Something deeply hidden : quantum worlds and the emergence of spacetime /
Material type: TextPublisher: [Boston, Massachusetts] : Dutton, [2019]Copyright date: �2019Description: 345 pages : illustrations ; 23 cmContent type:- text
- unmediated
- volume
- 9781524743017
- 1524743011
- 530
- QC173.96 .S66 2019
Item type | Current library | Home library | Collection | Call number | Copy number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard Loan | Coeur d'Alene Library Adult Nonfiction | Coeur d'Alene Library | Book | 530.12 CARROLL (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 50610022448869 | |||
Standard Loan | St Maries Library Adult Nonfiction | St Maries Library | Book | 530/ CARROLL (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 50610022100932 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
As you read these words, copies of you are being created.
Sean Carroll, theoretical physicist and one of this world's most celebrated writers on science, rewrites the history of 20th century physics. Already hailed as a masterpiece, Something Deeply Hidden shows for the first time that facing up to the essential puzzle of quantum mechanics utterly transforms how we think about space and time. His reconciling of quantum mechanics with Einstein's theory of relativity changes, well, everything.
Most physicists haven't even recognized the uncomfortable truth: physics has been in crisis since 1927. Quantum mechanics has always had obvious gaps--which have come to be simply ignored. Science popularizers keep telling us how weird it is, how impossible it is to understand. Academics discourage students from working on the "dead end" of quantum foundations. Putting his professional reputation on the line with this audacious yet entirely reasonable book, Carroll says that the crisis can now come to an end. We just have to accept that there is more than one of us in the universe. There are many, many Sean Carrolls. Many of every one of us.
Copies of you are generated thousands of times per second. The Many Worlds Theory of quantum behavior says that every time there is a quantum event, a world splits off with everything in it the same, except in that other world the quantum event didn't happen. Step-by-step in Carroll's uniquely lucid way, he tackles the major objections to this otherworldly revelation until his case is inescapably established.
Rarely does a book so fully reorganize how we think about our place in the universe. We are on the threshold of a new understanding--of where we are in the cosmos, and what we are made of.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Part one : Spooky. What's going on : Looking at the quantum world -- The courageous formulation : Pure quantum mechanics -- Why would anybody think this? : How quantum mechanics came to be -- What cannot be known, because it does not exist : Uncertainty and complementarity -- Entangled up in blue : Wave functions of many parts -- Part two : Splitting. Splitting the universe : Decoherence and parallel worlds -- Order and randomness : Where probability comes from -- Does this ontological commitment make me look fat? : A Socratic dialogue on quantum puzzles -- Other ways : Alternatives to many-worlds -- The human side : Living and thinking in a quantum universe -- Part three : Spacetime. Why is there space? : Emergence and locality -- A world of vibrations : Quantum field theory -- Breathing in empty space : Finding gravity within quantum mechanics -- Beyond space and time : Holography, black holes, and the limits of locality -- Epilogue : Everything is quantum.
"Caltech physicist and New York Times bestselling author Sean Carroll shows that there are multiple copies of you. And everyone else. Really. Something Deeply Hidden begins with the news that physics is in a crisis. Quantum mechanics underlies all of modern physics but major gaps in the theory have been ignored since 1927. Science popularizers keep telling us how weird it is, how contradictory, how impossible it is to understand. Academics discourage students from working on the "dead end" of quantum foundations. Putting his professional reputation on the line, Carroll says that crisis can now come to an end. We just have to accept that there is more than one of us in the universe. There are many, many Sean Carrolls. Many of every one of us The Many Worlds Theory of quantum behavior says that every time there is a quantum event, a world splits off with everything in it the same, except in that other world the quantum event didn't happen. As you read this, you are splitting into multiple copies of yourself thousands of times per second. Step-by-step in Carroll's uniquely lucid way, he sets out the major objections to this utterly mind-blowing notion until his case is inescapably established. The holy grail of modern physics is reconciling quantum mechanics with Einstein's general relativity -- his theory of curved spacetime. Carroll argues that our refusal to face up to the mysteries of quantum mechanics has blinded us, and that spacetime and gravity naturally emerge from a deeper reality called the wave function. No book for a popular audience has attempted to make this radical argument. We're on the threshold of a new way of understanding the cosmos." --
Table of contents provided by Syndetics
- Prologue: Don't Be Afraid (p. 1)
- Part 1 Spooky
- 1 What's Going On: Looking at the Quantum World (p. 11)
- 2 The Courageous Formulation: Austere Quantum Mechanics (p. 27)
- 3 Why Would Anybody Think This? How Quantum Mechanics Came to Be (p. 43)
- 4 What Cannot Be Known, Because It Does Not Exist: Uncertainty and Complementarity (p. 69)
- 5 Entangled Up in Blue: Wave Functions of Many Parts (p. 91)
- Part 2 Splitting
- 6 Splitting the Universe: Decoherence and Parallel Worlds (p. 109)
- 7 Order and Randomness: Where Probability Comes From (p. 129)
- 8 Does This Ontological Commitment Make Me Look Fat? A Socratic Dialogue on Quantum Puzzles (p. 151)
- 9 Other Ways: Alternatives to Many-Worlds (p. 177)
- 10 The Human Side: Living and Thinking in a Quantum Universe (p. 205)
- Part 3 Spacetime
- 11 Why Is There Space? Emergence and Locality (p. 229)
- 12 A World of Vibrations: Quantum Field Theory (p. 247)
- 13 Breathing in Empty Space: Finding Gravity within Quantum Mechanics (p. 267)
- 14 Beyond Space and Time: Holography, Black Holes, and the Limits of Locality (p. 291)
- Epilogue: Everything Is Quantum (p. 309)
- Appendix: The Story of Virtual Particles (p. 313)
- Acknowledgments (p. 323)
- Further Reading (p. 327)
- References (p. 329)
- Index (p. 337)
Excerpt provided by Syndetics
Reviews provided by Syndetics
Library Journal Review
Caltech theoretical physicist Carroll (The Big Picture) wants readers to know that the current understanding of reality is wrong, arguing that the Multi Worlds theory related to quantum reality is the correct view to perceive the universe. The author begins with a statement that many physicists believe they fully understand the universe based on ideas developed in 1927, but that they only understand a piece of the bigger picture. After a brief historical overview of the development of quantum physics, Carroll spends the remainder of the book explaining that every time an event is observed, reality splits into different branches. This is ultimately the Multi Worlds idea: that each observation or event causes a duplicate reality to form where that observation or event did not occur. Carroll uses some equations to prove his concepts and describes them clearly. Readers unfamiliar with quantum physics may have difficulty grasping the concepts, but after some rereading of more advanced ideas (such as the wave function), they should begin to understand the hypotheses provided. VERDICT Fans of popular science authors such as Neil deGrasse Tyson and John Gribbin will find great joy while exploring these groundbreaking concepts. [See Prepub Alert, 3/4/19.]--Jason L. Steagall, formerly with Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WIPublishers Weekly Review
Theoretical physicist Carroll (The Big Picture) explores holes in the foundation of modern physics in this challenging, provocative book. Quantum mechanics is, according to Carroll, "the deepest, most comprehensive view of reality we know of." But while it answers questions about how the universe works at the microscopic level, quantum theory still, nearly 100 years after its introduction, has unresolved issues. Albert Einstein disdained quantum mechanics as "spooky" and said it would never be complete, and so far, Carroll says, he's been right. Carroll presents his argument with words rather than math, striving to make even the most abstract ideas clear. At the heart of his discussion are equations called "wave functions" that describe the real world. The problem is that wave functions have many possible solutions and each describes a branch, or another reality, in spacetime. Carroll gives a sense of both the frustration and the wonder that the many-worlds theory inspires, and what it implies about free will and human consciousness. Moving smoothly through different topics and from objects as small as particles to those as enormous as black holes, Carroll's exploration of quantum theory introduces readers to some of the most groundbreaking ideas in physics today. (Sept.) This review has been updated with more precise language regarding wave functions.Booklist Review
Armchair physicists everywhere know how Niels Bohr bested Albert Einstein in their clash over quantum mechanics. But Carroll convincingly shows that Bohr prevailed by offering powerful formulas while dodging the questions Einstein raised about the fundamental realities behind those formulas. Readers revisit these questions by pondering the puzzling consequences of any measurement in Bohr's quantum system and considering the baffling failure of that system to explain the dynamics of quantum phenomena. Laying aside Bohr's mystifications, Carroll finds a rigorous response to Einstein's concerns in the quantum theorizing of Hugh Everett III. Readers will recognize the attractiveness of Everett's quantum paradigm, offering a clear picture of reality, not merely a blur of probabilities. They will appreciate, too, the conceptual parsimony of a quantum science distilling its entire framework in a single wave formula. But they must confront the paradigm's controversial implication that every quantum event spawns a new, parallel universe. Though many physicists resist Everett's notion of physically unobservable universes, Carroll argues persuasively that every available alternative to Everett's formulation entangles scientists in inconsistencies likely to foreclose progress in developing a much-needed quantum explanation of gravity. Readers in this universe (and others?) will relish the opportunity to explore the frontiers of science in the company of titans.--Bryce Christensen Copyright 2010 BooklistKirkus Book Review
The latest attempt to describe the "holy grail of modern physics."Although in theory it works brilliantly, no one fully understands quantum mechanics. However, Carroll (Theoretical Physics/Caltech; The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself, 2016, etc.) works hardand somewhat successfullyto deliver an accessible explanation. "Quantum mechanics," he writes, "is unique among physical theories in drawing an apparent distinction between what we see and what really is.If we free our minds from certain old-fashioned and intuitive ways of thinking, we find that quantum mechanics isn't hopelessly mystical or inexplicable. It's just physics." This doesn't bother most physicists, who belong to the shut-up-and-calculate school, and searching for a deep meaning is unfashionable. Carroll swims against the tide, explaining several theories that attempt to describe what is happening, with an emphasis on his favorite, the many-worlds theory. He begins by pointing out that in our everyday world, the world of classical mechanics, every object has two features: a location and a velocity. Everything is transparent; whatever happens to that object is explained by classical laws of physicsessentially Newton's. In contrast, every quantum object has one feature: a wave function defined by Schrdinger's 1926 equation, which explains what happens when one measures it. Although true for objects of any size, quantum mechanics becomes essential at the atomic and subatomic levels. Some popular writers proclaim that this demonstrates our ignorance or perhaps a mysterious spiritual element in the universe. The author disagrees but admits that, as a description of how reality works, it makes no sense. Eschewing mathematics, Carroll labors mightily to reveal the meaning behind quantum mechanics with a major detour into general relativity, both of which might benefit from at least a little math.Readers who remember freshman college physics will be intrigued; others will struggle. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.Author notes provided by Syndetics
Sean Carroll was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 5, 1966. He received his PhD in astronomy and astrophysics from Harvard University (1993) and worked as an assistant professor at the University of Chicago. Currently he is a research faculty member at Caltech.His television appearances include the The Universe on the History Channel, Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman on the Science Channel and The Colbert Report on Comedy Central.
He is the author of Spacetime and Geometry, From Eternity to Here, The Particle at the End of the Universe (2013 winner of the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books), and The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Patron comment on 02/16/2020
This is one of the best treatments of understanding something that is not understandable by common rational physics. Quantum mechanics/physics is best understood as a field of science that is difficult, mysterious or as Einstein stated "Spooky". Quantum physics is used and it is at the heart of modern physics but nobody really understands it (think God). As the author, Sean Carroll wrote, "if you want to dig deeper and ask what is really going on, we simply don't know." I like his honesty and his attempts to explain that which is beyond full comprehension. Read it and you will end up with vibrations and "many-worlds" and something deeply hidden... really hidden. Recommended.