Knowledge in a Nutshell: Quantum Physics: The complete guide to quantum physics, including wave functions, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle and quantum gravity

Knowledge in a Nutshell

by Sten Odenwald

Quantum theory is at the heart of modern physics, but how does it actually work? In this book, NASA scientist and communicator Sten Odenwald demystifies the subject and makes this crucial topic accessible to everyone. Featuring topics such as Schrodinger's cat, the wave-particle duality and the newly emerging theories of quantum gravity, as well as the personalities behind the science, such as Max Planck, Neils Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Richard Feynman and many more, Knowledge in a Nutshell: Quantum Physics provides an essential introduction to the cutting edge science. Presented in an easy-to-understand format, with diagrams, illustrations and simple summary sections at the end of each chapter, this new addition to the 'Knowledge in a Nutshell' series brings clarity to some of the great mysteries of space.

ABOUT THE SERIES:
The 'Knowledge in a Nutshell' series by Arcturus Publishing provides engaging introductions to many fields of knowledge, including philosophy, psychology and physics, and the ways in which human kind has sought to make sense of our world.

Genres: Physics, Nonfiction, Science

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2020

Reviews

[Alice]

Am I biased because I like quantum physics or was this a pleasant surprise? ...Given the subject matter, I suppose both explanations can coexist. Conveniently.

Impressively comprehensive for something so short. I’m not entirely sure the mini-biography blocks were necessary, considering that if you’ve actually made it this far, you probably already know these people rather well.

[karolina]

chciałabym kiedys zrozumiec o co chodzi

[Randy Wilson]

Initially I liked that the book had short chapters and that the chapters had short summaries. I don’t like the snapshot bios of famous scientists. For one thing, that isn’t the point of the book. We are supposed to be learning about an entire field of physics which is plenty to deal with and focus on. It’s like if they had mini-cooking competitions in the middle of a fashion show.

I did appreciate that he included lots of equations and math. He made it clear from the get go that the reader didn’t need to understand the math to get something out of the book. What I liked about the math was that is grounds the material in the reality that beyond having a basic conceptual overview of the material, knowing the math is what is needed to truly take the next step to understanding physics.

[Ashar Malik]

I wish I had found this book a lot sooner. It would have simplified my journey through quantum physics. It is a great read, which is very well written and does an amazing job at summarizing the field.

I would definitely recommend this to everyone who is new to the area of quantum physics and wants to get a comprehensive view of the field. While the book might become overwhelming to a non-specialist but trust me its a lot better than a lot of other works out there on the same subject.

Definitely recommended.

[Astragen]

If you're into stuff like this, you can read the full review.



Zagzebski's Proofs: "Knowledge in a Nutshell - Quantum Physics: The Complete Guide to Quantum Physics, Including Wave Functions, Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle and Quantum Gravity" by Sten Odenwald



“According to Bell’s inequalities, Local Realism is violated by quantum mechanics because a photon or electron does not know whether to be a particle or a wave until the instant of measurement with the appropriate instrument, which irrevocably selects which state to manifest. Local Realism cannot be built into quantum mechanics using hidden variable to eliminate the need for information transfer to be faster than light, as is seemingly required in the delayed choice experiment.â€



In “Knowledge in a Nutshell: Quantum Physics†by Sten Odenwald



“The next time you are tempted to use a crash diet, just remember that our masses, which determine our weight, are written not only in the atoms in our bones, but in their coupling to the cosmic Higgs field for which we can do nothing.â€



In “Knowledge in a Nutshell: Quantum Physics†by Sten Odenwald



I remember watching a “Universidade Aberta†programme on RTP2 eons ago: black and white television, hairy men in sandals and cardigans, paper flip charts with graphs and squiggles in black marker pen, you get the picture. (Ah, the nostalgia).

[Joni]

Don't bother! In addition to mistakes (pg 51 - derivation of de Broglie's equation and repeat of an entire paragraph on pages 52 and 53), the book doesn't know what it was to accomplish. At times it tries to impress the reader with terms and equations while it still fails to adequately explain concepts.
I can't think of anyone who this book was written for. The mini-biographical sketches are lame and brings no new insights. The fact that it is difficult to write a general audience book on quantum physics does not excuse the author for this work.

[Hqwxyz]

很适合高中生或者本科想走这条路的人阅读，内容丰富但又不是吓死人的无数细节，整体高屋建瓴。
就是把反物质放在最后一章感觉有点奇怪。