Over many years Edward Teller delivered a course of Physical Science Appreciation Lectures. This book is based on those lectures, which must have been very stimulating. In the preparation of the book, Edward Teller was assisted by his daughter, Wendy Teller, and also by Wilson Talley. On many pages there are footnotes in the form of conversations between 'ET', who explains, and 'WT', who asks intelligent questions. (It is never clear which 'WT' is which.) I mention these footnotes as they contribute enormously to the charm and humour of the book. The book contains numerous anecdotes, many of which were new to me. The verse in the New Yorker, by Harold Furth, recording the famous meeting between Dr Teller and Dr Anti-Teller, is included. Dr Teller's comment is `The remarkable fact is that Harold got paid for the poem'. Dr Anti-Teller's comment is anti-recorded. The topics in the book include simple mechanics, statistical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics and 'uses of new knowledge'. Despite its origins, the book does not avoid mathematics ('I will use mathematics because physics without mathematics is meaningless' (p1)), but Teller does attempt to explain the mathematics he uses. In much of the book the mathematics is at school level, but in his treatment of quantum mechanics he uses differential equations. If one skips past the equations then his final chapters are less mathematically demanding. I have enjoyed reading this book. Teller's approach is refreshing, and his coverage comprehensive and generally authoritative. My only disquiet is over his coverage of electrons in solids, where it would be clearer to consider the one-dimensional case first, before treating the three-dimensional case. There is a substantial discussion on the correspondence principle, wave-particle duality and on the uncertainty principle. His disposal of Schrodinger's notorious cat is masterly. There are questions at the end of each chapter. One question is based on a possible experiment suggested by Einstein to measure both energy and time precisely, thus violating the uncertainty principle. (We are reminded that Einstein was unhappy with the uncertainty principle.) The question is to find the flaw in the argument: we are told it took Bohr a (sleepless?) night to find it. Answers to all the questions are included at the end of the book. The last chapter is the epilogue, 'After the Revolution', in which Teller makes clear his belief that there will continue to be new discoveries in the physical sciences for a long time to come. This is a book which all readers of this journal should enjoy. It may give you fresh insight into some of the topics. Buy a copy, read it and then keep it at your bedside for occasional browsing. Make sure your institutional library has a copy, and recommend it to all physics students, both graduates and undergraduates. P Borcherds
Over many years Edward Teller delivered a course of Physical Science Appreciation Lectures. This book is based on those lectures, which must have been very stimulating. In the preparation of the book, Edward Teller was assisted by his daughter, Wendy Teller, and also by Wilson Talley. On many pages there are footnotes in the form of conversations between 'ET', who explains, and 'WT', who asks intelligent questions. (It is never clear which 'WT' is which.) I mention these footnotes as they contribute enormously to the charm and humour of the book. The book contains numerous anecdotes, many of which were new to me. The verse in the New Yorker, by Harold Furth, recording the famous meeting between Dr Teller and Dr Anti-Teller, is included. Dr Teller's comment is `The remarkable fact is that Harold got paid for the poem'. Dr Anti-Teller's comment is anti-recorded. The topics in the book include simple mechanics, statistical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics and 'uses of new knowledge'. Despite its origins, the book does not avoid mathematics ('I will use mathematics because physics without mathematics is meaningless' (p1)), but Teller does attempt to explain the mathematics he uses. In much of the book the mathematics is at school level, but in his treatment of quantum mechanics he uses differential equations. If one skips past the equations then his final chapters are less mathematically demanding. I have enjoyed reading this book. Teller's approach is refreshing, and his coverage comprehensive and generally authoritative. My only disquiet is over his coverage of electrons in solids, where it would be clearer to consider the one-dimensional case first, before treating the three-dimensional case. There is a substantial discussion on the correspondence principle, wave-particle duality and on the uncertainty principle. His disposal of Schrodinger's notorious cat is masterly. There are questions at the end of each chapter. One question is based on a possible experiment suggested by Einstein to measure both energy and time precisely, thus violating the uncertainty principle. (We are reminded that Einstein was unhappy with the uncertainty principle.) The question is to find the flaw in the argument: we are told it took Bohr a (sleepless?) night to find it. Answers to all the questions are included at the end of the book. The last chapter is the epilogue, 'After the Revolution', in which Teller makes clear his belief that there will continue to be new discoveries in the physical sciences for a long time to come. This is a book which all readers of this journal should enjoy. It may give you fresh insight into some of the topics. Buy a copy, read it and then keep it at your bedside for occasional browsing. Make sure your institutional library has a copy, and recommend it to all physics students, both graduates and undergraduates. P Borcherds
This is an enjoyable book by a particle physicist of some distinction, who wrote several books on the theoretical aspects of his subject. He died soon after the book was finished. This book would seem a splendid tribute to his memory. The first five chapters are an excellent introduction to quantum mechanics from the viewpoint of a particle physicist. (A solid state physicist might include some other topics.) The next three chapters give some feeling for the excitement of particle physics and describe some of the zoo of curious creatures discovered in the depths of particle accelerators, and the forces between them: strong, electromagnetic and weak. The final chapter, 'Quantum Fields', is a tour de force. The author has a light touch and a pleasant sense of humour. He does not attempt to explain everything he mentions, but he makes it very clear when he does not. These points are beautifully illustrated by the following extract from the final chapter (p 245). 'It was said above that virtual particles come into play when the real collision ingredients are all close together. In fact, virtual particles are always in play. Even a single real particle, moving along in isolation, can emit and reabsorb virtual particles over and over again. This has the effect of shifting the physical mass of the particle away from the 'bare' value that entered into the Hamiltonian. That shift inevitably turns out to be slightly infinite, and there is a whole technology for isolating and redefining away this and a few other infinities that are characteristic of renormalisable quantum field theories. But we forebear to pursue these delicacies any further here.' I particularly like 'slightly infinite'. The publisher's blurb describes this book as being suitable for popular science readers. It is not. Its level of mathematics would make it very heavy going for anyone who had not taken at least one course in mathematics at university. This is a book which can be strongly recommended as a supplementary text for undergraduates studying quantum mechanics, and also as a book for professional physicists who wish to obtain an up-to-date description and explanation of particle physics. It ought to be in every library. P Borcherds
`Science is rooted in conversations.' The word is from Heisenberg but it becomes with Mara Beller a thesis for reconsidering the philosophy and history of science: how conversations were a cradle for the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics is the main topic of this book. This `dialogical' approach is moreover assumed to be quite general and it is proposed as a guideline for future investigations in the history of science. This work will certainly be important among historians of science. Its most valuable content is a wealth of information picked up from many sources, including the correspondence between the actors and later registered commentaries by many witnesses. There will be also undoubtedly much discussion of its conclusions and theses. They are extremely strong since, to mention but a few, one is told that the success of the Copenhagen interpretation is the result of a `fierce' propaganda strategy, and that Bohr could not really master physics (because of a weakness in mathematics), while the idea of complementarity, after a long discussion, is dismissed as `mythology'. Such new ideas will certainly find an enthusiastic approval from the adeherents of `new is beautiful', and will give rise to much discussion. What is missing most, however, in this book is a consideration of recent intensive renewals of interpretation arising from advances in both experiments and theory. The resulting conclusions are clearly different from Beller's: now that there are demonstrative versions of interpretation, one can fully appreciate why it was so difficult to justify logically and philosophically the Copenhagen interpretation (accordingly Bohr's stature would be enhanced rather than slighted). Mara Beller's inclination towards excessive statements is finally crowned when she says that her philosophical analysis `demonstrates the possibility and the need of a viable alternative to the orthodox interpretation' (most probably Bohmian mechanics). To have such an Aristotelian confidence in the power of philosophy and to be so assertive in a book where neither the word or notion of `decoherence' is mentioned indicate in my opinion the real nature of that book: too provocative to be wise.
Quantum mechanics is one of the most challenging subjects to learn. It is challenging because quantum phenomenon is counterintuitive, and the mathematics used to explain such a phenomenon is very abstract, and difficult to grasp. This textbook is an attempt to overcome these challenges. Every chapter presents quantum ideas step- by- step in a structured way with a comparison between quantum and classical concepts. It provides a clear distinction between classical and quantum logic. Conceptual questions are provided after every important section so that the reader can test their understanding at every step. Such an approach aids in preventing misconceptions. Problem solving is not restricted to solving differential equations and integration. But it requires to systematically and creatively analyze a problem, to apply the new and powerful concepts for finding a solution and to understand the physical meaning of the solution. The tutorials on special topics are an effort to teach problem solving by actively engaging the reader in a thinking process, to apply the concepts and to understand the physical meaning of the solution. The simulations are provided for some of the topics. The simulations aid in the visualization of the quantum phenomenon, and for meaningful understanding of the mathematics. This approach may lead to development of "quantum mechanical intuition "as well as learning mathematical techniques for problem solving. Most importantly, the book is not flooded with numerous topics that makes the reader confused and distracted, rather the most important topics are discussed at a deeper level. The understanding of quantum mechanics is incomplete without understanding the early ideas and experiments that lead to the development of the quantum theory. Thus, the first two chapters of the book are dedicated to such topics. The key features of this book are: A simplified, structured, and step-by-step introduction to quantum mechanics. The simplification is attained through use of two-level system, step- by- step discussion of important topics in a simplified language at a deeper level, analogies, and visualization using illustrations and simulations A systematic arrangement of topics, and numerous worked- out examples. The presentation of the structure in the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics provides clarity in understanding complicated and abstract mathematics. It also helps to understand the distinction between the quantum mechanical and classical approaches Conceptual questions at the end of every important section. The conceptual questions can be used in a classroom as a point of discussion between an instructor and students Tutorials on special topics. Simulations on special topics aid in the visualization of the physical phenomenon, and demonstration of the application of mathematics An in-depth discussion of the wave-particle duality, measurement problem, and their philosophical implications in Chapter 2 provides an understanding of the broader meaning of quantum mechanics
The book is designed to serve as an `upper-level one-semester course in Quantum mechanics for students majoring in physics or related topics'. To that purpose the author has organised the contents into roughly six parts, giving first a historical introduction into quanta and matter waves, then the solution of the Schrödinger equations in one, and subsequently in three dimensions; in a fourth part spin and the concept of identical particles are explained, whilst in the next the approximation (perturbation) methods and their application to atomic systems and the creation and transfer of radiations. Finally there are two chapters on molecular and solid state physics. Each chapter is accompanied by a selection of appropriate problems. Appendix, index plus diskette are provided. As the author states, the topics and examples were taken from his other (successful) book, Introduction to Modern Physics . It appears to the reviewer that the present account may indeed serve as a first introduction into the elementary aspects of quantum mechanics, with particular emphasis on explaining the basic concepts (like spin, statistics, even the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox). Addressed are the slightly advanced students of science. The language is clear, the formal apparatus does not overwhelm the reader, and the figures have been carefully selected and drawn. We do recommend the book for the purpose envisaged. It raises the appetite for a more systematic and extended study of the subject.
This book attempts to explain the core of physics, the origin of everything and anything. It explains why physics at the most fundamental level, and especially quantum mechanics, has moved away from naïve realism towards abstraction, and how this means that we can begin to answer some of the most fundamental questions which trouble us all, about space, time, matter, etc. It provides an original approach based on symmetry which will be of interest to professionals as well as lay people. In the book, virtually no prior knowledge is assumed, but the readers are allowed to participate in a discussion of very deep ideas. Throughout the book, the readers are guided through some important ideas which need to be explained mathematically. The key fact is that the mathematics is not about calculation but about concepts. Much of it can be simplified using coloured text and diagrams. This means that ideas which are important to everyone who wants to know how the universe is structured are not glossed over as being too difficult for anybody but the experts. This book is written for a wide audience. Experts will gain a great deal, but so will lay readers. This would be an ideal book for students to read before progressing to another book by the author, The Foundations of Physical Law.
How to Understand Quantum Mechanics presents an accessible introduction to understanding quantum mechanics in a natural and intuitive way, which was advocated by Erwin Schroedinger and Albert Einstein. A theoretical physicist reveals dozens of easy tricks that avoid long calculations, makes complicated things simple, and bypasses the worthless anguish of famous scientists who died in angst. The author's approach is light-hearted, and the book is written to be read without equations, however all relevant equations still appear with explanations as to what they mean. The book entertainingly rejects quantum disinformation, the MKS unit system (obsolete), pompous non-explanations, pompous people, the hoax of the 'uncertainty principle' (it is just a math relation), and the accumulated junk-DNA that got into the quantum operating system by misreporting it. The order of presentation is new and also unique by warning about traps to be avoided, while separating topics such as quantum probability to let the Schroedinger equation be appreciated in the simplest way on its own terms. This is also the first book on quantum theory that is not based on arbitrary and confusing axioms or foundation principles. The author is so unprincipled he shows where obsolete principles duplicated basic math facts, became redundant, and sometimes were just pawns in academic turf wars. The book has many original topics not found elsewhere, and completely researched references to original historical sources and anecdotes concerting the unrecognized scientists who actually did discover things, did not all get Nobel prizes, and yet had interesting productive lives.