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Quantum Drama: From the Bohr-Einstein Debate to the Riddle of Entanglement
The definitive account of the great Bohr-Einstein debate and its continuing legacy
In 1927, Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein began a debate about the interpretation and meaning of the new quantum theory. This would become one of the most famous debates in the history of science. At stake were an understanding of the purpose, and defense of the integrity, of science. What (if any) limits should we place on our expectations for what science can tell us about physical reality?
Our protagonists slowly disappeared from the vanguard of physics, as its centre of gravity shifted from a war-ravaged Continental Europe to a bold, pragmatic, post-war America. What Einstein and Bohr had considered to be matters of the utmost importance were now set aside. Their debate was regarded either as settled in Bohr's favour or as superfluous to real physics.
But the debate was not resolved. The problems of interpretation and meaning persisted, at least in the minds of a few stubborn physicists, such as David Bohm and John Bell, who refused to stop asking awkward questions. The Bohr-Einstein debate was rejoined, now with a new set of protagonists, on a small scale at first. Through their efforts, the debate was revealed to be about physics after all. Their questions did indeed have answers that could be found in a laboratory. As quantum entanglement became a real physical phenomenon, whole new disciplines were established, such as quantum computing, teleportation, and cryptography. The efforts of the experimentalists were rewarded with shares in the 2022 Nobel prize in physics.
As Quantum Drama reveals, science owes a large debt to those who kept the discussions going against the apathy and indifference of most physicists before definitive experimental inquiries became possible. Although experiment moved the Bohr-Einstein debate to a new level and drew many into foundational research, it has by no means removed or resolved the fundamental question. There will be no Nobel prize for an answer. That will not shut off discussion. Our Drama will continue beyond our telling of it and is unlikely to reach its final scene before science ceases or the world ends.
In 1927, Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein began a debate about the interpretation and meaning of the new quantum theory. This would become one of the most famous debates in the history of science. At stake were an understanding of the purpose, and defense of the integrity, of science. What (if any) limits should we place on our expectations for what science can tell us about physical reality?
Our protagonists slowly disappeared from the vanguard of physics, as its centre of gravity shifted from a war-ravaged Continental Europe to a bold, pragmatic, post-war America. What Einstein and Bohr had considered to be matters of the utmost importance were now set aside. Their debate was regarded either as settled in Bohr's favour or as superfluous to real physics.
But the debate was not resolved. The problems of interpretation and meaning persisted, at least in the minds of a few stubborn physicists, such as David Bohm and John Bell, who refused to stop asking awkward questions. The Bohr-Einstein debate was rejoined, now with a new set of protagonists, on a small scale at first. Through their efforts, the debate was revealed to be about physics after all. Their questions did indeed have answers that could be found in a laboratory. As quantum entanglement became a real physical phenomenon, whole new disciplines were established, such as quantum computing, teleportation, and cryptography. The efforts of the experimentalists were rewarded with shares in the 2022 Nobel prize in physics.
As Quantum Drama reveals, science owes a large debt to those who kept the discussions going against the apathy and indifference of most physicists before definitive experimental inquiries became possible. Although experiment moved the Bohr-Einstein debate to a new level and drew many into foundational research, it has by no means removed or resolved the fundamental question. There will be no Nobel prize for an answer. That will not shut off discussion. Our Drama will continue beyond our telling of it and is unlikely to reach its final scene before science ceases or the world ends.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published July 25, 2024
43 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Jim Baggott
23 books147 followersJim Baggott completed his doctorate in physical chemistry at the University of Oxford and his postgraduate research at Stanford University.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 29, 2024
On a first glance of the cover you might think that Jim Baggott and John Heilbron were brilliant Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein impersonators. In fact Baggott is an excellent popular science writer and Heilbron was an esteemed historian of science, both specialising in quantum physics. There's another way the cover is misleading - you might think this was an in-depth exploration of Bohr and Einstein's relationship. The topics they argued about certainly come into it, but instead this is detailed look at how quantum theory developed.
I've read a lot of books on quantum physics, but I've never come across one that goes into such painstaking detail of every step along the way, introducing the work of a good number of physicists who rarely make it into the public eye. These range from John von Neumann - well known but usually sidelined as a quantum physicist - to the likes of Oskar Klein and Hans Kramers. Similarly, Baggott and Heilbron go into many (many) steps along the way that rarely get mentioned. And even when we're dealing with something mainstream like the uncertainty principle or Schrödinger's equation, the approach is very different from the one we usually see in a popular science title, because we are told what was thought at the time, rather than seeing the development through the prism of a modern understanding.
So far so good. But there are two problems with this book if it's seen as a title for a general audience. Firstly, there is hardly any engagement with the protagonists. Yes we get names - lots of names. But there is very little context or exploration of them as people. The focus is very much on their scientific (and philosophical) theorising. Of itself, this isn't too bad, but the other problem is that the writing is very dry. It's ironic that at one point the authors reference Lewis Carroll (oddly, in a book that is very precise, they totally mess up the title: instead of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' it's referenced as 'Alice in wonderland'). Before coming across this, I was genuinely reminded by the writing style of the scene in Alice where there's an attempt by a mouse to get characters dry by reading a very dull (dry) history passage. Quantum Drama sometimes has a similar feel to that parody passage.
Apart from occasional inexplicable bursts into CAPITALS, this feels like an academic history book with obscure scientific details thrown in. If the warning Stephen Hawking was given that every equation halves the numbers of readers, I'd probably be the only one. Admittedly the only mathematical workings tend to be simple algebra, but there's an awful lot of equations in places. And the explanation of the science lacks any approachability. I did honestly wonder if the academic Heilbron wrote most of the book before his death and Baggott just finished it off.
I think it's a brilliant book for historians of science, or for physicists from undergraduate level to professors who want to find out more about how quantum theory got to where it is. For the general reader, though, this really doesn't work.
I've read a lot of books on quantum physics, but I've never come across one that goes into such painstaking detail of every step along the way, introducing the work of a good number of physicists who rarely make it into the public eye. These range from John von Neumann - well known but usually sidelined as a quantum physicist - to the likes of Oskar Klein and Hans Kramers. Similarly, Baggott and Heilbron go into many (many) steps along the way that rarely get mentioned. And even when we're dealing with something mainstream like the uncertainty principle or Schrödinger's equation, the approach is very different from the one we usually see in a popular science title, because we are told what was thought at the time, rather than seeing the development through the prism of a modern understanding.
So far so good. But there are two problems with this book if it's seen as a title for a general audience. Firstly, there is hardly any engagement with the protagonists. Yes we get names - lots of names. But there is very little context or exploration of them as people. The focus is very much on their scientific (and philosophical) theorising. Of itself, this isn't too bad, but the other problem is that the writing is very dry. It's ironic that at one point the authors reference Lewis Carroll (oddly, in a book that is very precise, they totally mess up the title: instead of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' it's referenced as 'Alice in wonderland'). Before coming across this, I was genuinely reminded by the writing style of the scene in Alice where there's an attempt by a mouse to get characters dry by reading a very dull (dry) history passage. Quantum Drama sometimes has a similar feel to that parody passage.
Apart from occasional inexplicable bursts into CAPITALS, this feels like an academic history book with obscure scientific details thrown in. If the warning Stephen Hawking was given that every equation halves the numbers of readers, I'd probably be the only one. Admittedly the only mathematical workings tend to be simple algebra, but there's an awful lot of equations in places. And the explanation of the science lacks any approachability. I did honestly wonder if the academic Heilbron wrote most of the book before his death and Baggott just finished it off.
I think it's a brilliant book for historians of science, or for physicists from undergraduate level to professors who want to find out more about how quantum theory got to where it is. For the general reader, though, this really doesn't work.
May 24, 2025
This is a great book to read on quantum mechanics if you’re the right target audience. For some context, I’ve studied the subject at university prior to engaging with this book and was seeking something to amplify my knowledge of the history of quantum mechanics as well as questions about its foundations (interpretations of the theory). This book came at the best time for me. Even though it explains most ideas, it does assume you’re familiar with some core knowledge of the topic.
The book is also INCREDIBLY detailed when it comes to describing the history of the developments surrounding quantum mechanics as well as the people involved. I don’t think I have read a (semi-)popular science book so far that goes into this much historical depth. This can be a massive positive if you like history (such as I do), but also a significant negative when reading the book. There is a lot of detail here, and it can be easy to lose track of the main narrative. I think this is likely a consequence of the second author John Heilbron, who seems to be a seasoned science historian. This lack of prose at times in order to flesh out on details of people’s lives, might be the one of the most jarring aspects of reading this book.
The other jarring thing is that despite having not many equations, the book is definitely not a light read either. If you want to internalize the arguments and ideas, you really have to think hard while reading the book. In this sense, this book is not at all like many lighter popular science books on the subject. Something I heavily respect it for. Though it also meant that it took me a long time to finish, and I suspect the same may be true for other readers (unless you’re comfortable not lingering around when you don’t understand something and just move on).
All in all, the book served its purpose to me of making quantum entanglement and the recent excitements regarding quantum information, a bit more tangible. The book wonderfully went from the origins of quantum theory, to the famous debates between Bohr and Einstein, and eventually to the very important developments around John Bell’s inequalities and the way that can generally disregard local (hidden variable) versions of quantum mechanics. These things, as well as the wonderful attention between the interplay of theory and experiment, is why I definitely would recommend this book to anyone serious in thinking about foundations of quantum mechanics. It is not the lightest read, but it is definitely a good one.
The book is also INCREDIBLY detailed when it comes to describing the history of the developments surrounding quantum mechanics as well as the people involved. I don’t think I have read a (semi-)popular science book so far that goes into this much historical depth. This can be a massive positive if you like history (such as I do), but also a significant negative when reading the book. There is a lot of detail here, and it can be easy to lose track of the main narrative. I think this is likely a consequence of the second author John Heilbron, who seems to be a seasoned science historian. This lack of prose at times in order to flesh out on details of people’s lives, might be the one of the most jarring aspects of reading this book.
The other jarring thing is that despite having not many equations, the book is definitely not a light read either. If you want to internalize the arguments and ideas, you really have to think hard while reading the book. In this sense, this book is not at all like many lighter popular science books on the subject. Something I heavily respect it for. Though it also meant that it took me a long time to finish, and I suspect the same may be true for other readers (unless you’re comfortable not lingering around when you don’t understand something and just move on).
All in all, the book served its purpose to me of making quantum entanglement and the recent excitements regarding quantum information, a bit more tangible. The book wonderfully went from the origins of quantum theory, to the famous debates between Bohr and Einstein, and eventually to the very important developments around John Bell’s inequalities and the way that can generally disregard local (hidden variable) versions of quantum mechanics. These things, as well as the wonderful attention between the interplay of theory and experiment, is why I definitely would recommend this book to anyone serious in thinking about foundations of quantum mechanics. It is not the lightest read, but it is definitely a good one.
October 16, 2024
An entertaining history of the development and impact of quantum mechanics in the 20th century. The authors however do undermine their own scientific credentials by referring to physical phenomena as "inventions" (for example, we are told that Einstein "invented" relativity, as if objects were happily travelling faster than light until that pesky nuisance Einstein came along and spoiled it for everyone). Maybe the authors were making a little indirect gag about quantum states having no fixed state until measured, but if so it's a bit oblique, and, given how early in the book this formulation appears, all it serves is to undermine the trust the reader has in the scientific facts presented in the book.
May 25, 2025
Quantum Drama: From the Bohr-Einstein Debate to the Riddle of Entanglement" di Dr. Jim Baggott è un'opera che esplora in profondità uno dei dibattiti più affascinanti della storia della fisica: il confronto tra Albert Einstein e Niels Bohr riguardo ai fondamenti della meccanica quantistica. Questo libro non solo ripercorre le interazioni tra questi due giganti della scienza, ma offre anche una riflessione sui temi di entanglement e indeterminazione che continuano a influenzare la nostra comprensione del mondo quantistico.
L'opera è suddivisa in capitoli che seguono cronologicamente gli eventi chiave delle discussioni tra Bohr ed Einstein, a partire dalle celebri conferenze di Solvay del 1927. Baggott analizza le posizioni opposte dei due scienziati, evidenziando come il dibattito non fosse solo tecnico, ma anche profondamente filosofico. La narrazione è arricchita da dettagli storici e aneddoti che rendono il testo accessibile anche ai lettori non specialisti.
Temi Principali. Dibattito Bohr-Einstein: Un'analisi approfondita delle loro posizioni divergenti sulla meccanica quantistica.
Entanglement: La spiegazione del fenomeno dell'entanglement e la sua implicazione per la nostra comprensione della realtà.
Impatto Filosofico: Riflessioni su come queste discussioni abbiano plasmato la filosofia della scienza moderna.
Baggott scrive con uno stile chiaro e coinvolgente, riuscendo a tradurre concetti complessi in un linguaggio comprensibile. La sua capacità di intrecciare narrazione storica e spiegazioni scientifiche rende il libro interessante sia per gli appassionati di fisica che per i lettori curiosi.
"Quantum Drama" è una lettura essenziale per chiunque desideri comprendere le basi della meccanica quantistica attraverso il prisma del dibattito tra due delle menti più brillanti della scienza. Dr. Jim Baggott riesce a catturare non solo la tensione intellettuale del dibattito, ma anche la sua rilevanza duratura nel contesto della fisica contemporanea. Questo libro non è solo un resoconto storico; è un invito a riflettere sulle domande fondamentali che continuano a sfidare i fisici di oggi.
L'opera è suddivisa in capitoli che seguono cronologicamente gli eventi chiave delle discussioni tra Bohr ed Einstein, a partire dalle celebri conferenze di Solvay del 1927. Baggott analizza le posizioni opposte dei due scienziati, evidenziando come il dibattito non fosse solo tecnico, ma anche profondamente filosofico. La narrazione è arricchita da dettagli storici e aneddoti che rendono il testo accessibile anche ai lettori non specialisti.
Temi Principali. Dibattito Bohr-Einstein: Un'analisi approfondita delle loro posizioni divergenti sulla meccanica quantistica.
Entanglement: La spiegazione del fenomeno dell'entanglement e la sua implicazione per la nostra comprensione della realtà.
Impatto Filosofico: Riflessioni su come queste discussioni abbiano plasmato la filosofia della scienza moderna.
Baggott scrive con uno stile chiaro e coinvolgente, riuscendo a tradurre concetti complessi in un linguaggio comprensibile. La sua capacità di intrecciare narrazione storica e spiegazioni scientifiche rende il libro interessante sia per gli appassionati di fisica che per i lettori curiosi.
"Quantum Drama" è una lettura essenziale per chiunque desideri comprendere le basi della meccanica quantistica attraverso il prisma del dibattito tra due delle menti più brillanti della scienza. Dr. Jim Baggott riesce a catturare non solo la tensione intellettuale del dibattito, ma anche la sua rilevanza duratura nel contesto della fisica contemporanea. Questo libro non è solo un resoconto storico; è un invito a riflettere sulle domande fondamentali che continuano a sfidare i fisici di oggi.
September 23, 2025
An. excellent, if challenging guided journey through the history of quantum mechanics by a scientist who was involved in the tale and a first-class science writer. I've read quite a few books on the subject as the later parts of the story took shape in the last part of the 20th century, but this is the first time I've really felt like I understood the stakes clearly. (The short version is that it has to do with whether or not it's possible to say we "know" anything about physical reality in the wake of quantum uncertainties. That's a cartoon version and part of the value of Quantum Drama is that it bring the flat image to intellectual life.). I'm not competent to follow the math involved in any detail, but the authors do a good job breaking down the significance of the equations in ways that made me feel like I wasn't being manipulated or talked down to. That's partly to say that the book requires serious attention, but rewards the time spent. As I was getting oriented, I read in very small chunks--5 to 10 pages at a time--but that picked up as I gained confidence that I understood the contours of the historical debates.
The last quarter of the book bogged a bit and I'm not as confident I understand the intricacies involved in the scientists' disagreements over Bell's Theorem. That might well change if I re-read. They spend a bit more time than I would have liked shorthanding the more recent story via the institutional affiliations and publications/conference appearances of the scientists. Felt a bit like they wanted to make sure no one would be pissed off by being left out.
Still, a very valuable book for anyone seriously interested in the intellectual history and impact of what's probably the most important development in the physics of the last century.
The last quarter of the book bogged a bit and I'm not as confident I understand the intricacies involved in the scientists' disagreements over Bell's Theorem. That might well change if I re-read. They spend a bit more time than I would have liked shorthanding the more recent story via the institutional affiliations and publications/conference appearances of the scientists. Felt a bit like they wanted to make sure no one would be pissed off by being left out.
Still, a very valuable book for anyone seriously interested in the intellectual history and impact of what's probably the most important development in the physics of the last century.
January 21, 2025
(20 January, 2025)
As a layman, this was highly informative: the history of Quantum Mechanics was awesome, the ideas that gave rise to them doubly so, the math... not so much. There weren't that many equations but it was annoying once it got to the point I could no longer follow (and who's fault is it? Yeah, my bad).
The following of hypotheses and theories as if they were religious doctrine is super weird but these are still people, genius-level minds and human foibles all in one neat package. Some aspects of this are just out there: Krishnamurti's story, Einstein's insistent refusal to even entertain the idea of Copenhagen Quantumania, political physicists exist (there should be no such thing!), not wanting to disturb Bohr and a few other mind-boggling things.
Well written (chronological order is always a good idea) and well researched, Baggott and Heilbron do a superb job in weaving many chaotic threads into a compelling whole. Bravo!
By the way, thank goodness for iconoclasts such as Bell, Aspect, Leggett et alia.
As a layman, this was highly informative: the history of Quantum Mechanics was awesome, the ideas that gave rise to them doubly so, the math... not so much. There weren't that many equations but it was annoying once it got to the point I could no longer follow (and who's fault is it? Yeah, my bad).
The following of hypotheses and theories as if they were religious doctrine is super weird but these are still people, genius-level minds and human foibles all in one neat package. Some aspects of this are just out there: Krishnamurti's story, Einstein's insistent refusal to even entertain the idea of Copenhagen Quantumania, political physicists exist (there should be no such thing!), not wanting to disturb Bohr and a few other mind-boggling things.
Well written (chronological order is always a good idea) and well researched, Baggott and Heilbron do a superb job in weaving many chaotic threads into a compelling whole. Bravo!
By the way, thank goodness for iconoclasts such as Bell, Aspect, Leggett et alia.
March 24, 2025
Its detail on the discussions around the ideas of quantum mechanics and it’s caveats from the realist point of view, are perfectly described in the first half of the book with an exquisite detail on the physicists that work around the main ideas behind the Einstein-Bohr debate. Some thought experiments and their reactions were also explained and they worth the reading. Although, I have to say? That too much detail sometimes makes you wander aside the main topic of the discussion. The second half of the book, mainly about quantum entanglement starting from EPR and finishing with experiments and Nobel prizes in our times. The book was OK, very informative and detailed and with a very good historical relations but I personally was expecting much more on the real debate and long conversations around the Einstein’s realism and the Bohr’s QM conception.
June 18, 2025
Bohr, Born, Bohm
Einstein, Podolsky, Rosen
Copenhagen vs Einstein
prinzipienfuschers vs virtuosos
Positivists vs materialists
Bell creating experiments to test Heisenberg’s uncertainty
Hidden variables being ruled out (Bell’s inequalities broken)
Clauser doing the experiments
Brass/steel new/used left/right screws
The EPR paper posing a challenge to Copenhagen
Only for quantum entanglement to be proved experimentally
The “cut” between experiment and observer
Macroscopic vs microscopic being an arbitrary distinction
Double slit for bacteria!
Quantum tunneling, teleportation, entanglement, coherence
Quantum computing, communication, encryption / decryption
Einstein, Podolsky, Rosen
Copenhagen vs Einstein
prinzipienfuschers vs virtuosos
Positivists vs materialists
Bell creating experiments to test Heisenberg’s uncertainty
Hidden variables being ruled out (Bell’s inequalities broken)
Clauser doing the experiments
Brass/steel new/used left/right screws
The EPR paper posing a challenge to Copenhagen
Only for quantum entanglement to be proved experimentally
The “cut” between experiment and observer
Macroscopic vs microscopic being an arbitrary distinction
Double slit for bacteria!
Quantum tunneling, teleportation, entanglement, coherence
Quantum computing, communication, encryption / decryption
June 15, 2024
Dit is geen boek waarvan ik zomaar een review kan schrijven. Ik heb het onderwerp altijd interessant gevonden en er aardig wat over gelezen. Begrijp ik het? Neen, althans niet in de zin dat ik het kan navertellen of uitleggen. Wat dit boek zo bijzonder maakt is, dat het alle stappen in de quantumtheorie van de afgelopen 100 jaar vertelt en zo goed als mogelijk uitlegt. Er komen heel veel personages voorbij en het helpt zeker, als je daar al eerder over gelezen hebt. En, er zijn best veel formules, maar die kun je naar mijn idee best overslaan om toch het hele verhaal te kunnen volgen.
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October 2, 2024Interesting debate of Quantum Entanglement by Dr. Baggott. Not for the general reader. Good historical review for the student that is interested at this quantum point in time.
Currently, Google is close to 1500 physical qubits threshold for scalable fault-tolerant box! Time to start thinking about migrating from RSA and Diffie-Hellman and elliptic curve crypto to lattice-based crypto, to withstand quantum attack!
Currently, Google is close to 1500 physical qubits threshold for scalable fault-tolerant box! Time to start thinking about migrating from RSA and Diffie-Hellman and elliptic curve crypto to lattice-based crypto, to withstand quantum attack!
May 4, 2025
The crucial years of Quantum Physics are covered in all detail. There is Einstein, with his slightly 19th century philosophy. There is Bohr, who is has no or little baggage from the past, and revolutionises physics. And there are many others! You will need a basic understanding of the quantum world to fully appreciate the difference in nuance of opinion of all the physicists involved.
October 11, 2024
An excellent history of the development of Quantum Mechanics but not for a general audience. If, like me, you find the material requires more work than you care to expend, you can still skim and come away with a good exposure to the subject.
August 8, 2024
I’ve never taken physics but I enjoy reading about it and this book didn’t disappoint.
February 13, 2025
Not for general audiences. Well written, but specialized.
March 11, 2025
I petered out toward the end. This book is definitely drier and denser than Baggott's "Quantum Reality." Per a three-star reviewer, I wonder how much of this was actually written by John Heilbron, with Baggott putting the finishing touches on after Heilbron's death.
Second, in reading this, I was reminded of the old American English phrase, "Opinions are like assholes: Everybody has one." Per the book, I think in the world of quantum physics and quantum mechanics, many people have multiple orifices, including whoever was the primary author. The biggest example of this is the generally dismissive attitude toward Heisenberg.
And with that, we're off to the Epilogue, which insured this would be two stars, not three, whichever of the two people listed as author wrote it.
"Jews are conspicuous in our drama. .... (O)ur protagonists owed much to their Jewish heritage. ... Their world is the world of the mind."
Worse? A Danish Jewish contemporary of Bohr's, Henri Nathensen, is then cited in support.
"From the special exclusivity of this life of the mind Jewish 'chutzpa,' boldness, something between courage and insolence has developed." (There's more after that.)
To sound Jewish myself?
Oy vey!
The author(s) then note that Heisenberg (and others, such as Dirac and Schrödinger) were also not Jewish. But, they add, "By the time they came on the scene, Bohr, Einstein (et al) had established ways of thought."
Specifically on Heisenberg, this writes out of the picture his "way of thought" of the uncertainty theorem, something the author(s) seem at pains to understate throughout much of the book. It also ignores Planck, who was also a goy. I guess it was something besides chutzpah that led him to make the initial leap into the world of the quantum.
Imagine if the stuff two paragraphs above were written about Chinese. Imagine if it will be if Chinese, whether in China, Taiwan or the US, accelerate their percentage of physics Nobels.
Oy vey!
Finally, per the Epilogue's claim that the Nobel committee is not favorable to what they call "foundational physics"? Many Nobels in physics have gone to astrophysicists, something outside the quantum world in general. Many others have been for what would best be called physical engineering. So, I think they're overreading.
==
Add: Contra the editorial blurb, if someone "resolves" the Bohr and Einstein-related interpretative differences, you can bet your ass there WILL INDEED BE one or more Nobels.
Second, in reading this, I was reminded of the old American English phrase, "Opinions are like assholes: Everybody has one." Per the book, I think in the world of quantum physics and quantum mechanics, many people have multiple orifices, including whoever was the primary author. The biggest example of this is the generally dismissive attitude toward Heisenberg.
And with that, we're off to the Epilogue, which insured this would be two stars, not three, whichever of the two people listed as author wrote it.
"Jews are conspicuous in our drama. .... (O)ur protagonists owed much to their Jewish heritage. ... Their world is the world of the mind."
Worse? A Danish Jewish contemporary of Bohr's, Henri Nathensen, is then cited in support.
"From the special exclusivity of this life of the mind Jewish 'chutzpa,' boldness, something between courage and insolence has developed." (There's more after that.)
To sound Jewish myself?
Oy vey!
The author(s) then note that Heisenberg (and others, such as Dirac and Schrödinger) were also not Jewish. But, they add, "By the time they came on the scene, Bohr, Einstein (et al) had established ways of thought."
Specifically on Heisenberg, this writes out of the picture his "way of thought" of the uncertainty theorem, something the author(s) seem at pains to understate throughout much of the book. It also ignores Planck, who was also a goy. I guess it was something besides chutzpah that led him to make the initial leap into the world of the quantum.
Imagine if the stuff two paragraphs above were written about Chinese. Imagine if it will be if Chinese, whether in China, Taiwan or the US, accelerate their percentage of physics Nobels.
Oy vey!
Finally, per the Epilogue's claim that the Nobel committee is not favorable to what they call "foundational physics"? Many Nobels in physics have gone to astrophysicists, something outside the quantum world in general. Many others have been for what would best be called physical engineering. So, I think they're overreading.
==
Add: Contra the editorial blurb, if someone "resolves" the Bohr and Einstein-related interpretative differences, you can bet your ass there WILL INDEED BE one or more Nobels.
August 11, 2024
I am a big fan of the many books on entanglement and was excited to be the first in line at my local library. It was dreadful to get through the prologue and I quit after two pages of the first chapter. The authors had something important to say. But it reminded me of trying to read the annual report of a mutual fund. A real sleeper.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews