Quantum

[sawyl]

I've just finished reading Manjit Kumar's excellent Quantum, which covers the history of the development of quantum theory and, in particular, the great argument arguments about what quantum theory tells us about the physical world.

The book provides a good high-level view of the various steps on the road to quantum mechanics, from Planck's initial response to the black body problem, via Bohr's description of the atom, all the way to the many worlds theory. Particularly striking though, is the sheer cleverness of the participants, their passionate desire to solve the problem and the way that their disagreements drove them on to greater achievements.

The great disagreement between Bohr and Einstein over the physical meaning of quantum theory, as played out at the Solvay Conferences in 1927 and 1930 are particularly well covered. The two great men described like chess players: Einstein presenting subtle challenges to the Copenhagen interpretation; Bohr analysing and probing for weaknesses to allow him to rebut Einstein's latest assault; with their fundamental disagreements as much philosophical as physical.

Despite being reasonably familiar with quantum theory, I now realise that I was pretty ignorant of its history — and, in particular, the huge role played by Einstein in challenging the apparently settled orthodoxies — so I got a lot out of this book, despite, or perhaps because of, it's lack of heavy duty theory.