experimental observations) by quantum theory. In the last part of the book Gribbin delves into a universe of ghost particles, collapsing quantum wave functions, "spooky action at a distance" (Einstein's criticism of where quantum theory was leading) and multi-universe interpretations. These theories question our very notion of reality.

Gribbin has given me a feel for how much I never dreamt of when I was studying quantum mechanics (or at least the simplified version that was taught to engineers like myself). I now see that I was never very shocked by quantum mechanics because I never understood its true ramifications. I was taught what Gribbin calls quantum cooking, in other words how to follow a recipe in order solve an exam problem and hopefully, eventually, make something useful, without knowing the true implications of quantum theory. This book aims to remedy this in a general, non-mathematical manner.

I highly recommend this book not only to anyone studying quantum mechanics (especially if they read it before they start the course), but also to those who are better versed in this field. It should help a little bit to turn one from a quantum cook, into a quantum chef (i.e. one who knows more than just how to follow a recipe). At least it should get the reader thinking about the strange universe described by quantum theory.

This book relies heavily on the "Copenhagen" interpretation of quantum theory developed by Niels Bohr in the 1920's. While other interpretations are discussed, this book gives the impression that this is still a favored interpretation of the meaning behind quantum theory. It certainly was a very popular view at the time that the book was written, in spite of the fact that it implies that nothing actually exists until a higher intelligence looks at it. Einstein never accepted this and while this view is questioned in this book, these questions are not given center stage. In contrast, the sequel to this book (Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality) spends more time focusing on these other interpretations. That these other interpretations are only made more prominent in the sequel is a bit surprising since most were well formulated before this initial book was written. I believe that it is thus necessary to also read the sequel in order to get a better feeling for the strange implications of quantum theory. Another book which sheds more light on this subject is Feynman's QED, which provides general information about the path integral method, which avoids the paradoxes because it avoids assuming that light (and electrons) are waves as well as particles. The lack of any significant discussion of these other interpretations made me reduce the rating to 4 stars.

I read this book about six months ago, and can't stop thinking about it. Gribbin says that "everybody knows that the greatest discovery of the 20th century was Einstein's Theory of Relativity, and EVERYBODY is wrong." And then he proceeds to explain quantum theory. With bold, simple explanations, he makes clear how quantum mechanics lies at the center of all the sciences. However, the content, written in the early 80s, is a little bit dated, something Gribbin fixed in his newer book "Schrodinger's Kittens". Great book, though, and filled with excellent quotes by Einstein, Bohr, and others.

It's hard to overstate the importance of this book. It's also hard to overstate the value. John Gribbin has written one of those timeless books that belongs to the ages. Despite the fact that it's decades out of date, it's still current. Despite the fact that much has been discovered about the field of quantum physics since he wrote this book, nothing in it has been superseded. And yet, it's so clear that "Cat" is one of those books that those of us who write about science and technology as a profession use as a touchstone - a book that we compare our own writing against - and find wanting.

My original copy of this book is so worn from reading that it must be replaced. Both of my daughters read this book, and became physicists or are about to. This is a book so important, and so readable, that it helps define its category.

This is more than a good read. It's a necessary read.

In Search of Schrodinger's Cat is an incredible piece of work. Gribbin thoroughly explains quantum theory through documenting historical break-throughs in "classic" Newtonian Theory, up until, and well into, the discoveries of what quantum physics was and is. As you explore through scientific discoveries, whether intentional or accidental, Gribbin has the ability to explain, step-by-step, what individuals in the science world did to accomplish,what is now, quantum physics. Each section is broken down and explained in scientific terms, and then reitterated in terms so that even a monkey could understand it. Everyone should read this book, including monkeys! And the cat paradox, what a genius thing to come up with!

In this book John Gribbin sets out to demystify the world of quantum physics. He starts with the nature of light and the start of atomic structure, and then moves deeper into the makeup of the atom and into quantum theory. Gribbin gives brief histories of each scientist involved in the development of quantum physics. This is both a good and a bad thing. It helps give the progress made in quantum phsics a historical context and shows how it affected previous schools of thought, but at the same time it is distracting and almost gives too much information. Gribbin explores the strangeness of quantum physics without overwhelming the reader. He doesn't push the math or the concepts in your face but builds it all up, bit by bit. He tries to explain the experiments conducted to prove the theories presented in the book in a way that someone who doesn't have a complete grasp of physics or math can understand.
This book is an interesting read that really makes you think as you read. It's really hard to fully understand what this book is about unless you are an active reader. Sometimes the concepts are a little hard to grasp, but this is a great introduction to quantum physics explained in an easy language.

A great introduction to the bizarre world of quantum mechanics. The first two sections provide a bit of history and framework preparing the reader to be kicked off the deep end in the remainder of the book. The long bibliography at the end provides an excellent source of further reading material. Read this book before reading Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality.

You need not be an interlect to understand or enjoy this book. I loved it very much. I found it to be very good in introducing quantum physics and reality. It not only explains quantum physics, but also tells of how such a magnificent subject came to be, and how we greatly are depended upon it. This book should be the #1 book for those whom want to know what quantum physics is and yet don't know one single thing about the subject, or what a quanta (singular for quantum) is. So I highly recommend getting this book. You'll surely be surprised and fascinated by what secrets quantum physics have finally revealed.