Paul Halpern is a professor of physics at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and the author of thirteen popular science books, most recently Edge of the Universe. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Scholarship, and an Athenaeum Literary Award. Halpern has appeared on numerous radio and television shows including "Future Quest," "Radio Times," several shows on the History Channel, and The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special. He has contributed opinion pieces for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and is also a regular contributor to NOVA's "The Nature of Reality" physics blog. He lives in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.
Einstein's Dice and Schrodinger's Cat: How Two Great Minds Battled Quantum Randomness to Create a Unified Theory of Physics
by Paul Halpern
Paperback
(First Trade Paper Edition)
$16.99
- ISBN-13: 9780465096831
- Publisher: Basic Books
- Publication date: 11/08/2016
- Edition description: First Trade Paper Edition
- Pages: 288
- Product dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.80(d)
Eligible for FREE SHIPPING details
.
16.99
Out Of Stock
"A fascinating and thought-provoking story, one that sheds light on the origins of... the current challenging situation in physics."
—Wall Street Journal
When the fuzzy indeterminacy of quantum mechanics overthrew the orderly world of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Erwin Schrödinger were at the forefront of the revolution. Neither man was ever satisfied with the standard interpretation of quantum mechanics, however, and both rebelled against what they considered the most preposterous aspect of quantum mechanics: its randomness. Einstein famously quipped that God does not play dice with the universe, and Schrödinger constructed his famous fable of a cat that was neither alive nor dead not to explain quantum mechanics but to highlight the apparent absurdity of a theory gone wrong. But these two giants did more than just criticize: they fought back, seeking a Theory of Everything that would make the universe seem sensible again.
In Einstein's Dice and Schrödinger's Cat, physicist Paul Halpern tells the little-known story of how Einstein and Schrödinger searched, first as collaborators and then as competitors, for a theory that transcended quantum weirdness. This story of their quest-which ultimately failed-provides readers with new insights into the history of physics and the lives and work of two scientists whose obsessions drove its progress.
Today, much of modern physics remains focused on the search for a Theory of Everything. As Halpern explains, the recent discovery of the Higgs Boson makes the Standard Model-the closest thing we have to a unified theory- nearly complete. And while Einstein and Schrödinger failed in their attempt to explain everything in the cosmos through pure geometry, the development of string theory has, in its own quantum way, brought this idea back into vogue. As in so many things, even when they were wrong, Einstein and Schrödinger couldn't help but get a great deal right.
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
-
- The Nature of Space and Time
- by Stephen HawkingRoger PenroseStephen HawkingRoger Penrose
-
- Feynman's Tips on Physics:…
- by Richard P. FeynmanMichael A. GottliebRalph Leighton
-
- Six Not-So-Easy Pieces:…
- by Richard P. FeynmanRobert B. LeightonMatthew Sands
-
- The Perfect Theory: A Century…
- by Pedro G. Ferreira
-
- Time Reborn: From the Crisis…
- by Lee Smolin
-
- Gravity
- by George Gamow
-
- "Surely You're Joking…
- by Richard P. FeynmanBill GatesRalph Leighton
-
- Classic Feynman: All the…
- by Richard P. FeynmanRalph Leighton
-
- Quantum Enigma: Physics…
- by Bruce RosenblumFred Kuttner
-
- The Universe in the Rearview…
- by Dave Goldberg
Recently Viewed
From the Publisher
A New Scientist Best Read of 2015"Entertaining and evocative."—New Scientist
"[Told] with humor and concision."—Nature
"This book can be put on the reading list of those who have enjoyed The Theory of Everything and want to know more."—Physics World
"A highly approachable book that will appeal to readers...who are interested in physics, the history of science, and the human and political aspects of scientists and their work."—Library Journal
"That's a lot to cover in a single book, and the author masters this challenge most thoroughly."—MAA Reviews
"As a fan of popular science books and someone who has used phrases such as 'God does not play dice' and 'Schrodinger's Cat' in my songs, I found Paul Halpern's book illuminating and entertaining."—Roland Orzabal, co-founding member of Tears for Fears
Publishers Weekly
02/02/2015Halpern (Edge of the Universe) attempts his own grand unification in this look at the lives, work, and friendship of two giants of physics. He details the romances, careers, and politics of contemporaries Albert Einstein and Erwin Schrödinger from their earliest childhood brushes with science to their deaths, updating what is known of Einstein’s life thanks to a recently released trove of early letters. Both Einstein and Schrödinger staunchly believed that randomness had no place in a theory that described the universe and spent much of their later years futilely crafting explanations that failed to fully explain reality. Halpern, himself a physics professor, is challenged by the task of summarizing and explaining the work of his two principal subjects, as well as that of every other serious physicist of the 20th century. Quantum physics, even in précis form, is a level beyond rocket science, and the author does his best, even giving a taste of current progress in the field. Like this pair of geniuses, Halpern has his own difficulties with quantum theory, but as he notes of Einstein and Schrödinger, “even the most brilliant scientists are human.” Agent: Giles Anderson, Anderson Literary Agency. (Apr.)
Library Journal
02/15/2015Halpern (physics, Univ. of the Sciences, Philadelphia; Collider; Brave New Universe) describes the relationship between two Nobel-winning physicists. Albert Einstein, who was the elder of the two men, was a mentor to and correspondent with Erwin Schrödinger, and each was supportive of the other's work until their competing ideas on a theory unifying gravity and electromagnetism collided. The clash was exacerbated in large part by a media frenzy to which both contributed and from which both suffered, though they later able made some amends. Rapid changes in physics and in world politics in the 20th century, and events in the men's personal lives are woven elegantly into the narration that is accentuated by poetic section titles such as "Gift from the Devil's Grandmother." A unifying theory is still elusive, leaving one to wonder if, had things gone differently, these two would have validated such a theory and we would know more about our universe. VERDICT A highly approachable book that will appeal to readers high school and up, who are interested in physics, the history of science, and the human and political aspects of scientists and their work.—Sara R. Tompson, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Lib., Archives & Records Section, Pasadena, CA
Kirkus Reviews
2014-12-27The history of a grand theory—the theory of everything, aka the unified field theory—that never achieved flight and the two household names that kicked the fledgling theory from the nest before its time.This is a solid story of how scientific progress is achieved, or not, incorporating the mindsets Albert Einstein and Erwin Schrödinger brought to the creation and elaboration of their various theories in physics. With verve, Halpern (Physics/Univ. of the Sciences in Philadelphia; Edge of the Universe: A Voyage to the Cosmic Horizon and Beyond, 2012, etc.) explores the fragile nature of scientific collaboration—especially when two substantial egos are involved, compounded by one of them being subject to spells of braggadocio and overreaching—and throws light upon the sometimes-murky worlds of determinism and probabilism. The author is generally clear when dealing with the unified theory and the quest to bring together the fundamental forces of nature, but physics in general is a gnarly topic to make clean and simple for the outsider: "Therefore, the cat would be in a zombielike quantum superposition of deceased and living," is difficult enough to grasp, let alone "the square root of the negative of the determinant of the Ricci tensor." But give Halpern serious credit for melding the wealth of math and physics that influenced both Einstein and Schrödinger's work into a coherent whole—symmetry rules, cosmological constants, non-Euclidean geometry. In addition, the author imbues the story with issues that touched the personal lives of both men. Einstein's life feels familiar and true; Schrödinger emerges as someone scarred by envy and not a little opportunistic—e.g., when he composed a "statement of support for the Anschluss." Halpern ably explores the clashing personalities and worldviews that had physics in churning ferment during the early part of the 20th century.