QED:

by A. Zee

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

Published March 26, 2019

Reviews

[Reaper]

Have you ever pondered the strange yet intriguing world of the quantum realm, where invisible particles govern the very nature of reality and light interacts with matter in mysterious ways? If so Richard Feynman, an American theoretical physicist renowned for his ability to explain concepts of great complexity to the layman, is an excellent scholar who can guide you through the maze of quantum mechanics. In Feynmann’s book, QED The Strange Theory of Light and Matter, a scientific documentation first published in 1985, Feynman strings together a collection of thought provoking and fascinating lectures on quantum electrodynamics where he thoroughly explains the interactions between light and charged particles.
The book begins with an introductory lecture that explains the conceptual framework Feynman hopes will help the reader in understanding the scientific process and his method of instruction. Feynman goes on to explain that the primary goal of physicists is often not to explain why a phenomenon occurs, but rather how a phenomenon occurs. This mindset holds true for discussing the behavior of light and its interaction with matter. Feynman discusses that experimentation has shown that light exhibits both wave and particle like characteristics, establishing the wave-particle duality of light. A photon, being a subatomic particle of light, can be detected by colliding photons with metal plates, releasing electrons that, through repetition of this collision, can be detected by using an amplified speaker. Proof of the existence of photons and their interactions with matter lead into Feynman’s second lecture titled, Photons: Particles of Light, where Feynman proves the use of probability amplitudes in solving for partial reflections off surfaces, as well as the tendency of differing frequencies of light to behave in different ways based on their quantum attributes. Following Feynman’s second lecture is his third lecture titled, Electrons and Their Interactions, where the relationship between electrons and photons is proven through experiment, showing that an electron is able to absorb or emit photons and other behaviors. In the final lecture titled, Loose Ends, Feynman ends his lecture with discussion of other quantum particles that in complex ways with each other, including gluons and quarks.
Feynman is elegant in his descriptions of various abstract concepts throughout his lectures. He is able to provide easy to understand diagrams, followed by simple formulas that follow sound logic. Feynman is able to elevate his ethos by providing systematic strains of logos, wherein help persuade his audience of the ideas that he elaborates on. His humor, a highlight of many of his lecture, is used to point fun at the absolute absurdity of what he is talking about and show how extraordinary the natural world behaves at the quantum level. QED The Strange Theory of Light and Matter, is a fantastic book that demonstrates the genius of Feynman and the beauty of theoretical physics. I recommend this book to anyone interested in better understanding light, one of the strangest and most abundant phenomena in the entire universe.

[Scott Holstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little underwhelming, a tad disappointing. Seemed to promise more than it delivered. Subjective opinion though. I think there are better alternatives around...

[Zakir · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is like the perfect popular-ish science book but also the theory it describes is so counterintuitive that i was very frustrated for most of my time reading it