Beyond Measure: Modern Physics, Philosophy And The Meaning Of

Description:
Quantum theory is one of the most important and successful theories of modern physical science. A fact all the more remarkable because quatum theory is a theory that few understand. Most academic textbooks on the subject are written for specialists, filled with complex jargon and dense mathematics. In contrast, there are many popular presentations of the inherent 'weirdness' of the quantum world that are light on jargon and contain no mathematics. Together these presentations serve to create the impression that there are two theories - the 'serious, one and the 'weird' one. Baggott successfully bridges the gulf between these presentations by grounding the discussion of the theory's profound problems directly in its mathematical formalism in a way that under-graduate students and interested individuals can follow.

Review:
To facilitate the flow of the text, the relevant mathematical material has been put into 27 bite-size appendices, which will save the reader much trouble in referring to research journals and more formal textbooks. I think this is an excellent idea. Contemporary Physics What is enormously impressive is the author's thorough and up-to-date treatment of a vast range of recent work in all aspects of quantum mechanics ... I consider this to be an essential purchase for anyone who is at all seriously interested in the philosophical background to quantum mechanics. No graduate student entering this area of physics can possibly afford to be without it. Contemporary Physics Baggott confines all the equations to optional appendices so that the book succeeds in having a broader appeal than might be imagined ... A nice feature of the book is the section on recent experiments including Aspect's famous series of tests of the Bell inequalities. Times Higher Education Supplement Beyond Measure is the ideal book if you are already aware of the weirdness of the quantum world and want to know more. Focus What makes Beyond Measure different from other attempts at explaining quantum physics is the way Baggott has structured the book so that each idea gets its own place, in a series of five mini-books within the book. Focus ... you don't need much maths to understand [Baggott's] arguments, but you do need your brain switched on ... read this and you'll probably know more than the lecturers! Focus ... does for quantum theory what Hawking's A brief history of time did for astronomy and cosmology. Chemistry World ... provides a fascinating account of the history of quantum theory, easy-to-follow guidance in a wide range of quantum principles, and an intriguing discussion of the impact of quantum ideas on modern philosophy. Chemistry World Jim Baggott's Beyond Measure is a lively tour through the major positions in the foundations and interpretation of the quantum theory. It is not a prancing roshis tour but a carefully written and beautifully organized primer on virtually all the interesting issues. Arthur Fine, Professor of Philosophy, Adjunct Professor of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle ... for those with an interest in physics it is highly recommended, both simply as a readable and up-to-date overview of quantum theory as well as as a useful reference work The Complete Review More than a revision of a classic account of quantum mechanics, Jim Baggott's book is the definitive non-technical account of the wonder and understandable strangeness of the theory that underlies all of physics - quantum mechanics. Roald Hoffmann-Nobel prize winner for chemistry in 1981. Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Peter Atkins; Preface; Part I: Discovery; 1. An Act of Desperation; 2. Farewell to Certainty; 3. An Absolute Wonder; Part II: Formalism; 4. Quantum Rules; 5. Quantum Measurement; Part III: Meaning; 6. The Schism; 7. A Bolt from the Blue; 8. Bell's Theorem and Local Reality; Part IV: Experiment; 9. Quantum Non-locality; 10. Complementarity and Entanglement; Part V: Alternatives; 11. Pilot Waves, Potentials and Propensities; 12. An Irreversible Act; 13. I Think, Therefore; 14. Many Worlds, One Universe; Closing Remarks; Appendices; Bibliography