The Quantum Universe: (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does)

Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw

Grand Central Publishing, Jan 31, 2012 - Science - 272 pages

International bestselling authors Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw's fascinating, entertaining, and clear introduction to quantum mechanics

In The Quantum Universe, Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw approach the world of quantum mechanics in the same way they did in Why Does E=mc2? and make fundamental scientific principles accessible-and fascinating-to everyone.The subatomic realm has a reputation for weirdness, spawning any number of profound misunderstandings, journeys into Eastern mysticism, and woolly pronouncements on the interconnectedness of all things. Cox and Forshaw's contention? There is no need for quantum mechanics to be viewed this way. There is a lot of mileage in the "weirdness" of the quantum world, and it often leads to confusion and, frankly, bad science. The Quantum Universe cuts through the Wu Li and asks what observations of the natural world made it necessary, how it was constructed, and why we are confident that, for all its apparent strangeness, it is a good theory.

The quantum mechanics of The Quantum Universe provide a concrete model of nature that is comparable in its essence to Newton's laws of motion, Maxwell's theory of electricity and magnetism, and Einstein's theory of relativity.

Contents

• 1 Something Strange Is Afoot: 1
• 2 Being in Two Places at Once: 7
• 3 What Is a Particle?: 27
• 4 Everything That Can Happen Does Happen: 45
• 5 Movement as an Illusion: 75
• 6 The Music of the Atoms: 91
• 7 The Universe in a Pinhead and Why We Dont Fall Through the Floor: 116
• 8 Interconnected: 136
• 9 The Modern World: 160
• 10 Interaction: 174
• 11 Empty Space Isnt Empty: 196
• the Death of Stars: 215
• Further Reading: 243
• Index: 245

About the author

Brian Cox, OBE, FRS, is a Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester and the Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science. His many highly acclaimed BBC television documentaries include, most recently, Human Universe and Forces of Nature.

Jeff Forshaw is a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Manchester, specializing in the physics of elementary particles. He was awarded the Institute of Physics Maxwell Medal in 1999 for outstanding contributions to theoretical physics.

• Title: The Quantum Universe: (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does)
• Authors: Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw
• Edition: unabridged
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2012
• ISBN: 0306820609, 9780306820601
• Length: 272 pages
• Subjects: Science / Physics / Quantum Theory