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Review: The Cosmic Code

Redaktioneller Bericht - Kirkus Reviews

Quantum physics clarified--with a passion to convey its enigmas as well as its illuminations. Pagels, a theoretical physicist at Rockefeller Univ., appropriately leads in through deterministic physics and Einstein (""For him, it was unthinkable that there was arbitrariness and chance in the fundamental structure of the universe"") to the ""discomforts"" of indeterminism and randomness, the operation of statistical and quantum mechanics. And--""why the indeterminism of the quantum theory is so important for our picture of reality: in principle there is a material basis for the freedom of human consciousness and the evolution of the species."" Pagels then proceeds to review the levels of matter and arrives at today's openended questions about the ultimate particles--quarks, leptons, and gluons. (Gluons? ""The glue that holds the world together."") Along the way, he scrupulously and appreciatively lays out the historic details--with some fine, lesser-known quotes (Pauli, commenting at 19 on a Munich lecture: ""You know, what Mr. Einstein said is not so stupid. . .""); he comfortably works in his own researches, acquaintanceships, and extra-curricular experiences; he describes key experiments and theoretical investigations at length. And his carefully-structured arguments convince the reader that relativity and quantum mechanics are the best solution yet produced to decipher the cosmic code. At the same time, Pagels makes it clear that we cannot use visual metaphor or analogy to ease the transition from Newton and causality to Planck, Bohr, Heisenberg, SchrÖdinger, et al. You cannot be a ""closet determinist"" and adhere to the ""quantum weirdness."" Some may feel that he rides the causality-determinism dichotomy too hard, or that he extends his explications too far into chemistry, biology, social events--as part of the grand scheme. Overall, however, he provides a guide for the untutored that is original, skillful, often eloquent.

Nutzerrezensionen

Review: The Cosmic Code

Nutzerbericht - Fortunr - Goodreads

Pagels' work is probably one of the best layperson introduction to both interpreting and understanding Quantum Mechanics. The most remarkable part of this book is the description of Bell's Inequality ... Vollständige Rezension lesen

Review: The Cosmic Code

Nutzerbericht - Nancy - Goodreads

I love this book to the point of sentimentality. I don't know how applicable the science still is. Physics has advanced in the years since Pagels wrote it. However, it is accessible to a neophyte, and ... Vollständige Rezension lesen

Review: The Cosmic Code

Nutzerbericht - Gregory - Goodreads

A good primer on quantum physics (from the early eighties) but I found some of his analogies clunky. Vollständige Rezension lesen

Review: The Cosmic Code: Quantum Physics As The Language Of Nature (Penguin Science)

Nutzerbericht - Randy Benson - Goodreads

a wonderful overview on the nature of the revolutions of science in recent centuries, focusing on relativity and quantum theory. . .informative and entertaining. great to read, great to re-read. Vollständige Rezension lesen

Review: The Cosmic Code

Nutzerbericht - Dad - Goodreads

Great book if you are at all interested in physics, Einstein's theory of relativity, and quantum mechanics. This book explains things for the layman better than most although the book was written 27 ... Vollständige Rezension lesen

Review: The Cosmic Code: Quantum Physics As The Language Of Nature (Penguin Science)

Nutzerbericht - rachel - Goodreads

The first popscience physics book i read. started the slowish journey to realizing that not only could i get the basic concepts in quantum physics but that they totally blew my mind in the very best ... Vollständige Rezension lesen