Book Description
In this groundbreaking book, the renowned theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that physics—the basis for all other science—has lost its way. The problem is string theory, an ambitious attempt to formulate "a theory of everything" that explains all the forces and particles of nature and how the universe came to be. With its exotic new particles and parallel universes, string theory has captured the public"s imagination and seduced many physicists. But as Smolin reveals, there"s a deep flaw in the theory: no part of it has been proven, and no one knows how to prove it. As a scientific theory, it has been a colossal failure. And because it has soaked up the lion's share of funding, attracted some of the best minds, and penalized young physicists for pursuing other avenues, it is dragging the rest of physics down with it. With clarity, passion, and authority, Smolin charts the rise and fall of string theory and takes a fascinating look at what will replace it. A group of young theorists has begun to develop exciting new ideas that are, unlike string theory, testable. Smolin tells us who and what to watch for in the coming years and how we can find the next Einstein. This is a wake-up call, and Lee Smolin—a former string theorist himself— is the perfect person to deliver it.
Customer Reviews:
Cuts through the hype.......2007-10-13
This is an excellently written book, very easy to read,and with only one typo that I noticed. It starts with an excellent overview of physics from a technical point of view, without getting too technical,but a good basic understanding of physics is really needed to grasp what he is writing about, and shows the authors grasp of the technical issues, and then gets into a philosophical view of the state of physics and science generally. As an interested observer of science I have certainly noticed the lack of really big discoveries in the last twenty years or so, and this book confirms my view. Also being more of a creative thinker,rather than a conformist, a 'seer' as the author describes it,I can totally relate to the problems faced by people seeking a career in science, and the need to conform to currently popular programs and research where economic imperitives take precedence over original thinking,or even fundamental work, and where universities operate to build an image to attract students based on hype over substance. Its what put me off a career in science, and a university education, as I'm not interested in doing what others want in return for money,career,etc. The authors comment about some of the best scientists of the past being wealthy enough to support themselves in doing as they pleased is a very important point in showing that creative people are wasted if forced to do the work others want done in order to survive. Which basically leaves only those who want to conform and have an easy life and easy career path, who want to be technical experts rather than big thinkers or explorers of new concepts. It excludes most risk takers and entrepreneurs from a career in science,as you would end up bitter and unsatisfied. This book really just confirmed alot of what I thought, what should be common sense. And it makes an important point that only a few people think creatively,so it would not cost alot to employ these people and take a risk on them, in the hope that long term they will produce big things, while delivering very little of measurable worth in the short term. The book also goes into the sociology of science and scientists. Something I realised along time ago to my suprise was that scientists suffer from all the normal human flaws of bias and blindness, tribalism,etc that average people do,and often end up in religious type devoutness to their beliefs or tribe. I would have thought science would not attract such people, but it does,as the authors experience shows in confirming what I beleived just from watching science shows on TV,etc. Science would be an excellent career if not for the fact it suffers from the same B.S. that afflicts most human organisations and puts people like myself right off getting involved at all. The author is smart enough to realise that science must attract talent and compete with others for it,and his criticisms are done out of love for science and physics,not hate. It is interesting to see how carefully he treads in crisicising others, which just goes to show how religion-like science had become, and how risky it is to be a heretic, which so goes against what science should stand for,like open debate, constant questioning of all beleifs,etc, when ego's start getting in the way you might as well do something else, as its no better than any other politics or belief system. If you care about science this book raises many important points ,although I suspect it will find an audience with those that sympathise with its views and have no effect on those that need to learn from it most,as they will have closed minds and take all criticism as an attack to be defended against.A very enjoyable read.
A superb overview of the state of theoretical physics........2007-10-12
What a superb book. Lee Smolin starts by sketching our progress towards a unified theory, and then critically examines the claims of string theory to be the best contender for that throne. Having demolished our fuzzy belief that string theory has been somehow "proven," he then weighs in on the other candidates for a unified theory, namely quantum gravity and its cousins. These turn out to be little better supported by experimental evidence. The technical concepts are clearly presented, sans equations, as developments in a story peopled with fascinating characters: the great theoretical physicists of the last 50 years. As a non-math person, I found this narrative a positive pleasure to read. In comparison to other authors of books on physics for the lay public, Smolin really knows how to tell a story, without skimping the science.
The real depth of "The Trouble With Physics" becomes apparent when Smolin pulls back to focus on physics itself. Facing the fact that the academy is a human enterprise like any other, he subjects it to the same bold criticism that he applies to scientific concepts. Here are eyeopening revelations about the culture of conferences, recommendations, networks, and above all, the economic pressures that subtly favor "craftspeople" at the expense of "seers." It's a sorry indictment of our universities, the triumph of self-interest over vision, and Smolin explicitly includes himself in the great mass of insincere careerists who choose a safe research program over a risky one, to the detriment of scientific progress. One gets the sense that this book is, for the author, an atonement for having shortchanged his own creativity as a younger man.
But we the readers are the beneficiaries of Smolin's decision to lay all bare. I have read literally dozens of books on physics and cosmology, and this is the first one that has presented the human side of the story as a CONTEXT, rather than in a series of postage-stamp portraits. Smolin shows that tribalism and rent-seeking do as much to shape science as any ideas. It is a lesson that will lend an extra savor, and a much-needed depth of perspective, to every science book I read in the future.
Scientific progress is never cut and dried.......2007-10-08
Lee Smolin presents a harsh critique of the last 30 years in theoretical physics, written by one of its practitioners. He makes the excellent point that science is a human activity like anything else. Progress is always hard to predict; scientists can and do get caught up in dead ends. Smolin thinks string theory is one such dead end, and makes a good case for it.
I think that, if anything, Smolin is a little too gentle on the field. The development of the atomic and hydrogen bombs left a tremendous impression that big money put into physics would bring big results. In recent years that hasn't happened. There are so many unanswered questions out there in science, so many important fields where solutions are desperately needed. When I consider the construction and operation of particle accelerators and other high-tech equipment, I can't help but think of the huge cost. The same amount of cash invested elsewhere might have brought much more in the way of useful results.
I am the mother of a 10-year-old boy attending public school. His instruction sometimes seems to me like a mishmash of well-meaning educational reforms that have been implemented with little or no testing to see if they worked or not. I am frankly disgusted by the quality of most research in the area of education--sample sizes too small, no proper controls, subjects followed for too short a time, etc. The cost of operating a single particle accelerator for six weeks probably exceeds all the funding for educational research around the world for the entire year. Yet which has the most potential for making major progress? Maybe it's time to back off on funding big physics projects for a while.
I would also like to point out that the building and use of instrumentation for high-energy physics is highly dependent on cheap fossil fuels. The future supply of such fuels is by no means guaranteed. The peak oil problem appears to be largely ignored by high-energy physicists today, but has the potential to significantly affect their ability to conduct experiments.
I really enjoyed Smolin's chapters on looking for seers rather than technicians in science. I especially liked his description of how unconventional scientists have built a career without a university job. Smolin points out that a typical professor spends a majority of his week on teaching, grant proposals, administrative tasks, and the like, leaving a surprisingly small amount of time available for actual research. Having a day job outside the field is not as big a hurdle as it might seem.
I tend to agree with Smolin that the big advances of the future are likely to come from completely unexpected directions. I can't wait to see what they are.
physics from many angles.......2007-10-05
This book provided several discussions pf physics and quantum theory. its good because the author speaks of the history the the originators of physics theory and the current champions of thought.
A mixed bag.......2007-10-04
At the moment, string theory appears to have many (possibly an infinite number) of "metastable vacua", each of which would allow for a universe with its own laws of physics. (For a brief, comic, yet essentially correct summary of the history of this idea, see Peter Shor's review here. For those who don't know, Shor is a celebrated quantum-information theorist.) According to the (far from established) inflationary model of cosmology, there is a vast collection of universes (the "multiverse") with diverse laws of physics. Which universe we find ourselves in is a matter of random selection, but of course we must be in a "biofriendly" universe, one whose laws of physics allow for the appearance of intelligent life.
The core argument of this book is presented on page 164-165 (US hardcover edition), where Smolin writes, "when it comes to the biofriendliness of our universe, we have at least three possibilities:
"1. Ours is one of a vast collection of universes with random laws.
"2. There was an intelligent designer.
"3. There is a so-far-unknown mechanism that will both explain the biofriendliness of our universe and make testable predictions by which it can be confirmed or falsified.
"Given that the first two possibilities are untestable in principle, it is most rational to hold out for the third possibility. Indeed, that is the only possibility we should consider as scientists, because accepting either of the first two would mean the end of our field."
I find this to be an astonishing argument. First of all, I don't know what "most rational" is supposed to mean. More importantly, to reject a scientific hypothesis for purely personal reasons (it "would mean the end of our field") is at best novel, and at worst absurd.
Very few string theorists are happy that #1 seems, at this point, to be the most likely outcome of string theory, and many hope that #3 will somehow eventually emerge. But to throw out the whole framework, simply because we don't like the result, cannot be said to be a scientific attitude.
One thing you won't learn in this book (unless you read it very carefully, and between the lines) is that the other approaches to quantum gravity advocated by Smolin have not come any closer to predicting specific experimental results than string theory has. Smolin talks about possible violations of special relativity, but these are not (as he admits on page 237) a definite prediction of loop quantum gravity. He has said (on Peter Woit's blog) that any quantum field theory in any number of dimensions is compatible with loop quantum gravity. If true, this would make loop quantum gravity even less capable than string theory of picking out our particular laws of physics.
Smolin also discusses issues of sociology in physics. On page 335-336, he asserts that the all the truly negative characterizations of job candidates that he has ever heard have had a component of racism and/or sexism. I am on the faculty of the physics department of a research university, and I can only say that my experience has been entirely different. I have simply never heard a racist or sexist denigration of one scientist by another, nor have I ever felt that anyone was being evaluated by criteria other than merit. I think that there are definitely issues of culture and how we can construct scientific communities that have broader appeal, and that there are physicists who are not as sensitive to these issues as they might be, but I cannot accept Smolin's claim that the relatively small percentage of women and blacks in physics is due to "blatant prejudice".
Finally, Smolin discusses the issues of "seers" vs "craftspeople" in science, and argues that we should be supporting more "seers". Among the existing seers, he lists some (such as Roger Penrose and Gerard 't Hooft) who made their reputations primarily as craftspeople ('t Hooft received the Nobel Prize for his work on the renormalization of gauge theories, and Penrose did celebrated work on the singularity theorems of general relativity). Their record as seers has been less successful; none of their recent ideas on modifications of quantum mechanics have panned out as yet. Smolin laments the fact that more attention is not paid to these forays into alternatives to quantum mechanics. But 't Hooft and Penrose do not agree on what modifications are needed. Other seers identified by Smolin propose violations of special relativity, rather than (or in addition to) violations of quantum mechanics. Perhaps this is all deep thought, but there is little to decide, at this point, which if any of these avenues should be pursued. Most physicists have therefore sensibly adopted a "wait and see" attitude.
Even if we accept Smolin's argument that we need new seers, how are we to find them? Smolin writes (page 353) that in order to discover "the visionaries who ignore the mainstream and follow their own ambitious programs", we should "find at least one accomplished person in the candidate's field who is deeply excited about what the candidate is trying to do". So, the candidate's program had better not be *too* far off the mainstream; there has to be at least one "accomplished person" who is "deeply excited" about it. But if one deeply excited professional is good, wouldn't more be better? Wouldn't that up the odds that the program was, indeed, worthwhile? Oh wait, that would be just what we have now ... a system where there is constant debate, emergent consensus on the most promising approaches, and distribution of research funds primarily (but by no means exclusively!) to those approaches that appear, in the consensus view, to be most promising. To paraphrase Winston Churchill on democracy, this system for distributing funds for science may be the worst ever devised, except for all the others.
So, should you buy the book? I feel that it gives a distorted picture, by emphasizing the weak points of string theory while ignoring the (many more, in my view) weak points of the alternatives. It seems to me that the essence of the book's argument against string theory is captured by the excerpts above, and by Shor's review. Then there is a lot of discussion of groupthink in scientific culture. For me, it doesn't add up to an appealing package, but your mileage may vary.
Average customer rating:
- great book for MD basics
- Old fashioned fortran, strong bias on Monte Carlo
- Excellent text for beginners in simulation
- Perfect for New Grad Students
- A nice disappointment
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Understanding Molecular Simulation (Computational Science Series)
Daan Frenkel
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Similar Items:
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Computer Simulation Of Liquids
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The Art of Molecular Dynamics Simulation
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Molecular Modelling: Principles and Applications (2nd Edition)
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An Introduction to Statistical Thermodynamics
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ASIN: 0122673514 |
Book Description
Understanding Molecular Simulation: From Algorithms to Applications explains the physics behind the "recipes" of molecular simulation for materials science. Computer simulators are continuously confronted with questions concerning the choice of a particular technique for a given application. A wide variety of tools exist, so the choice of technique requires a good understanding of the basic principles. More importantly, such understanding may greatly improve the efficiency of a simulation program. The implementation of simulation methods is illustrated in pseudocodes and their practical use in the case studies used in the text.
Since the first edition only five years ago, the simulation world has changed significantly -- current techniques have matured and new ones have appeared. This new edition deals with these new developments; in particular, there are sections on:
· Transition path sampling and diffusive barrier crossing to simulaterare events
· Dissipative particle dynamic as a course-grained simulation technique
· Novel schemes to compute the long-ranged forces
· Hamiltonian and non-Hamiltonian dynamics in the context constant-temperature and constant-pressure molecular dynamics simulations
· Multiple-time step algorithms as an alternative for constraints
· Defects in solids
· The pruned-enriched Rosenbluth sampling, recoil-growth, and concerted rotations for complex molecules
· Parallel tempering for glassy Hamiltonians
Examples are included that highlight current applications and the codes of case studies are available on the World Wide Web. Several new examples have been added since the first edition to illustrate recent applications. Questions are included in this new edition. No prior knowledge of computer simulation is assumed.
Customer Reviews:
great book for MD basics.......2007-05-07
I was especially delighted about the Monte Carlo methods and the free energy calculation techniques.
Old fashioned fortran, strong bias on Monte Carlo.......2006-06-19
There is a very strong bias to MC methods in the book. What they have to say about Molecular Dynamics methods is not really new, most of it is virtually copied from the classic by Allan/Tildesley, and many MD techniques which they consider "advanced" (such as cell list methods, verlet tables, etc.) are shifted to one of the many appendices. They do not talk about ghostparticles for instance or give a detailed account of parallelized algorithms which is really state-of-the art today.
The code examples for download for the exercises, contain subtle errors, are not optimized for performance (which is THE most important thing in simulation business) and worst of all, are written in Fortran. The fact that they publish Fortran code must reflect the fact that at the time they learned how to program a computer there was no C, C++, JAVA, etc. and no object orientation in sight. Nowadays, probably no expert in programming would start a scientific and readable code in fortran. Also their definition of an algorithm is simply technically wrong. The authors are very sloppy here, have obviously no training in theoretical computer science and are obviously no experts for writing optimal code.
Scientifically, as far as physics is concerned, the book is sound, they give good arguments pro and against certain methods, but when you have already worked with Allan/Tildesley or Rappaport for many years you have the eery impression that they simply repeat many arguments from these books or from other research articles (They keep citing Allan/Tildesley a lot) Those things that are not more or less copied from other sources seems to reflect their own experience in this field which seems to be strongly limited to MC methods.
Although this book is sometimes praised I cannot really recommend it. Allan/Tildesley, and in particular the book by Rappaport are superior in stlye and in particluar as code examples are concerned. With Rappaport you get working code right away in proper C (albeit in Fortran-Style C -- again, the reason for this being the fact, that all these authors of Simulation books learned programming probably in the late 70's when Fortran was state-of-the-art). I nevertheless would recommend Rappaports book instead. The authors even offer scientific workshops based on their book (and probably make a lot of money with that). One can only hope that those are better than the coding examples of the exercises. Therefore only 2 stars.
Excellent text for beginners in simulation.......2004-11-20
Its an excellent book for those who are just beginners in MC & MD simulations. everything is very clearly explained with lot of examples and some related unsolved problems. the text explores this topic indetails with advanced chapters in later sections. Good for anybody int hsi field be it in materials science, physics or related fields.
Perfect for New Grad Students.......2002-11-24
This book is how I bootstrapped my way into being a molecular simulationist. Anyone who can program in some language can get started writing simple routines for the basic MD and MC simulations.
I do Monte Carlo simulations at Princeton, and found this book to be the most helpful available for getting my research started. It is my most common reference, and is used extensively in writing background information for various research documents.
However, after you have written your first few codes, you will pass the level of this book and need to move on. I use it less now than I did my first year.
Every student in my group (Panagiotopoulos) has this book I think. And like me, they started with it, but moved on.
A nice disappointment.......2001-08-30
The title of the book is overly ambitious and falls short on its promises. The book is a good introduction to Molecular Mechanics (MM), Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Monte Carlo (MC) methods, with detailed descriptions of the methods used and FORTRAN (pseudo)code, covering from the basics to some middle-level and some advanced algorithms.
But it does NOT cover all the fields of Molecular Modelling, just the three mentioned (MM, MD and MC), there's no coverage of quantum mechanics methods, nor QSAR or other technologies. And, while it described the algorithms, I can't think of it going all the way through up to building applications. For this, Rapaport's makes a better job, and for a general intro to Molecular Modelling, Grant & Richards' Computational Chemistry is more comprehensive (albeit at a more superficial level). Nor does it provide much detail on the methods used in modelling biological macromolecules, an increasing application field for the methods discussed in the book.
All in all, this book fails to satisfy its cover title, it won't introduce to the whole field (just the areas of MM, MD and MC) nor does it go up to application level. But it IS a REAL GOOD introduction to the subjects covered and their basic algorithms,
with sample code, detailed descriptions and plenty of references to specialized articles, texts and resources.
Customer Reviews:
perhaps a starting point.......2005-07-01
Flow technology was once used at our organization but has been replaced by the traditional Lean and Six-Sigma tools and initiatives. Please make note the some formulas and definitions used in DFT are significantly different than standard Lean items and will cause confusion and some resistance if you try to mix them. Cycle time, takt time and kanban sizing are some examples. I purchased my book for a reference in addressing such issues.
Practical and tactical.......2003-03-19
After reading lots of books on the subject of modern-day manufacturing, Mr. Costanza's book had one thing that the others didn't. It strongly focuses on the practical deployment of Flow and Lean Manufacturing - most others merely describe the subject from a philosophical perspective. The book contains what you need to know about the subject. It enables you go out and start improving your business. Our company actually gained substantial benefits from implementing the tools described. It's a pure career booster!
Self promoter.......2003-03-12
Self promotion 100%. Look at the dates on the 5 star reviews. All within one week of one another, and several the same day. Who is this man Costanza? A self promoter. Save your money and buy Lean Thinking.
JCIT's Quantum Leap.......2002-04-04
Although the overall approach is reasonable, it has not been invented by Constanza. It is my opinion that this is just "new" marketing of an old good idea.
As for the book itself -- is primitively written, fails to explore notions that need exploring and, at the same time, wastes pages explaining simplest things, including even formulas (something like "... quantity would be 120 times 17 times 2 divided by 7.5..." -- you got the picture).
Overall, very dissatisfied with the book.
Steps to reduce Manufacturing response........2002-03-18
Have you ever looked for a set of tools to lead you to reducing manufacturing response? John Costanza has put them all together in a format that is easy to read and understand. Each tool is clearly explained within the manufacturing context. John also clearly shows that to be successful all disciplines within the organization must be on board to achieve the greatest success. A life saver for manufacturing!!
Book Description
Has physics gone off in the wrong direction? Peter Woit presents the other side of the growing debate on string theory--arguing that it's not even science
At what point does theory depart the realm of testable hypothesis and come to resemble something like aesthetic speculation, or even theology? The legendary physicist Wolfgang Pauli had a phrase for such ideas: He would describe them as "not even wrong," meaning that they were so incomplete that they could not even be used to make predictions to compare with observations to see whether they were wrong or not.
In Peter Woit's view, superstring theory is just such an idea. In Not Even Wrong, he shows that what many physicists call superstring "theory" is not a theory at all. It makes no predictions, even wrong ones, and this very lack of falsifiability is what has allowed the subject to survive and flourish.
Not Even Wrong explains why the mathematical conditions for progress in physics are entirely absent from superstring theory today and shows that judgments about scientific statements, which should be based on the logical consistency of argument and experimental evidence, are instead based on the eminence of those claiming to know the truth.
In the face of many books from enthusiasts for string theory, this book presents the other side of the story.
Customer Reviews:
The Fall of Strings.......2007-10-06
String theorists have so far been unable to use their results to predict new experimental findings. This book and Smolin's 'The Trouble with Physics' both attempt to document this failure of string theory. Smolin's book is better, but a tougher read. But this book is not bad, and you may want to read them both.
Woit dissects "the only game in town".......2007-10-02
"The fundamental problem with string theory is that, as far as its central goal of unifying physics goes, over the last nearly 25 years it has not only not made any progress toward explaining anything about particle physics, but, quite the opposite. Everything that has been learned about string theory makes it more and more clear that the original hopes for getting unification this way were just misguided and can't work. The derivative here is the wrong sign." Peter Woit, posted on his weblog September 13, 2007.
Some readers may think that this book gets off to a painfully slow start, given the author's long telling of the history of particle physics, particularly as regards work done with particle accelerators/ colliders. But stay with it [it's worth it!]. Woit holds degrees from Harvard and Princeton (PhD, theoretical physics) and has taught both mathematics and physics at Columbia. He happily describes himself as a mathematician, in large part because that is indeed the career he has chosen but also in large part because he is obviously disgusted with the current state of theoretical physics--in so far as the superstring/ M-theory disciples of Witten have abandoned anything resembling orthodox science. Woit shows no hesitation in acknowledging Witten's great genius, but unlike most theorists of recent decades he is not interested in worshiping at Witten's feet, no matter what the cost. And Woit isn't just some disgruntled nay-saying spoilsport (I can't strictly judge the psychological state of someone I don't personally know, but he doesn't strike me in this way at all). His concern is that there are other prospects for a unified theory that have been summarily brushed aside by the popular mantra that "string theory is the only game in town." [Federal] research funding, positions of influence notably including department chairs, academic and research hirings, increasingly all have played what we are told (by string/brane theorists themselves) is "the only game in town." But after three decades of glowing hype, this "game"--superstrings/'M-theory'/'brane-world'--has failed to move forward. It has essentially demonstrated that it cannot move forward in any scientific sense.
"Superstring theory is to a large degree thought of by mainstream physicists as mathematics and by mainstream mathematicians as physics, with each group convinced that it makes no sense within their frame of reference but presumably does within someone else's." pg 204
Like so many other armchair theorists, I've read and enjoyed books like Greene's `Elegant Universe' and Hawking's glossy `Universe in a Nutshell'. But any astute reader has to notice that no real connection is made between what we are told are compellingly "beautiful mathematics" and the physical world we can examine, and, given a sound theory, even interrogate, to any degree at all. It is particularly instructive to consider strings/ brane-world from the critical perspective of pure mathematics, i.e., Woit's perspective in this volume. It seems that the abstract equations ARE strangely "beautiful" UNTIL the math must be patched to conform to a universe with precisely three large spatial dimensions; as soon as we are forced to manipulate the additional dimensions, the beauty of the mathematics begins to fade. That `beauty' has been fading for 20 years at this writing. Woit finds the equations of strings/branes to be growing uglier at every turn. After decades of contortion, strings/branes are ever becoming less beautiful than advertised. And, as Woit briefly explains with stark, non-glossy frankness, strings/branes are NOT the only game in town, or at least they shouldn't be.
Many mathematicians would cautiously agree that strings/branes make for interesting mathematics--if they can be divorced from physics. There may be sufficient cause to suggest, as some have, that strings/branes make for interesting theology as well. But are strings/branes SCIENCE? At this late date it seems that the answer is probably `no'.
"If someone could come up with a legitimate, distinctive, testable prediction of string theory that gave even the correct order of magnitude for some experimental result, that would be a huge breakthrough."
As I have suggested to anyone willing to listen, read Peter Woit's thought-provoking book, especially if you've read Greene, Hawking, and/or Susskind.
Right on the button.......2007-08-30
What can I say? Like Peter Woit, I am a recovering mathematician, and this book has given me hope. "Not Even Wrong" carries my highest recommendation, especially for those empirically-inclined investigators who have become demotivated by the crisis in science. One proviso, though - don't read it in isolation. Essential companions are Lee Smolin's "The Trouble with Physics", and my own impassioned plea "The Virtue of Heresy - Confessions of a Dissident Astronomer". The Virtue of Heresy: Confessions of a Dissident Astronomer
Hilton Ratcliffe
Astrophysicist
contains interesting information on physics as well as criticism of String Theory.......2007-07-11
As most people know Not Even Wrong is critical of String Theory. What I did not realize going into the book was the detail it delves into in describing events leading up to String Theory, especially events having to do with the Standard Model. I think the book is worth reading just for this information which spans half of the book. I don't know whether String Theory is right or not as I am not a physicist but I do believe that criticism is a healthy thing and that the author is clear in his criticism of String Theory. I would have wished for more information on other Unified Theories but he devotes only one chapter to this. I guess, as the author points out, there is only one game in town and it is String Theory.
A Good Proposal for Using Government Funds More Effectively.......2007-06-23
Woit's book will be very helpful to technical people who do not work daily in the field of physics but want to remain up to date on the progress of this field. Woit's conclusions and recommendations will be widely accepted. Interestingly, in my book review of Leonard Susskind's book on The Cosmic Landscape in December 2005, I said, "I hold hopes for physicists but not much for strings." I made this statement because the length of a string is divisible and cannot be modeled by a zero-point. So, string theory was completely wrong on day one.
Woit gave me a clear view of the histories of particle physics, strings, and the standard model. In Ch. 6, my mind became glued to the Yang-Mills theory and the new behavior named `asymptotic freedom.' This new behavior is consistent with other theories: (1) the infinite gap that separates a creator God from the universe; (2) the Riemann hypothesis on prime numbers; (3) the true atoms (Leibniz's monads); (4) Cantor's transfinite number; (5) and the origin of inertia of Bernard Haisch (see `The God Theory). So, Woit is right. It is time for physicists to return to basics and The Standard Model. But, they might also consider the reality of an active God.
Book Description
Atom-Photon Interactions: Basic Processes and Applications allows the reader to master various aspects of the physics of the interaction between light and matter. It is devoted to the study of the interactions between photons and atoms in atomic and molecular physics, quantum optics, and laser physics. The elementary processes in which photons are emitted, absorbed, scattered, or exchanged between atoms are treated in detail and described using diagrammatic representation. The book presents different theoretical approaches, including:
* Perturbative methods
* The resolvent method
* Use of the master equation
* The Langevin equation
* The optical Bloch equations
* The dressed-atom approach
Each method is presented in a self-contained manner so that it may be studied independently. Many applications of these approaches to simple and important physical phenomena are given to illustrate the potential and limitations of each method.
Customer Reviews:
Very useful.......2000-06-26
Atom Photon Interactions is an excellent text for atomic and optical physics. I refer back to the review material---transition amplitudes, quantum electrodynamic fundamentals, etc--- over and over again. Naturally, these sections are very brief, and the book works best along side Cohen-Tannoudji's more elementary texts Quantum Mechanics and Photons and Atoms, or their equivalents.
The later chapters are rich in techniques and intuition applicable to atom-trapping, spectroscopy, laser theory, etc. Cohen-Tannoudji covers a lot of material, and manages to link it all to a few basic fundamental principles. The book is extremely well-organized, with bite-sized sections and appendices to each chapter. An excellent collection of exercises with solutions is included in the back. Unfortunately, the text does not prompt the reader to try working these problems at appropriate times (sadly, I didn't realize the exercises were there until I'd been using the book for some time). Like Photons and Atoms, this is primarily a book for theorists; its one weakness, I feel, is that the principles, however clear, never seem connected to the actual numbers that an experimentalist or system designer can relate to.
Product Description
x
Customer Reviews:
Good book but so much money.......2006-07-22
This book is massive and covers a huge spectrum of material. Probably not cost effective in comparison to Fetter and Walecka unless you get it for under eighty bucks. I enjoyed it quite a bit until the Postal Service stole it from me.
Containing too many misprints........2001-11-19
Unfortunately, the 3rd edition of Mahan's book contains enormous number of misprints. Sometimes, it is impossible to understand what is meant by the author without consulting the previous edition. For example, in Sec. 4.1.5. the author refers in the text to the equation which apparently should be between Eqs. (4.126) and (4.127) but which had been omitted. At the same time, some evident drawbacks of the previous edition have not been corrected. For example, the definition of the thermodynamic average used in Sec. 3.6 is different from that used in the previous sections, although it is not mentioned in the text. Despite the book is an excellent introduction into the field of Many-Particle Physics, I would recommend to the customer to either buy the previous edition or to wait for a new one.
Bien detaille, comprehensible........1999-03-16
Un excellent livre sur un sujet d'actualite. G. Mahan discute de nombreuses en detaillant a chaque fois les etapes necessaires et en ne negligeant pas les explications ni les liens entre les differentes theories. Vu le prix, courez a votre bibliotheque pour vous le procurer!
Average customer rating:
- Could have been great - but this book sucks
- An excellent reference book for lasers.
- Pleasant layout, but cops out when things get subtle.
- Great Book for Intermediate/Advanced Understanding
- I liked this book!
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Laser Electronics (3rd Edition)
Joseph T. Verdeyen
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Lasers
ASIN: 013706666X |
Customer Reviews:
Could have been great - but this book sucks.......2005-01-24
This book has incredible potential. This could have been a great book. But unfortunately this book really sucks. The author only gives partial explanations while he is deriving formulas. There is not enough information given to follow and learn the subject matter while following his derivations. This book should only be used by people who know how to derive all the equations. So if you don't know the material before purchasing this book then don't waste your money.
An excellent reference book for lasers........2004-06-19
This book is definately not for the novice. This book covers a large amount of material in its 777 pages. I got this book as an undergraduate for an advanced optics survey course. It was a little sparse on the explanations for an undergraduate. In graduate school however, this text has come in handy a number of times to fill in the gaps from other books or in heavy-duty problem solving. His coverage of gain saturation, broadening and line-widths I thought were especially usefull, as well as his coverage of the ABCD matrices. All in all, a must-have for your optics bookshelf.
Pleasant layout, but cops out when things get subtle........2003-10-26
The layout of this book is very pleasant. Nice, clean typography. The presentation is informal without sacrificing accuracy. However, the author seems to have a bad habit. When the explanation is straightforward (ie the reader can probably figure it out on his/her own), he does a fine job of explaining. When explanations are really needed, he relegates them to the problems. For example, in the sections dealing with the density matrix formalism, he assigns in the general formulation a characteristic decay constant to each energy level. So when it comes to working out the two-level problem, he should explain why he can justifiably "simplify" the problem by assigning a single decay time constant to the population difference between the two levels, instead of perserving the two different decay constants. This is one of the more subtle points in the whole density matrix presentation, yet he weasels out of the situation by leaving it to the problems section. The same pattern is repeated in the part where a comparison between the results of rate equations and density matrix are made. When it comes time to really point out the reason for the validity of the rate equations, he relegates it to the problems again. This is unfortunate, since a proper explanation would clearly demonstrate true insight into the physics.
Great Book for Intermediate/Advanced Understanding.......2000-05-26
This is an excellent book for those intend to major into Laser Physics with emphasis in practical, theoretical and modelling sides of Laser Physics but I agree that this book would be very tough for those who start learning Physics. But the mathematics is elegant with emphasis on the real world.
I liked this book!.......2000-05-21
I thought this book was an excellent reference. The explanations are clear. I must admit that some equations seem to be inadequately justified, but not to any greater extent than many other undergraduate texts, such as Eisberg and Resnick (the quantum book). This book went into the right amount of mathematical depth for someone like me who just wanted to get the 'big picture' for my thesis and not worry too much about the details. Much, much better than the books by Chow, Koch and Sargent, and Thompson.
I might add that I am a physics major and thus have had considerable background in electromagnetism and quantum mechanics. Perhaps lack of background is why the Stanford engineer felt that the book was too hard.
Book Description
Including some of the most advanced concepts of non-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics, this book presents the conceptual framework underlying the atomistic theory of matter. No prior acquaintance with quantum mechanics is assumed. Many numerical examples provide concrete illustrations, and the corresponding MATLAB codes can be downloaded from the web. Videostreamed lectures linked to specific sections of the book are also available through web access.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent .......2007-09-24
All i can say is that either the Amazon service, the delivery time and the item were really excellent, i even got the item few days before the estimated delivery date.
Thank you
Timely topic, great pedagogy.......2007-06-13
The author (SD) claims that this is a physics book written for engineers. Maybe that explains why, unlike the authors of most physics books written for physicists, he doesn't seem particularly concerned with elegance, concision, abstract generality or showing how clever he is in this book. Apparently, his main concern is to help you understand stuff. And interesting stuff it is, too.
The narrative arc of the book is to show you how to get from a particle in a box to Ohm's Law, as instantiated in nanoscale transistors. The path to doing this is already laid out in the first chapter, using a "toy" level of analysis. The next nine chapters lay out building blocks for attacking the problem using Green's function (GF) techniques, which are a bit more modern and versatile than the transmission formalism favored in the past (including by SD in a previous book). The whole picture is put together in Chapters 11 and 12, followed by an appendix that shows (albeit quite tersely in comparison to the rest of the book) how the same problem is dealt with using a second-quantization (2Q) GF formalism. The fact many pieces of this arc are repeated at successively deeper levels of analysis is very helpful. So too are SD's "big picture" introductions at the beginning of each chapter, and at the beginnings of the longer subchapters.
Throughout, SD pauses to describe in words and pictures the physics behind pretty much each term of each equation -- a de-mystification that most authors of physics texts seem to avoid as if it were blasphemy. I was especially impressed when SD used these opportunities to allude to some deeper and more general issues, such as how you get from time-reversible equations to irreversible physics. In fact the whole book serves as an applied introduction to non-equilibrium stat mech, a cutting-edge subject usually reserved for abstract theoretical treatment, or the last few pages of a conventional textbook. SD also foregrounds some basic points that are often buried in or missing from other texts, such as that the Schroedinger equations do not explain why atoms emit light, and why "optical" phonons are called that. (This latter point had really bugged me when I took a course in solid state years ago, so while reading this book I re-checked 7 or 8 solid state texts within reach, including Ziman, and found that only Kittel and Ashcroft & Mermin bothered to explain this point, and so casually (K) or vaguely (A&M) that you'd hardly notice.)
I was especially struck by the book's attention to modeling transistor contacts and how they interact with the channel. In the last few years this has become a big issue in organic electronics, as researchers have found that many aspects of device behavior were far more dependent on the contacts than they'd previously appreciated (kind of a let-down after going to the trouble of synthesizing some exotic channel material). That said, though, note that the book's POV is restricted to inorganic crystalline semiconductors, and I don't claim to be smart enough to see how easy it is to extend the book's methods to organic devices.
A couple of caveats. Although my copy says it was "reprinted with corrections 2006", there are still a lot of typos (none too terrible, though). More significant is that many of the exercises rely on your having access to MATLAB or some other math program. If you're not attached to an academic institution or didn't aquire a copy of such a program while you were so attached, those exercises probably will be inaccessible to you (unless you're willing to spring for ~ $10E2.6-$10E3.3 for a personal copy, depending on the program). Contrary to another review, there isn't anything about fabrication techniques, despite brief references to quantum dots and nanowires. And while the blurb on the back cover says "No prior acquaintance with quantum mechanics is assumed," and although SD does start from a description of the Schroedinger equation in Chapter 2, the QM intensity accelerates rapidly from there. So I wouldn't rely on learning the relevant QM from this book. (However, it might be possible to enjoy this book before you've finished a class in solid state.) For a next edition, I would look forward to (i) a somewhat less rushed description of transmission formalism in sec. 9.4 (one of the few places in the book where EEs may have a real advantage over others), (ii) a wordier discussion of the 2Q formalism in the appendix, and (iii) a more explicit discussion of Fock space methods, which seem to play an uncredited role in the discussion of multi-electron systems in Chap.3. But even as-is, this is a very stimulating and enjoyable book.
Excellent Condition.......2006-08-26
The book is in great condition and was ok for the price. Ad i couldnt find it in any of my university book stores
useful theoretical tools for designing devices.......2006-03-06
For over thirty years, Green's functions have been used to calculate effects in solid state physics. But usually for pure research, destined to be written up in scientific journals. Here, Datta offers some outreach. There is indeed quite a lot of theory presented. But there is a corresponding emphasis on the latest materials fabrication abilities, including the making of nanotubes and quantum dots.
All these have (presumably) interesting and practical applications. So if you want to design novel devices from a theoretical standpoint, the maths tools developed in the text can be very useful.
Average customer rating:
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Modern Physics for Engineers
Jasprit Singh
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ASIN: 0471330442 |
Book Description
Linking physics fundamentals to modern technology-a highly applied primer for students and engineers
Reminding us that modern inventions-new materials, information technologies, medical technological breakthroughs-are based on well-established fundamental principles of physics, Jasprit Singh integrates important topics from quantum mechanics, statistical thermodynamics, and materials science, as well as the special theory of relativity. He then goes a step farther and applies these fundamentals to the workings of electronic devices-an essential leap for anyone interested in developing new technologies.
From semiconductors to nuclear magnetic resonance to superconducting materials to global positioning systems, Professor Singh draws on wide-ranging applications to demonstrate each concept under discussion. He downplays extended mathematical derivations in favor of results and their real-world design implication, supplementing the book with nearly 100 solved examples, 120 figures, and 200 end-of-chapter problems.
Modern Physics for Engineers provides engineering and physics students with an accessible, unified introduction to the complex world underlying today's design-oriented curriculums. It is also an extremely useful resource for engineers and applied scientists wishing to take advantage of research opportunities in diverse fields.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect for engineers.......2000-08-22
This book covers topics in modern physics that are the most important for the engineer. It makes an equilibrated use of figures, tables and conceptual diagrams, thus providing a clear guideline for the student. It also provides small but interesting historic introductions in some chapters, that also help to understand why different theories appeared. This could all be done without forgetting the necessary theoretical and mathematical rigorousness. A very good book for engineers.
Amazon.com
When Margaret J. Wheatley's Leadership and the New Science was initially published in 1992, it outlined an unquestionably unique but extremely challenging view of change, leadership, and the structure of groups. Many readers immediately embraced its cutting-edge perspective, but others just could not understand how the complicated scientific tenets it described could be used to reshape institutions. Now Wheatley, an organizational specialist who has since coauthored A Simpler Way, updates the original by including additional material (such as an epilogue addressing her personal experiences during the past decade) and reconstructing some of her more challenging concepts. The result is a much clearer work that first explores the implications of quantum physics on organizational practice, then investigates ways that biology and chemistry affect living systems, and finally focuses on chaos theory, the creation of a new order, and the manner that scientific principles affect leadership. "Our old ways of relating to each other don't support us any longer," she writes. "It is up to us to journey forth in search of new practices and new ideas that will enable us to create lives and organizations worthy of human habitation." --Howard Rothman
Book Description
o
A completely revised and expanded edition of the international bestseller (over 230,000 copies sold)
o This new edition includes an entirely new chapter—"Change: The Capacity of Life"—and the newest developments in the new sciences, updated examples, and even more accessible writing that will appeal to a much broader audience than the first edition
o Leadership and the New Science was named the Best Management Book of the Year by Industry Week magazine, one of the top ten books of the past decade by CIO Magazine, and one of the top ten business books of all time by Xerox Business Services In a completely revised and updated edition of her bestselling classing, Margaret Wheatley shows how the "New Science"—the revolutionary discoveries in quantum physics, chaos theory, and biology that are overturning centuries-old models of science—provides powerful insights for transforming how we design, lead, and manage organizations.
Customer Reviews:
"Science - y " for the Science Type.......2007-08-03
Leadership and the New Science is a hard read unless you are the science type. Each chapter starts out like an introduction to evolution, but the ending (the part that you can actually conprehend) is very thought-provoking.
Signficant and Revolutionary Insights to Human Organizations.......2007-07-02
The insights put forth by this book need not be limited to businesses - though that is the stated perspective (ie applying the insight of the new sciences to business managment theory). I think the insights go far beyond business managment and would be of interest to anyone interested in group dynamics and how humans work together - be it on a local community or national level.
For those who may perceive the book as a slam against newtonian physics (as at least one reviewer simplistically decribed it) I do not believe she was invalidating newtonian physics nor mindlessly framing organization dynamics with simplistic generalizations from the "new sciences". She was quite explicit in her introduction that this book was intended as a reflective piece to see what insights might be gained from applying a new paradigm - legitimized by the insights and advances in physics over the last century - to organizational dynamics. To provide context, she demonstrates how our models for organizational theories have derived from newtonian physics and - just as we have learned that this paradigm is not sufficient to describe all of the natural world - perhaps our perspective into other spheres of human activity can be enhanced by applying the insights of the "new sciences" as well.
In short, this book offers a new way of thinking for any human endeavor and its insight are - I believe - essential for progressing into the next millenium.
Disorganized.......2007-05-26
It's really not my type of book. It was required reading for class. I think it was trying to get at some ideas like field vision and systems theory. I found more substantial info in dalai's books. I think it was called seven ways of Buddhism.
Applies quantum theory to management.......2007-05-12
This book is a challenging read and is a good fit for someone who's both scientifically and management minded. It provides some good links between quantum theory and management, but at times, it is a struggle to understand and one must read the section over several times to fully understand.
The author's work at the Berkana Institute is very interesting which believes that leaders are already present in communities and need to emerge. If you like the book, I encourage you to look up the institute!
Challening, Accessible and Interesting.......2007-04-25
This book is challenging, yet accessible, even if the reader does not posses a scientific background. While Wheatley's observations about organizations and their problems are not unique to her, her approach is, and provides an interesting framework to approach organizational development and design.
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