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Quantum Physics for Poets
Quantum theory is the bedrock of contemporary physics and the basis of understanding matter in its tiniest dimensions and the vast universe as a whole. But for many, the theory remains an impenetrable enigma. Now, two physicists seek to remedy this situation by both drawing on their scientific expertise and their talent for communicating science to the general reader. In this lucid, informative book, designed for the curious, they make the seemingly daunting subject of quantum physics accessible, appealing, and exciting. Their story is partly historical, covering the many "Eureka" moments when great scientists-Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schrödinger, and others-struggled to come to grips with the bizarre realities that quantum research revealed. Although their findings were indisputably proven in experiments, they were so strange and counterintuitive that Einstein refused to accept quantum theory, despite its great success. The authors explain the many strange and even eerie aspects of quantum reality at the subatomic level, from "particles" that can be many places simultaneously and sometimes act more like waves, to the effect that a human can have on their movements by just observing them! Finally, the authors delve into quantum physics' latest and perhaps most breathtaking offshoots-field theory and string theory. The intricacies and ramifications of these two theories will give the reader much to ponder. In addition, the authors describe the diverse applications of quantum theory in its almost countless forms of modern technology throughout the world. Using eloquent analogies and illustrative examples, this book renders even the most profound reaches of quantum theory understandable and something for us all to savor.
338 pages, Hardcover
First published September 11, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
October 20, 2011
Over the last few years my non fiction reading has veered more and more to science books for the general reader. I recently discovered I had a big hole in my general science knowledge in the understanding of quantum physics. I spent a few months looking for the best introductory text on the subject and was frustrated for various reasons. When Leon Lederman (with Christopher Hill) released his intro text "Quantum Physics for Poets" I decided why not. Aside from a few quotes the "Poets" aspect is a title gimmick but still I chose well. His introduction places this book as good for college freshman it didn't feel like a textbook. But experience as a teacher shines through as he clearly understands where the non science minded will get tripped up. The book easily walked through the hard concepts and repeated basic ideas throughout the book. While I am still confused in a lot of ways reading "Poets" has opened the door on the field for me. I already have found that reading the book has brought a greater depth of understanding to the science articles I read in the news every day. So I suggest this is a great place to start. Now to string theory...
December 8, 2023
wow, è bellissimo!
Mi sono innamorata della fisica quantistica, e se penso che per amore* l'ho abbandonata, grrrrr
E' scritto benissimo, non solo con una esposizione chiara e comprensibile, ma come "trama" :-)
Lederman-Hill sanno tessere una sequenza di scoperte e controscoperte, e approfondimenti sempre più complessi e di non facile digestione con una incredibile maestria, tanto che più di una volta sono andata avanti "per vedere come andava a finire" :-) , per poi tornare indietro e cercare di capire.
Consigliatissimo.
*tanti anni fa, ai tempi dell'iscrizione all'università, in una fase in cui ero già passata dalla decisione di iscrivermi a Giurisprudenza a Lettere, "per scoprire il segreto del mondo", ma non ero convintissima, e avendo tempo (non è che Lettere fosse così impegnativa a conti fatti, se si escludono le lezioni di Raimondi) seguivo Medicina (mio grandissimo interesse, se non fosse che il solo pensiero, non la vista, del sangue, mi stende, per non parlare di lame e aghi) e Matematica. Solo che il mio amore di allora (amore che si esprimeva in un sistema quantistico puro, io lo amavo, lui non mi amava, quindi vivo e morto come un gatto di Schroeder, e irrisolto come il teorema di Fermat) faceva fisica, e non riusciva a passare l'esame di fisica delle particelle, di cui diceva peste e corna. Però influenzò in qualche modo la mia percezione della fisica quantistica, trasmettendomi l'idea di qualcosa di difficilissima comprensione anche a livello basico. E invece era solo la sua incapacità di comprenderla (si, poi l'ha passato l'esame, ma io mi ero già innamorata di un altro, uno storico :-), e no, è finita male anche quella, per fortuna.
Mi sono innamorata della fisica quantistica, e se penso che per amore* l'ho abbandonata, grrrrr
E' scritto benissimo, non solo con una esposizione chiara e comprensibile, ma come "trama" :-)
Lederman-Hill sanno tessere una sequenza di scoperte e controscoperte, e approfondimenti sempre più complessi e di non facile digestione con una incredibile maestria, tanto che più di una volta sono andata avanti "per vedere come andava a finire" :-) , per poi tornare indietro e cercare di capire.
Consigliatissimo.
*tanti anni fa, ai tempi dell'iscrizione all'università, in una fase in cui ero già passata dalla decisione di iscrivermi a Giurisprudenza a Lettere, "per scoprire il segreto del mondo", ma non ero convintissima, e avendo tempo (non è che Lettere fosse così impegnativa a conti fatti, se si escludono le lezioni di Raimondi) seguivo Medicina (mio grandissimo interesse, se non fosse che il solo pensiero, non la vista, del sangue, mi stende, per non parlare di lame e aghi) e Matematica. Solo che il mio amore di allora (amore che si esprimeva in un sistema quantistico puro, io lo amavo, lui non mi amava, quindi vivo e morto come un gatto di Schroeder, e irrisolto come il teorema di Fermat) faceva fisica, e non riusciva a passare l'esame di fisica delle particelle, di cui diceva peste e corna. Però influenzò in qualche modo la mia percezione della fisica quantistica, trasmettendomi l'idea di qualcosa di difficilissima comprensione anche a livello basico. E invece era solo la sua incapacità di comprenderla (si, poi l'ha passato l'esame, ma io mi ero già innamorata di un altro, uno storico :-), e no, è finita male anche quella, per fortuna.
August 11, 2017
Ammetto di aver saltellato tra i capitoli di questo libro, ho dovuto farlo quando i concetti per me erano tristemente avvolti dall'incomprensione.
Però che fascino, che curiosità! E' sconvolgente sapere che un elettrone attraversa nello stesso tempo due fenditure di un piano se non osservato, ma il nostro sguardo ci permette di cogliere un solo suo passaggio! E' sconvolgente sapere che il gatto di Schrödinger è sia vivo che morto! Mi piace molto l'idea di probabilità infinite ed il crollo dei determinismi.
E mi vengono alla mente i versi della magnifica Szymborska nella raccolta intitolata “Due punti”.
I due punti, in letteratura, sono l’equivalente della fisica quantistica: sono una prospettiva che si allarga. I due punti aprono e non chiudono. I due punti sono stupore.
Però che fascino, che curiosità! E' sconvolgente sapere che un elettrone attraversa nello stesso tempo due fenditure di un piano se non osservato, ma il nostro sguardo ci permette di cogliere un solo suo passaggio! E' sconvolgente sapere che il gatto di Schrödinger è sia vivo che morto! Mi piace molto l'idea di probabilità infinite ed il crollo dei determinismi.
E mi vengono alla mente i versi della magnifica Szymborska nella raccolta intitolata “Due punti”.
I due punti, in letteratura, sono l’equivalente della fisica quantistica: sono una prospettiva che si allarga. I due punti aprono e non chiudono. I due punti sono stupore.
February 28, 2017
The amount of times this book made me exclaim out loud and flail at my husband, regaling him with some of the more amazing points I was able to wrap my head around, should say something for it. Here's the thing: Higher math mystifies me, so I didn't touch physics with a ten foot pole in college. Instead, I spent all my time in the lands of English literature and philosophy. That hasn't lessened my fascination with the crazy quantum world, and my need to understand more about it.
Quantum physics is just insane and awe-inspiring - completely irrational in the face of classical physics, and at odds with what seems like a deterministic macroworld. The fact that there's some eerie connection between the physical state of a system and conscious awareness of it by an observer is goosebump-inducing, as is the related idea that there is no objective reality at the quantum level until it is measured - that all possibilities collapse into one at the moment of observation (or else branch off into infinite multiverses). TRY THAT ON FOR SIZE. And from there, things only get weirder.
A caveat: if you think, based on the title, that Quantum Physics for Poets sounds like the perfect introduction for someone with more literary sensibilities, think again. Lederman apparently believed that shoehorning six or seven random poems into his book would qualify it as "science for poets!" Not so much. There is no attempt to connect the scant poetry present with the theories being discussed. While it was amusing and quaint to see Emily Dickenson's "On This Long Storm the Rainbow Rose" placed after a detailed explanation of Young's double-slit diffraction experiment, I can't say it was terribly illuminating.
So if you're expecting a keen literary bent with your science here, you won't really find it. A better title would've been A Brief History of Quantum Physics, since Lederman does actually succeed at presenting the evolution of thought on QP in a way that a determined non-scientist can understand. There are plenty of extra-technical sections here that I couldn't completely follow, but Lederman states upfront that it's not necessary to understand every equation he throws at you; he summarizes things at the end of each chapter to make sure you walk away with the greater point.
Overall, this book was worth the brainpower it took to read it - and I can tell you I am far from finished with my migraine-defying adventures in quantum physics. Huzzah!
Quantum physics is just insane and awe-inspiring - completely irrational in the face of classical physics, and at odds with what seems like a deterministic macroworld. The fact that there's some eerie connection between the physical state of a system and conscious awareness of it by an observer is goosebump-inducing, as is the related idea that there is no objective reality at the quantum level until it is measured - that all possibilities collapse into one at the moment of observation (or else branch off into infinite multiverses). TRY THAT ON FOR SIZE. And from there, things only get weirder.
A caveat: if you think, based on the title, that Quantum Physics for Poets sounds like the perfect introduction for someone with more literary sensibilities, think again. Lederman apparently believed that shoehorning six or seven random poems into his book would qualify it as "science for poets!" Not so much. There is no attempt to connect the scant poetry present with the theories being discussed. While it was amusing and quaint to see Emily Dickenson's "On This Long Storm the Rainbow Rose" placed after a detailed explanation of Young's double-slit diffraction experiment, I can't say it was terribly illuminating.
So if you're expecting a keen literary bent with your science here, you won't really find it. A better title would've been A Brief History of Quantum Physics, since Lederman does actually succeed at presenting the evolution of thought on QP in a way that a determined non-scientist can understand. There are plenty of extra-technical sections here that I couldn't completely follow, but Lederman states upfront that it's not necessary to understand every equation he throws at you; he summarizes things at the end of each chapter to make sure you walk away with the greater point.
Overall, this book was worth the brainpower it took to read it - and I can tell you I am far from finished with my migraine-defying adventures in quantum physics. Huzzah!
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October 2, 2024LOVE the fun examples they use to explain such intricate concepts.
don't get me wrong, it's still kinda difficult, but it's made to be more understandable for everyone.
omw to re-read the first chapter because it's EXACTLY what i'm studying right now.
don't get me wrong, it's still kinda difficult, but it's made to be more understandable for everyone.
omw to re-read the first chapter because it's EXACTLY what i'm studying right now.
November 22, 2024
Nice, nice book.
Lederman and Hill trace the development of quantum mechanics from classical physics through the discoveries of Planck, Einstein, Heisenberg, and Schrödinger. They show the connections between classical and quantum physics, making it easy to understand how the ideas evolved. I really enjoyed this interesting historical path. From a more "technical" side, the book is a quick read and doesn't use the jargon often found in traditional physics texts. I also liked the comparison between quantum states and poetry, emphasizing their abstract and interpretive nature. But the idea of QM as "poetry" may be a bit of a stretch. Still, it's a helpful book for anyone looking for a non-technical introduction to QM and who wants to enjoy the philosophical aspects of the theories developed by some of the greatest physicists.
Lederman and Hill trace the development of quantum mechanics from classical physics through the discoveries of Planck, Einstein, Heisenberg, and Schrödinger. They show the connections between classical and quantum physics, making it easy to understand how the ideas evolved. I really enjoyed this interesting historical path. From a more "technical" side, the book is a quick read and doesn't use the jargon often found in traditional physics texts. I also liked the comparison between quantum states and poetry, emphasizing their abstract and interpretive nature. But the idea of QM as "poetry" may be a bit of a stretch. Still, it's a helpful book for anyone looking for a non-technical introduction to QM and who wants to enjoy the philosophical aspects of the theories developed by some of the greatest physicists.
April 17, 2014
There is much to like about this introduction to quantum physics; indeed, it would have been better presented simply as An Introduction to Quantum Physics. The poetry angle is poorly executed and perpetuates the stereotype that "eggheads" lack any understanding of (not to mention, appreciation for and familiarity with) poetry. Lederman and Hill (very possibly, on their publisher's insistence, for marketing purposes) seem simply to have inserted a handful of poems after writing the book. The poems are only loosely related to the accompanying text, sometimes simply co-incidentally based on a shared word. For instance, they include Emily Dickinson's poem #1550 (which they, for good measure, incorrectly cite as #1627) because it mentions clouds and rainbows and they discuss wavelengths of light and the interference of waves. But Dickinson contemplates death, and the impotence of nature (or humanity) in the face of death. Lederman and Hill do not show any thoughtfulness or creativity in their clumsy choice and lazy integration of poems.
If one can look past the gimmickry, the discussion is worth reading as a layperson's introduction to the bizarre, complicated, counterintuitive world of particle physics. Lederman and Hill keep the discussion lively and relatively accessible--a few tangents into higher mathematics notwithstanding. They also concisely, engagingly sketch the histories and personal idiosyncrasies of the pioneering quantum physicists. They insightfully delineate the battle lines between classical, Newtonian physics and probabilistic quantum physics. Lay readers versed at all in quantum physics might have hoped for deeper discussions and greater attention to particle reactions, particle decay and emissions through space and time, and how particle accelerators approximate Big Bang conditions; to string theory, holography, and conceptual approaches to more than four dimensions; and to the composition of the Standard Model and its not-yet-observed particles. But Lederman and Hill admirably tell an exciting story of experiment and Gedankenexperiment, of Einstein (and God?) fixing the positions of matter while Niels Bohr (and god?) play dice with the locations of quanta, and of the practical revolution of quantum physics even as much remains to be understood about the theory.
However, the failed poetry-cum-marketing-gimmick is not the only distraction from Lederman and Hill's otherwise good introduction to quantum weirdness. Good writers need also to be (or to hire) good editors. Lederman and Hill (and the blindfolded chimp they hired as copyeditor) bludgeon their readers with grade-school typos and errors: missing periods, subject-verb disagreement, mismatched footnotes, its when they mean it's, your when they mean you're, unmatched parentheses and quotation marks, numerous superscript zeros when they as scientists should know enough to use degree symbols, etc. Also, they fire off a few cringe-inducing phrases, including a "colleague's metaphor has us like an embryonic chick" and "put a silver stake through the heart." Lederman and Hill should look up metaphor and simile and read up on werewolves and vampires. Finally, dozens of times, Lederman and Hill cite Wikipedia articles. This is not credible academic work, and it simply highlights their lazy writing for "poets," whom they possibly equate with "dummies." Citing to Wikipedia is the intellectual equivalent of saying, "some guy somewhere once said that"--a peculiar citation when including no citation at all would have been tantamount to saying, "two prominent physicists, one a Nobel laureate, say that."
If one can look past the gimmickry, the discussion is worth reading as a layperson's introduction to the bizarre, complicated, counterintuitive world of particle physics. Lederman and Hill keep the discussion lively and relatively accessible--a few tangents into higher mathematics notwithstanding. They also concisely, engagingly sketch the histories and personal idiosyncrasies of the pioneering quantum physicists. They insightfully delineate the battle lines between classical, Newtonian physics and probabilistic quantum physics. Lay readers versed at all in quantum physics might have hoped for deeper discussions and greater attention to particle reactions, particle decay and emissions through space and time, and how particle accelerators approximate Big Bang conditions; to string theory, holography, and conceptual approaches to more than four dimensions; and to the composition of the Standard Model and its not-yet-observed particles. But Lederman and Hill admirably tell an exciting story of experiment and Gedankenexperiment, of Einstein (and God?) fixing the positions of matter while Niels Bohr (and god?) play dice with the locations of quanta, and of the practical revolution of quantum physics even as much remains to be understood about the theory.
However, the failed poetry-cum-marketing-gimmick is not the only distraction from Lederman and Hill's otherwise good introduction to quantum weirdness. Good writers need also to be (or to hire) good editors. Lederman and Hill (and the blindfolded chimp they hired as copyeditor) bludgeon their readers with grade-school typos and errors: missing periods, subject-verb disagreement, mismatched footnotes, its when they mean it's, your when they mean you're, unmatched parentheses and quotation marks, numerous superscript zeros when they as scientists should know enough to use degree symbols, etc. Also, they fire off a few cringe-inducing phrases, including a "colleague's metaphor has us like an embryonic chick" and "put a silver stake through the heart." Lederman and Hill should look up metaphor and simile and read up on werewolves and vampires. Finally, dozens of times, Lederman and Hill cite Wikipedia articles. This is not credible academic work, and it simply highlights their lazy writing for "poets," whom they possibly equate with "dummies." Citing to Wikipedia is the intellectual equivalent of saying, "some guy somewhere once said that"--a peculiar citation when including no citation at all would have been tantamount to saying, "two prominent physicists, one a Nobel laureate, say that."
June 27, 2011
This book is supposed to be quantum physics for those not mathematically inclined. However, I didn't think it was very easy to understand. Maybe because it seemed like a lot of backstory that didn't really go anywhere. There was a lot about the history of physics, but I just couldn't grasp it or how it really connected all together. The "poet" angle didn't really work either, because they would just randomly slip in a poem here or there with no explanation for why they put that particular poem at that particular point in the book. Perhaps if they explained more about the poems, I would have understood how to interpret the information better.
September 10, 2024
i would rate it higher if i understood more of it - but overall very interesting and learned a lot.
particles vs waves!
particles vs waves!
April 24, 2011
I read a lot of these popular science books and usually learn something from them. This was no exception. The big takeaway from this book is that at the scale where quantum mechanics applies, the universe is really weird. It doesn't correspond in any meaningful way with our experience or our intuition. It's all well and good to say that elementary particles act like particles and also act like waves, but the way in which they do so just isn't really something you can wrap your mind around. This book really hammered on that point, effectively and interestingly.
The main body of the book has absolutely no equations, unfortunately. But there is a good appendix on spin, which helps fill in some of the gaps. I can only wish that 'poets' would take the time to learn a little calculus and group theory so that books like this could delve at least a little more deeply into the math that underlies the theory.
The main body of the book has absolutely no equations, unfortunately. But there is a good appendix on spin, which helps fill in some of the gaps. I can only wish that 'poets' would take the time to learn a little calculus and group theory so that books like this could delve at least a little more deeply into the math that underlies the theory.
January 5, 2024
La fisica quantistica per tutti!
la trattazione fisica è approfondita e comprensibile nelle linee generali anche a un lettore comune con normali basi di fisica.
La parte non scientifica è molto profonda e lascia intatti i dubbi esistenziali senza invadere minimamente l'intimità dell'essere umano.
Un libro che tratta in maniera delicata e rofonda una materia affascinante e inquietante come la fisia quantistica.
la trattazione fisica è approfondita e comprensibile nelle linee generali anche a un lettore comune con normali basi di fisica.
La parte non scientifica è molto profonda e lascia intatti i dubbi esistenziali senza invadere minimamente l'intimità dell'essere umano.
Un libro che tratta in maniera delicata e rofonda una materia affascinante e inquietante come la fisia quantistica.
June 20, 2025
This book consists more of an introduction to quantum physics and the history of how quantum physics came to be. Unfortunately it did not meet my needs or expectations of learning quantum theories. I found that the book was filled with a bunch of modern fluff dialogue, too much history and not enough theory, and that the poems were poorly executed nor relatable.
May 12, 2024
Some parts were super interesting.. some parts I did not understand at all. The authors make use of a lot of historical anecdotes to keep to audience engaged. But please remove that chemistry chapter about atoms.. that was the most disgusting thing I have ever read..
December 22, 2019
Leon Lederman, non è uno scrittore, e infatti il libro non lo ha scritto da solo, anche se è un libro di divulgazione scientifica. Ma Leon Lederman è un fisico, e che fisico! Premio Nobel nel 1988 per le sue scoperte sui neutrini. Dopo il suo precedente libro di divulgazione scientifica, il famoso "La particella di Dio", con un buon humor, in maniera scorrevole ma estremamente precisa, ci racconta una delle più grandi rivoluzioni scientifiche della storia, quella della fisica quantistica. Un'area della scienza ostica per antonomasia ai non addetti ai lavori, perchè spesso controintuitiva, e perciò molto difficile da divulgare alle masse. Infatti non sono rari i momenti in cui la spiegazione diventa un po' confusa (forse una piccola parte di colpa è anche della traduzione? Quando il gioco si fa duro, un'estrema chiarezza del linguaggio è indispensabile...), anche perchè gli autori si addentrano con decisione nel cuore degli argomenti.
In ogni caso un libro la cui lettura richiede comunque una conoscenza scientifica di base, così che questi vengano dapprima rinfrescati e poi approfonditi. Come sempre in questo tipo di libri, una delle parti più gustose è quella dell'aneddotica legata alle scoperte e ai loro scopritori, altrimenti relegati al ruolo di semplici nomi di unità di misura, di costanti, di formule.
Insomma, Ledermen e Hill fanno del loro meglio e ci riescono abbastanza, visto l'argomento. Di certo una divulgazione appassionata.
In ogni caso un libro la cui lettura richiede comunque una conoscenza scientifica di base, così che questi vengano dapprima rinfrescati e poi approfonditi. Come sempre in questo tipo di libri, una delle parti più gustose è quella dell'aneddotica legata alle scoperte e ai loro scopritori, altrimenti relegati al ruolo di semplici nomi di unità di misura, di costanti, di formule.
Insomma, Ledermen e Hill fanno del loro meglio e ci riescono abbastanza, visto l'argomento. Di certo una divulgazione appassionata.
April 16, 2017
Al momento (21 02 2016) sono al 10% del libro che sto leggendo sul mio Kindle. Da decenni sono attratta dalla fisica, ma purtroppo non avendo una sufficiente formazione scientifica di base, faccio una grande fatica a capire ciò che vorrei capire. La fisica quantistica in particolare mi affascina e mi intriga e non so quanti libri mi sono letta per cercare di immaginare il mondo così come è visto dalla scienza dei quanti. Ogni libro mi ha aiutato a prendere dimestichezza con fantasie ed immagini sempre più ardite. Questo libro non è da meno. Anzi, mi sembra uno dei più belli che fino ad ora io abbia letto su queste temi. Di grande effetto è l'accostamento della scienza con la poesia nel tentativo di dire cose per le quali non esistono vocabolari e lingue. Una meraviglia!
September 24, 2022
Highly interesting introduction to quantum physics/mechanics for the educated enthusiast. It covers the span of physics discoveries in the last few centuries and ends on mechanics and the standard model. Each chapter is prefaced with a poetic quotation which sort of sets the tone for the discovery that was made and how it fits in with the rest of physics. The chapters on schrodinger's equation and the duality of light as a wave and particle is probably one of the most important discoveries in the 20th century.
December 22, 2015
Here is something you don't likely know---
Niels Bohr was Olivia Newton John's Grandfather.
At page 102, begins a section about the double slit experiment and how observation changes how the photons act. wow!
Niels Bohr was Olivia Newton John's Grandfather.
At page 102, begins a section about the double slit experiment and how observation changes how the photons act. wow!
December 12, 2017
I got lot about 1/3 of the way through this book--I mean, really, totally, lost. And since everything builds on what has gone before, there was no way for me to reach any understanding of what was going on beyond that point.
The first 1/3 was certainly interesting. A bit over my head, but I could at least grasp some of the concepts. Having had no math or science classes since the early 1070s, it may be that my knowledge contains too many holes that need filling. Even in high school and college, I never took Physics or Calculus.
So I think the title is a bit misleading. You definitely lead some math and science chops to understand and follow all these startling discoveries (at least I could tell that they turned science upside-down). The authors really do sprinkle some poetry into the text, also--always a good thing.
The first 1/3 was certainly interesting. A bit over my head, but I could at least grasp some of the concepts. Having had no math or science classes since the early 1070s, it may be that my knowledge contains too many holes that need filling. Even in high school and college, I never took Physics or Calculus.
So I think the title is a bit misleading. You definitely lead some math and science chops to understand and follow all these startling discoveries (at least I could tell that they turned science upside-down). The authors really do sprinkle some poetry into the text, also--always a good thing.
December 28, 2018
Per poeti c'è ben poco, ed è semplice perdersi in concetti che richiedono una buona preparazione scientifica. Nonostante questo gli autori sono spesso in grado di accompagnare il lettore in uno degli ambiti più complessi, incomprensibili e contro-intuitivi del mondo scientifico. In generale, una lettura impegnativa che da una più che buona infarinatura sul mondo della fisica quantistica. Nota di merito per i capitoli finali sull'evoluzione di queste teorie e le loro possibili e affascinanti applicazioni future che sembrano uscire direttamente da un romanzo di fantascienza. Da maneggiare con cautela!
January 15, 2024
what an amazing read it was !
I feel even non science students will enjoy this.
I feel even non science students will enjoy this.
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October 5, 2024Another addition to the DNF shelf (26%) 😞 as we progress with this school year I’m gonna need as many braincells and brain power as possible to dedicate towards school and this book was draining that. However it was really interesting and I wholly enjoyed the parts that I did read shoutout physics!
November 27, 2024
A fine introduction! The reading list grows.
August 31, 2021
E' un testo divulgativo per non addetti ai lavori ma comunque per chi è interessato e non completamente digiuno dell'argomento.
Si percorre la storia della fisica da Galileo ai giorni nostri soffermandosi su quali eventi, quali intuizioni, abbiano permesso il "salto" dalla fisica classica alla quantistica. Il tutto corredato da aneddoti, citazioni poetiche e spunti di riflesione filosofici.
Lo consiglio non tanto a chi voglia apprendere, ma soprattutto a chi ami riflettere.
Si percorre la storia della fisica da Galileo ai giorni nostri soffermandosi su quali eventi, quali intuizioni, abbiano permesso il "salto" dalla fisica classica alla quantistica. Il tutto corredato da aneddoti, citazioni poetiche e spunti di riflesione filosofici.
Lo consiglio non tanto a chi voglia apprendere, ma soprattutto a chi ami riflettere.
April 11, 2025
Uma introdução muito boa, que também entra em explicações sobre a tabela periódica e computação, além de uma cutucada filosófica nas percepções do universo... O que mais me agradou foi a explicação por trás dos experimentos feitos e das descobertas em ordem cronológica, isso tornou a leitura mais envolvente, apesar de também demandar mais atenção.
January 4, 2022
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
If you best describe yourself as a poet you won't like this book at all. I knew that from the get-go, but the reviews compelled me to look past the details of the title (a play on an older introductory physics 'for the non-science major', Physics for Poets, maybe? I guess 'The Poetic Universe' was too close to an existing publication). I took it figuratively to refer to a sort of elegance that escapes logical formulation. So does indeed any interpretation of quantum mechanics. My expectations were accordingly high.
Unfortunately, I found so many errors and imprecisions — the mix-up of voltage/current and mass/weight/quantity of matter are some of the most harmless ones — that I'm seriously considering writing to the editor. I had to keep my guard up constantly. Glad I didn't take this on a trip like I was planning to.
On the bright side, it's more 'layman-accessible' than expected, but for that audience there are clearer and more linear expositions of the same topics out there. For physics in verses you should turn to Lucretius instead.
I don't have access to the original version, so I'll quote the translation:
(Agli italofoni consiglio pure questo frivolo poema chimico ;)
If you best describe yourself as a poet you won't like this book at all. I knew that from the get-go, but the reviews compelled me to look past the details of the title (a play on an older introductory physics 'for the non-science major', Physics for Poets, maybe? I guess 'The Poetic Universe' was too close to an existing publication). I took it figuratively to refer to a sort of elegance that escapes logical formulation. So does indeed any interpretation of quantum mechanics. My expectations were accordingly high.
Unfortunately, I found so many errors and imprecisions — the mix-up of voltage/current and mass/weight/quantity of matter are some of the most harmless ones — that I'm seriously considering writing to the editor. I had to keep my guard up constantly. Glad I didn't take this on a trip like I was planning to.
On the bright side, it's more 'layman-accessible' than expected, but for that audience there are clearer and more linear expositions of the same topics out there. For physics in verses you should turn to Lucretius instead.
I don't have access to the original version, so I'll quote the translation:
dopo aver ripercorso fin qui le orme di quei grandi, che vissero in epoche in cui la mole di evidenze empiriche spingeva alle elaborazioni teoriche, ci ritroviamo in un contesto in cui chiunque sembra legittimato a distillare conoscenza sulla base di mere speculazioni.
[...]
Chi come Einstein pensava di trovare nella fisica una profonda e duratura filosofia naturale deve aver trovato nella meccanica quantistica l’equivalente di una catastrofe intellettuale. I fisici hanno brillantemente decifrato i segreti della teoria dal punto di vista operativo, ma da quello filosofico sono solo impiegati che forniscono istruzioni meccaniche agli operai.
(Agli italofoni consiglio pure questo frivolo poema chimico ;)
September 5, 2022
It's not for poets, but it is a helpful, relatively accessible introduction.
(The only connection to poetry are occasional thematic quotes from different poems.)
(The only connection to poetry are occasional thematic quotes from different poems.)
February 18, 2015
Why only three stars?
Because this is not for poets. I'm sorry, but as far as fruition goes for an outsider of the marvelous world of quantum physics like me, it was an excruciatingly tough read, and I don't think I understood much more than before. The book tends to rely too much on explaining things that don't seem to important at first, then moving on to the next topic, and then another one which however requires you to have well understood those initial things two topics ago that didn't seem too important but now you need to have well grasped if you want to make sense of the current one.
And there's a lot of math for a book that should be for poets. Not the basic math, but the advanced formulas, which I have no idea how I'm supposed to read.
This is an advanced course. Maybe it is for poets, but for physicist poets. And slapping in two or three rhymes every once in a while just to put some romanticism is not enough to call this book "for poets". It's cheesy and distracting, and ultimately useless.
Hawking explained much better and in much easier terms the same things in his books. I recommend you read those if you're an outsider from the world of physics like me, and like me you are absolutely fascinated by it.
Because this is not for poets. I'm sorry, but as far as fruition goes for an outsider of the marvelous world of quantum physics like me, it was an excruciatingly tough read, and I don't think I understood much more than before. The book tends to rely too much on explaining things that don't seem to important at first, then moving on to the next topic, and then another one which however requires you to have well understood those initial things two topics ago that didn't seem too important but now you need to have well grasped if you want to make sense of the current one.
And there's a lot of math for a book that should be for poets. Not the basic math, but the advanced formulas, which I have no idea how I'm supposed to read.
This is an advanced course. Maybe it is for poets, but for physicist poets. And slapping in two or three rhymes every once in a while just to put some romanticism is not enough to call this book "for poets". It's cheesy and distracting, and ultimately useless.
Hawking explained much better and in much easier terms the same things in his books. I recommend you read those if you're an outsider from the world of physics like me, and like me you are absolutely fascinated by it.
August 4, 2017
Fisica quantistica molta, ma dov’è la poesia?
Fisica quantistica molta, ma dov’è la poesia? mi ero avvicinato a questo saggio con qualche eccessiva speranza: immaginavo che si tentasse di fare qualche passo in più rispetto ai tanti testi di divulgazione che cercano di comunicare a tutti i punti più contrintuitivi e paradossali della Fisica Quantistica. Invece ho trovato il solito (ottimo, per carità) saggio in cui due menti (brillantissime, senza dubbio!) scendono al livello dei comuni mortali per raccontare perché i quanti sono così importanti e sconvolgenti. “Se non siete scioccati, non avete capito niente!” Ma c’è il solito problema con i Premi Nobel con non sono Fenyman o Einstein: troppo convinti di dover “abbeverare gli assetati” piuttosto che cercare di camminare tutti insieme per rendere questa rivoluzionaria teoria patrimonio comune. E quindi, purtroppo, nonostante gli sforzi, di poesia in questo libro non se ne trova - ma una infarinatura ben fatta e approfondita (forse anche troppo per chi non mastica fisica quotidianamente). Credo che dobbiamo sperare nei veri scrittori per portare le ultime conquiste della fisica nelle menti dei nostri contemporanei (personalmente, sono in fremente attesa per “Solenoid” di Cartarescu).
Fisica quantistica molta, ma dov’è la poesia? mi ero avvicinato a questo saggio con qualche eccessiva speranza: immaginavo che si tentasse di fare qualche passo in più rispetto ai tanti testi di divulgazione che cercano di comunicare a tutti i punti più contrintuitivi e paradossali della Fisica Quantistica. Invece ho trovato il solito (ottimo, per carità) saggio in cui due menti (brillantissime, senza dubbio!) scendono al livello dei comuni mortali per raccontare perché i quanti sono così importanti e sconvolgenti. “Se non siete scioccati, non avete capito niente!” Ma c’è il solito problema con i Premi Nobel con non sono Fenyman o Einstein: troppo convinti di dover “abbeverare gli assetati” piuttosto che cercare di camminare tutti insieme per rendere questa rivoluzionaria teoria patrimonio comune. E quindi, purtroppo, nonostante gli sforzi, di poesia in questo libro non se ne trova - ma una infarinatura ben fatta e approfondita (forse anche troppo per chi non mastica fisica quotidianamente). Credo che dobbiamo sperare nei veri scrittori per portare le ultime conquiste della fisica nelle menti dei nostri contemporanei (personalmente, sono in fremente attesa per “Solenoid” di Cartarescu).
December 9, 2019
About the title, forget it. The book is not really about poetry or poets. Sorry, but there is a lot here for anyone with a humanities background and an interest in understanding quantum physics. This humanities major found it to be an excellent explanation of how quantum theory developed and why--and this is crucial part for a skeptical reader like myself-why I should believe this incredible theory and what it says about the nature of the sub-atomic universe. I have been resistant, feeling that Einstein was more right and that eventually this madness would be shown to be in error. It must be.
But at each turn they provided the information that I needed to see why most physicists now believe in quantum theory. The discussion of Bell's Theorem was particularly helpful. I also enjoyed the detailed discussion of chemistry and how quantum theory has redefined our picture of the chemical. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in getting a decent idea about what quantum physics is and what it says about the world we live in.
But at each turn they provided the information that I needed to see why most physicists now believe in quantum theory. The discussion of Bell's Theorem was particularly helpful. I also enjoyed the detailed discussion of chemistry and how quantum theory has redefined our picture of the chemical. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in getting a decent idea about what quantum physics is and what it says about the world we live in.
August 2, 2012
3 1/2 stars. The first half of the book was excellent, but then it started getting so intense that it went beyond the normal comprehension of the intended audience. It is a fine art to be able to popularize science in the vein of Carl Sagan, and Lederman did a good job of it at the start. Perhaps the subject is just to out of the realm of the average reader. I'm still hoping to find that one book on quantum mechanics that can explain in PLAIN English the insanity of the micro-world. Quantum Physics for Poets makes a noble stab at it...but just isn't quite there.
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