Quantum
Einstein, Bohr, and the Great Debate about the Nature of Reality
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Narrated by:
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Ray Porter
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By:
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Manjit Kumar
About this listen
Quantum theory is weird. As Niels Bohr said, if you aren’t shocked by quantum theory, you don’t really understand it. For most people, quantum theory is synonymous with mysterious, impenetrable science. And in fact for many years it was equally baffling for scientists themselves.
In this tour de force of science history, Manjit Kumar gives a dramatic and superbly written account of this fundamental scientific revolution, focusing on the central conflict between Einstein and Bohr over the nature of reality and the soul of science. This revelatory book takes a close look at the golden age of physics, the brilliant young minds at its core, and how an idea ignited the greatest intellectual debate of the 20th century.
Manjit Kumar was the founding editor of Prometheus, an arts-and-sciences journal. He has written and reviewed for various publications, including the Guardian, and is a consulting science editor at Wired UK. He lives in London.
©2008 Manjit Kumar (P)2010 Blackstone AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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For thousands of years mathematicians solved progressively more difficult algebraic equations, until they encountered the quintic equation, which resisted solution for three centuries. Working independently, two prodigies ultimately proved that the quintic cannot be solved by a simple formula. The first popular account of the mathematics of symmetry and order, The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved is told not through abstract formulas but in a beautifully written and dramatic account of the lives and work of some of the greatest and most intriguing mathematicians in history.
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Historical Perspective Appreciated
- By Michael Hanrahan on 01-22-20
By: Mario Livio
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Euclid's Window
- The Story of Geometry from Parallel Lines to Hyperspace
- By: Leonard Mlodinow
- Narrated by: Robert Blumenfeld
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
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Through Euclid's Window Leonard Mlodinow brilliantly and delightfully leads us on a journey through five revolutions in geometry, from the Greek concept of parallel lines to the latest notions of hyperspace. Here is an altogether new, refreshing, alternative history of math revealing how simple questions anyone might ask about space -- in the living room or in some other galaxy -- have been the hidden engine of the highest achievements in science and technology.
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Wow!
- By Eric on 08-13-10
By: Leonard Mlodinow
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Beyond Uncertainty
- Heisenberg, Quantum Physics, and the Bomb
- By: David C. Cassidy
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 22 hrs and 14 mins
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Since the fall of the Soviet Union, long-suppressed information has emerged on Heisenberg’s role in the Nazi atomic bomb project. In Beyond Uncertainty, Cassidy interprets this and other previously unknown material within the context of his vast research and tackles the vexing questions of a scientist’s personal responsibility and guilt when serving an abhorrent military regime.
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Well done!
- By David on 12-31-14
By: David C. Cassidy
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The Age of Entanglement
- When Quantum Physics was Reborn
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- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
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A brilliantly original and richly illuminating exploration of entanglement, the seemingly telepathic communication between two separated particles - one of the fundamental concepts of quantum physics.
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Quite nice
- By Michael on 02-14-10
By: Louisa Gilder
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The Day We Found the Universe
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From one of our most acclaimed science writers: a dramatic narrative of the discovery of the true nature and startling size of the universe, delving back past the moment of revelation to trace the decades of work--by a select group of scientists--that made it possible.
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Worth the Effort
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Coming of Age in the Milky Way
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Humans have long sought to comprehend the enormities of cosmic space and time. Here, best selling science writer Timothy Ferris tells the story of that quest. He interweaves the majestic themes of astronomy, physics, religion, and philosophy with fresh and lasting portraits of the men and women who created what has been called our society's most precious treasure - its conception of the universe at large.
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Brief survey of discovery from Columbus to now
- By serine on 01-23-16
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The Unknown Universe
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- By: Stuart Clark
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
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On March 21, 2013, the European Space Agency released a map of the afterglow of the big bang. Taking in 440 sextillion kilometers of space and 13.8 billion years of time, it is physically impossible to make a better map: We will never see the early universe in more detail. On the one hand, such a view is the apotheosis of modern cosmology; on the other, it threatens to undermine almost everything we hold cosmologically sacrosanct.
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Everything, Absolutely Everything!
- By Gillian on 03-09-17
By: Stuart Clark
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When Einstein Walked with Gödel
- Excursions to the Edge of Thought
- By: Jim Holt
- Narrated by: David Stifel
- Length: 15 hrs and 19 mins
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Does time exist? What is infinity? Why do mirrors reverse left and right but not up and down? In this scintillating collection, Holt explores the human mind, the cosmos, and the thinkers who’ve tried to encompass the latter with the former. With his trademark clarity and humor, Holt probes the mysteries of quantum mechanics, the quest for the foundations of mathematics, and the nature of logic and truth. Along the way, he offers intimate biographical sketches of celebrated and neglected thinkers, from the physicist Emmy Noether to the computing pioneer Alan Turing and the discoverer of fractals, Benoit Mandelbrot.
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A good overview of scientific theory
- By MJ Walters on 09-11-18
By: Jim Holt
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Quantum Enigma
- Physics Encounters Consciousness
- By: Bruce Rosenblum, Fred Kuttner
- Narrated by: Christopher Grove
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
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In trying to understand the atom, physicists built quantum mechanics, the most successful theory in science and the basis of one-third of our economy. They found, to their embarrassment, that with their theory, physics encounters consciousness. Authors Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner explain all this in nontechnical terms with help from some fanciful stories and anecdotes about the theory's developers. They present the quantum mystery honestly, emphasizing what is and what is not speculation.
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Wow. Very Informative and mind boggling.
- By Kevin Harper, Realtor on 08-11-17
By: Bruce Rosenblum, and others
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There may never be another era of science like the first half of the twentieth century, when many of the most important physicists ever to live—Marie Curie, Max Planck, Wolfgang Pauli, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Ernst Schrödinger, Albert Einstein, and others—came together to uncover the quantum world: a concept so outrageous and shocking, so contrary to traditional physics, that its own founders rebelled against it until the equations held up and fundamentally changed our understanding of reality. Tobias Hürter takes us back to this uniquely momentous and harrowing time.
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The Quantum Revelation
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Written for those with no physics background, Paul Levy's latest book, The Quantum Revelation: A Radical Synthesis of Science and Spirituality, is for those who have heard that quantum physics is a fascinating subject but don't quite understand how or why.
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What listeners say about Quantum
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Charles E. Grant
- 10-31-10
Excellent survey of early history of quantum th.
If you study quantum mechanics as an undergraduate, you will generally get a nicely packaged product with all the rough edges trimmed off, maybe a paragraph or two about the history of the subject, and almost no treatment of the philosophical underpinnings of the theory or its philosophical implications. This book would make an excellent companion to a physics course in quantum mechanics, though I think it can also be enjoyed by a general reader. It is an excellent survey of the history of the subject touching on work by Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Born, Pauli, Dirac, Heisenberg, de Broglie, and Schrodinger. Short biographies are given for each of the key players, but the real plot is the evolution of quantum theory, as it is patched and re-patched, driven into ever deeper water by experiment after experiment.
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21 people found this helpful
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- Xteeve
- 11-15-12
Wonderful
I had owned the Kindle version for a while, without really having the time, when I decided to buy the audio book. Best use of my credits since I signed up for Audible, as 3 days later, I had listened to every syllable, and was spurred to learn more about the subject.
If you like reading about physics and are curious about Quantum theory or the state and evolution of the science of physics during that time, I believe you'd be hard pressed to find a better listen. I know because after finishing this, I bought Uncertainty by David Lindley, and The Age of Entanglement by Louisa Gilder and they are still sitting in my Library unfinished after 2 months.
I know too little to give a worthy analysis of the scientific content. Suffice it to say, my ignorance was certainly diminished. What I can say however, is that the writer exposed the science and ideas with a masterful touch, and as far as I could ascertain, managed to communicate the gist of the concepts, and the historical context from which they arose.
Last, but certainly not least, the narrator is excellent, at least to my ears. His voice, tone, inflection and delivery were the right combination of pleasing, expressive, and effacing. if that makes any sense.
A wonderful book.
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- Bill
- 01-17-19
If you only read one book on the topic...
This is the one. Emerson said, “All history is biography.” Maybe all knowledge is biography; this book provides a thorough introduction to Quantum Mechanics by documenting the interactions between those involved. I bought this several years ago and listened to it several times.
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- Robert Lopez
- 08-12-16
Great explanation of the history of discovery in physics
Detailed and well written. I am a layman with no formal education in the matter of physics, just a passion and curiosity for it. However, with Wikipedia in hand I think I was able to understand most of the concepts. This book has giving me a deeper understanding of physics because it walked me through how previous discoveries led to latter ones.
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- bbtt
- 12-22-16
Great Story.
If you could sum up Quantum in three words, what would they be?
Uplifting. Absorbing. Inspiring.
What did you like best about this story?
Einstein's almost superhuman mind and Bohr's subtle and unyielding persistence in his own belief.
What about Ray Porter’s performance did you like?
He has a clear and firm voice. His enunciation is incredible. He makes the story come alive.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes. But unfortunately, I cannot. I have to work and take care of kids. :)
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- Robert Patla
- 12-16-20
History of the quantum evolution
An excellent demonstration of how the concepts of quantum theories built one upon the other and person upon person over time.
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- M Elliot Frost
- 10-19-21
A must read if you are even a little bit into the quantum
This was a wonderful description and interpretation of the history of the quantum. Bringing about such precise historical references to the journey of the universe at the smallest level.
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- Bookworm Dave
- 04-22-22
Quantum theory in an accessible way
Excellent narration. Fascinating explanation of an extremely complex subject. Read it because our book club chose it; I wouldn't have picked it on my own. So glad we did. Recommended.
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- Mike
- 01-25-23
What a terrific book
I have read 10-15 texts on quantum physics, but this is superior to all; just a joy to listen to Ray Porter's voice combined with masterful stitching of historical events woven into an arrow-straight storyline from start to finish. This is more STORY than TEXTBOOK, but I think that's what makes it special... there are none of the long-winded formulae present in every other book on the subject which only detract by creating a discontinuous story or forcing the reader to draw some kind of conclusion from self-calculation. This book is the result of someone who entirely UNDERSTANDS the subject matter and dumb'ed it down for us mere mortals, much like Einstein himself would do. Bravo.
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- Bill
- 11-16-23
Details
Detailed reported discussions between renowned physicists presented as if you were there. A very good introduction & foundation for theroretical physics.
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