Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics: Collected Papers on Quantum Philosophy 2nd Edition by J. S. Bell (PDF)

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Ebook Info

  • Published: 2004
  • Number of pages: 292 pages
  • Format: PDF
  • File Size: 20.05 MB
  • Authors: J. S. Bell

Description

John Bell, FRS was one of the leading expositors and interpreters of modern quantum theory. He is particularly famous for his discovery of the crucial difference between the predictions of conventional quantum mechanics and the implications of local causality, a concept insisted on by Einstein. John Bell’s work played a major role in the development of our current understanding of the profound nature of quantum concepts and of the fundamental limitations they impose on the applicability of the classical ideas of space, time and locality. This book includes all of John Bell’s published and unpublished papers on the conceptual and philosophical problems of quantum mechanics, including two papers that appeared after the first edition was published. The book includes a short Preface written by the author for the first edition, and also an introduction by Alain Aspect that puts into context John Bell’s enormous contribution to the quantum philosophy debate.

User’s Reviews

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

⭐if you are an amateur, hobbyist , somewhat literate in physics person, this is a necessity. I’m all of those. I’ve poked around in enough books on quantum physics to consider myself knowledgeable. which means i understand about 3 percent of what i’ve read. but John Bell has added some incredible insights to that 3 percent. observables versus be-ables. the reduction of the wave packet versus the collapse of the wave packet. I realized, after some thought, that this book may have replaced the “secret knowledge of water” as my favorite book on the planet and that, were I ever to be graced with being able to meet and talk to one man about stuff, it would be John Bell. I just loved this book. be somewhat grounded in physics – maybe only a little – but add it to your bookshelf

⭐Ok, before I get some comments about this review, I should mention that I’m here talking about not only the book itself, but the Kindle edition. The book and its content is certainly 5 start: this is a book written by a very insightful physicists, and its collection of papers is exceptional. But the Kindle edition is terrible. Two main problems make me give a low rating for the Kindle edition. First, and most important, the inline mathematical expressions are often nonsense (sometimes it is easy to figure out, when for example a lambda in an equation was “mistaken” during conversion for a k; other times, it takes a huge amount of time to understand what the conversion mistake was), apparently because during conversion from text to electronic format they didn’t bother to double check inline formulas or expressions. Second, the figures and the displayed formulas are not readable in some devices (e.g., Kindle paperweight), and you’ll have to probably either figure out what the figures are yourself or open the book in another device where they are displayed better (in my case, the iPad, but not my computer). So, overall, the Kindle version of this book should be avoided; thus the low average star (I give the Kindle a -1, as I don’t hate it but find it not useful).

⭐This is an excellent book. John S. Bell had one of the most subtle minds among 20th century physicists, and this book provides a very clear window into that mind.Unfortunately, the formulas he provides in his essays are unreadable in the Kindle version. Were it not for this, I would have given the book five stars instead of four. This is not the only book that Amazon has messed up in the same manner. They need to find a way to present technical material in readable formats on the Kindle. I recommend getting the paper version of this book, but not the Kindle version.By the way, Bell’s analysis of the rocket ship thought experiment was 100% correct. The trick is to account for relativity of simultaneity. Both rocket motors fire at the same moment in the observer’s reference frame, so the distance between the rockets remains constant in that frame, but the rocket motors do not fire at the same time in the string’s reference frame.sites.google.com/site/amateurscientistessays/

⭐Essential for anyone interested in the foundation of Quantum Mechanics. The first and most famous paper may have been written hurriedly with some steps skipped in the derivation of the famous inequality and some notation that could have been improved, but perhaps Bell anticipated less interest in his work than the avalanche of enthusiasm that followed. In many of the later papers, Bell proves himself to be a talented technical writer with a keen sense of what is relevant and an admirable expressiveness, with some humorous moments that entertain as well as enlighten.

⭐The formulas and diagrams in the eBook version are tiny, pixelated images that are unreadable and even though there aren’t a ton of them, it breaks the flow of many explanations.

⭐Can and should be read by all physics undergraduates. Why?So they can truly discover for themselves what’s really going on.And what’s really going on is that local causality as advanced by someof the greatest physicists of all time must now be relegated to theproverbial “back shelf”.How did this come about? The author of this book takes us step-by-stepthrough a veritable minefield of reasons why and reasons why not. Heleaves “no stone unturned” and takes great pains to examine the variousopinions, prejudices, feelings and historical events surrounding thenow-famous “Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen” paper of 1935 and the arguments forand against that paper that ensued. Almost with superhuman effort.The book which is actually a collection of more than twenty research papers that the author has written over about a twenty five year periodbeginning with his first seminal work dated 1964.(It would take several years from that time on to experimentally verify the predictions of that paper but eventually they were realized and thus established Quantum Mechanics as a complete theory without any hidden varaibles whatsoever) What makes some of these papers even more interesting to read is that they were presented tosymposia and from these one can get a sense of the tension in the meetings in which they were presented and hence can better understand the controversial natureof this subject.Each paper contains numerous references to the original “players” in thefield. These alone make an exciting and substantial contribution to the book.Contrary to what Einstein and others had hoped there are no “hidden variables” left to find in order to “save” local cauaslity.Quantum Mechanics as we know it is complete. And we humans are stuck “not knowing” certain things even though they may exist. But perhaps there is a silver lining with some of the “gifts” that “Entanglement” has to offer.Southern Jameson West

⭐Many people use Bell’s inequality in statements such as “Bell’s inequality PROVES there is no classical determinism.”Not according Bell!A worthy read for all those serious about the philosophical impacts of quantum mechanics.

⭐Essential reading for all physicists professional or otherwise. Bell’s work, in this collection of papers, covers a wide range of fundamental issues at the very foundations of Quantum mechanics in great in depth. Several of these papers are now famous references and remain valid to date. This volune has been recommended by my lectures at Imperial College. Enjoyable and challenging. Highly Recommended .

⭐All excellent!

⭐An outstanding text. Clear writing, pedagogical , an essential reference text for a deep understanding of the foundations of quantum mechanics.

⭐Il libro puo’ essere interessantissimo o astruso o totalmente incomprensibile a seconda del livello di conoscenza della problematica specifica di cui tratta. L’autore molto conosciuto fra gli addetti ai lavori e’ (e’ stato, in vita) a tutti gli effetti un geniale pensatore: mostra i problemi inerenti a varie interpretazioni del mondo quantistico con risultati sorprendenti , poi sperimentalmente verificati da alcuni fondamentali esperimenti. Anche in contrasto con grandi nomi della fisica del passato.Certa matematica puo’ anche essere trascurata ma resta la necessita’ di una conoscenza di fondo e la voglia di approfondire la conoscenza anche a prezzo di uno sforzo di apprendimento.Quindi testo molto importante per chi puo’ e vuole cimentarsi, inquesto caso ottimo.

⭐Bell’s essays still are the benchmark for any thoughtful deliberation about the unresolved queries, which go with this topic. He set out the demarcations only within which any answers could be given.

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