Quantum Strangeness: Wrestling with Bell’s Theorem and the Ultimate Nature of Reality by George S. Greenstein (PDF)

Description

A physicist’s efforts to understand the enigma that is quantum mechanics.Quantum mechanics is one of the glories of our age. The theory lies at the heart of modern society. Quantum mechanics is one of our most valuable forecasters—a “great predictor.” It has immeasurably altered our conception of the natural world. Its philosophical implications are earthshaking. But quantum mechanics steadfastly refuses to speak of many things; it deals in probabilities rather than giving explicit descriptions. It never explains. Einstein, one of its creators, considered the theory incomplete. Even now, many years after the creation of quantum mechanics, physicists continue to argue about it. Astrophysicist George Greenstein has been both fascinated and confused by quantum mechanics for his entire career. In this book, he describes, engagingly and accessibly, his efforts to understand the enigma that is quantum mechanics. The fastest route to the insight into the ultimate nature of reality revealed by quantum mechanics, Greenstein writes, is through Bell’s Theorem, which concerns reality at the quantum level; and Bell’s 1964 discovery drives Greenstein’s quest. Greenstein recounts a scientific odyssey that begins with Einstein, continues with Bell, and culminates with today’s push to develop an industry of quantum machines. Along the way, he discusses spin, entanglement, experimental metaphysics, and quantum teleportation, often with easy-to-grasp analogies. We have known for decades that the world of the quantum was strange, but, Greenstein says, not until John Bell came along did we know just how strange.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I was very excited to have the mysteries of Quantum Strangeness elucidated by an expert in the field. What I received was a poorly (un?) edited series of tedious anecdotes from an Astrophysicist who never really understood the topic himself.First, does MIT Press have editors?Chapter 1 begins “It was many years ago that I first encountered the Great Predictor.”Chapter 9 begins “It was many years ago that I first encountered the Great Predictor.” and continues with the same 4 paragraphs from chapter 1.Chapter 16 begins “It was many years ago that I first encountered the Great Predictor.” and continues to repeat the introduction *again* for a page and a half!A simple search algorithm could have prevented the egregious editing problems in this text.Second, the substance of this very short (124pgs including the duplicated text) was next to non-existent. It offers some light historical background on the key scientists, John Bell, Einstein of course.. which would be fine if the author ever actually got around to making a concerted effort to provide some depth to the subject matter at hand. Instead the ‘background’ text just feels like padding for content that might make a nice blog post or pop-sci magazine article.One final quote from the book:”The astute reader will have noticed that I have not solved the mystery of quantum theory”Nor has he clarified it’s philosophical implications, described it’s mathematical underpinnings, or brought any more clarity to the subject.It’s nice that he’s enthusiastic and curious about the implications of Quantum Strangeness… I am too, that’s why I bought the book. But, while enthusiasm and curiosity might make a nice blog post, they aren’t enough to be the foundation of an entire book.

⭐I hate to write negative reviews, and I greatly appreciate scientists who try to educate the public, butthis book was a gigantic disappointment, and I think does more harm than good in exposing quantum mechanics to non-physicists.As many of the other critical reviews have stated, this book has very little technical content. Based on the titleand the back cover reviews, I had expected the book to have interesting new insights into Bell’s theorems, perhapsseeing them in a new way, or new expositions, etc. In fact, it has no technical content on Bell’s theorems, andstates that they are a mess and its too hard to understand the proof of Bell’s basic theorem (never mind themore advanced ones). This is consistent with a purely literal reading of the title and subtitle of the book, butcertainly is not consistent with my expectations, or I think, anyone’s reasonable expectations. Thus, althoughit probably doesn’t qualify under the law as “bait-and-switch”, I felt it was.And it is really unfortunatethat the author tells readers that Bell’s (main) theorem is too hard to understand, because in fact the math involvedis very easy – probably the easiest math one will encounter in physics, as many previous expositions havedetailed. What is hard to understand is its larger meaning, not its math. But understanding its math brings one much closer to facing the mystery of its meaning. I feel bad for a truly beginning reader who comes away withthe “knowledge” that Bell’s theorem is beyond their abilities – it isn’t.What the book actually contains is a very tedious, repetitive telling of the following condensed story:As an undergraduate physics student I didn’t understand quantum mechanics, particularly Bell’s theorem. I faked understanding Bells’s theorem when I co-authored a book on quantum mechanics (my bad!). After more thanforty years, I still don’t understand quantum mechanics, particularly Bell’s theorem. Then one day I hadan epiphony: You aren’t supposed to understand quantum mechanics in any way related to our normal world -don’t try. The end.A better title for the book would be: My struggle with quantum mechanics: I don’t understand the meaning of Bells’ theorem or even its proof.Instead of buying this book, just read the paper he cites: “Is the moon there when nobody looks? Reality and the quantum theory.” by David Mermin, Physics Today 1985. It does have a simple proof of Bell’s theorem, anda great deal of the history of the debate over its meaning – up to 1985.

⭐I have seen much better popular science books than this.

⭐No new answers here. This book turns out to be only a dumbed-down biographical/historical tour thru the history of quantum mechanics and the author’s great ‘epiphany’ revealed in the ending chapter in reality isn’t all that. Pass on this one.

⭐Die Quantenmechanik wurde im Zuge der Revolutionen der Physik zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts entwickelt, sie ermöglichte erstmals atomare und subatomare Phänomene zu verstehen, heute gehört sie zum Handwerkszeug vieler Physiker, und bildet u.a. die Basis für Gebiete, wie der Festkörperphysik. Ihr bizarres Erscheinungsbild spielt dabei kaum eine Rolle, auch angesichts der extremen Genauigkeit, mit der Vorhersagen der Quantenmechanik immer wieder experimentell betätigt wurden. Demgegenüber herrscht bei der Interpretation der Quantenmechanik immer noch keine Einigkeit unter den Fachleuten.George Greenstein promovierte in Physik und ist Professor Emeritus für Astronomie am Amherst College. In dem vorliegenden schmalen Buch, berichtet der Autor über sein Ringen mit der Deutung der Quantenmechanik – insbesondere über die Hindernisse beim Verständnis von Bells Theorem. Dabei ist dessen mathematisch Formulierung nicht einmal besonders schwierig, aber immer wenn er dessen Inhalt in Worte fassen will, gerät Greenstein ins Stocken – dabei verfasste er 1997 gemeinsam mit Arthur Zajonc ein Fachbuch über die außergewöhnlichen Phänomene der Quantenmechanik, in dem natürlich auch die Bellsche Ungleichung behandelt wurde. Der Autor erinnert sich genau an Datum und Uhrzeit seines Epiphanie Ereignis, wie er es nennt, schlagartig wurde ihm die Natur seines Problems klar, er hatte die Beschreibung von Quantensystemen mit dem Alltagsdenken vermischt, das der Logik der klassischen Physik folgt – dieser Mix führte dazu, sich etwa ein Elektron als ein Objekt vorzustellen, das zu jedem Zeitpunkt eindeutig bestimmte Attribute besitzt.Greenstein rahmt seine Kontroverse mit Bells Ungleichung mit einer knappen, populär gehalten Einführung in die Seltsamkeiten der Quantenmechanik ein. Darin erläutert er die Auswirkungen von Heisenbergs Unschärferelation, die u.a. Gegenstand der Bohr- Einstein Debatte waren und ihre Zuspitzung im EPR Paradoxon fanden. Bells Resultate erlauben schließlich eine testbare Unterscheidung zwischen Quantenmechanik und Theorien mit verborgenen Variablen, die Einstein, de Broglie, Bohm u.a. als Gegenentwurf in Betracht ziehen.Der Autor hat damit eines der persönlichsten Bücher zu diesem Thema geschaffen, es fließen nicht nur anekdotische Überleitungen ein, Greenstein geht auch recht ausführlich auf die ersten experimentellen Untersuchungen zu Bells Theorem ein, die John Clauser durchführte und zu seiner Überraschung fand, dass sich die Natur tatsächlich gemäß der Quantentheorie verhält. Jahre später bestätige Alain Aspect diese Resultate nicht nur, er schloss, durch verzögerte Wahl der Polarisationsrichtung, auch noch ein subtiles Schlupfloch bei der Interpretation der Ergebnisse. Der Autor spricht von metaphysischen Experimenten, da die Experimente von Clauser und Aspect erstmals die Natur der physikalischen Realität tangierten.Leider bleiben Greensteins (technische) Ausführungen zur Bellschen Ungleichung selbst recht mager und hand-waving, da gibt weit bessere, auch allgemein verständliche Darstellung, etwa in dem Reclam Bändchen von Alastair Rae: Quantenphysik Illusion oder Realität. Das Buch verfügt aber über einen schönen Anhang mit weiterführender Literatur.

⭐Concepts are explained mainly in metaphors which the author admits are inaccurate, and interspersed with increasingly tiresome anecdotes of how the author had struggled to understand quantum mechanics when a student. Admittedly I have only read the first eight chapters so far, but stopped to write this review when I realised that the entire first page of Chapter 9 was word for word identical with paragraphs at the start of Chapter 1. Was there no editor? Was there no proof reader? Did anyone at MIT press actually sit down and read the book cover to cover? Did even the author read over the text? Very disappointing.

⭐People who are not familiar at all with quantum mechanics will probably find this book a useful introduction. I would have preferred to see the exact formulations of theorems in question, at least in footnotes. (These formulations are accessible to anyone who has done first-year university math.)

⭐Good description of Bell’s theorem and the many ‘proofs’ of no hidden variables possible in local quantum theory.

⭐The author seemed to be wrestling with the idea of Bell’s theorem himself rather than explain it

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