Einstein's dice and Schrödinger's cat: how two great minds battled quantum randomness to create a unified theory of physics

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher:
Basic Books
Pub. Date:
2015
Language:
English
Description
When the fuzzy indeterminacy of quantum mechanics overthrew the orderly world of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Erwin Schrödinger were at the forefront of the revolution. Neither man was ever satisfied with the standard interpretation of quantum mechanics, however, and both rebelled against what they considered the most preposterous aspect of quantum mechanics: its randomness. Einstein famously quipped that God does not play dice with the universe, and Schrödinger constructed his famous fable of a cat that was neither alive nor dead not to explain quantum mechanics but to highlight the apparent absurdity of a theory gone wrong. But these two giants did more than just criticize: they fought back, seeking a Theory of Everything that would make the universe seem sensible again. In Einstein's Dice and Schrödinger's Cat, physicist Paul Halpern tells the little-known story of how Einstein and Schrödinger searched, first as collaborators and then as competitors, for a theory that transcended quantum weirdness. This story of their quest-which ultimately failed-provides readers with new insights into the history of physics and the lives and work of two scientists whose obsessions drove its progress. Today, much of modern physics remains focused on the search for a Theory of Everything. As Halpern explains, the recent discovery of the Higgs Boson makes the Standard Model-the closest thing we have to a unified theory- nearly complete. And while Einstein and Schrödinger failed in their attempt to explain everything in the cosmos through pure geometry, the development of string theory has, in its own quantum way, brought this idea back into vogue. As in so many things, even when they were wrong, Einstein and Schrödinger couldn't help but get a great deal right.
Also in This Series
More Like This
More Details
Contributors:
ISBN:
9780465075713
9780465040650
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Staff View

Grouping Information

Grouped Work ID6a734097-ac10-93b7-cbfc-1bf8f3c4c6c3
Grouping Titleeinsteins dice and schrodingers cat how two great minds battled quantum randomness to create a unified theory of physics
Grouping Authorpaul halpern
Grouping Categorybook
Grouping LanguageEnglish (eng)
Last Grouping Update2024-04-18 18:33:17PM
Last Indexed2024-04-22 22:46:51PM

Solr Fields

accelerated_reader_point_value
0
accelerated_reader_reading_level
0
author
Halpern, Paul, 1961-
author2-role
hoopla digital
author_display
Halpern, Paul
display_description
When the fuzzy indeterminacy of quantum mechanics overthrew the orderly world of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Erwin Schrödinger were at the forefront of the revolution. Neither man was ever satisfied with the standard interpretation of quantum mechanics, however, and both rebelled against what they considered the most preposterous aspect of quantum mechanics: its randomness. Einstein famously quipped that God does not play dice with the universe, and Schrödinger constructed his famous fable of a cat that was neither alive nor dead not to explain quantum mechanics but to highlight the apparent absurdity of a theory gone wrong. But these two giants did more than just criticize: they fought back, seeking a Theory of Everything that would make the universe seem sensible again. In Einstein's Dice and Schrödinger's Cat, physicist Paul Halpern tells the little-known story of how Einstein and Schrödinger searched, first as collaborators and then as competitors, for a theory that transcended quantum weirdness. This story of their quest-which ultimately failed-provides readers with new insights into the history of physics and the lives and work of two scientists whose obsessions drove its progress. Today, much of modern physics remains focused on the search for a Theory of Everything. As Halpern explains, the recent discovery of the Higgs Boson makes the Standard Model-the closest thing we have to a unified theory- nearly complete. And while Einstein and Schrödinger failed in their attempt to explain everything in the cosmos through pure geometry, the development of string theory has, in its own quantum way, brought this idea back into vogue. As in so many things, even when they were wrong, Einstein and Schrödinger couldn't help but get a great deal right.
format_category_eh
Books
eBook
format_eh
Book
eBook
id
6a734097-ac10-93b7-cbfc-1bf8f3c4c6c3
isbn
9780465040650
9780465075713
itype_eh
ADULT BOOK
last_indexed
2024-04-23T04:46:51.092Z
lexile_score
-1
literary_form
Non Fiction
literary_form_full
Non Fiction
primary_isbn
9780465075713
publishDate
2015
publisher
Basic Books
recordtype
grouped_work
subject_facet
Einstein, Albert, -- 1879-1955
Electronic books
Physics -- Philosophy
Quantum chaos
Quantum theory -- Philosophy
Schrödinger, Erwin, -- 1887-1961
Unified field theories
title_display
Einstein's dice and Schrödinger's cat : how two great minds battled quantum randomness to create a unified theory of physics
title_full
Einstein's Dice and Schrödinger's Cat : How Two Great Minds Battled Quantum Randomness to Create a Unified Theory of Physics [electronic resource] / Paul Halpern
Einstein's dice and Schrödinger's cat : how two great minds battled quantum randomness to create a unified theory of physics / Paul Halpern, PhD
title_short
Einstein's dice and Schrödinger's cat
title_sub
how two great minds battled quantum randomness to create a unified theory of physics
topic_facet
Einstein, Albert
Electronic books
Philosophy
Physics
Quantum chaos
Quantum theory
Schrödinger, Erwin
Unified field theories

Solr Details Tables

item_details

Bib IdItem IdShelf LocCall NumFormatFormat CategoryNum CopiesIs Order ItemIs eContenteContent SourceeContent URLDetailed StatusLast CheckinLocation
ils:.b24142220.i55472448Ledyard/Gales Ferry Nonfiction530.133 Hal1falsefalseOn Shelflgan
ils:.b24142220.i54494291Hamden/Miller Adult Nonfiction 3rd Floor530.133/HAL1falsefalseOn Shelfhmanb
ils:.b24142220.i54327313Wallingford Adult Nonfiction530.133 HALPERN1falsefalseOn Shelfwaan
hoopla:MWT15984338Online Hoopla CollectionOnline HooplaeBookeBook1falsetrueHooplahttps://www.hoopladigital.com/title/12528779?utm_source=MARC&Lid=hh4435Available Online

record_details

Bib IdFormatFormat CategoryEditionLanguagePublisherPublication DatePhysical DescriptionAbridged
ils:.b24142220BookBooksEnglishBasic Books2015x, 271 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
hoopla:MWT15984338eBookeBookEnglishBasic Books20151 online resource (288 pages)

scoping_details_eh

Bib IdItem IdGrouped StatusStatusLocally OwnedAvailableHoldableBookableIn Library Use OnlyLibrary OwnedHoldable PTypesBookable PTypesLocal Url
ils:.b24142220.i55472448On ShelfOn Shelffalsetruetruefalsefalsefalse9999
ils:.b24142220.i54494291On ShelfOn Shelffalsetruetruefalsefalsefalse9999
ils:.b24142220.i54327313On ShelfOn Shelffalsetruetruefalsefalsefalse9999
hoopla:MWT15984338Available OnlineAvailable Onlinefalsetruefalsefalsefalsefalse