In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality

The book covers the history of quantum physics, basic ideas and theories behind it, and explains how these theories came to be.As a layman, this book was mind-boggling and I experienced *many* wow moments. While the subject matter is a bit complicated and the book contains a lot of info (I definitely don't understand all of it after one reading) it was very well written, engaging and enjoyable.

I have had this book since it was first published in 1984. I have read it half a dozen times and always find something new in it. I finally bought a this version as it was up to date and enabled me to carry it around an read it often.I recommend this book for anybody, whether they be a scientist or just interested in physics as I am, as it is an extremely well put together book, well explained immensely interesting.

Evryone who is interested in nature of the Universe and has a basic knowledge of Physics will enjoy this book. It has been revamped to include some new developments particularly new insight into multiple universe theory and collapse of wave function. An interesting read !

The backstage of the development of quantum mechanics. A book that focuses on the men that revolutionized our ideas of the physical universe in the past century. Great for anyone with interest in history of science and modern physics from a laymen's perspective.

good effort in trying to explain the unexplainable

Bueno no parece nada a la portadaPero esta bien :-:It is not the same as appears in the photo that you see there but is a good book :)You can see that I already received

I always enjoyed John gribbin's books.This is a good one too.

Extremely readable, and informative overview of the history of Quantum Mechanics. Good mix of science and history makes it easier to digest both!

This is a fantastic book if one is just attempting, for the first time, to come to terms with the puzzling yet fascinating world of quantum theory. What makes it different from most other books I read on the subject is the way in which Gribbin tries to explain one phenomenon that, quite often, can be felt as unexplainable. At times, it can still feel overwhelming to those averse to maths, but you can jump over those moments as they will not necessarily be essential for what the book does: if you're not very familiar with the subject, In Search of Schrodinger's Cat will launch you into a magical tale that is a part of our reality as much as anything else, even if you don't actually experience it on a daily basis. And by doing that, it might ultimately also reshape your own view of the world and yourself. Highly recommended.

The title of this book probably highlights its greatest weakness. Updated Edition. This is a history/explanation of quantum physics written in the mid 1980s with the subsequent 30+ years tacked on at the end. There are more recent works which form a more coherent whole, for example Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw's Quantum Universe.The other thing to say is that John Gribbin sets out to do something virtually impossible. Given that the most famous quantum physicist if the mid 20th century, Richard Feynman said "If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics", to write a popular science book on the subject is optimistic to say the least.Any writer seeking to make the subject accessible to the lay reader must travel along the border between explanatory and comprehensibility. To put it another way, by providing a full explanation, s/he run the risk if tunnelling through the border into the region where the reader is lost and confused. For me Gribbin is a little over conservative, not providing enough explanation. For example, while describing one of the early signs of the need for quantum mechanics, the "black body problem" he describes what the problem was - that classical physics predicted an infinite amount of energy - but not why classical physics made this prediction. Linked to this , the early chapters are more about the people involved than the developing theory. That it is a very valid story to tell, but Gribbin almost sits in an indeterminate state between the people and the physics. If you want to read the story through the people, could I recommend Manjit Kumar's excellent Quantum: Einstein, Bohr .....While I have some criticisms of this book, overall it remains an excellent introduction to an incomprehensible subject. While referring to Schrodinger's cat makes for an arresting title, Gribbin seems to agree with another of Feynman's assertions that the double slit experiment is the absolute heart of quantum physics.Having, in previous readings on quantum physics, been troubled by the use of classical terms (e.g. spin" ) to label features of the quantum realm, I was rather taken by Gribbin's suggestion that use of the language of Carroll's Jabberwocky would be equally valid.This book also gives one of the clearest explanations of the differences between the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics and the many worlds version. In an incredibly simplistic nutshell, the former suggests that the universe sits on a sea of probability waves which collapse to certainty when observed, while the latter postulates that the universe splits every time a quantum "decision" is taken.The end of the book, which contains sections referring to developments since the mid-80s, is both tantalising and returns to the main weakness. I wanted to know more about quantum computing, or about why the apparent study of the massive, cosmology, can be viewed as the forefront of the study of the subatomic quantum domain.To finish, if you read this book, you should be able to follow this marvellous joke.Schrodinger and Heisenberg are stopped by a traffic cop.Police Officer: Do you know how fast you were travelling sir?Heisenberg: No, officerPO: 90 mph, sirH: Great, now we're lostPO: and did you know you have a dead cat in the bootSchrodinger: We do now.

I purchased and read this book before embarking on a physics degree. At the time I found it boring, and a drag to read, and came out of the other end quite nonplussed about quantum physics.Having now studied quantum physics I feel in a position to assess to what extent this piece of popular science does a good job of communicating modern physics in simple English. Now there is a limitation, which is that I never fully figured out (and we certainly weren't taught) the precise rational that led from the experiments of the early 20th century to the mathematical formalism used to describe physics at the quantum scale (it seems even the field leader employed some guesswork), however I do feel I understood that formalism quite well.The formalism I'm talking about is called the Dirac formalism, and constitutes a very elegant way of describing quantum particles. Now, my opinion is, that it's such an abstract formalism that you really can't de-mathsify it. All of quantum physics is just really abstract. The author uses the word unintuitive, which really frustrates me (heck, even our lecturers used it). If you explained it properly it wouldn't feel unintuitive! The right word is abstract. Anyway, my point is, if you want to learn about quantum physics, the best way of doing it is just to learn it the mathsy way.If you aren't convinced, bear in mind that theoretical physics is an extremely complicated subject. In a subject such as history, for example, which is a huge subject, there is a lot of breadth, but not much depth. It's easy for a non expert to dive into any period of history they choose; there aren't any significant preliminaries. In theoretical physics, there is very little breadth, but abyssal depth. To properly understand modern developments in quantum theory, you need to start at the very top, and study your way through hundreds of years of developments in maths and physics. This is what makes physics such a tough subject.So it's very audacious indeed for Mr Gribbin to come along and try and condense hundreds of years of cumulative sequential study into a 350 page qualitative piece of popular science, and to be honest, I don't feel he has succeeded. For a good example of a popular science book, check out 'The Epigenetics Revolution'.

Amidst a plethora of books purportedly dealing with "explaining Quantum Theory to the layman" this book stands apart, as well as taller, by virtue of two qualities: -1. It's really really well written, even by the high standards of popular science set by the luminaries, and remains deliciously readable even after more than three decades since its publication.2. It's unapologetically forthcoming, and NEVER tries to dumb down things in an effort towards becoming more "accommodating" and "plebian", which are the more euphemistic expressions for undervaluing the readers.I literally rushed through the first two-third of the book, all along feeling a genuine regret fornthe fact that had I studied this book before embarking on my quest to become a Chemistry graduate, I could have appreciated the things a lot more, in the process picking up much more than a degree.It was, however, the final third that made me sit up, and read & re-read things, only to understand them. That part dealt with actual state of quantum theory, and needs considerable conceptual clarity, which is not so easy to muster at my stage.Nevertheless, if you want to get acquainted with the strange & beautiful world of quantum theory, this is indeed the best introduction that you can procure.Highly Recommended, and happy reading.

When the parcel arrived but before I was able to open it what I hoped would be a book was in a super positional quantum state - or so I thought - but when I opened the box my anxiety collapsed and I realised that I had hit the probability jackpot. There was my book safe and sound in a shared universe created by me, the vendor and the postman. Phew! I observed however that the empty box had itself collapsed into particles of recycling material.