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Quantum fuzz : the strange true makeup of everything around us / Michael S. Walker.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: Amherst, New York : Prometheus Books, 2017Description: 448 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781633882393
  • 163388239X
Subject(s):
Contents:
Discovery and understanding (1900-1927). Planck, Einstein, Bohr : experiments and early ideas ; Heisenberg, Dirac, Schrödinger : quantum mechanics and the quantum atom ; Application : six hundred million watts! -- Interpretation and mind-boggling implications (1916-2016). The essential features of quantum mechanics ; Clash of titans : what is real? Uncertainty, entanglement, John Bell, and many worlds ; What does it all mean : quantum mechanics, mathematics, and the nature of science ; Applications : quantum computing, code cracking, teleportation, and encryption -- Our world of relativity and the quantum, from the Big Bang to the galaxies. Galaxies, black holes, gravity waves, matter, the forces of nature, the Higgs boson, dark matter, dark energy, and string theory -- The many-electron atom and the foundations of chemistry and materials science. Energy, momentum, and the spatial states of the electrons in the hydrogen atom ; Spin and magnetism ; Exclusion and the Periodic table ; The physics underlying the chemistry of the elements ; A few types of chemical bonds, for example ; The makeup of solid materials ; Insulators and electrical conduction in normal metals and semiconductors -- Quantum wonders in materials and devices, large and small. Superconductors I : definition, and applications in transportation, medicine, and computing ; Fusion for electrical power, and lasers also for defense ; Magnetism, magnets, magnetic materials, and their applications ; Graphene, nanotubes, and one "dream" application ; Semiconductors and electronic applications ; Superconductors II : large scale applications in science, power generation, and transmission -- Appendix A. The nature and spectrum of electromagnetic waves -- Appendix B. Empirical development of the Periodic Table of Elements -- Appendix C. Quantum computer development -- Appendix D. The atomic sizes and chemistries of the elements -- Appendix E. The production of X-rays.
Summary: "A lucid introduction to the basics of quantum physics for the lay reader, showing how much the scientific understanding of reality has changed in the last century and how important this science is to technology, the economy, and modern life"-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 530.12 W182 Checked out 06/19/2024 33111008877629
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Quantum physics has turned our commonsense notion of reality on its head. This accessible book describes in layperson's terms the strange phenomena that exist at the quantum level--a world of tiny dimensions where nothing is absolutely predictable, where we rethink causality, and information seemingly travels faster than light. The author, a veteran physicist, uses illuminating analogies and jargon-free language to illustrate the basic principles of the subatomic world and show how they explain everything from the chemistry around us to the formation of galaxies. He also explains how scientists and engineers interact with this nebulous reality and, despite its mysteries, achieve results of great precision.

Up front is a brief history of the early 20th-century "quantum revolution," focusing on some of the brilliant individuals whose contributions changed our view of the world--Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Paul Dirac, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schroedinger, and others. The work concludes with a discussion of the many amazing inventions that have resulted from quantum theory, including lasers, semiconductors, and the myriad of electronic devices that use them.

Lucidly written, this book conveys the excitement of discovery while expanding the reader's appreciation for a science that explores the basis of everything we know.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 377-398) and index.

Discovery and understanding (1900-1927). Planck, Einstein, Bohr : experiments and early ideas ; Heisenberg, Dirac, Schrödinger : quantum mechanics and the quantum atom ; Application : six hundred million watts! -- Interpretation and mind-boggling implications (1916-2016). The essential features of quantum mechanics ; Clash of titans : what is real? Uncertainty, entanglement, John Bell, and many worlds ; What does it all mean : quantum mechanics, mathematics, and the nature of science ; Applications : quantum computing, code cracking, teleportation, and encryption -- Our world of relativity and the quantum, from the Big Bang to the galaxies. Galaxies, black holes, gravity waves, matter, the forces of nature, the Higgs boson, dark matter, dark energy, and string theory -- The many-electron atom and the foundations of chemistry and materials science. Energy, momentum, and the spatial states of the electrons in the hydrogen atom ; Spin and magnetism ; Exclusion and the Periodic table ; The physics underlying the chemistry of the elements ; A few types of chemical bonds, for example ; The makeup of solid materials ; Insulators and electrical conduction in normal metals and semiconductors -- Quantum wonders in materials and devices, large and small. Superconductors I : definition, and applications in transportation, medicine, and computing ; Fusion for electrical power, and lasers also for defense ; Magnetism, magnets, magnetic materials, and their applications ; Graphene, nanotubes, and one "dream" application ; Semiconductors and electronic applications ; Superconductors II : large scale applications in science, power generation, and transmission -- Appendix A. The nature and spectrum of electromagnetic waves -- Appendix B. Empirical development of the Periodic Table of Elements -- Appendix C. Quantum computer development -- Appendix D. The atomic sizes and chemistries of the elements -- Appendix E. The production of X-rays.

"A lucid introduction to the basics of quantum physics for the lay reader, showing how much the scientific understanding of reality has changed in the last century and how important this science is to technology, the economy, and modern life"-- Provided by publisher.

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