Amazon.com
As a scientist, Albert Einstein is undoubtedly the most epic among 20th-century thinkers. Albert Einstein as a man, however, has been a much harder portrait to paint, and what we know of him as a husband, father, and friend is fragmentary at best. With Einstein: His Life and Universe, Walter Isaacson (author of the bestselling biographies Benjamin Franklin and Kissinger) brings Einstein's experience of life, love, and intellectual discovery into brilliant focus. The book is the first biography to tackle Einstein's enormous volume of personal correspondence that heretofore had been sealed from the public, and it's hard to imagine another book that could do such a richly textured and complicated life as Einstein's the same thoughtful justice. Isaacson is a master of the form and this latest opus is at once arresting and wonderfully revelatory. --Anne Bartholomew
Read "The Light-Beam Rider," the first chapter of Walter Isaacson's Einstein: His Life and Universe.
Five Questions for Walter Isaacson
Amazon.com: What kind of scientific education did you have to give yourself to be able to understand and explain Einstein's ideas?
Isaacson: I've always loved science, and I had a group of great physicists--such as Brian Greene, Lawrence Krauss, and Murray Gell-Mann--who tutored me, helped me learn the physics, and checked various versions of my book. I also learned the tensor calculus underlying general relativity, but tried to avoid spending too much time on it in the book. I wanted to capture the imaginative beauty of Einstein's scientific leaps, but I hope folks who want to delve more deeply into the science will read Einstein books by such scientists as Abraham Pais, Jeremy Bernstein, Brian Greene, and others.
Amazon.com: That Einstein was a clerk in the Swiss Patent Office when he revolutionized our understanding of the physical world has often been treated as ironic or even absurd. But you argue that in many ways his time there fostered his discoveries. Could you explain?
Isaacson: I think he was lucky to be at the patent office rather than serving as an acolyte in the academy trying to please senior professors and teach the conventional wisdom. As a patent examiner, he got to visualize the physical realities underlying scientific concepts. He had a boss who told him to question every premise and assumption. And as Peter Galison shows in Einstein's Clocks, Poincare's Maps, many of the patent applications involved synchronizing clocks using signals that traveled at the speed of light. So with his office-mate Michele Besso as a sounding board, he was primed to make the leap to special relativity.
Amazon.com: That time in the patent office makes him sound far more like a practical scientist and tinkerer than the usual image of the wild-haired professor, and more like your previous biographical subject, the multitalented but eminently earthly Benjamin Franklin. Did you see connections between them?
Isaacson: I like writing about creativity, and that's what Franklin and Einstein shared. They also had great curiosity and imagination. But Franklin was a more practical man who was not very theoretical, and Einstein was the opposite in that regard.
Amazon.com: Of the many legends that have accumulated around Einstein, what did you find to be least true? Most true?
Isaacson: The least true legend is that he failed math as a schoolboy. He was actually great in math, because he could visualize equations. He knew they were nature's brushstrokes for painting her wonders. For example, he could look at Maxwell's equations and marvel at what it would be like to ride alongside a light wave, and he could look at Max Planck's equations about radiation and realize that Planck's constant meant that light was a particle as well as a wave. The most true legend is how rebellious and defiant of authority he was. You see it in his politics, his personal life, and his science.
Amazon.com: At Time and CNN and the Aspen Institute, you've worked with many of the leading thinkers and leaders of the day. Now that you've had the chance to get to know Einstein so well, did he remind you of anyone from our day who shares at least some of his remarkable qualities?
Isaacson: There are many creative scientists, most notably Stephen Hawking, who wrote the essay on Einstein as "Person of the Century" when I was editor of Time. In the world of technology, Steve Jobs has the same creative imagination and ability to think differently that distinguished Einstein, and Bill Gates has the same intellectual intensity. I wish I knew politicians who had the creativity and human instincts of Einstein, or for that matter the wise feel for our common values of Benjamin Franklin.
More to Explore
Book Description
By the author of the acclaimed bestseller Benjamin Franklin, this is the first full biography of Albert Einstein since all of his papers have become available.
How did his mind work? What made him a genius? Isaacson's biography shows how his scientific imagination sprang from the rebellious nature of his personality. His fascinating story is a testament to the connection between creativity and freedom.
Based on newly released personal letters of Einstein, this book explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk -- a struggling father in a difficult marriage who couldn't get a teaching job or a doctorate -- became the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos, the locksmith of the mysteries of the atom and the universe. His success came from questioning conventional wisdom and marveling at mysteries that struck others as mundane. This led him to embrace a morality and politics based on respect for free minds, free spirits, and free individuals.
These traits are just as vital for this new century of globalization, in which our success will depend on our creativity, as they were for the beginning of the last century, when Einstein helped usher in the modern age.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing.......2007-10-10
The book combines insights into Einstein's family sphere, scientific endeavors , and internal life that end up providing an entertaining an insightful view o his life that turns out to be more than the sum of its parts. A great view into the life of the greatest man of the twentieth century.
A well orchestrated mix of personal history and revolutionary scientific discovery.......2007-10-09
A story of amazing power of reason in Einstein's early years but in the later years a sad story of his reason being foiled by of all things, scientific observations ("spooky" ones to be sure). When he died Einstein was still struggling with the idea that..."The reasonable thing just doesn't work.".
Excellent!.......2007-10-09
Excellently written and researched book. Very fascinating and engaging.
Even the scientific discussions were easy to understand.
I highly recommend this book.
A Must Read.......2007-10-07
A wonderful book which gives full and equal weight to both the man and the ideas which made him great, as well as the lasting place of those ideas in the history of scientific thought, if not of human thought itself. And on that latter point, the reader's debt to Isaacson is undoubtedly primarily for his continuing emphasis on Einstein's modus operandi: thought experiments, by which through the exercise merely of pure thought and a perspective unhampered by received wisdoms, a man was able to change millennia-old views of how we viewed the universe, and by extension, changed the universe itself. Whose thinking could remain uninfluenced by such a display of the power of thought?
Absolutely Fantastic.......2007-10-03
This biography reads like a story, creating suspense and other emotions that you experince while reading fiction. Einstein provides great insight into Einstein's mind and life. Highly recommended.
Amazon.com
There is an ill-concealed skeleton in the closet of physics: "As they are currently formulated, general relativity and quantum mechanics cannot both be right." Each is exceedingly accurate in its field: general relativity explains the behavior of the universe at large scales, while quantum mechanics describes the behavior of subatomic particles. Yet the theories collide horribly under extreme conditions such as black holes or times close to the big bang. Brian Greene, a specialist in quantum field theory, believes that the two pillars of physics can be reconciled in superstring theory, a theory of everything.
Superstring theory has been called "a part of 21st-century physics that fell by chance into the 20th century." In other words, it isn't all worked out yet. Despite the uncertainties--"string theorists work to find approximate solutions to approximate equations"--Greene gives a tour of string theory solid enough to satisfy the scientifically literate.
Though Ed Witten of the Institute for Advanced Study is in many ways the human hero of The Elegant Universe, it is not a human-side-of-physics story. Greene's focus throughout is the science, and he gives the nonspecialist at least an illusion of understanding--or the sense of knowing what it is that you don't know. And that is traditionally the first step on the road to knowledge. --Mary Ellen Curtin
Book Description
"[Greene] develops one fresh new insight after another...In the great tradition of physicists writing for the masses,
The Elegant Universe sets a standard that will be hard to beat." --George Johnson, The New York Times Book Review
In a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as elegant as the theories it explains, Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal a universe that consists of 11 dimensions where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter-from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas-is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy.
Green uses everything from an amusement park ride to ants on a garden hose to illustrate the beautiful yet bizarre realities that modern physics is unveiling. Dazzling in its brilliance, unprecedented in its ability to both illuminate and entertain,
The Elegant Universe is a tour de force of science writing-a delightful, lucid voyage through modern physics that brings us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.
Customer Reviews:
Anyone who is curious about the horizons of theoretical physics will enjoy this book.......2007-08-30
In this brilliantty articulated and refreshingly clear book, Greene, a leading string theorist, relates the scientific story and the human struggle behind the search for the ultimate theory. String theory, as the author vividly and easily describes, reveals a vision of the universe that is sending shock waves through the world of physics. Thrilling and revolutionary ideas such as new dimensions hidden within the fabric of space, black holes transmuting into elementary particles, rips and puncutures in the space time continuum, gigantic universes interchangealbe with minusclule ones, and a wealth of others are playing a pivotal role as physicists use string theory to grapple with some of the deepest questions of the ages.
Almost 5 Stars.......2007-07-19
Although I felt this book was excellent and covered all the bases there were a few areas that lacked for me and I couldn't quite give it 5 stars. The book started out phenomenally and the section on quantum mechanics was the best that I've read. The analogies that Mr. Greene used made the concepts clear and comprehendable but there were a few chapters in the middle where he used no analogies and I found myself completely lost even after re-reading the chapters. I might be too much of a layman for this book and that would certainly not be Mr. Greene's fault. There were additional parts of the book where I found myself easily destracted and those chapters were almost a chore to finish. Over all I think parts of this book are great for readers who are just begining to study this subject but other whole chapters are definately not.
First half zipped along with insight after insight........2007-07-19
First half zipped along with insight after insight. Second half got a bit heavy and bogged down. Overall I'm glad I made it through.
science or science fiction? .......2007-07-08
"Theoretical physicist is the one whose experiments don't work".
So says my friend, an engineer by profession, and The Elegant Universe fully confirms this view - more, since we learn that the theories of modern physics are beyond our technological ability to test them experimentally.
The theories themselves are indeed very elegant, composed with great care for estetics and symmetry, and well illustrated by pictures. Nonetheless, we are left with an impression that most of it is the stuff of phantasy, and just as one calculation will "prove" some idea, another set of equations will "disprove" it with identical claim to "scientific truth". I've put all this terms in quotes because the maybe factor of all proofs is too strong to take the presented theories seriously. The author admits that all the calculations are based on approximations and numerous assumptions, raising from still more approximations and probabilities. And when the result is absurd, the theorists quickly solve the problem by inventing one more spatial dimention, not accessible to our perceptions because it never expanded from its initial state.
Actually, the whole string theory deals with aspects of reality not accessible to our perceptions, and not provable by any experiments. Is it still reality or already a fiction? We don't know, and chances are will never know.
With all this, it is indeed an extremely elegant text, beautifully written and holding our attention all the way to the end. I just wish the author did not say all of the time that string theory had been "discovered", since for all we know theories are not material reality, such as a continent of America or a rare species of a butterfly, and so they cannot be discovered, theories can only be conceived, invented, or created. This lexical misuse is eye-catching due to the prevalence of hypotheses over the facts so stronly visible in string theory.
Crackling and sizzling ! - This one requires some attention and tenacity though........2007-06-27
A good book which covers the below topics
1) Requirement of single physical law which brings together all the four fundamental forces: Electromagnetic, Strong nuclear, weak nuclear and gravity.
2) Disparity between theory of relatively (the world of the big) with quantum mechanics (world of the very small)
2) The need of a higher theory to explain the standard model (Explanation for the disparate mass and charges of the subatomic particles)
3) The concept of 11 dimensional space; Mass and charge of the numerous particles found in atom smashers being a result of frequency of vibrations of strings (closed or open) in different dimensions. Meaning a string vibrating with a certain frequency along one of the hidden 7 pinched up spatial dimensions (also termed calabi Yau spaces) will represent a subatomic particle
4) Membrane theory (2 branes, 3 branes etc)
5) M theory unifying the 5 known strings theories (by the addition of another spatial dimension)
6) Thus everything in this universe including the keyboard you are right now typing on is made up of tiny vibrating strings and below this level there is nothing. A string would be the last divisible entity beyond which it is not possible to divide anymore.
Basically everthing stripped down to strings. This is a book for the reader who doesn't know anything about string theory but wants to learn something. As a general reader, you are not in a position to take a stand for or against string theory, because the person picking up this book will be layman and hence rightly there are no equations, so you have to accept things at face value. If you were more deeply interested you would be a physicist doing his PHD and hence will read more dense and technical books as college courses.
But as a layman, you will also appreciate the paucity of physical evidence to support string theory. Particle physicists consider it the right theory because of its mathematical elegance in it's equations. As a layman, you and I are not able to see this elgance as we dont read equations. So I cant form a real opinion about this but I can say that this book will provide the uninitiated a quick cursory primer on string theory with the help of analogies. But this book wont make you believe or disbelieve string theory but you will become more aquainted with what this hype is all about.
regards, Vikram
Book Description
Science has recently begun to prove what ancient myth and religion have always espoused: There may be such a thing as a life force.
Lynne McTaggart, indefatigable investigative journalist, reveals a radical new biological paradigm -- that on our most fundamental level, the human mind and body are not distinct and separate from their environment but a packet of pulsating power constantly interacting with this vast energy sea.
The Field is a highly readable scientific detective story that offers a stunning picture of an interconnected universe and a new scientific theory that makes sense of supernatural phenomena. Original, well researched, and well documented by distinguished sources, The Field is a book of hope and inspiration for today's world.
Customer Reviews:
The Zero Point Field.......2007-10-12
"The Intention Experiment" by Lynn McTaggart is a fascinating book and highly inspirational since it highlights the reconciliation between science and religion, Newtonian Science and Quantum Physics etc. The central concept in this book is the Zero Point Field, the microscopic vibrational space between objects. This field connects everything that exists and is of paramount importance in manifesting when consciously living an intentional life.
Some powerful New Age books that I've also discoverred are;
Limitless Mind: A Guide to Remote Viewing and Transformation of Consciousness
Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality
Nexus: A Neo Novel
its all in the Field.......2007-09-30
I am on my second reading. The information is important enough for me to be able to re-late it to others, especially in my progressive Christian church group. Although written in 2001...science is still kicking against some of this wisdom of it's own. Bucky Fuller said we're always 50 years behind the leading edge.
Excellent coverage of research bringing science to Consciousness.......2007-09-29
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is heartening to see that science is finally "discovering" what has been known (but not well publicized) since the dawn of humanity--that we are all part of an infinite, unified energy field which I and many others choose to call God or Consciousness or Omniverse.
Ramifications of the Zero-Point Field are infinite as is the field itself. It is the source of all present and future energy and the ultimate solution to the apparent energy shortage on earth. It is the primordial, timeless energy source from which all physical matter is created. Well done, Lynne!
Forever One: Letters from God--You Are Perfect Love, My Ego, My Higher Power and I, The Science of Mind: Original 1926 Text 1998 Edition See more books along these lines at www.hiconections.com
WOW.......2007-09-22
I had this pegged as a new-agey book that presented pseudo-science as science and fact. Not so. This book presents experiments done, from the 70s on, that will blow your mind and challenge your ideas of reality. McTaggart presents each experiment as an engaging story and overall, she feels authoritative. There are a few moments where I questioned the deductions that were made, but for the most part, I was surprised at how rigorous these experiments were - some at prestigious universities and some even backed by the CIA. McTaggart does little synthesis of her own, mainly just relying on the experiments & scientists to speak for themselves.
Sadly enough, the reason why none of us have heard about this stuff isn't because it isn't scientifically valid, but, according to McTaggart, it's because the scientific community is extremely conservative, and many of the experiments shake the foundations of what modern science has been based on.
I cannot recommend this book enough. The writing style is engaging and thorough. It really has changed my view of the world and opened my mind to a realm that I was always highly suspicious about, but interested in nonetheless. This book makes me want to explore reality and the power of my mind!
Simply superb.......2007-09-16
Mind blowing stuff ! I bought mine about a year ago and another one for a pal. Probably the best in a long list of books of this type
Book Description
Is it possible for there to be a purpose in a Universe born in a Big Bang and filled with evolving life? Can the multiverse and superstring theories of cosmology be rendered consistent with an infinite intelligence? Might our human consciousness transcend physical matter? Is our existence and the life we live the means whereby God experiences God's own potential?
A remarkable discovery has gradually emerged in astrophysics over the past two decades and is now essentially undisputed: that certain key physical constants have just the right values to make life possible. Most scientists prefer to explain away this uniqueness, by claiming that a huge, perhaps infinite, number of universes must therefore exist, each with unique properties, each randomly different from the other, with ours only seemingly special because in a universe with different properties we would never have originated.
Haisch proposes the alternative that the special properties of our Universe reflect an underlying intelligence, one that is fully consistent with the Big Bang and Darwinian evolution. At this time both views are equally logical and equally beyond proof. However exceptional human experiences and accounts of mystics throughout the ages do suggest that we live in a purposeful Universe. Haisch speculates on what this purpose might be and what that purpose means for our lives.
This is not incompatible with science. Astrophysicist Sir James Jeans wrote that "the universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine" and Sir Arthur Eddington, who proved that Einstein's general relativity was correct, wrote about "science and the unseen world." Cosmologist Sir Fred Hoyle called the Universe "an obvious fix."
Haisch also discusses the popular, but often misrepresented, topic of zero-point energy from the perspective of a multiyear NASA-funded study he led at Lockheed Martin.
"Part of the appeal of this book is that Dr. H. presents his hypothesis as a scientist, conditioned by decades in the halls of science. In particular there is no pulpit pounding insistence on his viewpoint. Rather he discusses topics such as creationism vs. evolution without the emotional upheaval of belief systems.
Of particular interest is his writing on the zero point field. I had been aware of the astounding discovery, where some scientists were able to derive Newton's second law of Physics, F=ma, by considering that inertia was simply the 'drag' encountered by mass in the zero point field. I first read of this in Lynn McTaggart's book the Field. This is astounding because (i) that basic law was thought to be a primary law of the Universe and thus not-derivable, (ii) it made the zero point field a basis of all matter (iii) the scientific community largely ignored this amazing discovery.
What I was not aware of was that Bernard was one of those responsible for this discovery! So if you are interested in the zero point field from someone with the scientific and metaphysical credentials - go no further.
So if you want to put your metaphysical conception of the universe on a more solid scientific basis, and/or have great discussions...get a little God Theory in your life."
-
William Arntz, Executive Producer of "What the Bleep Do We Know," October 2007 BLEEPing Herald
Customer Reviews:
DaVinci Code, Einstein, & Indiana Jones.......2007-09-26
DaVinci Code, Einstein, & Indiana Jones .....these are a few of my favorite things. A well-woven tale that spans decades of time and schools of thought packaged with intrigue and unburdened from romance/relationship underthemes yet strengthened with inter-relationships. A good read that floats you on a whitewater trip of scenes and themes and leaves you with with the aftertaste of "What If Inquiry" If you like attempting to put the puzzle pieces of our reality together with the help of a stimulating story then you will enjoy this book.
Mini Review: The God Theory by Bernard Haisch.......2007-09-11
Mini Review: The God Theory by Bernard Haisch
The God theory is written by an American AstroPhysicist who has spent much time exploring other fields. He has a wealth of experience under his belt. He confesses to be a Christian, yet much of what he says in The God Theory goes against established Christian thought and Scripture. What he tried to do in this book is give reasonable evidence for the existence of an intelligent mind, or conscience, that existed before matter and has always existed. He frequently chastises his fellow scientists for being dogmatic reductionists, and yet he believes in evolution, dismissing ID out of hand. A definite and obvious contradiction, though I often wondered if he was doing this simply to avoid being labeled an ID proponent himself.
Much of the book is given over to explaining his ZeroPoint energy theory, particularly surrounding the cause of mass/inertia which he theorizes is caused by background energy and the hold this has caused by the ZeroPoint energy. A plausible theory and one he seems to have proven through 2 different experiments. This background energy is also possibly what Genesis 1:1 refers to as light.
One thing I do like is repulsion of the theory of infinite universes in order to explain this universe. The multiverse idea is far more insane than any religious answer to the creation of this unique universe, and here is a top notch scientists who's prepared to say so.
The book is hard to read at points and even harder to write a review for. My passion for science has allowed me to understand pretty much the whole book, but only because he has purposefully made it as simple as he could have. I sure can't make it any simpler to provide you with a review. If you don't have a college-level grasp of physics, I am not sure you'll enjoy this. I read it because the book has been acclaimed as giving evidence of God without the use of Intelligent Design, but it's not for the layman.
Being that he believes in evolution and calls evolution a fact backed up by undeniable (yet missing, to honest searchers) evidence, and that his God is one of his own making, contradicting the God of the Scriptures, yet does provide a theory which challenges Methodical Materialists to consider the reality of God, I give it 3 out of 5.
I offer a genuine insight into how you can, and should, be a rational, science-believing human being and at the same time know that you are also an immortal spiritual being, a spark of God. I propose a worldview that offers a way out of the hate and fear-driven violence engulfing the planet.
- Bernard Haisch, The God Theory
Against Dogmatism.......2007-09-10
In this slim but often thought-provoking volume, Bernard Haisch adds his voice to a growing chorus of scientific professionals who are working toward a science that admits to the possibility of a deeper spiritual meaning behind the "mindless machine" that physicists sometimes claim to have described for us. His most noteworthy contribution are his insights regarding the role of the zero-point field, which he suggests may be the source of the evidently "solid" matter making up the physical universe we experience through our waking senses. But this physical universe, he suggests, is only a secondary phenomenon, not the actual foundation of reality. Hence, this makes it scientifically plausible that consciousness, or God, manifesting via the zero-point field, is behind the big show.
As other reviewers have pointed out, this notion is not new but it helps that someone as well grounded in mainstream physics as Bernard Haisch makes the case. More scientists may start to take the idea seriously.
Haisch's book brings to mind another book, written from the perspective of biology rather than physics, "Intelligence Came First," edited by E. Lester Smith (1975). As Smith's book and others since have made clear, the notion that consciousness underpins all physical experience has better intellectual support than is generally recognized (or taught) within the mainstream academic community.
Haisch makes the point that the best years of scientific inquiry may yet lie ahead of us, since we can now better appreciate what it is we are actually studying! He hopes for a world in which the gulf between scientism and religious dogma will be narrowed, if not closed. This cannot happen too fast! Many well-known scientists need to open their minds as much as the more notorious religious zealots among us. Further enlightenment depends upon it.
One does have to wonder at the source of the resistance so many scientists harbor toward the notions expressed in this book. Could it be that they find belief in a mindless universe morally convenient? After all, so much of science is devoted to creation of weapons of war and the destruction of our shrinking natural world. Life is much easier for those scientists who believe the universe just isn't paying attention to what they are doing with their lives.
Good Compilation of Interesting Ideas.......2007-09-08
The God Theory brings together some interesting ideas. Although none of the ideas presented are new, this quick compilation is a great way to get your interests flowing in a variety of exciting directions. The book appears to focus on two primary points:
First, that "God" is an infinite potential that has chosen to experience and realize its potential by creating our universe (and perhaps others) with its will manifested as the laws of physics and its being manifested as living creatures -- us. Haisch calls this The God Theory, although the idea was made a very popular a while back by Neale Donald Walsch in his Conversations With God series, in which he wrote extensively on this exact concept (Haisch does mention Walsch).
Second, that the reductionist, if-it's-not-matter-or-energy-then-it's-not-there attitude of modern day science is misguided. In my opinion, Haisch made this point ad nauseam, returning to it at every turn and making me think that he's got some bones to pick with some of his contemporaries. He could have made this point once or thrice then moved on, especially given that his main reason for choosing a God Theory universe over modern science's soulless, dumb universe is because science's view is a less pleasant way to describe the data -- rather than less valid way, since neither view answers "how did it start?" or "what does it mean?" in any way that is remotely provable.
But, aside from my complaints (that The God Theory is simply a repackaged version of the ideas of Walsch, and probably many others, into what you might have thought would be a new theory, and that Haisch burned too many pages beating the God-less reductionist dead horse), the book throws out some tantalizing tidbits and ideas. My three favorites are 1) the analogies he makes between white light and God -- both containing within them infinite potential, but only realizing it by subtracting some of that potential and projecting themselves upon a medium, 2) the discussions of the work of him and others relating inertia (along with other things affecting the universe's ability to exist such as atomic stability) to the zero point field, and 3) the very thought-provoking discussions of light's privileged reference point and how there must be a way to explain its apparently impossible properties that we're just not getting.
All in all, it's a worthwhile read, especially if you're interested in how science relates to some of the newer trends in spiritual thought. Not a tough read by any means, but a brain stretcher nonetheless (a good combination).
Well Done, Concise, but Could have Been Better.......2007-08-30
Although I didn't find much of the subject matter new or original -- Mr. Haisch was primarily in the mode of restating what many other scientists and spiritualists have already written about -- this was a good read and much of its value came from the fact that this is a credentialed scientist seriously seeking to reconcile spirituality and science. Well written, concise, easy to understand for the layperson, and does contain a few novel concepts that haven't been articulated elsewhere.
Average customer rating:
- Ancient and Obsolete
- Unique,Idiosyncratic Approach
- A great book by a great physicist
- Superlative
- Old book that is hostile to the spirt of G.R.
|
Gravitation and Cosmology: Principles and Applications of the General Theory of Relativity
Steven Weinberg
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Astronomy
| Astronomy
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Cosmology
| Astronomy
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Relativity
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Astronomy
| Astronomy
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Physics
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Relativity
| Physics
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Physics
| Sciences
| New & Used Textbooks
| Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Professional
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Science
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Gravitation (Physics Series)
-
Modern Cosmology
-
A First Course in General Relativity
-
General Relativity
-
The Early Universe (Frontiers in Physics)
ASIN: 0471925675 |
Customer Reviews:
Ancient and Obsolete.......2007-04-23
The beauty of general relativity (GR) lies in the connection it provides between geometry and physics. Weinberg's algebraic approach completely obscures this connection. Instead Weinberg teaches how to crank through complex calculations without any insight or geometric intuition. It is a fairly good book when compared to Misner-Thorne-Wheeler (another ancient text). However, by modern standards, Weinberg's book leaves much to be desired. Having been published in 1972, the book lacks modern examples in cosmology and quantum gravity. It also lacks a proper introduction to differential geometry and makes no mention of topology or other mathematical ideas prevalent in current GR research. In the 35 years since its publication, it has been surpassed by many much better books. For an excellent introduction to GR, read Carroll's book. For a more rigorous study of GR read Wald's book. For an easy introduction to GR, read Schutz's book.
Unique,Idiosyncratic Approach.......2006-09-15
Flashback to 1979.I Purchased Weinberg's Gravitation book and
Misner,Thorne, Wheeler's Gravitation book, simultaneously. Back then it took four weeks to get hold of a book by mail. The waiting made it all the more special when the books finally arrived. I still have those same two worn copies. Still re-read each. Sure, they are different viewpoints of General Relativity.
But, how greatly they both enrich the world. Together, those two
books started a pedagogic revolution. Weinberg has no
equal,cherish this book. Cherish MTW, also.
A great book by a great physicist.......2006-04-09
This is the best book written on general relativity, and I have read or at least looked at nearly every one of them. It is better than Wald's book because Steven Weinberg is a better physicist than Robert Wald. The only people who will not be pleased with it are those mathematicians who are looking to physics for elegant mathematics and not for physical insight.
A virtue of this book is that so far as I can see Weinberg has thought through general relativity for himself, and he has worked through all of the derivations himself - certainly the ones that I have checked - rather than quoting others.
This is not always the case for books in physics. Weinberg is careful, and I have yet to find an error in the book.
Superlative.......2004-12-14
Weinberg's writing is fantastic--direct, precise, and inspiring. His minimalist yet comprehensive approach, basing GR on nothing but the absolute necessities is beautiful. Virtually every word in the book is necessary and sufficient.
For GR, Weinberg's book is first among equals. Other reviews have critiqued his mathematics as old (Einstein's methods)--so what? It's easier and centerpieces the physics. Weinberg does well at making the complex as simple as can be reasonably made, a mark of a great expositor.
Old book that is hostile to the spirt of G.R........2004-12-08
There was a time when this book was probably very authoritative and useful (though I can't see myself preferring it over Hawking and Ellis, even then). Put it out of your mind: that time is gone. There are a slew of much better, much more modern books out there. Furthermore, this book is written from a perspective that attempts to filter a huge chunk of the geometry out of G.R., sullying a lot of the beauty of Einstein's central idea. If you are interested in cosmology, you can do a lot better looking at Hawking and Ellis, or one of the more recent books that will, due to their newness, emphasize the numerous advances in cosmology since the 70s. If you are interested in Relativity, PLEASE look at Schutze (beginner) or at Wald (graduate). Don't waste time and energy on this book.
That being said, there are some interesting advanced topics here, and a few things that I haven't seen elsewhere. This can be a useful reference for a researching relativist.
Average customer rating:
- illustrating and entretaining
- Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos
- Great Introduction for the layman
- It's A Possibility
- Science Fiction
|
Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos
Michio Kaku
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Cosmology
| Astronomy
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Cosmology
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Cosmology
| Astronomy
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Physics
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimens ion
-
Visions: How Science Will Revolutionize the 21st Century
-
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality
-
Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions
-
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
ASIN: 1400033721
Release Date: 2006-02-14 |
Book Description
In this thrilling journey into the mysteries of our cosmos, bestselling author Michio Kaku takes us on a dizzying ride to explore black holes and time machines, multidimensional space and, most tantalizing of all, the possibility that parallel universes may lay alongside our own.
Kaku skillfully guides us through the latest innovations in string theory and its latest iteration, M-theory, which posits that our universe may be just one in an endless multiverse, a singular bubble floating in a sea of infinite bubble universes. If M-theory is proven correct, we may perhaps finally find answer to the question, “What happened before the big bang?” This is an exciting and unforgettable introduction into the new cutting-edge theories of physics and cosmology from one of the pre-eminent voices in the field.
Customer Reviews:
illustrating and entretaining.......2007-08-23
The book gives a understandable review for the curious layman of the exciting ideas in cosmology and correlated areas , like string theory
it is spiced with personal details about the scientist involved
All over it is a exciting expirience and a highly recomended book
Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos.......2007-08-16
This book is actually to be a Christmas gift, so I haven't opened it. It arrived very quickly and in good condition. Thank you for expediting it.
Great Introduction for the layman.......2007-08-12
I truly enjoyed this book. It covers very profound subjects in a manner that the average layman can understand. With this book, I had to read it in small bites. Each page was packed to thought provoking ideas. After reading a little, I wanted to just sit, think and reflect. It is good book to read with others. The ideas need to be discussed to be absorbed.
I enjoyed the cosmology, the string theory, M-theory, and the standard model. I had heard about them but I never knew much about them. The author lets you know which areas are hotly debated in the science world. Most books about this subject have too much math for me to work through.
The ending was a little too much.
It's A Possibility.......2007-08-02
Michio Kaku has created a scenario of possibilities in the evolution of this world. Kaku explores the potentials of parallel worlds and realities. In quantum physics anything is possible. Kudos for Kaku. Bettye Johnson, award-winning author, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.
Science Fiction.......2007-07-11
Kaku has an agreeable, engaging writing style that makes some of the more challenging physics and mathematics accessbile to the layman. Where I felt my interest waning, however, was in the section where he discusses at considerable length various exit strategies from the universe trillions of years from now when it will come to an end. A page (at most) would have sufficed to cover this scenario; instead he went on and on about the various possibilities for intelligent beings to escape from our universe into parallel worlds. The death of our universe is too distant an event for us to be expending too much brain power now on devising contingency plans.
Book Description
It is a widely known but insufficiently appreciated fact that Albert Einstein and Kurt Goedel were best friends for the last decade and a half of Einstein's life. They walked home together from Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study every day; they shared ideas about physics, philosophy, politics, and the lost world of German-Austrian science in which they had grown up. What is not widely known is that in 1949 Goedel made a remarkable discovery: there exist possible worlds described by the theory of relativity in which time, as we ordinarily understand it, does not exist. He added a philosophical argument that demonstrates, by Goedel's lights, that as a consequence, time does not exist in our world either. If Goedel is right, Einstein has not just explained time; he has explained it away.
Without committing himself to Goedel's philosophical interpretation of his discovery, Einstein acknowledged that his friend had made an important contribution to the theory of relativity, a contribution that he admitted raised new and disturbing questions about what remains of time in his own theory. Physicists since Einstein have tried without success to find an error in Goedel's physics or a missing element in relativity itself that would rule out the applicability of Goedel's results. Philosophers, for the most part, have been silent.
_A World Without Time_, addressed to experts and non experts alike, brings to life the sheer intellectual drama of the companionship of Goedel and Einstein, and places their discoveries -- which can only be measured on a millennial scale -- in the context of the great and disturbing intellectual movements of the twentieth century -- in physics, mathematics, logic, philosophy, and the arts. It contains, as well, a poignant and intimate account of the friendship between these two thinkers, each put on the shelf by the scientific fashions of their day -- and ours -- and attempts to rescue from undeserved obscurity the work Goedel did, inspired by Einstein, which made clear for the first time the truly revolutionary nature of the theory of relativity, which to this day is hardly recognized.
Customer Reviews:
more about philosophy than about physics or math.......2007-02-27
A World Without Time is a book about the friendship between Einstein and Godel that occurred toward the end of their lives. The friendship was fruitful in that Godel used Einstein's General Theory of Relativity to prove the existence of what are now called Godel Universes. Godel Universes are universes where time loops back on itself so, if you go sufficiently fast, you would end up back where you started in time. This is interesting but perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book for me was it's philosophical aspect. The author mentions the Vienna Circle and some concepts of philosophy such as positivism and ontology and epistemology which I found very interesting. I found the explanations of Godel's theories hard to follow but got the basic idea. I recommend this book for it's philosophical content. If you want to learn about Godel's Incompleteness theorem I recommend reading Godel, Escher Bach, An Eternal Golden Braid.
Should we dispense with clocks ?.......2007-02-12
The title of the book suggests time does not exist. The justification is a certain solution to Einstein cosmological equation, where the universe is rotating and time travel is possible. A path could reach into the past going around the universe.It is the Godel solution.
Modern cosmology is based on the Robertson Walker metric , or model,where there is a universal time. It fits the obseved universal expansion.The universe was born in a big bang fifteen billions years ago.
Goodel gave too much importance to his solution. After all any equation can allow many mathematical solutions which bear no relation to physical reality or fact.
The book is good reading with old and rare photos.It compelled me to reread "The Godel Solution" in Adler ,Bazin and Schiffer General Relativity.
Early in the century,Kurt Godel had laid a golden egg with his incompleteness theorem, pertaining to pure mathematics, causing some stir among Hilbert and Russell.But his attempt to abolish time, much later in 1949, felt in deaf ears among physicists and cosmologists.This is not about to change any time soon.
Yourgrau does an elegant work in rescuing an old story.It takes us through Europe and the beginnings of the Princeton Advanced Study Institute.
A World Without Time.......2007-01-23
Great book about Godel & Einstein. It tells much about their human side & their friendship. Does good job explaining some of their work.
Very bad book: a waste of your money.......2007-01-17
It is a heap op philosophy, not science. No formula, math, explanation, working examples whatsoever. Just small-talk to fill up the pages. This is NOT a physics book. I was lured into buying it thinking to get a complete textbook on Gödel's explanation of time. Forget it, this book is not worth your money. Go check the internet for PDF's or webpages containing the original publications of Gödel, they are there allright.
A World Without Time.......2007-01-04
I bought this book because I loved the cover. Everyone knows Einstein but it is amazing how few know the equally revolutionary Godel and still fewer know of their freindship. This is an invaluable book for those that (somehow) don't know about Godel's work. I didn't expect much from this book because I know of Godel's revolving universe time paradox. However, I found this book to be extremely interesting. The author's minimalist definition of Godel's theorm (syntax does not equal semantics) was worth the price alone. Unfortunatley the last chapter of the book is muddled in philosophic musings, since I am a Physicist I am less appreciative of pure philosophy.
Customer Reviews:
Well Developed Understanding of the necessary Bridge between Science and Religion.......2007-05-17
Good Metaphysical understanding of life - that it consists of "The one consciousness". And that, all there is anywhere is this one consciousness. That all life interacts instantaneously and non-locally through a mechanism of life and living, difficult to comprehend when understood through the distorting lens of scientific thought and object orientated materialistic living. It underlines that matter is for the most part redundant or better considered as a reflex of thought and arises totally out of conditioning and sedimentations, termed quantum collapse - or "The classical self".
On the otherhand, the past does not need to exist, to the Quantum Self, that is not beholden to the Samskaras of conditioned and congealed thought, to space or time but has access to all that is and all that happens as it happens and which underscores all our creativity and Quantum evolutionary capabilities. Also, good synopsis of the current state of physics and the current belief systems prevailing in the world at present from (i) Behaviorism to (ii) Materialism to (iii)Monistic Idealism , along with their limitations.
Does not go that step further in understanding the metaphysical derivatives of Aspect's experiment, and in realizing that everything communicates instantaneously, only because space does not really fundamentally exist at all - and with it Time - which is just another aspect of the same illusion based on Minkowsky's elucidations! And so - there is no out-there - out there! The realization that everything and ever being is just subjective essence needs to be fully assimilated. A major affront to Science. Hui Neng's understanding that "From the beginning, not a thing is"! would be a further development! along with realizing that the entire seeming objective and object-orientated functionality of the universe is just a reflex of unpurified thought - also ACIM's Statement that "Objects leave not their Source" would help usher in the new metaphysics and the transcendental understanding and awareness needed to propitiate quantum leaps in mankind and the one joined and universal consciousness.
The last section of the book, that deals with yoga and ethics is at best third rate. Reiterates OSHO, Krishnamurti and the basics of yoga! focuses on Eka Rupa and attaining the Eka Grata state in meditation as well as those of Samadhi with objects. Very fundamental but does not capitilize or deliver on the clever, well developed scientific statements that are their precursor earlier in the book.
Oneness of the Universe.......2007-03-19
We are all one consciousness experiencing our reality seperately. Each of us learning and contributing to this universal mind.
I found this book to be very fascinating. Maggie & Amit Gaswami take you on a journey through physics to explain our existance in the universe. Implicitly detailing what science is really telling us about life and living systems, exactly how we are connected and what we can do with this new-found knowledge. I highly recommend this book!
The Self-Aware Universe.......2007-01-10
Very interesting book, a little bit into speculation and religion.
The scientific part was well explained.
The view about the universe changed for me.
I would recommend this book to any one who is interested in quantum mechanics and filosofy...
Your's
Dr. MJ v Dijk PhD
Simply great!!!.......2006-11-18
This is a wonderful and timely book. It gives a fresh view of science, religion, mind, body, consciousness and the universe, stimulates thinking and makes one really understand that s/he can make a difference!!
I love this book!.......2006-10-25
Goswami merges science and spirituality like no other. You don't need to possess a scientific mind to follow most of his argument. The universe is indeed self-aware and Goswami proves that fact, merging east and west in way that makes perfect sense.
Book Description
The Universe May Be a Mystery,
But It's No Secret
Michael Schneider leads us on a spectacular, lavishly illustrated journey along the numbers one through ten to explore the mathematical principles made visible in flowers, shells, crystals, plants, and the human body, expressed in the symbolic language of folk sayings and fairy tales, myth and religion, art and architecture. This is a new view of mathematics, not the one we learned at school but a comprehensive guide to the patterns that recur through the universe and underlie human affairs. A Beginner's Guide to Constructing, the Universe shows you:
- Why cans, pizza, and manhole covers are round.
- Why one and two weren't considered numbers by the ancient Greeks.
- Why squares show up so often in goddess art and board games.
- What property makes the spiral the most widespread shape in nature, from embryos and hair curls to hurricanes and galaxies.
- How the human body shares the design of a bean plant and the solar system.
- How a snowflake is like Stonehenge, and a beehive like a calendar.
- How our ten fingers hold the secrets of both a lobster and a cathedral.
- And much more.
Customer Reviews:
presents both practical and mystical aspects of numbers as they relate to nature.......2007-09-23
A Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe shows the mathematical underpinnings of nature by explaining how nature makes use of the numbers 1 - 10 and also 12 and 13. For example number six is used by nature in the construction of many things including walls of cells as the six sided hexagon is a very stable geometric object. There is some focus on mystical aspects of math but not too much so that there ends up being a lot of practical knowledge to be found here. The Fibonacci sequence is presented along with the use it is put to by nature. There is a presentation of the golden mean also. I highly recommend this book to those who have had interest in math drilled out of them by the drudgery of unfocused arithmetic and algebra lessons. This book is a peak into the fascinating world of mathematics and should whet your appetite for more. One book to consider after reading this book is "Fascinating Fibonacci's" as it contains more detailed information on the material found in chapter 5 of this book.
This book changed my life.......2007-09-11
An amazing combination of mathematics, science, history, religion. As the story of geometry unfolds so unfolds many other stories of our universe.
Hint: invest in a compass, do the suggested activities and examples, have fun
A few gems--mostly blather.......2007-08-22
Reminds me of people who see number patterns in everything--even when it's mere coincidence. A few good ideas and concepts, but trying to tease them out is a chore. And some of the books statements are flat wrong--sorry, but nature is sometimes horribly prolific with resources, not studiously careful. If you are interested in a kind of metaphysical approach, it might be very interesting, but if you are interested in real numbers, real math, real life, um, not here. He points things out that are derived from a triangle or rectangle or the intersection of this or that . . . but really, the 'things' could be designed with other concepts in mind.
geometry for the art.......2007-08-03
I did very little geometry in school and as I was wanting to understand the golden mean I bought this book. I'm now on the number 5. This book discribes the making of the universe and how each number got its name. How everything starts from 1 and it goes on what 2 does and so on. It is deep reading but very interesting.
Discover a hidden depth to numbers and geometry.......2006-11-03
I always enjoyed geometry in school, and this book opened up a whole new depth to the subject for me.
Reading the book, I dug out my compass, pencil, straight edge and 30, 60, and 90 degree angles to perform the various exercises recommended by the author.
Constructing the various geometrical figures I found to be akin to creating mandalas. You create something originating in the abstract that becomes concrete, that in turn ultimately becomes personally meaningful.
Also, I learned to view several churches in town on a completely different level.
Reading this book, you will never look at the numbers one through ten in quite the same way again.
The numbers take on significance and hint at something sublime and even transcendent.
Through this book, I discovered the rich undercurrents of pythagorean number theory, and their application to the rich christian architecture of the medieval churches.
With all the fuss over feng shui, this book draws from our decidedly western tradition, revealing we have our own undiscovered architectural history that has yet to capture the popular imagination.
A wonderful introduction, chapter by chapter, number by number, to sacred geometry and the pythagoreanism that runs through it.
Book Description
Is the universe actually a giant quantum computer? According to Seth Lloyd, the answer is yes.
All interactions between particles in the universe, Lloyd explains, convey not only energy but also information–in other words, particles not only collide, they compute. What is the entire universe computing, ultimately? “Its own dynamical evolution,” he says. “As the computation proceeds, reality unfolds.” Programming the Universe, a wonderfully accessible book, presents an original and compelling vision of reality, revealing our world in an entirely new light.
Customer Reviews:
Another paradigm about the universe.......2007-09-18
What would you think of a professor who starts his course this way: " First you ask questions and I'll try to answer them. Second, if you don't ask questions, I'll ask you questions. Third, if you don't answer my questions, I'll tell you something I think you ought to know. Any questions? " And then, when there are no questions, he throws in his own: "What is information?".
Well, this is, apparently, the style of professor Seth Lloyd and I would certainly enjoy to be in his class and , by the way, his question stimulated my brain , so my answer would be: "Information implies some kind of `language', the elements of language being the signs, the syntactic rules and the interpretation (the meaning). Information normally goes from an emitter to a receiver through some channel. Information can also be processed and stored."
So what is this book about? Well, the standard paradigm of the universe is mechanistic and energy is the most important quantity. Lloyd advocates a new complementary paradigm: the universe is a machine that computes and the two primary quantities are energy and information. A phrase summarizes the main idea of the book: "It from bit "or , rather, "It from qubit". The new paradigm solves the problem of the natural emergency of complexity (although Darwin already partly tackled this problem) and does away the need of the God Watchmaker. It all starts from nothing, quantum mechanics provides the random fluctuations and the computer gets self started (according to Lloyd, "Quantum mechanics, unlike classical mechanics, can create information out of nothing"). Yes, there is a new version of the famous story about monkeys (unsuccessfully) trying to type Hamlet or other Shakespeare works with typewriters (by the way, a simulation has only managed to type the first 24 letters of Henry IV, Part 2 after trillions and trillions of monkey-years). The new version is to use computers instead of typewriters and interpret the output as computer programs in one of the standard languages. Yes, there are relatively short programs that produce astounding outputs.
So the book, to explain all this starts to talk about computers in one of the most concise and clear ways I have ever seen . It goes on to describe the universe as a computer, one that computes itself, that is, its dynamical evolution. But since the universe is a quantum computer, quantum mechanics needs to be discussed, in particular the beautiful double slit experiment (an excellent video can be seen at www.hqrd.hitachi.co.jp/em/movie/doubleslite-n.wmv ) and other weird aspects of QM such as entanglement, spooky action at distance, the different interpretations of QM, etc. Well the lay reader will find some difficulties in these chapters about quantum mechanics and quantum computers, but the effort is worthwhile. Quantum computers pose a threat to Internet security, because using Schor's algorithm, a quantum computer could easily factorize 400 digit numbers. However, the technical difficulties in building but the most elementary quantum computers (to insulate them to avoid decoherence) make this threat still a chimera (only a number such as 15 has been factorized by a quantum computer). However, quantum computers have done simulations that no classical computer could achieve.
On the side, you will get some philosophical, physical and mathematical servings. For example, the relation of Gödel's theorem , or the related Turing's halting problem, to free will. "Rationality combines with self-reference to make our actions intrinsically paradoxical and uncertain", claims Lloyd. You will also learn about a fourth road to quantum gravity via quantum computation and some notions of the complexity theory of Chaitin and Bennett.
To sum up, a good book, with some easy chapters and some more difficult ones.
A new spin on the old universe.......2007-09-10
Lloyd examines a fascinating perspective on the universe as a massive quantum computer continually calculating its actions and increasing in complexity. If you have taken a year of college level physics then I highly recommend this book. You'll still get a headache from the conceptual gymnastics quantum theory puts your brain through, but you won't be frustrated to the point of dropping the book. Even though there were no formulas to decipher and Lloyd simplifies concepts tremendously and reiterates, keeping up with understanding quantum physics and the universe is challenging.
He does an excellent job building up to quantum mechanics. He starts from the basic concepts like duality of photons to the theories of Schrödinger. He covers the mechanics of quantum computing and algorithms to a lesser degree. Ultimately he brings the reader to his view that the universe is one enormous computer. A scary thought, in my opinion.
At the end, the concepts get a little more blurry when he discusses the natural increases in complexity the universe experiences. There is a lot of hand waving at that goes on and you start to question some of the things he proposes. I don't doubt that he thought through all the arguments and has strong counterarguments, but sometimes his arguments take large leaps. That's where the reader may find exceptions to his theories.
Good Overview of Computing, Information and Quantum Mechanics.......2007-07-23
Lloyd provides a concise and easy-to-follow overview of some complex topics, including computing, information and quantum mechanics.
I found the coverage of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle -- in general terms, a trade-off between the level of certainty related to one physical quantity versus the level of certainty related to a complementary physical quantity -- to be quite good.
Lloyd effectively explains complex topics in an accessible, yet non-simplistic, manner. I recommend this book to readers interested in learning about the basics of quantum mechanics.
Mumble Jumble designed to con laymen.......2007-04-27
The premise of the universe being nothing more than a giant computer is sexy and the author apparently has been very successful in milking every bit of it to advance his career and make some money selling books on the side. Sadly, the whole thesis is a tautology. It adds no real insight. It predicts nothing. It can neither be proven nor disproved. In short, it is just like String Theory. But considering that there are only a handful of quantum computer cosmologists while string theorists number in the tens of thousands, it is not a serious offense.
Computations are everywhere.......2007-04-23
Computations are everywhere. Sure, your modern day laptop computer is doing a lot of computation. But look further and you will find computation everywhere.
In Seth Lloyds book, we are taken on a journey, where we start with the dance of atoms and light. All we need to produce everything we see. Here quantum fluctuations inject information (virtual particles) into empty vacuum for the laws of nature to process (i.e. to compute).
Pretty amazing computation this atomic dance btw. To simulate accurately just a just a tiny fraction of the universe on a classical computer for just a fraction of second - say just a few hundreds atoms for less than a second - would be outside the reach of modern computers. Here we would need something better - a quantum computer.
Actually, according to Seth Lloyd, the universe is indistinguishable from a quantum computer. The universe supports quantum computation and can be efficiently simulated by a quantum computer. Put another way - when two physics systems can simulate each other efficiently - they are logically equivalent. No easy trick though - to simulate the entire universe - in order to it, a quantum computer would need exactly as many qubits as the universe. Talk about Jupitor sized computers.
Still, quantum computers can do stuff that normal classical computers cant do. With Shors factoring algorithm a quantum computer can factor large numbers far more efficiently than a classical computer. And with Grovers search algorithm quantum computers can find things much faster then classical computers etc.
All very well described in the book. So ok, the book gives an insight into computation with atoms in a quantum world. And perhaps this is more than enough for most readers to come to grasps with - Surely, it alone will keep humanity occupied for decades to come. Still, for a book that claims to take on computation in all its glory a lot of stones are left unturned.
E.g. we all know that work is being done on quantum gravity theories. What is computation like here? I suspect that Seth Lloyd wanted to keep the reading "light" and as compact as possible or perhaps he thinks quantum gravity theories will add nothing new to our understanding of computation - but ignoring these questions in the book, whatever his opinion, seems strange.
If there is no efficient algorithm for simulating quantum systems on classical computers. Then - If a quantum computer can't simulate a quantum gravity computer that would highlight yet another huge leap in computing power? And wouldn't the gates of quantum gravity computer work at scales where there is no causality? If a quantum gravity computer can see its result before running its algorithms - it is essential the same as quantum computer strapped to a timemachine. But not a word about such ideas in Seth Lloyds book?
I.e. Quantum gravity does away with cause and effect. In classical computing one thing follows after another. "if" is usually followed by "then". Even quantum computers has this notion of input followed by output. Quantum gravity computers will not be constrained by such considerations. Noone knows how space and time act on the scale of quantum gravity, but there will certainly be no such thing as a fixed sequence of processing steps.
And what about logic in the world of quantum computers?
I.e. Sets are merely the most familiar example of the more general concept of a topos. A topos is a somewhat technical concept. But all topos share one feature, they give rise to their own variety of logic. Sets obey the laws of standard logic and boolean alegebra. For a general topos one would new definitions for AND, OR and NOT operations. Boolean algebra would normally allow a statement to be either true or false. However, this turns out out to be the exception in the world of topos. Normally one find statements to true, false and all shades of grey in between. E.g. in the world of quantum physics - the associated topos might allow a statement to be both true and false and all in between..
This is all only hinted at in lloyds book. One might suspect that he thinks such ideas are above a casual reader. But come on - would a casual reader pick up a book on quantum computations anyway?
And what about the brain - what kind of computations do we have here? If Seth Lloyd thinks that we have nothing but classical computation here - he should have said so. But he gives us nothing here.
A comment about physicists Freeman Dysons remark that mind and intelligence are "woven into the fabric of the universe" would have been appropriate imho.
But ok - quantum computers are only getting started and something like IBMs Blue Gene computer with these 280 trillion calculations per second - the current record - would have been hard to imagine back in 1942, when classical computers got started. So we shouldn't be surprised that not all is crystal clear in the world of quantum computers as we speak.
-Simon
Books:
- EMDR as an Integrative Psychotherapy Approach: Experts of Diverse Orientations Explore the Paradigm Prism
- Essentials of Neural Science and Behavior
- Examkrackers: 1001 Questions in MCAT in Physics
- Excel for Scientists and Engineers: Numerical Methods
- Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis: Understanding Concepts and Applications
- Extraterrestrial Contact: The Evidence and Implications
- Extraterrestrial Contact: The Evidence and Implications
- Faust's Metropolis: A History of Berlin
- Fishing the Everglades: A Complete Guide for the Small Boater
- Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Criminal Procedure
- Absolute Fear
- Tinisima
- The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener
- Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson
- Adapted Wavelet Analysis from Theory to Software
- A Feast for Crows
- Lawyer: My Trials and Jubilations
- Trials of an Inventor: Life and Discoveries of Charles Goodyear
- Images from the Otherland: Memoir of a United States Marine Corps Artillery Officer in Vietnam
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel
The Assault on Reason
