What are some good beginner to intermediate quantum physics books?
Purely conceptual, I recommend “Where Does the Weirdness Go?” by David Lindley.
Otherwise, what is your background? How much math and physics have you had, and what do you want to learn?
I have often recommended The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav. It’s thorough, easy to read, and avoids unnecessary math. It’s sort of like Zen and the Art… with out the 350 wasted pages.
I took a Physics and Philosophy class in college with David Albert. His book, Quantum Mechanics and Experience is available from Amazon.com. I realllllly enjoyed the class. He set up the conundrum of the measurement problem with an easy to follow thought experiment, then took a short dip in the realm of mathematics. Not so much as to make you anything like a physicist, but enough so that you can appreciate the beauty and mystery of QM on a somewhat deeper level. Once armed with such a foundation (the math is really just the very very basics of linear algebra) he explores some of the prevailing issues in interpreting the observed effects of quantum experiments. EPR and Bell’s answer to it are laid out, a bit of Everett’s (sp?) Many-worlds (and the problems with it) Boehm (?) etc. An excellent primer that doesn’t treat you like an idiot, yet at the same time doesn’t require any foreknowledge of physics at all.
If you want to get some background on how physics got where it is and who was involved, my favorite is “The Second Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Twentieth-Century Physics”. It covers just about every important theory and experiment in particle physics from Planck to the 1978 Nobel Prize ceremony. Sure, a lot has happened since then, but you’ll need other books for that. This one really gives you a feel for how it all happened and what it all means.
Of course, if you’re looking for a book that will make you into a quantum mechanic, I can’t help you there.
Thanks everyone.
In response to Giraffe’s question about my background, I’m a social psychology researcher with a BA in psychology. I have a solid understanding of statistical math, and have a relatively high aptitude for math in general, and to a lesser degree, science in general. I spend a lot of my time doing policy research, and I’ve had no trouble understanding documents put out by the department of energy and various governmental panels on energy and global warming related issues. I’m really interested in quantum theory and also in the impact of quantum mechanics on modern theories of cosmology - I find that I know alarmingly little about current thoughts on where all this stuff in the universe came from. Any further recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
Well, there are some mighty fine books out there that I am sure you’ll love:
[ul]
[li]In Search of Schrodinger’s Cat by John Gribbin[/li][li]Coming of Age in the Milky Way by Timothy Ferris[/li][li]Longing for the Harmonies by Frank Wilczek and Betsy Devine[/li][li]The Inflationary Universe by Alan Guth[/li][li]The Life of the Cosmos by Lee Smolin[/li][/ul]
These are just a few of the amazing tomes out there for people like me (and ?you too) who are interested in the Cosmos, who don’t like being talked down to, and who aren’t afraid to see an equation ot two.
Reading any of these will be time very well spent. I promise!
Enjoy!
BTW, I’d avoid the “mystical” approach embodied by Fritjof Capra (Tao of Physics) and Gary Zukav (The Dancing Wu Li Masters). But that’s just my prejudice. Your call.
I like QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter by the great Richard Feynman. (QED stands for Quantum Electrodynamics, and it’s what Feynman won his Nobel Prize for.) As the title suggests it’s all about how photons interact with matter, and it’s presented in rather unique way. But by the end of the first chapter, you’ll know why you can see your reflection in a pane of glass - why some photons “decide” to reflect and others “decide” to pass through right through - it’s all based on quantum probability.
I have a BA in cultural anthropology, and the highest grade I ever got in a high school science class was a B- in marine biology, but I love popular science books. Love, love, love. Go figure. I just bought The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene today. Anyway, my faves on this topic are the aforementioned Coming of Age in the Milky Way and The Whole Shebang, both by Timothy Ferris. The former is one of my all-time favorite books, in any genre - fabulous! For the purpose of the OP, the latter might be better, though. I read it for a conceptual astrophysics course I took a few years ago, and it’s more narrowly focused.
I found Taking the Quantum Leap by Fred Alan Wolf to be a great layman’s introduction to the topic, and it offers a historical analysis of the great debates and theorems of the early 20th Century.
Here’s a link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060963107/thewonderfwor0aa
Hope this helps!