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''Quantum: Einstein, Bohr, and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality'' is a science history book written by
Manjit Kumar. It was released on October 16, 2008.
Overview
He describes
Einstein
Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...
,
Bohr and the "
Great Debate about the Nature of Reality" that played out over a number of years, particularly at the
Fifth Solvay International Conference on
electrons
The electron (, or in nuclear reactions) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary charge, elementary electric charge. It is a fundamental particle that comprises the ordinary matter that makes up the universe, along with up qua ...
and
photons
A photon () is an elementary particle that is a quantum of the electromagnetic field, including electromagnetic radiation such as light and radio waves, and the force carrier for the electromagnetic force. Photons are massless particles that ...
in 1927, where the physicists met to discuss the then newly formulated
quantum theory. It narrates the life of some eminent physicists and their work and also gives a view of the environment of science at that time. It tells the life stories of
Bohr,
Einstein
Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...
,
Planck
Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck (; ; 23 April 1858 – 4 October 1947) was a German theoretical physicist whose discovery of energy quanta won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918.
Planck made many substantial contributions to theoretical p ...
,
Rutherford,
Schrödinger, and others.
Reception
Quantum was number 1 on the ''
Hindustan Times
''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...
'' top 10 science books you should read in 2012.
Quantum had also been shortlisted for the
BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction, 2009.
See also
*
Bohr–Einstein debates
*
EPR paradox
EPR may refer to:
Science and technology
* EPR (nuclear reactor), European Pressurised-Water Reactor
* EPR paradox (Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen paradox), in physics
* Earth potential rise, in electrical engineering
* East Pacific Rise, a mid-ocea ...
References
External links
Manjit Kumar's blog about his book ''Quantum''
Books about the history of physics
Popular physics books
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