Unraveling the Mysteries of Quantum Mechanics - Revised Edition
Buch, Englisch, 512 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 769 g
ISBN: 978-0-691-13037-8
Verlag: Princeton University Press
Quantum mechanics, which describes the behavior of subatomic particles, seems to challenge common sense. Waves behave like particles; particles behave like waves. You can tell where a particle is, but not how fast it is moving--or vice versa. An electron faced with two tiny holes will travel through both at the same time, rather than one or the other. And then there is the enigma of creation ex nihilo, in which small particles appear with their so-called antiparticles, only to disappear the next instant in a tiny puff of energy. Since its inception, physicists and philosophers have struggled to work out the meaning of quantum mechanics. Some, like Niels Bohr, have responded to quantum mechanics' mysteries by replacing notions of position and velocity with probabilities. Others, like Einstein and Penrose, have disagreed and think that the entire puzzle reflects not a fundamental principle of nature but our own ignorance of basic scientific processes. Sneaking a Look at God's Cards offers the general reader a deep and real understanding of the problems inherent to the interpretation of quantum mechanics, from its inception to the present. The book presents a balanced overview of current debates and explores how the theory of quantum mechanics plays itself out in the real world. Written from the perspective of a leading European physicist, it looks extensively at ideas from both sides of the Atlantic and also considers what philosophers have contributed to the scientific discussion of this field. Sneaking a Look at God's Cards sets out what we know about the endlessly fascinating quantum world, how we came to this understanding, where we disagree, and where we are heading in our quest to comprehend the seemingly incomprehensible.
Fachgebiete
Weitere Infos & Material
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xvii
Chapter One: The Collapse of the "Classical" World View 1
Chapter Two: The Polarization of Light 25
Chapter Three: Quanta, Chance Events, and Indeterminism 43
Chapter Four: The Superposition Principle and the Conceptual Structure of the Theory 79
Chapter Five: Visualization and Scientific Progress 111
Chapter Six: The Interpretation of the Theory 120
Chapter Seven: The Bohr-Einstein Dialogue 149
Chapter Eight: A Bolt from the Blue: The Einstein-Podolski-Rosen Argument 165
Chapter Nine: Hidden Variables 195
Chapter Ten: Bell's Inequality and Nonlocality 226
Chapter Eleven: Nonlocality and Superluminal Signals 261
Chapter Twelve: Quantum Cryptography 292
Chapter Thirteen: Quantum Computers 313
Chapter Fourteen: Systems of Identical Particles 331
Chapter Fifteen: From Microscopic to Macroscopic 344
Chapter Sixteen: In Search of a Coherent Framework for All Physical Processes 377
Chapter Seventeen: Spontaneous Localization, Properties, and Perceptions 416
Chapter Eighteen: Macrorealism and Noninvasive Measurements 437
Chapter Nineteen: Conclusions 448
Notes 455
Bibliography 473
Index 477
