The quantum labyrinth

No cover — Paul Halpern: The quantum labyrinth (2017)

311 pages

English language

Published Dec. 30, 2017

ISBN:: 978-0-465-09758-6
OCLC Number:: 968771418

(1 review)

"In Fall 1939, Richard Feynman, a brash and brilliant recent graduate of MIT, arrived in John Wheeler's Princeton office to report for duty as his teaching assistant. The prim and proper Wheeler timed their interaction with a watch placed on the table. Feynman caught on, and for the next meeting brought his own cheap watch, set it on the table next to Wheeler's, and also began timing the chat. The two had a hearty laugh and a lifelong friendship was born. At first glance, they would seem an unlikely pair. Feynman was rough on the exterior, spoke in a working class Queens accent, and loved playing bongo drums, picking up hitchhikers, and exploring out-of-the way places. Wheeler was a family man, spoke softly and politely, dressed in suits, and had the manners of a minister. Yet intellectually, their roles were reversed. Wheeler was a raging nonconformist, full of wild ideas …

"In Fall 1939, Richard Feynman, a brash and brilliant recent graduate of MIT, arrived in John Wheeler's Princeton office to report for duty as his teaching assistant. The prim and proper Wheeler timed their interaction with a watch placed on the table. Feynman caught on, and for the next meeting brought his own cheap watch, set it on the table next to Wheeler's, and also began timing the chat. The two had a hearty laugh and a lifelong friendship was born. At first glance, they would seem an unlikely pair. Feynman was rough on the exterior, spoke in a working class Queens accent, and loved playing bongo drums, picking up hitchhikers, and exploring out-of-the way places. Wheeler was a family man, spoke softly and politely, dressed in suits, and had the manners of a minister. Yet intellectually, their roles were reversed. Wheeler was a raging nonconformist, full of wild ideas about space, time, and the universe. Feynman was very cautious in his research, wanting to prove and confirm everything himself. Yet when Feynman saw merit in one of Wheeler's crazy ideas and found that it matched experimental data, their joint efforts paid off phenomenally"--

1 edition

Thom reviewed The quantum labyrinth by Paul Halpern

Review of 'The quantum labyrinth' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

A good biography with a lot of physics, or a great book on quantum physics with biographies of Feynman and Wheeler. Take your pick, this is pretty readable - though probably not for the beginner.

The author is a professor of physics, and interviewed one of the two principals in the book. His way of describing particle and quantum physics is smooth, especially in historical context. The early interactions of these two giants led to where we are today, and their continued contact influenced both. Chapters are nicely sectioned, though perhaps the section titles end up a little too cute ("Diet of Worms" for the section where wormholes were first theorized, for instance).

I was favorably reminded of Isaacson's [b:The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution|21856367|The Innovators How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution|Walter Isaacson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1410191571l/21856367.SY75.jpg|41129225], which …

A good biography with a lot of physics, or a great book on quantum physics with biographies of Feynman and Wheeler. Take your pick, this is pretty readable - though probably not for the beginner.

The author is a professor of physics, and interviewed one of the two principals in the book. His way of describing particle and quantum physics is smooth, especially in historical context. The early interactions of these two giants led to where we are today, and their continued contact influenced both. Chapters are nicely sectioned, though perhaps the section titles end up a little too cute ("Diet of Worms" for the section where wormholes were first theorized, for instance).

I was favorably reminded of Isaacson's [b:The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution|21856367|The Innovators How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution|Walter Isaacson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1410191571l/21856367.SY75.jpg|41129225], which emphasized the creative impact of collaboration. This team of physicists discovered and dreamed more than most, and creativity is part of the most impactful discoveries. A decent index, good notes and further reading all help with cross reference. There are a few photos but no diagrams - search engines are your friend here. Recommended.

Subjects

Quantum theory
Time
Space and time
Reality