500 books
—
511 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “In Search of Schrödinger's Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality” as Want to Read:
In Search of Schrödinger's Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality
(Schrödinger's Cat #1)
by
It is so shocking that Einstein could not bring himself to accept it. It is so important that it provides the fundamental underpinning of all modern sciences. Without it, we'd have no nuclear power or nuclear bombs, no lasers, no TV, no computers, no science of molecular biology, no understanding of DNA, no genetic engineeringat all.
John Gribbin tells the complete story ...more
John Gribbin tells the complete story ...more
Get A Copy
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
In Search of Schrödinger's Cat,
please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
Joseph Muhsen
هو ليس فقط للمتخصصين وكما يمكنك قراءة تأريخ تطور الفزياء كي تكون على صورة أوضح لهذا الكتاب.
Timothy Morrison
Depends! Quantum is Nullo space basically! It puts phenomenology into physics
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of In Search of Schrödinger's Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality
um...
- i read this book
- i didn't read this book
- i read this book and didn't read this book
- i read this book in one universe and didn't in another
- this book didn't exist until i read it
gribbin's great because he won't dumb down but genuinely wants you to understand this stuff. and b/c he believes in time travel.
yay!
- i read this book
- i didn't read this book
- i read this book and didn't read this book
- i read this book in one universe and didn't in another
- this book didn't exist until i read it
gribbin's great because he won't dumb down but genuinely wants you to understand this stuff. and b/c he believes in time travel.
yay!
this book is f******n awesome.
i read it in highschool and then again in college - because while you're reading it it's like having a really good teacher who holds your attention and makes you understand unusual ideas but as soon as you finish and put it down you're like "wait, how does that work again?" so for me at least, i have to be reading it to maintain that state of enlightenment. maybe after a certain number of reads it will stick - because i am not naturally good at this sort of subject. ...more
i read it in highschool and then again in college - because while you're reading it it's like having a really good teacher who holds your attention and makes you understand unusual ideas but as soon as you finish and put it down you're like "wait, how does that work again?" so for me at least, i have to be reading it to maintain that state of enlightenment. maybe after a certain number of reads it will stick - because i am not naturally good at this sort of subject. ...more
I was reading alone in my study in the night, when there was a movement behind me. "Miaow," someone said.
I looked behind me. A tabby was sitting, contentedly washing herself. "Hey! Where did you come from?" I asked.
"You can see me?" She beamed. "Whew! That's a load off my mind. I thought I might be dead."
I found this rather strange. "How can you talk to me if you are dead?"
"Well, I meant dead in this universe." She went on with her toilet.
I was a bit uneasy. Needless to say, talking cats ...more
I looked behind me. A tabby was sitting, contentedly washing herself. "Hey! Where did you come from?" I asked.
"You can see me?" She beamed. "Whew! That's a load off my mind. I thought I might be dead."
I found this rather strange. "How can you talk to me if you are dead?"
"Well, I meant dead in this universe." She went on with her toilet.
I was a bit uneasy. Needless to say, talking cats ...more
Okay, so to best describe this book, I need to first describe Schrodingers cat. Keep in mind that this an illustration of what Schrodinger saw as the problem with the Copenhagen idea of Quantum superposition. Imagine a box with a cat inside. A vial of a deadly chemical which will instantly kill the cat is placed inside with the cat, sealed so the feline is safe. A hammer is set up with a rig to smash the vial but only if the following occurs. A small amount of radioactive material is inside a
...more
Gribbin seems to have a sound understanding of quantum mechanics, and his writing is rather well crafted, but sometimes I think he'd rather have been a historian than a physicist. The first half of the book is mostly intricate historical accounts of the key players of the story of quantum mechanics over the last century. Gribbin reveals the concepts very slowly, which might not be a bad thing, so this may seem a bit tedious at first. However, by the end, the concepts are clear and complete. At
...more
4 stars for science nerds, 3 stars for everyone else. An in depth discussion of the birth of quantum physics, where it is now and what it means for the future. Not much math and fairly accessible but not as easy to read as Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. I enjoyed it for the survey of physics giants in the early 20th century from Einstein to Heisenburg. The last 1/3 of the book were a series of explanations of experiments used to prove some of the theorems which were fascinating. I think a
...more
Physics was one subject i was never good at during High school (not that i was great at any of the other subjects though but Physics was a nightmare). There were concepts which were totally ambiguous to me and went way above my head. This book not only clarified some of them but also instilled in me a deep interest in Physics.
In this book, John Gribbin gives a fabulous peek into the magical realm of quantum physics.
He begins with an explanation on the very basic unit of life - "the atom" and ...more
In this book, John Gribbin gives a fabulous peek into the magical realm of quantum physics.
He begins with an explanation on the very basic unit of life - "the atom" and ...more
I'm reading this again after a few years so that when I give it to my girlfriend to read and EXPAND HER MIND I will be able to help guide her through it. So far, it has been a great intro to quantum mechanics. It's supposed to be for the layman, and it appears fairly basic, but I have some background, so it's hard for me to judge that.
EDIT:
Well, it wasn't as good as I remember it. Maybe it was the passage of time and the advancement of science, maybe it was my own further studies in the field, ...more
EDIT:
Well, it wasn't as good as I remember it. Maybe it was the passage of time and the advancement of science, maybe it was my own further studies in the field, ...more
Apr 02, 2012
Manny
marked it as to-read
I wish I'd written A Quantum Theory of Mitt Romney . In particular, Figure 2... the best Feynman diagram joke I've ever seen!
Excellent introduction to quantum physics. As a 'non-science' person, I can't say I followed everything but enough to give me a solid understanding for what it is and why it's so mystifying. The 'Many Worlds' theory, however, remains deeply unconvincing. I'm grateful that Gribbin caveats this chapter by acknowledging that it is more opinion than the rest of the book, although he does then proceed to continue in the same 'this is undeniably true' tone for the rest of the chapter.
This must be the 10th time I have re-read this book. I met the author way back when I was a kid and have always been fascinated with solving the quantum mysteries and physics. This book and others from Gribbin were exceedingly well written in language that didn't require a PhD. It was spellbinding and quite enjoyable to re-read.
Amidst a plethora of books purportedly dealing with "explaining Quantum Theory to the layman" this book stands apart, as well as taller, by virtue of two qualities: -
1. It's really really well written, even by the high standards of popular science set by the luminaries, and remains deliciously readable even after more than three decades since its publication.
2. It's unapologetically forthcoming, and NEVER tries to dumb down things in an effort towards becoming more "accommodating" and "plebian", ...more
1. It's really really well written, even by the high standards of popular science set by the luminaries, and remains deliciously readable even after more than three decades since its publication.
2. It's unapologetically forthcoming, and NEVER tries to dumb down things in an effort towards becoming more "accommodating" and "plebian", ...more
I really enjoy history, and if you are looking for a book that gives much about the history of the development of modern Quantum Mechanics this is a wonderful read. It also simplifies many principles to make it more accessible to non mathematical minds such as myself. Besides that I just kind of loved it and you might too.
A very well explained journey of quantum science. John clearly tells us why there was even a need for these theories and how, after many weird observations, the concept of Schrodinger's Cat and other theories emerged. I am neither a mathematician nor a physicist. Still, the way he wrote, it's not much difficult for a guy like me to comprehend the book.
The cat
a) exists in a superimposed state of dead and alive
b) is dead in one universe, and alive in another
c) what cat? The cat doesn't even exist unless observed.
Read this book for mysteries of quantum physics.
a) exists in a superimposed state of dead and alive
b) is dead in one universe, and alive in another
c) what cat? The cat doesn't even exist unless observed.
Read this book for mysteries of quantum physics.
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Prologue: Nothing Is Real
--In Search of Schrödinger's Cat
Bibliography
Index
Introduction
Prologue: Nothing Is Real
--In Search of Schrödinger's Cat
Bibliography
Index
Made my head hurt. Or didn't make my head hurt. Or made my head hurt and not hurt simultaneously.
A highly readable and exciting account of a topic that I love.
The writer was quite positive towards his attempt in explaining quantum theory. His approach was quite neat & clean , comprehensive . However , it made me sad in the end ~
I first read this book when I was a freshman in college (a business major at the time). Until then, I had never given much thought to the sciences, but this book was so fascinating for me that it eventually lead to me changing my major. I thought the book was as easy of a read as physics can be. The author did a good job of making it understandable for the layperson. The concepts in here are so mind-boggling that it's often difficult to even begin to imagine them, but that's what makes the book
...more
Gribbin is lucid and witty in explaining to the largely layman audience the principles of the strange and beautiful world of quantum mechanics.
Approaching the book from the perspective of philosophy, was fascinating as well. Schrodinger's cat is reminiscent of Jain philosophy and the working of quantum mechanics and buddhist thought have been compared and debated upon quite frequently.
Needless to say, this book really makes you think in abstract ways.
Approaching the book from the perspective of philosophy, was fascinating as well. Schrodinger's cat is reminiscent of Jain philosophy and the working of quantum mechanics and buddhist thought have been compared and debated upon quite frequently.
Needless to say, this book really makes you think in abstract ways.
This was one of the best books I have read on Quantum Physics. It turns out to be a slow read, because it gives you examples, and then to fully understand the examples you find yourself working out the aspects of it. It is only about 250 pages, but it took me the better part of six months to get through. Awesome book!
I have an abusive relationship with physics, I love it but it doesnt love me and that makes me sad. This was just too advanced for me and I never really got to grips with it. I understood parts of it but not enough to enjoy it. My one sided relationship with physics continues...
...more
A really good book that provides a reasonably understandable introduction to quantum mechanics and its history.
There is a focus on providing a detailed account of the development of the theory, including a de-idealisation of the major figures who won Nobel prizes - for example, it is quickly stated that although Planck jumped to the idea of quantisation he did not do this for any reason other than mathematical convenience so the discovery was more an accident than anything else. Even Schrodinger ...more
There is a focus on providing a detailed account of the development of the theory, including a de-idealisation of the major figures who won Nobel prizes - for example, it is quickly stated that although Planck jumped to the idea of quantisation he did not do this for any reason other than mathematical convenience so the discovery was more an accident than anything else. Even Schrodinger ...more
WOW!!!!
I said that I would read difficult books this year, but I meant things like Infinite Jest, or Finnegans Wake. This is way more difficult, but way more important and totally fascinating.
When I say difficult, I dont mean difficult to read, I mean getting my head around the ideas, and the maths (which I dont really understand), but who cares?? I just took it on face value that the maths is correct, and I went with the flow.
Im more of a poetry reading, literature reading head in the clouds ...more
I said that I would read difficult books this year, but I meant things like Infinite Jest, or Finnegans Wake. This is way more difficult, but way more important and totally fascinating.
When I say difficult, I dont mean difficult to read, I mean getting my head around the ideas, and the maths (which I dont really understand), but who cares?? I just took it on face value that the maths is correct, and I went with the flow.
Im more of a poetry reading, literature reading head in the clouds ...more
While this book may be slightly dated (luckily physics do not move that fast) it is an amazing work with unparalleled explanatory powers laying bare one of the most difficult concepts of our time. I would give it all the stars. Whilst it started slow for me reiterating knowns I took months to get through the first quarter and only a day or two to finish it. If you are getting bombarded with new interpretations of quantum theory and misconceptions relating to that. This book allows you to travel
...more
As my parents are moving out and I'm packing all my old books, I'll be finding and rating ones that I have read a long time ago, and likely have mostly forgotten. Skimming this book as I boxed it up tonight, I remember understanding or being unsure about a few concepts; but for the most part, my memory of the book is of confused excitement of being introduced to some concepts, which other books have helped me understand better.
Incredibly interesting and moderately approachable for someone with zero experience on the subject. Although it takes a lot of initial historical and scientific background from Gribben, it prepares you to really understand in a meaningful way the basics of the quantum world.
When I truly understood some of the underlying ideas here (after re-reading a few sections multiple times) I was truly amazed and was glad to have read this search into the Schrodingers Cat problem. ...more
When I truly understood some of the underlying ideas here (after re-reading a few sections multiple times) I was truly amazed and was glad to have read this search into the Schrodingers Cat problem. ...more
Interesting book. Definitely a good explanation of the quantum world. That said, there are also a number of intriguing philosophical questions that arise throughout the book that make any confusion with respect to the physics/math aspects worth the struggle. Overall, a good, quick read.
Ok, this is an EXCELLENT book. Very clearly written, engaging, and so interesting! I didn't understand all of it (tbh I was lost near the end). I'm so relieved I'm done with this book because I literally started it almost a year ago.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Goodreads Librari...:
Please combine these editions
|
5 | 24 | Dec 08, 2019 03:15AM |
Readers also enjoyed
John R. Gribbin is a British science writer, an astrophysicist, and a visiting fellow in astronomy at the University of Sussex. The topical range of his prolific writings includes quantum physics, biographies of famous scientists, human evolution, the origins of the universe, climate change and global warming. His also writes science fiction.
John Gribbin graduated with his bachelor's degree in ...more
John Gribbin graduated with his bachelor's degree in ...more
Other books in the series
Schrödinger's Cat
(2 books)
News & Interviews
“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.”
That’s Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani human rights...
47 likes · 15 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“In the world of the very small, where particle and wave aspects of reality are equally significant, things do not behave in any way that we can understand from our experience of the everyday world...all pictures are false, and there is no physical analogy we can make to understand what goes on inside atoms. Atoms behave like atoms, nothing else.”
—
38 likes
“...the best things in science are both beautiful and simple, a fact that all too many teacher conceal from their students, by accident or design.”
—
19 likes
More quotes…
