Saturday, September 29, 2012

Top ten books about quantum theory

David Kaiser is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he teaches in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society and the Department of Physics. His books include How the Hippies Saved Physics: Science, Counterculture, and the Quantum Revival.

For the Guardian, Kaiser named his top ten books on quantum theory. One title on the list:
How to Teach Physics to Your Dog, by Chad Orzel (2009)

If physicist Chad Orzel's dog, Emmy, can get the gist of the uncertainty principle, Bell's theorem, and even quantum teleportation, so can you. An expert in the latest efforts to harness the weird features of quantum theory in the laboratory, Orzel has a knack for helpful analogies. Best of all, his book broaches many of the latest ideas and developments, delivering an accessible account every bit as engaging as classics such as Gamow's Mr Tompkins, now brought up-to-date.
Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue