This Strange Quantum World & You [Paperback]

Patricia Topp (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

In the last few centuries, scientists studying the world in an objective way have solved many problems. Yet, with the view that only measurable things have reality, they have managed to split themselves and all of us off from the deep spiritual connection needed to live meaningful lives. Thus the scientists came upon their discoveries in the world of quantum physics totally unprepared. Their view of how the universe worked was shattered when they found that they could no longer stand outside looking in. In some strange way they themselves had become a part of their own experiments. This Strange Quantum World and You is a book for those from 9 to 90 who wish to gain some understanding of this quantum world. This smaller-than-an-atom world can be known only be suggestion. This book is geared toward children and suggests a few simple experiments to learn how the energy and the material part of our universe may work and that they are really different states of the same thing. We discover how information is carried in such a way as to make everything and everybody a part of a spiritual universe which is ONE. This leads children to a feeling of belonging. It also illustrates the necessity of watching how we think, speak, and act, so that we do a more responsible job of caring for our Earth and for each other. Endorsements "Patricia Topp has done a remarkable job of translating the language of quantum physics into one that a child can understand." Fritjof Capra, author of The Tao of Physics "Patricia Topp's book offers a bridge between the world of form and matter's true essence. Easy to read, it offers a straightforward understanding in an area of previous wonder. Having been an educator for over two decades, I plan to use this book and its experiments with my 4th grade class." Laurel Petersen "After reading This Strange Quantum World & You, I understood a lot more about science than I used to. The drawings and experiments help to give a more clear idea of what's being explained. This book makes reading about a tough subject fun and easy to understand." Natalie Nix, 7th grade student "This book flows from science to the beyond. Quality, thoughtful reading for children from eleven to one hundred and eleven." Terry Turk, M.S., M.A., L.P.C.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Patricia Topp has done a remarkable job of translating the language of quantum physics into one that a child can understand." -- Fritjof Capra, author of the Tao of Physics

About the Author

Patricia Topp, a resident of Michigan, received an M.A. in Education from Wayne State University and was a grade school teacher for 32 years, as well as a tutor for adult illiterates. Continuing to develop her skills after retirement, she has also written "Call Him Father Nature" and "Stepping Off Life's Sad Merry-Go-Round: Metaphorically Speaking" as well as numerous articles and poetry. As a counselor, she is certified in Clinical Hypnotherapy, Imperative Self Analysis, and Neuro Linguistic Programming.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 60 pages
• Publisher: Blue Dolphin Publishing, Inc (August 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577330358
• ISBN-13: 978-1577330356
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #252,920 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Physics

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Making something complicated extraordinarily simple, July 12, 2001

By 

Prof. K (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Strange Quantum World & You (Paperback)

Ms.Topp's short book should be on the book list of every 5th grade science teacher, 10 year old kid in love with science and mystery and adult who wishes to understand quantum physics or just the science behind the plot of Michael Crichton book "Timeline". She explains in incredible clear, developmental appropriate language how the world can seem solid yet is really light and energy,and how this is relevant in the world of kids and leading-edge physicist alike. Just 53 pages later adult and child alike will have a "A HA" explanation of why things can happen simultaneously and be related. Elegantly simple yet profoundly rewarding to read.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars New Age Religion Masquerading as Science, June 18, 2010

By 

well-buzzed (Boston, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Strange Quantum World & You (Paperback)

First, the cover should be a tip-off: Two (seemingly) Native Americans hailing a spider web with a star in the middle.

The first few chapters on background material are passable (the chapter on light is good as well as the one on particles/waves) and the comparison of cars crashing into each other should be fairly accessible to students. But then the wackiness begins and New Age religion starts to push actual science to the side.

It starts almost innocuously with a mention of sending out vibes and sensing good energy and quickly goes downhill from there. By the time the book is done, it claims that "messages can travel faster than the speed of light because they somehow travel in thoughts" (?), that the universe seems to be conscious, and that we must be careful about what we create with our thoughts.

The wackiness reaches the apex (or should that be nadir) when the book discusses Bose-Einstein condensates. According to the book, scientist believe that the "universe is the most powerful Bose-Einstein condensate" (no, they don't), and "some scientists believe that we are conscious because our minds act like Bose-Einstein condensates" (I suppose that's true in the same sense that "some scientists" believe that unicorns and leprechauns actually exist). The biggest howler comes from an experiment where one strokes a nail with a magnet. To quote the book: "You have made a (not very strong) Bose-Einstein condensate." Wow. This falls under the category of "not even wrong."

As for the experiments, they involve (among other household items) jump ropes, a button on a string, paper cup and string phones, and the aforementioned magnet and nail. They range from kind-of-helpful, to the irrelevant, to the "let's make a Bose-Einstein condensate!"

It might make a decent pamphlet if you tore out all of the pages after 21, but the misinformation and New Age interpretation that follows make this book, on the whole, unacceptable as a book on science.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understand the basics of quantum physics in an afternoon, December 17, 2007

By 

Loves to Read and Write "Hannah" (Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Strange Quantum World & You (Paperback)

As an adult reading this book, easy enough for children to understand, I absolutely loved it! The basic concepts of quantum physics is explained in fun and easy-to-follow formats with examples and experiments for you to try. This book has definitely perked my interest in physics and I intend to find similar books to learn more. I borrowed this book from my local library, but now intend to buy it so that my children can read it and we can discuss the experiments suggested in the book. I think this book will inspire children and adults to learn more about the world we live in. I read this book in an afternoon. It is easy, fun, and interesting reading, and only 53 pages of larger print writing with many diagrams.