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  • What Is Real?

  • The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics
  • By: Adam Becker
  • Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
  • Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (160 ratings)
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What Is Real?

By: Adam Becker
Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
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Summary

The untold story of the heretical thinkers who challenged the establishment to rethink quantum physics and the nature of reality.

Every physicist agrees quantum mechanics is among humanity's finest scientific achievements. But ask what it means, and the result will be a brawl. For a century, most physicists have followed Niels Bohr's Copenhagen interpretation and dismissed questions about the reality underlying quantum physics as meaningless. A mishmash of solipsism and poor reasoning, Copenhagen endured, as Bohr's students vigorously protected his legacy, and the physics community favoured practical experiments over philosophical arguments. As a result, questioning the status quo long meant professional ruin. And yet, from the 1920s to today, physicists like John Bell, David Bohm, and Hugh Everett persisted in seeking the true meaning of quantum mechanics. 

What Is Real? is the gripping story of this battle of ideas and the courageous scientists who dared to stand up for truth.

  

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our Desktop Site.

  

©2018 Adam Becker (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc

What listeners say about What Is Real?

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More history than physics

The book is about physics history, so if you expect a book on Quantum Physics, you will most likely be disappointed.

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5 people found this helpful

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excellent history of quantum

It was a pleasure to endulge in the drama of last century's phisicians and to see how that affected their theories. excellent book for anyone who has interest in quantum, but is not necessary science minded. the physics concepts are easily explained here, but like the other reviews say, it's mostly focused on historic aspect.

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4 people found this helpful

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A lighthearted look at the quantum politics

Really Easy to listen to and enjoyable. I liked the almost biographical element to the book. Took a quite dry subject added some big characters, their backgrounds and breakthroughs and threw it all together. Very enjoyable and did explain the basics of quantum mechanics and the arguments that still rage to this day. Some of the quips made me laugh out loud and the ashes thing still makes me smile. One thing for the narrator... My family are from Ireland and your Belfast accent sounded like a mild Liverpool one to me. I understand a Belfast accent maybe hard for American listeners to understand bit other than that the delivery was excellent.

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2 people found this helpful

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Pretty solid and readable book

Essentially, quantum mechanics can't be boring. The double slit experiment and delayed choise experiment keep on dazzling the mind. However, this dazzling is why you read a QM book. The title of this book gave me hope that in the last 20 years there might have been found a more suitable answer for the interpretation of QM. Unfortunately, this book does not provide an answer, it just sums up the different historical viewpoints/interpretations from many different theoretical physicists. Essentially, if you read some QM books before there is not much new in here, although the historical in depth story is quite appreciable. For my taste, it would be nice if there were more practical examples as a change. The last chapters tease a bit with modern day applications and explanations of phenomena, but it sticks with mentioning, while explaining would have been nice. In the end, a pretty solid and readable book.

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1 person found this helpful

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Essential reading for anyone interested in physic.

Essential reading for anyone interested in physic. Well though out and interestring book on quantum theory

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Ticks every box

This is my new favourite quantum book. A truly outstanding book from start to finish.

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From professional physicist: excellent

I'm a professional physicist working in quantum technologies. I came to this book to understand better the history of my field. The book did not disappoint. It presented the evolution of the interpretations in a compelling way and with a lot of context.
Critically - the mathematical ideas are described accurately, avoiding misleading oversimplification - a formidable challenge to accomplish without using mathematical formalism.

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A fascinating story.

This is a history of the search for the foundations of quantum mechanics. It gives an insight into the development of ideas and the personalities that influenced the development work.
The appendix is a view of the double slit experiment as interpreted by some of the current theories.
It's a brilliant story, well read.

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meaurement problem lived

a tour through the deep insight of every person of relevence, really felt like I understood each person in historys view point and why they held it. facinating from start to finish. read tons of similar books, but such a refreshing view point and so much more personal persepctive. highly recommend

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A marvelloius story, well-told.

I was aware of the physics involved before listening to this splendid audio book, having something of a background in it, but what I wasn't aware of was the history of the personalities of all the scientists involved and how their individual contributions sometimes complemented (pun intended) and sometimes interfered with (another pun intended) one another.
A thoroughly engrossing, detailed and enjoyable telling of a most important story.

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