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Helgoland: The World of Quantum Theory

Carlo Rovelli

4.09 · Rating details · 3,554 ratings · 502 reviews

A startling new look at quantum theory, from the bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and The Order of Time.

One of the world's most renowned theoretical physicists, Carlo Rovelli has entranced millions of readers with his singular perspective on the cosmos. In Helgoland, he examines the enduring enigma of quantum theory. The quantum world Rovelli describes ...more

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Hardcover, 256 pages

Published May 25th 2021 by Riverhead Books (first published September 2020)

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Mar 26, 2021 BlackOxford rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy-theology, italian, science, epistemology-language

It’s As If Reality Didn’t Exist

Here’s the problem: the more one studies quantum theory, the less one understands about it. Richard Feynman said that and no one has had the temerity to argue the point since. So Rovelli has written a short book whose purpose is not to elucidate the incomprehensible but to demonstrate that incomprehensibility in a comprehensible way. Why did he write it? I suspect that the answer is connected with the remark made by his colleague cited at the very beginning of the It’s As If Reality Didn’t Exist

Here’s the problem: the more one studies quantum theory, the less one understands about it. Richard Feynman said that and no one has had the temerity to argue the point since. So Rovelli has written a short book whose purpose is not to elucidate the incomprehensible but to demonstrate that incomprehensibility in a comprehensible way. Why did he write it? I suspect that the answer is connected with the remark made by his colleague cited at the very beginning of the book: “It’s as if reality didn’t exist.”

Quantum theory is a peculiar sort of triumph for human intelligence. It is a humiliation for anyone who claims to know what reality means. If reality is constituted by the facts of quantum research - superposition, instantaneous action at a distance, the effects of observation, etc. - then all other facts are compromised. As Rovelli is keen to point out: after a century of scientific effort, quantum theory has never been proven wrong. In which case its results are more than confusing. These results contradict our experiential intuition, our logic, and the fundamental concept of truth.

So the old joke, “Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?,” takes on a tragic new meaning. Not only do our eyes lie. Everything everyone has reported about the world - except about quantum physics - has been false. Not just useful approximations, but false. This is not a matter of, for example, continuing to use the term sunrise when we all know this an ancient belief turned metaphor. It means nothing is continuous despite appearances. It means there are no things, only relations with no fixed components, only a scientific language with no clear referents outside itself, and a range of contrary interpretations about how to connect that scientific language with the words we use with each other.

This is intellectually humiliating no matter how spectacular the practical consequences of quantum research. Such research allows us to do things we simply don’t understand from the production of nuclear weapons to plant breeding. But whatever it is that lies behind the veil of the quantum equations, if anything, is as inaccessible now as it was when Plato wrote about his cave or Leibniz his monads. Could it be that this is the essential meaning of quantum physics, namely that the enterprise we call ‘thought’ is not what we presumed? Perhaps thought has nothing to do with appreciating reality, approaching truth, or understanding how things work.

Perhaps instead, thought is ‘merely’ the term we use for human cooperative effort full stop. Rovelli implies this in his highlighting of the group-think manner through which quantum physics emerged. Not just that of the 20th century scientists commonly associated with the science, but also their, often obscure, predecessors whose work they exploited. In other words, it is not the practical results which are important but the massive collaboration required to produce the ideas that have become common currency. And the fact that these ideas have turned the tables on their creators by going rogue, as it were, are a provocation by thought to yet more cooperative thought.

It’s a thought. ...more

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Oct 13, 2021 Bharath rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Science writing which can appeal to people at large is not easy. I earlier read Carlo Rovelli’s ‘The Order of Time’ and found it fascinating. In fact, it helped me appreciate Blake Crouch’s science fiction book ‘Recursion’ so much better. In ‘Helgoland’, Carlo Rovelli manages to invoke the same sense of wonder about the universe we live in, with a difficult subject to comprehend – Quantum Theory.

Helgoland is where Heisenberg set the stage for quantum mechanics. The implications especially around Science writing which can appeal to people at large is not easy. I earlier read Carlo Rovelli’s ‘The Order of Time’ and found it fascinating. In fact, it helped me appreciate Blake Crouch’s science fiction book ‘Recursion’ so much better. In ‘Helgoland’, Carlo Rovelli manages to invoke the same sense of wonder about the universe we live in, with a difficult subject to comprehend – Quantum Theory.

Helgoland is where Heisenberg set the stage for quantum mechanics. The implications especially around the uncertainties it threw up had many uncomfortable (including the much-quoted response of Albert Einstein). And yet, it has withstood the test of time and lot of the subsequent work & inventions have been built on its foundations. This leads to many non-intuitive possibilities. One such is the famous Schrodinger’s cat – which is both dead and alive at the same time. Also related is the concept of quantum entanglement where distant objects are in tune and behave identically, though evidence does not suggest either a pre-configuration of state or exchange of information. I liked how the possibilities of many quantum worlds, quantum primaries and other possibilities was explained. There are sections dealing with very complex concepts which are well articulated.

I liked how Rovelli explains that quantum theory is not about describing object properties in isolation but their relationships with other objects. Well, just about everything we see is related to something else – planets to stars, etc. Is there an anchoring object around which we can describe others? None has been narrowed down to. Here, unexpectedly Rovelli meanders to Buddhism and the writings of Nagarjuna. Though not written with current scientific temper in mind, Nagarjuna suggests that there is no anchor whatsoever (those familiar with the concepts will recognize this as the primary departure from Advaita Vedanta where Brahman is the anchor).

The book is honest, acknowledging that there is much we do not know. It provides a fascinating insight into the progress science has made and the intriguing world we live in.

If quantum theory interests you, this is a great book – much recommended.

My rating: 4.5 / 5.
...more

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Feb 13, 2021 Éimhear (A Little Haze) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-gifted-review-copies

I am a wannabe physicist. All my life I’ve been in awe of those people who have a natural aptitude for it. I studied physics at school and took some electives in it during my first year at university... but I was always hopelessly inadequate and knew that my strengths lay with biological sciences which is where I ultimately earned my BSc.

But that love for physics has never left me which is why I love Carlo Rovelli’s books so much. He is nothing short of magical. His books are perfect for the ar I am a wannabe physicist. All my life I’ve been in awe of those people who have a natural aptitude for it. I studied physics at school and took some electives in it during my first year at university... but I was always hopelessly inadequate and knew that my strengths lay with biological sciences which is where I ultimately earned my BSc.

But that love for physics has never left me which is why I love Carlo Rovelli’s books so much. He is nothing short of magical. His books are perfect for the armchair physicist like myself.

In “Helgoland” Rovelli tackles the subject of quantum physics. Ordinarily when society thinks of quantum physics it conjures up ideas of difficult to follow theories and formulae that are the remit only of the most mathematical of brains. But what Rovelli does in Helgoland is to make the core concept of quantum theory accessible and relevant. I left this book feeling that I could make sense of the subject and it has given me a thirst for more knowledge.

There is a true beauty to Carlo Rovelli’s writing that makes for the most wonderful reading. Part science, part philosophy... This is quantum physics made poetic. It’s enlightening, thought provoking, and incredibly informative. It’s a book that casts much light on the seemingly mysterious nature of quantum theory making it relevant for the fabric of life as we know it.

It’s also a book that illustrates the open minded nature that we all need with regards to understanding existence through scientific research and experimentation; how information and understanding evolves with how much we know, or more appropriately how little we realise we know in the grand scheme of things.

Helgoland takes its name from the island where Heisenberg in 1925 is said to have come up with key concepts behind quantum theory. And so the book also informs us of the lives of the young physicists who were at the forefront of bringing greater understanding to the area at the time. It’s so interesting to learn about the dialogue, the debate, and the practically rebellious ideas that these young scientists (and future Nobel laureates) all engaged in.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There’s a lot that went over my head and I need to go back and reread; particularly the philosophical exploration of quantum theory. I’m much better at understanding mathematical equations it seems! But that’s not a criticism of the book. It’s a book that needs to be savoured. A book that requires the reader to pause and engage in their own reflective thoughts on the concepts offered. I do however wish that there were some more diagrams in the book. This is a complaint I frequently make when it comes to reading Rovelli but perhaps this is rather a personal opinion because my means of understanding physics has always required visual aids to help with my comprehension of the topic.

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone with a passing interest in quantum theory but for whom the subject seems a bit daunting, because this book will make you feel that you can grasp some of the core essence of quantum physics. I certainly feel enlightened after the read.

*An e-copy was kindly provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley for honest review*

Publishing 25th March 2021, Allen Lane

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Mar 25, 2021 Brian Clegg rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Although Helgoland suffers from the usual issues Carlo Rovelli's books face - it is very short for the price and has a distinct tendency to purple prose - it is his best so far. In fact, the first hundred pages or so are excellent.

Rovelli starts by giving us a brief background to quantum physics, concentrating most on Heisenberg, Schrödinger and to an extent Dirac's key period of contribution. This is clear and to the point. He then gives us a short summary of a couple of familiar quantum interp Although Helgoland suffers from the usual issues Carlo Rovelli's books face - it is very short for the price and has a distinct tendency to purple prose - it is his best so far. In fact, the first hundred pages or so are excellent.

Rovelli starts by giving us a brief background to quantum physics, concentrating most on Heisenberg, Schrödinger and to an extent Dirac's key period of contribution. This is clear and to the point. He then gives us a short summary of a couple of familiar quantum interpretations before introducing his own relational quantum physics interpretation. Although this idea dates back to the 1990s it has had very little coverage in popular science books, which is a shame.

Like all interpretations, Rovelli's requires us to accept some difficult postulates - in this case, that the reality of the state of a quantum system is relative rather than absolute - so it can be different for one observer than it is for another. Although at first this seems bizarre, it fits well with the way that relativity plays around with the impact of different reference frames and it is arguably the closest interpretation to the 'shut up and calculate' approach of ignoring interpretations that is still likely to be the most popular amongst non-philosophically inclined physicists.

So far, so excellent. I give this part of the book a solid five stars. Although Rovelli's explanation of, for example, how entanglement works with this interpretation could do to be better written to make it clearer, it still broadly does the job. (This could, of course, be more about the translation than the original.) But then the remainder of the book is where we plunge back into the ultra-waffly material we have seen from Rovelli in the past, including far too much philosophy and even a toe-dip into hackneyed Eastern religious concepts. I found this part of the book pretty much indigestible and would only have given it two stars.

Two more minor moans - firstly, why is the book translated into English, but the title isn't? And secondly it's rather feeble that Rovelli makes the Schrödinger's cat experiment more fiddly by anaesthetising the imaginary animal, rather than killing it - squeamishness over a non-existent cat is just silly.

The first part of the book is sufficiently interesting that I think the whole is worth reading - and I know some of Rovelli's non-scientific readers will find the end section the best of it - but I wish he'd written two separate books, rather than pulling together the two very different parts. I would have loved a longer and more detailed book expanding on his interpretation of quantum physics. ...more

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Jun 08, 2021 Darwin8u rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021

"Not to fear rethinking the world is the power of science."
- Carlo Rovelli

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This was a nice little read. A good introduction to the history and basic concepts of quantum physics. Broken into chapters that look at: observables, probability, quanta, many worlds, hidden variables, physical collapse, indeterminacy, etc. This part was pretty basic and shallow. It is a lot packed into the first 100 pages (not including a bit of history and biography). But the 2nd half is the part I really ...more

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Jan 17, 2022 Max rated it liked it

Shelves: physics

Rovelli says he is writing this book for those unfamiliar with quantum physics to help them understand it as well as it can be. Quantum physics or quantum mechanics is commonly accepted as a mystery. As Nobel Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman said, nobody understands it. Rovelli offers brief explanations of the non-controversial facts about scientific experiments, measurements and observations of quantum phenomena. But the real issue is interpretation of the observations and mathematics of Rovelli says he is writing this book for those unfamiliar with quantum physics to help them understand it as well as it can be. Quantum physics or quantum mechanics is commonly accepted as a mystery. As Nobel Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman said, nobody understands it. Rovelli offers brief explanations of the non-controversial facts about scientific experiments, measurements and observations of quantum phenomena. But the real issue is interpretation of the observations and mathematics of quantum theory. Respected scientists have a variety of different interpretations. Most of this book is about Rovelli’s interpretation.

Rovelli’s take off point is the fact that in quantum experiments, observation of fundamental particles changes their behaviors. He shows a version of the famous double slit experiment to illustrate this. He also references another mystery, entanglement. When particles become entangled, they can instantly correlate their properties even though distantly separated in time and space. Rovelli’s answer is that all properties are relative to an entity’s interaction with other entities. Without such interaction an entity is essentially nonexistent. The bulk of the book is Rovelli making that case. It gets philosophical bordering on the metaphysical with a lot of wordplay that just seemed like semantics. It didn’t make me feel that I understood quantum phenomena any better. While Rovelli’s interpretation contains many points I agree with, it left me underwhelmed.

It’s hard for me to see this book as a good introduction to the topic. With a small description of the mystery of the quantum and a large treatise on what that means, it reverses what I think an introduction to quantum mechanics should contain. I looked through my list of physics books and all have their challenges as an introduction. Adam Becker’s What Is Real?: The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics gives a good rundown on competing interpretations. Philip Ball’s Beyond Weird puts a good perspective on possible takeaways from quantum mechanics. Anil Ananthaswamy’s Through Two Doors at Once. really demonstrates the mystery of quantum physics. He does this by presenting a collection of different versions of the double slit experiment. It leaves you with a feeling of profound mystery, no interpretation required.
...more

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Jun 21, 2021 picoas picoas rated it liked it

Shelves: 2021

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

Non-superdeterminism: "Helgoland: The World of Quantum Theory" by Carlo Rovelli

Before starting the new Rovelli I picked up Russell’s “Our Knowledge of the External World” (Lecture VIII - On the notion of cause) and it offers plenty to think about with regard to this philosophy vs. science question. If I may quote his final lines:

“The one and only condition, I believe, which is necessary in order to secure for philosophy in the near fut ...more

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Mar 01, 2022 India M. Clamp rated it really liked it

Shelves: divinity

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. RIP 3.4.22
Problems often give rise to solutions, and in this case it was Werner Heisenberg who was enslaved with hay fever that plagued him chronically. From this we stumble upon the title of this book, as Helgoland was the solution that was treeless. He was only 23 on the Northern Coast of Germany where he found illumination sans distractions. Nature provided clues as to structures, despite the rants and arguments by Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger---1933 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Bohr (w ...more

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Mar 25, 2021 Lou (nonfiction fiend) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Helgoland is a startling and fascinating new look at quantum theory, from the bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and The Order of Time. Helgoland is a bare, treeless island in the North Sea where the twenty-three-year-old Werner Heisenberg made the crucial breakthrough for the creation of quantum mechanics, in June 1925, setting off a century of scientific revolution. Full of alarming ideas (ghost waves, distant objects that seem to be magically connected, cats that appear both Helgoland is a startling and fascinating new look at quantum theory, from the bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and The Order of Time. Helgoland is a bare, treeless island in the North Sea where the twenty-three-year-old Werner Heisenberg made the crucial breakthrough for the creation of quantum mechanics, in June 1925, setting off a century of scientific revolution. Full of alarming ideas (ghost waves, distant objects that seem to be magically connected, cats that appear both dead and alive), quantum physics has led to countless discoveries and technological advancements. Today our understanding of the world is based on this theory, yet it is still profoundly mysterious. As scientists and philosophers continue to fiercely debate the meaning of the theory, Rovelli argues that its most unsettling contradictions can be explained by seeing the world as fundamentally made of relationships rather than substances. We and everything around us exist only in our interactions with one another. This bold idea suggests new directions for thinking about the structure of reality and even the nature of consciousness. One of the world's most renowned and prominent theoretical physicists, Carlo Rovelli has entranced millions of readers with his singular perspective on the cosmos. In Helgoland, he examines the enduring enigma of quantum theory. The quantum world Rovelli describes is as beautiful as it is unnerving.

Rovelli makes learning about quantum mechanics an almost psychedelic experience. Shifting our perspective once again, he takes us on a riveting journey through the universe so we can better comprehend our place in it. This book not only reconstructs, with formidable clarity, the adventurous and controversial growth of quantum theory, making its crucial passages evident, even for those who ignore it, but it is inserted into a new vision, where a world made up of substances, a world made up of relationships is replaced, which respond to each other in an inexhaustible game of mirrors. A vision that leads us to explore, in an amazing perspective, fundamental questions still unresolved, from the constitution of nature to that of ourselves, which we are part of nature. It is a scintillating read but make no mistake, while it is accessible to the non-scientifically trained, it requires focus and you may often find yourself having to re-read parts in order to fully grasp what's been said. Rovelli takes some of the most complicated concepts and presents them in such an intelligible, crystal clear and eminently readable fashion that you cannot fail to find the book engrossing. I was also very pleasantly surprised that there was laugh-out-loud humour interspersed throughout and that I struggled with putting it down. An information-rich, compelling and thought-provoking read; it really has you considering your place in this vast universe, human existence and the nature of reality. Highly recommended. ...more

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Jun 23, 2021 Rachel (Kalanadi) rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, translated, 2021-releases

3.5 stars

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Aug 11, 2021 Ryan Boissonneault rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

The bizarre behavior of the quantum world can be best exemplified by the “measurement problem.” To understand the measurement problem, think of an electron orbiting the nucleus of an atom. Well, it turns out that electrons do not exactly orbit the nucleus; rather, they exist in superpositions, which is to say, they have no real-world position or trajectory until you measure them—only probabilistic tendencies to be in one location or another.

The measurement problem, then, asks the following ques ...more

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Nov 26, 2021 David rated it it was amazing

Shelves: physics

Physics and philosophy. I enjoy Rovelli's distinct writing style of physics and its big-picture ramifications. I invite you to read a few of the quotes I've chosen from the later philosophical part of the book to taste Rovelli's unique insight and love for physics.

The book is divided into three parts.
1. Heisenberg's idea of quantum theory when he isolated on Helgoland in the summer of 1925
2. Physics - Superposition; Many Worlds; Collapsing wave function; Indeterminacy; Entanglement
3. The philos Physics and philosophy. I enjoy Rovelli's distinct writing style of physics and its big-picture ramifications. I invite you to read a few of the quotes I've chosen from the later philosophical part of the book to taste Rovelli's unique insight and love for physics.

The book is divided into three parts.
1. Heisenberg's idea of quantum theory when he isolated on Helgoland in the summer of 1925
2. Physics - Superposition; Many Worlds; Collapsing wave function; Indeterminacy; Entanglement
3. The philosophical ramifications

p 150 Buddhist philosophy by Nagarjuna says "simply that there is nothing that exists in itself independently from something else. The resonance with quantum mechanics is immediate".

p 162 Who has never wondered, in some form or other: "If the world is made of simple matter, particles in motion in space, how is it that thoughts, subjectivity, values, beauty, meaning... come about?" How can 'simple matter' produce colors, emotions and the burning lively sensation of existing? How is it that we can know and learn, be moved and amazed, read a book, understand, and even come to question how matter itself works?

p 190 As the American philosopher Erik C. Banks writes, "However mysterious the mind-body problem may be for us, we should always remember that it is a solved problem for nature. All we have to do is figure out that solution by naturalistic means."

p 201 Physics seemed to me the place where the weave between the structure of reality and the structure of thought was closest, the place where this intertwinement was subject to the incandescent test of continuous evolution. The journey undertaken has been more surprising and more of an adventure than I expected. Space, time, matter, thought, the whole of reality has redesigned itself before my eyes, as in some vast kaleidoscope. Quantum physics, more than the immensity of the universe and the discovery of its great history, more even than the extraordinary vision of Einstein, has been for me the heart of this radical questioning of our mental maps of reality.

p 202 There is a sense of the vertiginous - of freedom, happiness, lightness - in the vision of the world that we are offered by the discovery of quanta.
You do look , my son, in a moved sort,
As if you were dismay'd. be cheerful sir. (The Tempest - Shakespeare)
In the end, the youthful curiosity that drew me toward physics, like a child following a magic flute, has led me to finding more enchanted castles than I could have dreamed of. The world of quantum theory that I have attempted to describe, opened by a young man's journey to the Sacred Island (of Helgoland) in the North Sea, seems extraordinarily beautiful to me.
...more

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Jul 07, 2021 B. Rule rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I think this is the last Rovelli I’ll read. I’ve read most if not all of his translated popular works, but it’s diminishing returns. This I found to be the weakest of the lot. Even its impoverished page count feels padded, and the stench of a cash-grab clings to it. The first two parts ostensibly describe quantum theory in its most general outline, but it’s a muddled effort even accounting for the counterintuitive science. Were this my first encounter with the concepts, I would be hopelessly los I think this is the last Rovelli I’ll read. I’ve read most if not all of his translated popular works, but it’s diminishing returns. This I found to be the weakest of the lot. Even its impoverished page count feels padded, and the stench of a cash-grab clings to it. The first two parts ostensibly describe quantum theory in its most general outline, but it’s a muddled effort even accounting for the counterintuitive science. Were this my first encounter with the concepts, I would be hopelessly lost. Instead, I just found myself irritable and impatient, waiting for a clarity indefinitely deferred. It’s a nigh-unforgivable sin given the groaning shelves of good physics writing out there.

The last bit is even worse. Here, Rovelli play-acts as a philosopher. He is, charitably speaking, far afield of his areas of expertise. While the relational interpretation of quantum theory is fascinating, Rovelli makes a hash of how it may answer the questions of metaphysics, epistemology, and theory of mind. He tries to wave away the hard problem of consciousness but I still have no idea why he thinks a perspectival approach moots the issue. He acknowledges the ephemerality of entities and then immediately reverts to material entities as causal explanations. He bags on western philosophy to pump up Nagarjuna, but he is apparently ignorant of the rich vein of apophatic thinking that reaches many of the same insights. (Have you even read Plotinus, bro??) He dismisses idealism and dualism in a single sentence without even a pretense of argument. I don’t begrudge him his position, and if it were written as an intellectual autobiography, it would be fine. But to act like this is a real work of philosophical reasoning is just embarrassing, really. I did think his chapter on Bogdanov was interesting. I appreciate his efforts to marry the scientific method to a sense of wonder, but I felt very little in this short but self-indulgent text. I thank him for his earlier books which I enjoyed, but I’m getting off the Rovelli train at this stop. ...more

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May 06, 2021 Lora Milton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, science

"In June 1925, twenty-three-year-old Werner Heisenberg, suffering from hay fever, retreated to a treeless, wind-battered island in the North Sea called Helgoland. It was there that he came up with the key insight behind quantum mechanics."

Yes, this is where Quantum Theory got its start. This book was written for non-Physicists and is easily accessible. It's written well and tells the story of this significant moment in history in a way that would make good fiction, if it wasn't all real life!

I f ...more

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Aug 28, 2021 D rated it liked it

In general, I find the book too philosophy-oriented and the style too verbose and flowery.

The introduction to quantum mechanics could do with a bit more formalism.

One of the main topics, the relational interpretation of quantum mechanics, is very attractive because it does not require any change to the theory, it simply puts forward an intuitive reading of it. However, I found that this article in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy provides a more readable and shorter description of the approa ...more

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Jan 26, 2022 Ellison rated it it was amazing

I think this is the clearest statement of Rovelli's ideas and feelings yet. I found it very satisfying - probably because, as much as I understand them, they are very similar to mine - from his disdain of the many worlds interpretation to his appreciation of Nagarjuna.

‘The cosmos is interaction; life organizes relative information. We are a delicate and complex embroidery in the web of relations of which, as far as we currently understand it, reality is constituted.’

‘We must abandon something t ...more

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Jan 02, 2022 Chase Rendall rated it it was ok

The chapter containing the arguments against both many worlds and pilot wave theory gave only the bare minimum amount of information comparing and contrasting these. Entire books have been written on both of these separately, so it’s not a big surprise that Rovelli or anyone else for that matter would struggle to provide enough context on them in such a short book. While I realize the format of this book was a short, popular account of some of the conceptual issues of interpretations of quantum ...more

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Dec 09, 2021 sinepudore rated it it was amazing

What I see, in other words, is not a reproduction of the external world. It is what I expect, corrected by what I can grasp. The relevant input is not that which confirms what we already know, but that which contradicts our expectations.
#quote

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Jan 07, 2022 Stef Smulders rated it it was amazing

Shelves: five-stars

Excellent, if still mind-boggling. I couldn't imagine a better, more accessible introduction to this theory. Highly recommended! ...more

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Dec 12, 2021 Dan rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Oh boy I did not like this book.

I love physics but I found this book far too philosophical and lacking tangible science arguments. The historical connection to Helgoland and the rest of the characters in the book was specious. There was not much history or background on Heisenberg and as much on the other German physicists of the time including Einstein.

For what it's worth here is some background on the island. Helgoland is a tiny island - little more than a mile in size - in the North sea som ...more

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Sep 26, 2021 Merl Fluin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: esoteric-non-fiction

I hope to come up with something a bit more articulate later. But in the meantime my feelings about this can be summed up as "wow!", "huh?", "hmm....." and "holy crap!"

Update, 10 Oct 21: Ok, I did come up with some (slightly) more articulate comments, posted here: https://gorgoninfurs.com/2021/10/10/q... ...more

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Aug 17, 2021 Ivana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Carlo Rovelli’s poetic take on quantum mechanics is so beautiful and profound. To be able to synthesize something so unnaturally confusing into elegant questions takes an artist as well as a scientist, and he is both.

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Dec 11, 2021 Carly Faison rated it it was amazing

my interest in quantum theory is piqued. ISO more books exploring the intersection of quantum physics and philosophy.

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Mar 13, 2021 Yvonne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, educational

Well, I never would have thought that I would have enjoyed a book about quantum physics, but the author really does make this mind-boggling science a wonderful read.

I am the first one to admit that I do not have the brainpower for sciences, it is something that just does not click with me. I do admire those that are able to fathom those complex formulae that you see written on boards. The equations, to me, look like a foreign language but there is also something quite intriguing and almost artis ...more

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Dec 16, 2021 Technomonk rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science

Carlo Rovelli is my favorite science writer, his writing is thoughtful and deep while being warm and personal. I wish there was more popular science writing this good.

I want a Carlo Rovelli t-shirt. Someone make this happen.

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Jan 21, 2022 Alex Fitzgerald rated it really liked it

Though meandering at times, a really intriguing book leaving the reader with a lot to consider as it relates to our experience and understanding of reality.

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Mar 18, 2021 Bagus rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-read, history, philosophy, references, science

There are books that leave me wondering about the topics they discuss long after I finished flipping the last page of them. The lesson of Hegel about Nachdenken (“thinking after the fact to be thought about”), is unconsciously integrated into me after reading this book. Helgoland is one such book, filled with interesting discussions that interweave the recurring themes of relations between science and philosophy. It goes into length in the discourse that quantum theory with contribution mainly f There are books that leave me wondering about the topics they discuss long after I finished flipping the last page of them. The lesson of Hegel about Nachdenken (“thinking after the fact to be thought about”), is unconsciously integrated into me after reading this book. Helgoland is one such book, filled with interesting discussions that interweave the recurring themes of relations between science and philosophy. It goes into length in the discourse that quantum theory with contribution mainly from Werner Heisenberg is an important element in rethinking the roles of mankind in this world, and to describe simply “there is so much we still don’t know about in this world”.

Carlo Rovelli is a physicist who is not afraid to read between the lines of his contemporaries and occasionally returns to the comfort of classical works to explain the unexplainable. Through his discourses, he at first introduces us to the significance of the works of the physics boys of Göttingen, Heisenberg and other protégés of Max Born in describing the phenomenon of the quantum theory whose foundation has been laid out previously by Danish physicist Niels Bohr. Niels Bohr created a model of the atom that shows the movement of the atom that orbits around the atom’s nucleus. The Bohr model worked well for hydrogen, but could not explain more complex elements. It was in Helgoland while recovering from asthma that the twenty-three years old Werner Heisenberg got his aha moment to explore atomic behaviour using a different mathematical model called matrix mechanics.

The significance of this simple finding is a game-changer in the field. Heisenberg argued that we can only speak of the knowledge as numbers in tables that describe something about particles, but we could never truly see the particles as they are. “Science no longer confronts nature as an objective observer, but sees itself as an actor in this interplay between man and nature,” said Heisenberg. Throughout the end of each chapter and sub-chapter, Carlo Rovelli keeps us wondering about the question of “the importance of observing the atom” during the experiment of Heisenberg. What does atom care about whether we are observing it or not, was my question at that time. But it was through the simple act of ‘observing’, that there is this change of paradigm in how we interpret nature. “Everything is interrelated and relative to other beings,” is a conclusion that I could draw through various examples presented in this book, something which I concur will baffle Erwin Schrödinger and Albert Einstein who tried to explain the strange aspects of Heisenberg’s finding on quantum mechanics.

This short book is interesting mainly from two aspects. First of all, it is accessible for all readers from the way Carlo Rovelli employs simple phrases and vernaculars to explain physics to lay people who at least have a high-school-level of understanding physics. It explains several interesting findings on quantum mechanics in the twentieth-century in simpler terms without discounting the essentials. At least, there are not too many equations that discourage lay readers. Second, it is rich with interdisciplinary discourses. The author could draw parallels of the concept introduced by Heisenberg in works across discipline such as the debates between Lenin and Bogdanov regarding materialism, as well as much much older stanzas of Nāgārjuna from the second century B.C.

It’s a subversive idea, yet leaves me pondering long after reading it about the nature of our consciousness and what makes us different from other beings. And it reminds me more that we as humans have long forgotten that we are part of nature. We observe, yet at the same time, we are also parts of what we observe. There is a paradox of this understanding, and we could only think of it as a way to collectivised knowledge that we acquired throughout the ages (or in Bogdanov words, ‘organising’ them). And this is why the politics of collaboration is much more effective than the politics of competition. It is so easy to get lost in between various biases created by our previously-acquired knowledge, and not see the world as it is. Seeing is knowing. ...more

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Apr 21, 2021 Flo! rated it really liked it · review of another edition

My study association got this book from the publisher. They wanted a review from them or something, but they also sent it to the wrong adress actually. Very confusing, but funny. Anyway, I was asked to read the book and make a review, which I will gladly do.

The experience of this book is different for someone like me, who had his quantum physics courses as a physics student, and to a more general audience. The author starts with some history of the discovery of quantum physics by Heisenberg on My study association got this book from the publisher. They wanted a review from them or something, but they also sent it to the wrong adress actually. Very confusing, but funny. Anyway, I was asked to read the book and make a review, which I will gladly do.

The experience of this book is different for someone like me, who had his quantum physics courses as a physics student, and to a more general audience. The author starts with some history of the discovery of quantum physics by Heisenberg on the island of Helgoland, then explains what is so weird about quantum physics and begin to slide into the philosophy side.

This first part with the history and explaination of quantum physics is really fun and interesting. I am already familiar with the classic examples of inference, Schrödinger's cat, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, commutation relations etcetra, but it is always good to refresh the fundamentals. On top of that, the history behind the discovery of it all is always an interesting read. You read names of the European 1920s clique like Heisenberg, Born, Bohr, Schrödinger and of course Einstein which I recognise from my lectures and textbooks. This history is very crucial in a sense that suddenly an entirely new way of mechnical thinking had to be developed. Besides, it was funny to read about the character descriptions of some of these physicists such as (view spoiler)

Then comes the philosophy part of the book. Here the author explains the philosophical implications of that the observer is also part of the system of what is being observed. I will not attempt to summarise what he wrote in this part, read it yourself. In quantum physics, the observation changes the outcome of the system: the wavefunction collapses, the cat is either the alive or dead state etcetra. Now this is a part which never comes up in my physics courses. In physics, and here I will quote a well-loved professor here, you "shut up and do the math" and consider the fact that "physics is an empirical science". If you are more into philosophy than me, which is not difficult to be, then this might be more of a thing for you. In this part, the author also jams in some things that he just really want to write about, which is interesting on its own, but clouds the message that the author wants to provide.

It is a good book: it explains (most) things well, it has a good build-up to the more complicated things and it is decently accessible for people. Although I have to be careful with the term accessible. For me the explaination of quantum phenomena was a refresher. For someone who is completely new to this, the explaination could be awful, I don't know. I think it is an amazing introductionairy book for the more interested person, especially for those very curious high schoolers, who are more into the philosophy side of things than me. The thing is that personally, I just like the actual physics and history part a lot more. Therefore I am disappointed that the first part was not that grand as the second. The subtitle(in Dutch) is "The story behind quantum physics, [...]", so I expected more of the history behind it. That was not the case.

I will give it four stars as an attempt to rate it more 'objectively'. However, I think I like it less than others because I am a physics student who is experienced with the topic. So if you are a physics student who is not that interested in the philosophy side of quantum physics, like me, then this is not the book for you.

One last point to make is that the book physically is quite nice. It is not big, the paper quality is amazing with firm outer sides and the text layout is just good. There is also a hinge of book smell in there. ...more

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Nov 30, 2021 Maria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: author-male, theory-philosophy, nonfiction, audiobooks

interpretation of Quantum mechanics and their development explained. I love Rovelli. partially because he, like me, loves Spinoza. Mainly because he is so good at writing lovingly about the world as he understands it.
Was really good to listen to right after When We Cease to Understand the World. Rovelli doesn’t do all the heroism pretension in exaggerating physicists eccentricities. I still was glad to listen to that one first, it’s much easier listening: less physics, more stories.

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Apr 11, 2021 Matthias rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I believe that one of the greatest mistakes made by human beings is to want certainties when trying to understand something. The search for knowledge is not nourished by certainty: it is nourished by a radical absence of certainty.

Delightful read. Don't expect to understand quantum mechanics after reading this book. But it excellently conveys how our ways of thinking about reality has changed.

4.5 ...more

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About Carlo Rovelli

Carlo Rovelli

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Carlo Rovelli is an Italian theoretical physicist and writer who has worked in Italy and the USA, and currently works in France. His work is mainly in the field of quantum gravity, where he is among the founders of the loop quantum gravity theory. He has also worked in the history and philosophy of science. He collaborates regularly with several Italian newspapers, in particular the cultural suppl ...more

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“What I see, in other words, is not a reproduction of the external world. It is what I expect, corrected by what I can grasp. The relevant input is not that which confirms what we already know, but that which contradicts our expectations.” — 2 likes

“I believe that we need to adapt our philosophy to our science, and not our science to our philosophy.” — 2 likes

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