Quantum theory is science bordering on the magical. According to theoretical physicist Richard Feynman, nobody really understands it, yet scientists agree that it (almost magically) works.
Jim Baggott has used his own magic to write a book that dives deeply into the quantum world— explaining it without using the arcane mathematics typical of technical books. Relying only on occasional charts and figures, plus a sprinkling of mathematical notation and ample biographical stories of key quantum physicists, the book is wonderfully refreshing reading. It’s not easy, but is rewarding for both the layman and for the technically educated reader.
The book spans slightly more than a century, from Max Plank’s first discussion of quantized energy to CERN’s Large Hadron Collider confirmation of the Higgs boson. The only caveat is that the quantum story is not done. The epilogue of the book is not the ending, rather a moment to stop and consider what will happen next.
Review by Bogdan Hoanca, professor of management information systems at the University of Alaska–Anchorage, USA.
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or OSA.