Tales of the Quantum: Understanding Physics’ Most Fundamental Theory by Art Hobson (PDF)

Description

Everybody has heard that we live in a world made of atoms. But far more fundamentally, we live in a universe made of quanta. Many things are not made of atoms: light, radio waves, electric current, magnetic fields, Earth’s gravitational field, not to mention exotica such a neutron stars, black holes, dark energy, and dark matter. But everything, including atoms, is made of highly unified or “coherent” bundles of energy called “quanta” that (like everything else) obey certain rules. In the case of the quantum, these rules are called “quantum physics.” This is a book about quanta and their unexpected, some would say peculiar, behavior–tales, if you will, of the quantum.The quantum has developed the reputation of being capricious, bewildering, even impossible to understand. The peculiar habits of quanta are certainly not what we would have expected to find at the foundation of physical reality, but these habits are not necessarily bewildering and not at all impossible or paradoxical. This book explains those habits–the quantum rules–in everyday language, without mathematics or unnecessary technicalities. While most popular books about quantum physics follow the topic’s scientific history from 1900 to today, this book follows the phenomena: wave-particle duality, fundamental randomness, quantum states, superpositions (being in two places at once), entanglement, non-locality, Schrodinger’s cat, and quantum jumps, and presents the history and the scientists only to the extent that they illuminate the phenomena.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “This book is definitely worth reading. Hobson does an excellent job of explaining complex physics without mathematics and presents his argument clearly… Recommended.” — CHOICE”Tales of the Quantum — a slim volume very handsomely produced by Oxford U.P. — is his most ambitious undertaking, the capstone of a distinguished career. … This is certainly an ambitious book, one in which the author has clearly invested a great deal of thought. It is, in its eccentric way, an important book, not least because it is so provocative.” — American Journal of Physics About the Author Art Hobson is a Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where he continues to keep a campus office and remains quite active in research.

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

⭐I am familiar with several editions of Physics text book by Art Hobson and I owe him a lot of gratitude for imparting a deep knowledge of Concepts and Connections of Quantum Physics. I bought so far 3 copies of “The Tales of Quantum” and quickly read one time. I expect to read more deeply again. It is even easier to understand than his text book for liberal arts students. Any one interested to learn the fundamental concepts of Quantum Physics but do not have the math back ground would appreciate this important addition to scientific literacy. Art Hobson has dedicated his entire life to improving scientific literacy for Americans and world over making modern physics easy for common man (common man in my opinion is who has at least high school level of general literacy but not necessarily about Quantum). This book is very much needed under the current situation as all kinds of charlatans/creationists purporting to be scientists confuse the public about Quantum ideas for example Deepak Chopra and many other pseudo scientists. They try to confuse human consciousness with Quantum Physics Concepts. Only scientifically literate public in democratic free countries like US can make good decisions by knowing the real science. Our economy now 30% or more directly related to the Concepts of Quantum Physics. Now still a slight majority of Americans believe in Creationism. Only antidote for this sorry state of affair is Scientific Literacy and promoting works by Art Hobson like teachers. In this regard this book gives a deep knowledge about the most valid scientific theory of today which was completed by the great scientists of 20th century and still under active development. Art Hobson is honest in his treatment of the subject and gives scientific reasoning in a easily understandable manner.However I have to give a caution. Several years ago I bought about 100 copies of “Quantum Physics for Poets” by Leon Lederman and Chris Hill and gave away most of the copies to my class mates who went to college in the 60s. It appears most of them did not read. One professor class mate of mine told me he read it but took many months at the pace he read but he was shocked to understand quantum reality. Great Dane Niels Bohr or some one said that if you are not shocked by Quantum Physics you have not understood it. For the people who never knew such a science and are shocked after learning it, I assume Art Hobson would be extremely happy. To me the principles of Quantum, is a life changing knowledge and Art Hobson’s book, is one of the most important books for the public scientific literacy.Art Hobson clearly identifies issues of controversy and misunderstanding of the fundamental concepts of Quantum world and the readers would be enlightened and would feel that they have understood the great secret of the microscopic world and would be able to be happy knowing they have learnt a great lesson of science. It is important to learn Quantum before one exits this world. Who ever reads this book would be more knowledgeable in this subject than Albert Einstein even though one may not have Einstein’s mind. I don’t mean to say there is nothing more exciting to be discovered. We only become more humbled knowing that we are only a very small insignificant part of this universe and most of it is made up stuff we don’t know what it is and the best of our young people in the world are still working on it.I strongly recommend and commend the author for great service to the humanity by writing this important book and Oxford U P for publishing it.BapuChicago 02/25/2017

⭐This book is an excellent introduction to quantum physics for the intelligent reader without extensive physics or math background. It is one of very few which develops the ideas from a conceptually, coherent and consistent viewpoint, and is, at the same time, clearly and engagingly written. It tells a good story.But physics students would benefit enormously from reading it also, because while the standard quantum texts tell you how to manipulate quantum equations and solve problems, most never take the time or trouble to tell the student exactly what it is they are manipulating…what quanta are. This book both carefully explains the fundamental objects of quantum mechanics and elucidates their workings and strange properties, the central ones being superposition and entanglement.I wish this book had been available for my History of Science classes.Tales Of The Quantum is also very unusual in that it takes the stance that many of the “paradoxes” and “mysteries” of QM really resolve quite well, if one adopts the quantum field model consistently, e.g. there is no imponderable wave-particle duality if waves are the underlying reality and particles are a secondary effect of the way they interact.Hobson makes a very good case that the wave model is more sensible and consistent…and gives real experimental evidence to back it up…my favorite example being that an accelerating observer will measure a particle present in an area that a non accelerating observer will not. Both observers register matter waves in the area, so if particles are bedrock reality how can one observer not have them? Good question, and it illustrates Hobson’s compelling arguments on this issue. He makes the case that the prevalence of the particle view was an historical accident.The quality of explanation is notable throughout, after reading the section “what is a quantum state”, I felt I understood it for the first time, even though I’ve read quite a few QM books. Previously quantum states were just arbitrarily applied numbers to me. (The only exception to the explanational thoroughness was a few pages detailing the standard model of particle physics, which was too condensed, but a thorough background here would take several hundred pages at least).Hobson also takes the philosophical issues of the subject straight on, (such questions as are quanta and their states real), and provides a well thought out framework, which takes the ideas seriously, but shows some of them are resolvable. He is particularly clear on why the pop science literature claim of the connection between quantum reality and Human consciousness has no foundation in the science.Philosophy students could rid themselves of many false claims (our mind creates reality etc.) By reading this book which makes very clear what science does, and does not, say about such perennial issues. Hobson is a realist, but a quantum realist, and could make many a convert to that view.So, The book is not only worthwhile for the curious non-scientist, physics, and philosophy student alike, but is also an important contribution in resolving many long standing conceptual issues in the field.I highly recommend it to all.

⭐I was first introduced to quantum mechanics as a science undergraduate in 1966. I was fascinated then and am fascinated now by this subject which penetrates to the very essence of material reality. It was taught to me as inherently paradoxical – I was shown the double slit experiment in action, I was introduced to wave-particle duality, I learnt how to solve the Schrodinger Wave Equation, and I met his famous cat. The problem was I could not get my head around what appeared to be its central paradox: that the basic substance of matter could be both a wave and a localised lump of something solid – and indeed, both at the same time! Light propagated both as waves of energy flowing through space and as solid missiles called photons. As the decades have passed, I have grappled with quantum wave theory and just accepted the paradoxical nature of the subject as a given. I have from time to time thought of giving up on particles, how can we explain spooky action at a distance if we hold onto the idea of two localised lumps of matter flying in opposite directions but somehow connected by, at best, a mathematical link, which ensures that they operate in agreement with one another no matter the distance? Einstein was right, it makes no sense. What Art Hobson has done is to explain, with incredible clarity, that you can dump the notion of a particle and that in the myriad of different force fields that permeate the universe, what exists is simply waves flowing through space and time; these waves contain energy at different levels – these are the quanta which form the stuff that makes the stars and ultimately us. The brilliance of Art Hobson’s book is that it is highly technical; it describes experiments of amazing complexity and does so without recourse to mathematics and in a way that is both simple and clear. Having bought the Kindle edition, I have ordered the hard-back version so that I can write in it, underline bits and enjoy it again and again in the traditional way.

⭐I have been reading ‘popular’ books on theoretical physics and quantum theory for many years, trying and generally failing to understand. But Art Hobson’s Tales of the Quantum may be the last one I need to buy – I finally think I get it (which surprised me because apparently quantum theory is so weird only geniuses understand).Part of my problem has been that many writers don’t appreciate how what may be to them very familiar concepts can be real hurdles to understanding for the non-scientific reader. There always comes a point where I realise I have been left behind, and there seems little point in proceeding. Art Hobson doesn’t make that mistake. He takes real care to explain all those things the others didn’t feel a need to, and in a way that I could understand – such as the four pages in which he describes (with real clarity, and for the first time in my experience) the ‘four fundamental forces’. Or what fields are – ‘A field of wheat is a wheat field’ was one of my high points.Another part of my problem is that many writers like to say how really, really weird it all is. (Does it make them feel cleverer if we end up still not understanding?) Look no further than the wave/particle duality, that great mystery that they love to baffle us with. Yet after reading Hobson’s book I realise that all they are doing is setting up a false problem (an unresolvable duality where there is in fact a single describable phenomenon). Instead of knocking it down, they leave it lurking menacingly in the corner. Hobson’s central point, that there are NO particles (none at all) – only fields – was like a revelation. Why do so many writers insist on particles – do they think we can only understand billiard balls and orbiting planets, to which mysterious fields are somehow secondary, and therefore only incidentally explained, or lightly skipped over.Hobson deals in a similar manner with other forms of alleged spookiness – Schrödinger’s cat, many universes, the effect of consciousness etc. Yet he communicates his enchantment with the entangled quantum universe, and with some of the extraordinary experiments which have demonstrated its nature, with real enthusiasm and wonder. I didn’t expect to laugh so often – Hobson has a really light and engaging style (and is clearly troubled by how narrowly we have escaped the prospect of an ice cream-free universe).For me, the measure of Tales of the Quantum is that I got all the way through it. I won’t pretend it was easy, or that I understand it all, and I am looking forward to reading it again. But there was no point at which he lost me, or where I felt he hadn’t explained enough. There is a lot to think about in this book, and it is an example of how even the most difficult science can be explained to general reader, in a way that really engages the mind – I have since found myself arguing the toss with him about perfect randomness and hidden variables (I suspect there is some event horizon at the very small scale beyond the nature of things, and their causes, will always be a mystery). A great book, and higly recommended!

⭐Tales of the Quantum offers an exciting and accessible overview of modern quantum physics. Art Hobson feels most intimately the fabric of the subject, and presents it basically without invoking mathematics. Highly recommended for nonscientists as well as scientists interested in the fundamentals of quantum physics.

⭐Art Hobson was my physics professor at the Univ. of Arkansas and with whom I have from time to time corresponded on his interest in introducing sophisticated concepts of classical and modern physics to students and a public still unsure of itself with Newtonian physics. He has authored a liberal-arts physics textbook used on over 130 campuses and received many accolades for his communication skills. In “Tales of the Quantum” he has without ANY mathematics enabled a public to appreciate a sense of Modern Quantum Theory along with a good deal of Classical physics. Complex sophisticated experiments are first introduced via modifications of more familiar high school level experiments which though impractical are conceptually equivalent. I expect the novice will find the glossary very helpful. The very extensive bibliography and motes at the end will be rewarding to both the novice and graduate students.

⭐A realist, no-nonsense explanation of humanity’s greatest physical theory. Wonderfully written, with lots of concrete examples from the many counterintuitive experiments done in the field. Hobson offers an all-fields view that satisfies and brings illumination to many of quantum theory’s more difficult intuitions. Wave-particle duality is resolved by a simple upgrade in one’s understanding of what a quantum is. It’s really quite simple. But I’ll let you read the book for that. Also contained within is a realist resolution to the “measurement problem.” Notice, I didn’t say interpretation. 😉 The local-state solution, as Hobson has dubbed it, answers the problem without going anywhere, and keeps with quantum concepts the whole. A rather refreshing take on a beautiful theory.

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