In Search of Schrodinger's Cat: Quantum Physics And Reality Kindle Edition

In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat is one of the more accessible books on quantum physics. Quantum physics, which deal with the properties of subatomic particles, is based on fairly esoteric experiments and somewhat opaque mathematical formulae. Even more than the theory of relativity, it is for the experts. Relativity sort of makes sense. Quantum mechanics does not.Gribbin explains things pretty well: that many of these subatomic particles are both waves and particles. One could say that they have the properties of both a tiny object and a wave, but they do not necessarily have both properties at the same time. Instead of traditional Newtonian mechanics which are described by fairly clear mathematics, in quantum mechanics “events are governed by probabilities.” (2) Hence the paradox of Schrödinger’s cat, there is a 50-50 chance it is dead or alive, but we do not know till we open the box. Indeed, Niels Bohr, one of the pioneers of both relativity and quantum physics said. “Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it.” (5)Much of In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat is the history of the main discoveries of quantum mechanics. It seems like just about everyone named in the book has won a Nobel Prize unless they died young. This helps us see how we arrived at where we are and what the different researchers were looking for or what they discovered. One great ironic/paradoxical sentence: “In 1906 J. J. Thomson had received the Nobel Prize for proving that electrons are particles; in 1937 he saw his son awarded the Nobel Prize for proving that electrons are waves. Both father and son were correct, and both awards were fully merited.” (91)Some connections were made because someone had studied esoteric mathematics in his past. So Max Born discovered some of the strange properties of quanta because he had studied matrices in college. At the time, matrices were interesting mathematical constructions developed in calculus but had no known practical application. Now they do. As in a matrix the numbers may not be commutative—that is, 3 + 2 might not equal 2 + 3—so it is with properties of certain quanta.Gribbin notes: "Wave mechanics is no more a guide to the reality of the atomic world than matrix mechanics, but unlike matrix mechanics, wave mechanics gives us an illusion of something familiar and comfortable." (117)We finally get to the main observation concerning probabilities and particles. "It is a cardinal rule of quantum mechanics that in principle it is impossible to measure certain pairs of properties, including position/momentum, simultaneously." (121)While this does sort of make sense since quanta are both waves (with motion) and particles (in a position), Gribbin’s conclusion? “There is not absolute truth at the quantum level.” (120) Is he absolutely sure about that?Gribbin notes that quantum mechanics explains why the sun shines, when according to “classical theory” it cannot. (Kind of like bees flying…) When he quotes Heisenberg as saying “We cannot know as a matter of principle the present in all its details,” Gribbin states: "This is where quantum theory cuts free from the determinacy of classical ideas. To Newton it would be possible to predict the entire course of the future if we knew the position and momentum of every particle in the universe; to the modern physicist, the idea of such a perfect prediction is meaningless because we cannot even know the position and momentum of even one [Gribbin’s italics] particle precisely." (157)Gribbin notes perhaps the greatest curiosity about quantum physics, that particles like electrons seem to change their properties or state when they are being observed. "In quantum physics the observer interacts with the system to such an extent that the system cannot be thought of having an independent existence. By choosing to measure position more precisely, we force a particle to develop more uncertainty in its momentum, and vice versa." (160)Gribbin tells us that to him the best way to explain this is that there are multiple universes in different dimensions that intersect with each other. To his credit, Gribbin does not bring personal beliefs like these until the last chapter, and he is direct about it, even admitting that it sounds more like science fiction. So we get to see the discoveries of the mysteries of quantum physics without much getting in the way other than the mystery itself. He understands that the reader might not see things his way, but he sees his multiverse hypothesis at least as good as any of the others. Also, unlike many scientists in academia, he is not afraid to mention the anthropic principle.This reviewer recognizes that unless I go back to school, I will never have a completely clear understanding of quantum physics, but In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat is about the best introduction to the subject that I have read (and I have tried a few).

This was my second read of this book. When I read it the first time, I was too stupid to understand it. I am still too stupid to fully grasp everything but for those who are interested in the nature of the Universe, this is an excellent attempt to "dumb down" the subject for the average (or in my case, the below average) person. The book highlights some of the giants in the field - the big brains and deep thinkers who have given us an accurate model of the Universe and have enabled inventions from GPS to the cell phone. Thankfully, there is no or little math here and no requirement to have a PhD in Physics. And it is not really written for cat lovers.

It's hard to overstate the importance of this book. It's also hard to overstate the value. John Gribbin has written one of those timeless books that belongs to the ages. Despite the fact that it's decades out of date, it's still current. Despite the fact that much has been discovered about the field of quantum physics since he wrote this book, nothing in it has been superseded. And yet, it's so clear that "Cat" is one of those books that those of us who write about science and technology as a profession use as a touchstone - a book that we compare our own writing against - and find wanting.My original copy of this book is so worn from reading that it must be replaced. Both of my daughters read this book, and became physicists or are about to. This is a book so important, and so readable, that it helps define its category.This is more than a good read. It's a necessary read.In the years since I wrote the review above, I've learned more, and I've grown to appreciate this book even more. I bought two more copies of this book, which John Gribben generously signed so they'd each have a copy. I've recommended this book to countless people and the feedback I've heard are words of delight and growing appreciation. My daughter who went on to become a physicist at least partly because of this book has grown in her career, and still keeps her copy nearby. My other daughter went on to physics and engineering. I think this book was instrumental in helping them form their lives in science. I can't think of any words to say that can overstate this book's importance, at least to my family. But it has proven similarly transformative to others, so it's probably not just me.My children first read this book when they were eight, and it changed everything. Please also buy it for someone you love and who you want to grow in their understanding of the universe.

This is an awesome introductory book to the wild and wacky world of quantum physics. Gribbin's explanations are clear and cogent, without having to use any mathematics. The only issue now is that it is getting long in the tooth. Not that the Standard Model has been proven incorrect, simply that more nuances have been worked out since it was published.

Anyone who has read in this subject area must concede the interaction of the men who developed the ideas of quantum mechanics is as compelling as the science itself. For the first half to this book, J. Gibbon does a masterful job of creating a narrative that captures the science and the men who developed it. Gibbon's scientific expositons are largley non-technical, but he does an excellent job of identidentifying common misconceptions. Unfortunately, this brilliant account of the birth of quantum mechanics is strangely bookended by 40 pp of cursory filler about "quantum cookery"--or quantum based technologies technologies--followed by a much less adept, largely rushed, analysis of the work of second gen quantum scientists like Richard Feyman. The iconic cat thought experiment only emerges toward the end of the book, and seems strangely uncompelling. Overall, this reads very much like an excellent 100pp book padded into a mediocre 200 page pastiche. A must read, but skip the skip the second half.