Quantum Legacy: The Discovery That Changed the Universe - Hardcover

Parker, Barry R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 157392993X ISBN 13: 9781573929936

Publisher: Prometheus, 2002

Synopsis

Today we all take for granted the many technological marvels that have sprung from quantum physics without ever appreciating the radical paradigm shift that led to these discoveries. The story of the physicists who made the quantum leaps that have so altered our world is a provocative and intriguing one. And there is no better person to describe the history of this quantum revolution in terms that everyone can understand than award-winning physicist and science writer Barry Parker.Parker introduces us to all the major players in this history, offering interesting biographical details that shed light on their important discoveries: Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schroedinger, Paul Dirac, Richard Feynman, and Julian Schwinger. Parker also discusses Einstein's objections to quantum theory ("God does not play dice with the universe."), philosophical implications and "quantum weirdness," as well as the seemingly miraculous practical applications of quantum theory - in lasers, transistors, integrated circuits, computer technology, nuclear energy, and genetics.Parker's gift for turning the subtle complexities of subatomic physics into clearly understandable terms while conveying the excitement and wide-ranging importance of quantum exploration make him the ideal guide to a field that continues to transform our world and ultimately our universe.

About this title

From the Publisher:

The NEW YORK TIMES has praised Barry Parker's lucid and engrossing popular science writing on complex physics as "physics for poets!"

About the Author:

Barry Parker (Pocatello, ID) is an award-winning science writer and the author of twenty-seven highly acclaimed popular science books, including The Physics of War: From Arrows to Atoms; Albert Einstein's Vision: Remarkable Discoveries That Shaped Modern Science; Einstein: The Passions of a Scientist; Einstein's Brainchild: Relativity Made Relatively Easy!;Quantum Legacy: The Discovery That Changed Our Universe and Science 101: Physics. He is professor emeritus of physics at Idaho State University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Prometheus
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 157392993X
• ISBN 13: 9781573929936
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 400