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Quantum

Einstein, Bohr, and the Great Debate about the Nature of Reality

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Quantum

By: Manjit Kumar
Narrated by: Ray Porter
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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 Audio Professionals & Academics Science Science & Technology
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Reviews

“Lively…A wide-ranging account, written for readers who are curious about the theory but want to sidestep its mathematical complexities….Fascinating.” ( The New York Times Book Review)
“With vigor and elegance, Kumar…recounts this meaty, dense, exciting story, filled with vivid characters and sharp insights. With physics undergoing another revolution today, Kumar reminds us of a time when science turned the universe upside down.” ( Publishers Weekly)
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Brought the interactions and scientists’ stories and investigations to life, though I sometimes wondered if I was listening to an AI voice. Wish I had had such a resource available when I studied physics at university.

Fascinating mix of history and science

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The anedoctical part is good, notwithstanding some inaccuracies. The last chapter on interpretation Is extremely superficial, mixing distinct issues like locality, realism and causality. Once again, the folclore on *local realism" or "local hidden variables" triumphs, while It Is nowadays well understood that locality Is the only ingredient of Bell's inequalities (niether realism nor hidden variables play any role). Even the final victory of Bohr Is highly questionable. In summary, a disappointing book.

Not so accurate

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