Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You
In the last two years I have become more and more interested in theoretical physics, Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You is the fifth such book I've read in the last 2 years. Marcus Chown is really good at making difficult topics accessible.
This book has such topic headings as "The Schizophrenic Atom", "The Death Of Space And Time" and "The Force Of Gravity Does Not Exist"
It's mind boggling, challenging and entertaining, yes, it's also frustrating because the information is so complicated, but it's not impossible to retain, and there are some really mind broadening details contained within. I do think that it is a book that will bear re-reading again.
It is comforting to know that these issues baffle Scientists as much as they baffle the lay reader, though I did have several light bulb moments, that answered questions which I had puzzled over before. 8/10
Showing posts with label Marcus Chown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marcus Chown. Show all posts
Monday, 12 November 2012
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Book #67 The Universe Next Door by Marcus Chown
The Universe Next Door
Reading The Universe Next Door follows on from my reading both Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku and Chown's own The Never Ending Days Of Being Dead earlier in the year and covers similar ground.
Was the Universe conceived by beings of higher intelligence?
Can time run backwards?
Could we live forever?
Are there multiple universes?
In The Universe Next Door there is a discussion about how electron bubbles work, and I found myself switching off during that. I find that I'm a bigger fan of the grand ideas than of the practical scienctific details that explain them!
The central issue for me reading this book is that the concepts and ideas of this book, have a high level of crossover with the concepts and ideas of The Never Ending Days Of Being Dead, in many ways the two are companions but TUND was written in 2003 and TNEDOBD in 2007, making the latter the more up to date work.
Additionally, I liked the writing and hypotheses in Never Ending Days more and ultimately though this is by all means a solid book, I would recommend to others that they buy that one, which is brilliant, instead, I don't feel guilty for doing this as they are the product of the same author and so I haven't cost him a sale! 7/10
Reading The Universe Next Door follows on from my reading both Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku and Chown's own The Never Ending Days Of Being Dead earlier in the year and covers similar ground.
Was the Universe conceived by beings of higher intelligence?
Can time run backwards?
Could we live forever?
Are there multiple universes?
In The Universe Next Door there is a discussion about how electron bubbles work, and I found myself switching off during that. I find that I'm a bigger fan of the grand ideas than of the practical scienctific details that explain them!
The central issue for me reading this book is that the concepts and ideas of this book, have a high level of crossover with the concepts and ideas of The Never Ending Days Of Being Dead, in many ways the two are companions but TUND was written in 2003 and TNEDOBD in 2007, making the latter the more up to date work.
Additionally, I liked the writing and hypotheses in Never Ending Days more and ultimately though this is by all means a solid book, I would recommend to others that they buy that one, which is brilliant, instead, I don't feel guilty for doing this as they are the product of the same author and so I haven't cost him a sale! 7/10
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Book #25 The Never-Ending Days Of Being Dead by Marcus Chown
The Never-Ending Days Of Being Dead
The Never-Ending Days Of Being Dead by Marcus Chown has some crossover content with Michio Kaku's Parallel Worlds which I read in January. Both books tackle the possibility of the existence of parallel universes, both books use the mortality of Elvis by way of example and both books make reference to the short story All The Myriad Ways by Larry Niven.
Where the books differ is that Chown goes on to discuss different implications of quantum theory from the Kaku. Topics Chown covers include the possible existence of Extra Terrestrial Life, whether the universe is in fact the result of a computer program what happens to us when we die, what happens to us when the universe dies, what binary, pi and the omega point can tell us, and the problem of mass.
Between the Kaku and the Chown, I felt Chown's was the more accessible work. I understood it, as a lay person who didn't get on with Physics well at school better than I did the Kaku. I struggled significantly with the section on Mass but that's just an issue of personal deficit in knowledge than a reflection on Chown's writing.
As with Parallel Worlds, I found it incredibly heartwarming that unlike many atheists who use the Big Bang Theory to illustrate that "God" did not create the world, many physicists on the cutting edges of latest theories look to the existence of some sort of "Creator" as the only means to explain the unexplainable; and that physics at its most theoretical has more in common with theology than many would like to believe.
Some of the theories presented in this book are mindblowing and lead to much existential philosophising. I remember I asked a friend once whether he thought we might just be a really, really big game of "The Sims" and somewhat dishearteningly quantum theory by no means rules this out. Who are we, and why are we here? This book doesn't answer that question but it opens the door to many possibilities to be considered. I will certainly read more of Chown's books. 9/10
The Never-Ending Days Of Being Dead by Marcus Chown has some crossover content with Michio Kaku's Parallel Worlds which I read in January. Both books tackle the possibility of the existence of parallel universes, both books use the mortality of Elvis by way of example and both books make reference to the short story All The Myriad Ways by Larry Niven.
Where the books differ is that Chown goes on to discuss different implications of quantum theory from the Kaku. Topics Chown covers include the possible existence of Extra Terrestrial Life, whether the universe is in fact the result of a computer program what happens to us when we die, what happens to us when the universe dies, what binary, pi and the omega point can tell us, and the problem of mass.
Between the Kaku and the Chown, I felt Chown's was the more accessible work. I understood it, as a lay person who didn't get on with Physics well at school better than I did the Kaku. I struggled significantly with the section on Mass but that's just an issue of personal deficit in knowledge than a reflection on Chown's writing.
As with Parallel Worlds, I found it incredibly heartwarming that unlike many atheists who use the Big Bang Theory to illustrate that "God" did not create the world, many physicists on the cutting edges of latest theories look to the existence of some sort of "Creator" as the only means to explain the unexplainable; and that physics at its most theoretical has more in common with theology than many would like to believe.
Some of the theories presented in this book are mindblowing and lead to much existential philosophising. I remember I asked a friend once whether he thought we might just be a really, really big game of "The Sims" and somewhat dishearteningly quantum theory by no means rules this out. Who are we, and why are we here? This book doesn't answer that question but it opens the door to many possibilities to be considered. I will certainly read more of Chown's books. 9/10
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