RE: Quantum Physics books
Thanks Phildonnia!
Is this an old or a recently published book?
I've just ordered The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot, so will see if thats any good...... would love someones opinion if they've already read it?? 😀
RE: Quantum Physics books
Interesting that you should mention The Holographic Universe. Here are two links to the article "The Holographic Universe":
http://www.crystalinks.com/holographic.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/holographic2.html
A comprehensive site on quantum physics ... "A Course in Consciousness":
http://faculty.virginia.edu/consciousness/home.html
And here are some links to information regarding Brian Greene's book "The Elegant Universe" and his writings on string theory:
The Elegant Universe:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/
Watch The Elegant Universe (3 hours):
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/program.html
String Theory:
http://superstringtheory.com/index.html
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/21stC/issue-4.2/steele.html
Enjoy!!
RE: Quantum Physics books
I'd actually say that superstring theory is much deeper than, and is the basis of, quantum theory. But I don't find even 'introductory' books on superstrings and the history of the development of that theory to be easy reading. Fascinating, but on the tough side for the layperson.
[As I've pointed out in several threads over time btw, quarks and superstrings appear to have been not only known of, but observed by non-mechanical means, from Vedic times on. They were described in immense detail before the modern theories!]
V
RE: Quantum Physics books
'Wave-particle duality.' Oh God!
When one strips away the 'hard' mathematics and 'physicist-speak', quantum theory and superstring is actually quite easy to understand. Put extremely simply (for I can only understand extreme simplicity :D!) one takes the theory of general relativity down to the nth particle, or 'quantum mechanics.' It's goes from seeing the huge (i.e. the sun and planets) at one end of the spectrum to the seemingly non-existent (i.e. ghosts.) at the other, all linked by a 'string' or 'thread' of wave-particle energy.
It's quite a new branch of physics, and David is right - 'quantum' is based on superstring theory - the notion that everything is linked by 'strings' of wave-particles. It's the point where science meets philosophy.
Hope I've explained it okay. It's as I understand it, and I'm not good at communicating ideas to others in the way I understand them.
Love,
Patsy.
xxxxx
RE: Quantum Physics books
Whew, Patsy, 😉
IME it's all very simple only if you want it explained in a couple of paragraphs. But then you surely ask questions or want to know, "But how can that be? How does that work?" Etc. In the end IME you have to get down to some of the difficult nuts and bolts ... even if nuts and bolts aren't real and are just tiny strings of nothingness! :DAnd it does get complex. I think the maths can largely be left out, yes. But it's still complex without it. IMO!
I guess it all boils down to How much does one want to know? At book-length explanations, superstrings aren't really too simple.
V