Sneaking a Look at God's Cards (eBook)

Unraveling the Mysteries of Quantum Mechanics - Revised Edition

Giancarlo Ghirardi (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2021
512 Seiten
Princeton University Press (Verlag)
978-0-691-23684-1 (ISBN)

Infos

Quantum mechanics, which describes the behavior of subatomic particles, seems to challenge common sense. Waves behave like particles; particles behave like waves. You can tell where a particle is, but not how fast it is moving--or vice versa. An electron faced with two tiny holes will travel through both at the same time, rather than one or the other. And then there is the enigma of creation ex nihilo, in which small particles appear with their so-called antiparticles, only to disappear the next instant in a tiny puff of energy. Since its inception, physicists and philosophers have struggled to work out the meaning of quantum mechanics. Some, like Niels Bohr, have responded to quantum mechanics' mysteries by replacing notions of position and velocity with probabilities. Others, like Einstein and Penrose, have disagreed and think that the entire puzzle reflects not a fundamental principle of nature but our own ignorance of basic scientific processes. Sneaking a Look at God's Cards offers the general reader a deep and real understanding of the problems inherent to the interpretation of quantum mechanics, from its inception to the present. The book presents a balanced overview of current debates and explores how the theory of quantum mechanics plays itself out in the real world. Written from the perspective of a leading European physicist, it looks extensively at ideas from both sides of the Atlantic and also considers what philosophers have contributed to the scientific discussion of this field. Sneaking a Look at God's Cards sets out what we know about the endlessly fascinating quantum world, how we came to this understanding, where we disagree, and where we are heading in our quest to comprehend the seemingly incomprehensible.

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 14.9.2021
• Übersetzer: Gerald Malsbary
• Zusatzinfo: 3 halftones.135 line illus. 12 tables.
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Quantenphysik
• Schlagworte: Abdus Salam • Abner Shimony • A Book Of • Abraham Pais • A. J. Ayer • Alan Turing • Alice and Bob • Anthropic Principle • Antimatter • ANTISYMMETRY • Asher Peres • Astrology • Atomism • attempt • Axiom • Bayesian probability • Bell state • Bell's theorem • Benjamin Schumacher • Bernard d'Espagnat • Binary number • Birefringence • Bond Energy • Boris Podolsky • Branching (linguistics) • Calculation • Cartesian coordinate system • CERN • chaos theory • cipher • circular reasoning • Classical physics • coincidence • Collimated light • Computation • Counting • Cryptanalysis • cryptography • David Bohm • David Mermin • Democritus • Diagram (category theory) • diffraction • Dimensional Analysis • Double-slit experiment • Elaboration • EPR paradox • Equivalence Principle • estimation • Exchange force • Exchange interaction • Expression (computer science) • Expression (mathematics) • Factorization • Falsity • Fermi–Dirac statistics • For All Practical Purposes • fundamental theorem • Hidden variable theory • Holism • Humour • hypothesis • idealization • Independence (probability theory) • Individuation • Inequality (mathematics) • Information Theory • Instant • Instrumentalism • Interferometry • Interpretations of quantum mechanics • Inverse function • Isidor Isaac Rabi • Julian Schwinger • Kochen–Specker theorem • Leitmotif • Leonard Adleman • Lev Vaidman • Lorentz covariance • Louis de Broglie • Many-worlds interpretation • Mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics • Matrix Mechanics • Maxwell's demon • Measurement • measurement problem • Metaphysics • metatheory • Microelectromechanical Systems • Modern Physics • Moment (mathematics) • Murray Gell-Mann • Nathan Rosen • Neutron interferometer • Newton's law of universal gravitation • Niels Bohr • Node of Ranvier • Nucleon • Observation • perturbation theory • Perturbation theory (quantum mechanics) • Phase space • phenomenological model • Philosophy • Photon • Polarization (waves) • Positivism • positron • precession • Principle of locality • Probability • Pseudorandomness • Psychophysical parallelism • Publication • Public-Key Cryptography • Pythagorean Theorem • quantum correlation • Quantum Cryptography • quantum entanglement • quantum mechanics • Quantum Nonlocality • Quantum probability • quantum superposition • quantum system • quantum teleportation • Qubit • randomness • random sequence • Ray (optics) • Requirement • Richard Feynman • scattering • Scientific Terminology • Self-Actualization • semiconductor • Shadows of the Mind • Signal (electrical engineering) • Slit (gene family) • Solipsism • Special relativity • State of the Environment • Statistic • Stephen Hawking • Stern–Gerlach experiment • stochastic • superposition principle • Tautology (rhetoric) • Term logic • The Interpretation of Dreams • Theorem • theory • Theory of relativity • Thomas Kuhn • Thought experiment • Timbre • Trigonometry • Uncertainty Principle • Variable (computer science) • Variable (mathematics) • wave function • Wave Packet • Wave–particle duality • X-Ray
• ISBN-10: 0-691-23684-4 / 0691236844
• ISBN-13: 978-0-691-23684-1 / 9780691236841