Schrödinger's Cat: Groundbreaking Experiments in Physics

by Adam Hart-Davis

How can a cat be alive and dead at the same time? Why did Archimedes cry out "Eureka!" after stepping into his bath? How was Higgs's "God particle" finally identified?

Featuring science's greatest experiments, Schrödinger's Cat introduces you to the groundbreaking experiments that have defined the scientific age. It is an essential guide to science in action and the work of the great scientists whose ideas have shaped the modern world.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Physics, History

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

British photographer, writer and broadcaster.

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immer wieder ein paar Seiten lesen und irgendwann hat man es intus. Lustigerweise half mir die Lektüre dieses Buches Andy Weirs Physik im Astronauten besser zu verstehen.
🙆🏼‍♀️ yey!

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Graphic design is key in books. I've said it before; I'll say it again. I picked up this one (and its companion Pavlov's Dog) in the bargain section at Chapters because, uh, holy shit: they're beautiful. Every page boasts gorgeous, almost-Dadaist collages that relate to whatever experiment is being discussed. Sometimes this means reconstructed pictures of the scientist(s) in question, or artful representations of an apparatus. Total eye candy.

Total eye candy.

Here's the thing about writing about science for an audience without a science background: we get it. It's really hard to condense big ideas comprehensibly. Hard, but not impossible -- the best can do it, and do it well, and explain clearly -- with solid metaphors, accurate diagrams, and sufficient detail.

This book, pretty as it is, is a disaster. I understand less about physics than I did before reading it. Seriously: I actually had to go back to some of the books/experiments and reread what I'd learned elsewhere, just to be sure I wasn't fucking crazy. My favourite Hart-Davis fuckery was when he'd spend three pages talking about what schools the scientist went to, who they had a crush on, etc., and then in the final two sentences be like "oh btw gravity doesn't exist lol!!!" sorry WHAT!!! Isn't this about the experiments?! Or, he'd write extensively (read: convolutedly) about random results that didn't relate to the final conclusion, and then in the final paragraph state that conclusion without explaining the connection to what came before OR any implications thereafter. He'd keep referring to experiments by page number without explaining why they related. Basically, he just made the entire reading experience so tedious and confusing (and unedited -- the typos are insane) that I don't think anyone is supposed to actually READ this book ----- just look at the pretty pictures, which is all I ever intended to do and should only ever have done.


If you're still thinking "awww come on Jill I'm sure he's not that bad," let me first tell you my favourite thing about the best scientists: they know, profoundly, that they do not have the whole story. That there is so much we can't yet fathom. That oh for example, as Hart-Davis references in this book, for centuries we blindly believed in a substance called "aether" that existed everywhere, and all experiments were conducted taking it into account ------ and that eventually, we learned that aether never existed. M-theory posits there are at least eleven dimensions in our universe. We are barely at the CUSP of understanding anything, and it's arrogant as fuck to assume otherwise.

Now Hart-Davis acknowledges this, derisively looking back on some past conclusions that have since been disproven. Then, in one of the last sections on multiverse theory, he drops this little gem as his deep little conclusion:

There may be another universe in another dimension, to which we have no access. It may be only inches away, but we are not aware of it....On the other hand, if we cannot in any way interact with any of these other universes, why even imagine that they exist? Occam's razor suggests that we should always look for the simplest explanation for any phenomenon, and therefore that we should abandon the idea of fictitious universes.

1) Shut up omfg what
2) We don't actually know, yet, that we can't ever possibly shdjdj interact with these universes. So
3) Don't you fucking bring Occam's razor into this. It didn't ask for that. It has nothing to do with this. It only works if there are multiple explanations and all have the possibility to be correct. You just don't like multiverse theory and are being a DICKBAT about it
4) WhY EVEN IMaGINE THEY EXIST well because IF WE DON'T then where do new ideas come from?! Isn't just not thinking of things why the fucking Dark Ages happened jesus fucking christ
5) Fine, you abandon it. Good. Get out of fun physics you don't belong there shut up
6) When I read about this in Stephen Hawking's The Grand Design, he didn't say JUST FORGET ABOUT THE UNIVERSES: he said there is no reason to consider them when exploring OUR laws of physics, because they wouldn't affect them (so far as we know..). Which is not the same thing as "abandon the idea" altogether

I hate this guy ugh
So in conclusion the only MVP here is Jason Anscomb, the magical graphic designer who brought two stars out of this mess. Bravo.

[TheMadHatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars.

I made a promise to myself that I would read more physics books this year. I suppose because I read physics-related material all day when I get home it is usually the last thing I feel like picking up. However, I feel over the last few years I have lost touch with stuff happening in the top end of the field so I was aiming for at least one book a month (already behind by 2 :-P).

Anyway, this book was REALLY well written. The author selected 49 experiments that were all the ones that you wanted - no surprises or omissions (IMO anyway). The book was also really well structured and presentation was gorgeous. There were some lovely little antidotes in there (the Empodecles immortality one was new to me and gave me a giggle - don't judge...:-P). It was a really well presented book at a beautiful subject matter.

The reason this is not getting a higher rating is because ratings are based on personal preference (yes they are). So this not being a higher rating has absolutely NOTHING to do with the book and everything to do with me. I keep selecting these "snippet" books (because I am cheap and I read what my library gets in stock) when what I am craving is more depth and detail. Every experiment only went over a few pages and when you are trying to cover Higgs Boson or General Relativity in 3 pages the result is superficial at best. But that was the purpose of the book....to give a taste. So the problem is with me, not the book.

So 5 stars for the actual execution of the book. 2 stars because it left me so unsatisfied and craving more detail (personal preference)......so we will average to 3.5 :-)

[Lenora Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up from a table in my brick and mortar bookstore. I had no idea what I was getting, but I'm a sucker for both Dragons and Schrodinger's Cat. What a delight this book was to read!

The stories range from one to three pages, the shorter ones being in the beginning. They also told in chronological order, beginning with Early Experiments: 430 BCE – AD 1307 and ending with Chapter 6, Across the Universe: 1940 – 2009.

I think this is a great overview, and introduction, to science for the non-scientist, of which I am one. I love science, and love reading about it, but I'm not a scientist. That being said, the author, who is a scientist, has put together a book that tells about the lives of the scientists, and their experiments, in an accessible manner. I think this book would be wonderful for any budding scientist you may have in your home, or a neighbor's home.

It's also a great book to keep on your shelf for a quick and ready reference.

Do you know how metals behave at absolute zero? I didn't. And I didn't know I really, truly needed to know the answer to that question, until I reached page 101. In fact, I'd never even thought of the question. But now not only do I know, I have the book and if/when I forget, can look it up quickly and easily.

Jason Anscomb did the interior design and illustrations, and they are marvelous. A fun book all around. Fun, entertaining, and educational. For what more can you ask?

[isabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is overall kinda poorly written. its fatal flaw is that it aims to be super concise and explain the experiment, the results, the context, the lives of the scientists, and everything within only a couple pages each time. so clearly it doesn't leave enough space to really dig into what's going on and why. i can follow it, for the most part, but only bc i have some background in this stuff. also they eventually start using diagrams, but they never explain clearly what's going on, and in the first chapter they really noticeably refer to diagrams that ig they forgot to include!! so. good proofreading job guys.
also it may be my experimental history of science background, but gimme the details! give me the primary sources and the hand drawn diagrams!!! it's too concise to be clear for someone who doesn't already know a lot of physics, and it's also not enough to get into the juicy details for ppl who do know the physics. basically this book is for nobody. it bites off way more than it can chew, trying to explain 50 experiments across the entire history of physics, and in less than 200 pages! i guess it'd make a good coffee table book, but it's not very exciting/clear/satisfying to read unfortunately

[seo eun Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two things, people.
One: I am very stupid.
Two: This book is very badly written.
That would be all.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice coffee table type book. The surreal illustrations really complement the complex ideas of both elementary and quantum physics. Was an enjoyable read that moves through the history of physics from Ancient Greece until 2009. An updated book that covers the 15+ years up to modern day would be a good idea!

Additionally, a lot of ideas are vaguely sketched out as the book does not allow for them to be explored in a great level of depth. This is a popular science introduction type book though so if you want to learn more you can just do some research into one of the ideas yourself via the internet, scientific journals, and books. Don’t expect this to be a comprehensive guide!

[Amelia Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like an absolute idiot. Correction, this book made me feel like an absolute idiot. I got almost half way through before deciding that it's a waste of time to finish this completely. There were so many instances where some kind of calculation would be mentioned as if it's common sense why it works... like am I supposed to just know that a plumb bob on a mountain at an angle and some of that mountain's coordinates are going to be put together to give the mass of the earth??? What??? Am I actually dumb or is that not easy to get? Something like that would happen in almost every explanation. Realistically if this is supposed to be an educational book about experiments, I should be able to understand the description without seeking another resource. Also, I felt like there was a lot of unneeded information, like who the experiment was inspired by, or a backstory of the scientist that conducted the experiment. That would've been fine if I didn't have a problem with the experiments not being explained well enough.

Anyway, this book would be fine for someone who actually studied math or physics at a high level, but definitely not for someone just starting to learn--it might even make you more confused about it than you are now.

[Jane Riordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The trouble with books that are designed to be dipped into, if there are one or two entries that don't inspire, then one starts to dip less regularly and, eventually, like me, a book sits in your reading pile for a year, still not finished.

I had an expensive but not expansive education, one where it was considered that young ladies wouldn't need to know much about science and so my knowledge of the subject is sadly lacking. I thought this little book seemed ideal to fill me in on some of the greater discoveries, but found that my limited knowledge made the entries still quite difficult to understand and so failed to engage me.

I have given it a good go but, in the end, am admitting defeat.

[Snorki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this as a Christmas present and it was rather fun to read. The author takes us through 49 physics experiments from across the centuries that helped develop our understanding - from initial experiments by the ancients (Archimedes, etc.), through to classical physics (Newton) and into quantum mechanics and astronomy. Some were familiar from school (the oil drop experiment, for example), and many of the scientist names were familiar but it’s still a well-put together book and a fun read (for me at least!)

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read grabs of facts in chronological order, the revolutionary observations and experiments that progressed physics from early civilisations to the 20th Century is a great way to appraise yourself of what will end up being vaguely familiar facts about this subject.
I would highly recommend this to refresh and enlighten your knowledge of physics.

[Joeline ReadsWhileSippingCoffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who doesn't know alot about science or physics this was interesting and easy to follow. This would make a great gift for someone who is interested in the field. I purchased it for myself to educate and better understand, and felt it was a good book as a basics guide.

[Hatten Caine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book does not help the layman understand important scientific events and is not detailed enough to expand the knowledge of more informed individuals (myself). I spotted several errors in the details. The purpose of the book seems to be that of making money with a catchy title.

[Oscar Monagas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good gook with insights into the most important science experiments and discoveries in history. However, the grammar and edition could be much better as sometimes, things are introduced out of nowhere without much relevance to what’s being said.

[Alessandro Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, personally, was very insightful and helpful when explaining the different ideas, theories and mechanics of quantum physics. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves physics.

[Lily Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

You MUST read this book before reading A Brief History of time by Stephen Hawkins!

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool looking book, but I wish the experiments were described better and in more detail

[Maelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is comprised of brief summaries of crucial experiments which shaped our understanding of physics. I wish I had this book before I had started my EPQ, as it may have given me some inspiration when I was struggling to come up with an idea (I ultimately did a project on the Higgs Boson, which I'm glad I did).

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad overview of the history of science (well, specifically, physical theory and experiment). Major waypoints and ideas are covered in one or two page summaries. The author does a decent job, given the design of the book, of connecting the ideas together. The major fault, however, is that these ideas lose resonance without extensive connection with other ideas and earlier ideas. The book is supposed to be about the path of discovery, but describes the path by showing a picture of individual stepping stones. Pixelated history of science, if you will. A quick read, however, and worth the couple of hours to be reminded of the steps and the sometimes barely known takers of those steps.

[Flybyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have little or no knowledge of physics, but curious about the evolution of physics, science and technology, this is the right book for you. Even a physics-dumb like me can easily understand the basics and get to know fundamental scientists who have made breakthroughs throughout history. It starts with basic physics (optics, atoms, light, air pressure, cloud chambers...) and ends with more complicated phenomena such as quantum theory, supermassive blackholes, Hadron collider and Higg's boson. It is impressive to see how much we have progressed through time. Definitely recommended.

[Klára Opichal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great book for everybody.

Adam Hart-Davis sums up some of the most groundbreaking experiments in physics and he explains them so easily that everybody can understand. Of course some of the experiments are really hard and you have to reread the chapter to fully understand, but this is amazing book.

I would definitely recommend it to everybody who is interested in physics but is afraid that he won't understand. Trust me, with Adam Hart-Davises's explanations - you will.

[Shruts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a perfect beach book for the geek in me. Chapters each concerned famous (for pocket-protected nerds, at least) physics experiments dating to the Greeks, B.C., to the modern day, and never exceeded 4 pages. So, nap if you like!

My sphincter puckered only when, occasionally, an experiment under discussion veered dangerously close to thermodynamics, my nemesis and only collegiate D.

[Bach Pham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and easy to read. It's a little bit of physics and history of physics. Give you the surface knowledge about humankind's most important experiments. Could be better by including some sort of definitions of some jargon on the side for each chapter, as not all of the terms used in the book are familiar with the audience, which for this book are going to be mainly lay people.

[Ashley]

#
CompNtBk
Own in hardback.

FS: "Physics has a long history; indeed it is probably the oldest science."

LS: "And above all they have seen evidence for the elusive Higgs boson. The LHC has spoken."

[Ashley Hawthorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for people with the ability to understand physics. That's not me, which is now very apparent, but not at all the fault of the book. Highly recommended for people who are into that sort of thing and whose eyes don't glaze over at the first mention of quantum mechanics

[K H · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fun read on notable physics advances that are explained in 3 pages or less!

[Đinh Anh Phương · Rating 3 out of 5]

An eye candy, designers can refer to this book to find inspiration. Awesome birthday gift idea for your niece or nephew.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar to many coffee table science books but a good example of one. Well written and nicely illustrated/layed out.

[Damien Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was wasted on me but did find some of it interesting, 3 stars is a representation of my understanding and not of the amazing knowledge in the book