The Quantum Zoo: A Tourist's Guide to the Neverending UniverseNational Academies Press, 29.03.2006 - 201 Seiten The two towering achievements of modern physics are quantum theory and Einstein's general theory of relativity. Together, they explain virtually everything about the world we live in. But, almost a century after their advent, most people haven't the slightest clue what either is about. Did you know that there's so much empty space inside matter that the entire human race could be squeezed into the volume of a sugar cube? Or that you grow old more quickly on the top floor of a building than on the ground floor? And did you realize that 1% of the static on a TV tuned between stations is the relic of the Big Bang? These and many other remarkable facts about the world are direct consequences of quantum physics and relativity. Quantum theory has literally made the modern world possible. Not only has it given us lasers, computers, and nuclear reactors, but it has provided an explanation of why the sun shines and why the ground beneath our feet is solid. Despite this, however, quantum theory and relativity remain a patchwork of fragmented ideas, vaguely understood at best and often utterly mysterious. They have even gained a reputation of being beyond the understanding of the average person. Author Marcus Chown emphatically disagrees. As Einstein himself said, "Most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone." If you think that the marvels of modern physics have passed you by, it is not too late. In Chown's capable hands, quantum physics and relativity are not only painless but downright fun. So sit back, relax, and get comfortable as an adept and experienced science communicator brings you quickly up to speed on some of the greatest ideas in the history of human thought. |
Im Buch
Ergebnisse 1-3 von 41
Seite 99
... Earth to Mars . In practice this can be done by bouncing a radio signal from Earth off Mars and picking up the re- turn signal . If it takes 10 minutes for the round - trip , then it must take 5 minutes to travel from the spaceship to Earth ...
... Earth to Mars . In practice this can be done by bouncing a radio signal from Earth off Mars and picking up the re- turn signal . If it takes 10 minutes for the round - trip , then it must take 5 minutes to travel from the spaceship to Earth ...
Seite 126
... Earth as it travels through space is constantly bent toward the Sun , so much so that the planet traces out a near - circular orbit . Quite reasonably , we explain away this motion by saying that the Sun exerts a force of at- traction ...
... Earth as it travels through space is constantly bent toward the Sun , so much so that the planet traces out a near - circular orbit . Quite reasonably , we explain away this motion by saying that the Sun exerts a force of at- traction ...
Seite 133
... Earth's surface . In the accelerating rocket , the force that pins the astronaut's feet to the floor pulls him vertically downward - wherever he stands in the cabin . On Earth's surface , however , it matters where you stand because ...
... Earth's surface . In the accelerating rocket , the force that pins the astronaut's feet to the floor pulls him vertically downward - wherever he stands in the cabin . On Earth's surface , however , it matters where you stand because ...
Inhalt
Breathing in Einstein | 3 |
Why God Plays Dice with the Universe | 15 |
The Schizophrenic Atom | 26 |
Urheberrecht | |
10 weitere Abschnitte werden nicht angezeigt.
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
accelerating actually alpha particle astronaut atomic nucleus beam behave Big Bang billion black hole body bosons clock Consequently cosmic background radiation dark matter Decoherence detectors direction distance double slit experiment Earth effect Einstein Einstein's theory elec electrical charge electromagnetic electrons empty space energy of motion entanglement event everyday world existence fact fermions forms of energy fundamental galaxies happens Heisenberg uncertainty principle helium idea identical indistinguishable inflation instance interference kilometers large number laws of physics Lego bricks liquid mass massive metal microscopic particle microscopic world molecules moving neutron star nuclear observer orbit path percent photons physicists places at once planets possible predict probability wave quantum computer quantum theory qubits ricochet screen shrinking space-time special relativity special theory speed of light spin squeezed subatomic particle superfluid superposition surface temperature theory of gravity theory of relativity thing Think ticle tiny tion trons turns Universe warped white dwarf