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Introducing Graphic Guides
Introducing Quantum Theory: A Graphic Guide by J.P. McEvoy
Quantum theory confronts us with bizarre paradoxes that contradict the logic of classical physics. One particle seems to know what the others are doing at the subatomic level, and according to Heisenberg's "uncertainty principle," there is a limit on how accurately nature can be observed. Yet the theory is amazingly accurate and widely applied, explaining all of chemistry and most of physics.
Introducing Quantum Theory takes readers on a step-by-step tour with the key figures, including Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, and Schrodinger. Each contributed at least one crucial concept to the theory. The puzzle of the wave-particle duality is here, along with descriptions of the two questions raised against Bohr's "Copenhagen Interpretation"—the famous "dead and alive cat" and the EPR paradox. Both remain unresolved.
Introducing Quantum Theory takes readers on a step-by-step tour with the key figures, including Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, and Schrodinger. Each contributed at least one crucial concept to the theory. The puzzle of the wave-particle duality is here, along with descriptions of the two questions raised against Bohr's "Copenhagen Interpretation"—the famous "dead and alive cat" and the EPR paradox. Both remain unresolved.
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First published July 22, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
January 28, 2021
Everyone agrees, including the physicist that quantum physics is one of the most difficult theories of all the modern theories in this known universe to understand. Simply speaking, quantum physics is the study of particles at atomic and subatomic level. This book is simple as you can get on this subject matter with the advantage of pictures and diagrams. Not that the diagrams enhance comprehension, they are more there for the entertainment value.
Quantum physics owes its origins to classical physics � Newton’s mechanics (mass times acceleration as applied to ordinary objects) to James Clerk Maxwell electromagnetics (theory of electricity and magnetism). It follows a chronology (1900 to 1950s approximately) of who is who in physics and their contributions toward the distinction of quantum mechanics as a notable theory in physics.
In early 1900 to 1920, physicist like Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Paulli, Heisenberg realize that laws of classical physics did not apply to particles at subatomic scale however the laws of quantum theory do hold true to classic theory laws on particles at “macroscopic� scale. This book barely discusses relativity, which is an essential component of quantum physics but hey why add to the complication. Then in the 1920’s studies shift from theoretical phenomena to mathematical laws with the arrival of physicists such as Erwin Schrodinger wave equation and Werner Heisenberg’s Matrix Mechanics.
To quote the authors “Future generations will marvel at the compressed time scale and geographical proximity which brought these giants of quantum physics together in 1927. There is hardly any period in the history of science in which so much has been clarified by so few in so short a time.�
It’s a quick read on a complex topic but it is definitely a fascinating read. Especially when you realize the applications of quantum theory are far and wide, taken for granted by most of us but of notable significance according to Wikipedia “include quantum chemistry, quantum optics, quantum computing, superconducting magnets, light-emitting diodes, the optical amplifier and the laser, the transistor and semiconductors such as the microprocessor, medical and research imaging such as magnetic resonance imaging and electron microscopy. Explanations for many biological and physical phenomena are rooted in the nature of the chemical bond, most notably the macro-molecule DNA.� Source
You don’t have to have any background in physics to read it, just love of science, history and geekiness will suffice.
Quantum physics owes its origins to classical physics � Newton’s mechanics (mass times acceleration as applied to ordinary objects) to James Clerk Maxwell electromagnetics (theory of electricity and magnetism). It follows a chronology (1900 to 1950s approximately) of who is who in physics and their contributions toward the distinction of quantum mechanics as a notable theory in physics.
In early 1900 to 1920, physicist like Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Paulli, Heisenberg realize that laws of classical physics did not apply to particles at subatomic scale however the laws of quantum theory do hold true to classic theory laws on particles at “macroscopic� scale. This book barely discusses relativity, which is an essential component of quantum physics but hey why add to the complication. Then in the 1920’s studies shift from theoretical phenomena to mathematical laws with the arrival of physicists such as Erwin Schrodinger wave equation and Werner Heisenberg’s Matrix Mechanics.
To quote the authors “Future generations will marvel at the compressed time scale and geographical proximity which brought these giants of quantum physics together in 1927. There is hardly any period in the history of science in which so much has been clarified by so few in so short a time.�
It’s a quick read on a complex topic but it is definitely a fascinating read. Especially when you realize the applications of quantum theory are far and wide, taken for granted by most of us but of notable significance according to Wikipedia “include quantum chemistry, quantum optics, quantum computing, superconducting magnets, light-emitting diodes, the optical amplifier and the laser, the transistor and semiconductors such as the microprocessor, medical and research imaging such as magnetic resonance imaging and electron microscopy. Explanations for many biological and physical phenomena are rooted in the nature of the chemical bond, most notably the macro-molecule DNA.� Source
You don’t have to have any background in physics to read it, just love of science, history and geekiness will suffice.
September 28, 2018
For someone with only 1 high school physics class in my background and a like of Big Bang Theory, this is a great gap filler in my knowledge of quantum physics. It's a great way to learn more without making your head explode. It simply lays out the history of physics as a discipline, the 6 premises of quantum theory along with the scientists key to the development of each, and all the ways scientists continue to test the bounds of those 6 parts.
When I checked this out from the library, I assumed it was a graphic novel more along the line of Derrida for Beginners (which is fantastic). It isn't. I was disappointed that the graphic parts of this book are simple the occasional photo of a scientist or some random drawn photos that are related to the text but don't really add anything to the explanation. Most come at the beginning or end of written chapters. None are bad but I didn't feel any added to the information in any significant way.
I'm sure Sheldon Cooper would call this a book for toddlers making it perfect for me.
When I checked this out from the library, I assumed it was a graphic novel more along the line of Derrida for Beginners (which is fantastic). It isn't. I was disappointed that the graphic parts of this book are simple the occasional photo of a scientist or some random drawn photos that are related to the text but don't really add anything to the explanation. Most come at the beginning or end of written chapters. None are bad but I didn't feel any added to the information in any significant way.
I'm sure Sheldon Cooper would call this a book for toddlers making it perfect for me.
March 9, 2023
یه کتاب تصویری در رابطه با فیزیک کوانتوم ،ساده و خوش خوان ،کامل در عین اختصار
November 14, 2021
2.5 Stars!
What I know about physics I could probably write on the back of a matchbox. I’ve read and enjoyed loads of these graphic guides, but almost always I have a good idea about the subject beforehand, but this time round I have taken the plunge and really strayed out of my comfort zone into the realm of quantum theory. It is both maddening and a relief to read that,
“Quantum theory cannot be explained. Physicists and mathematicians from Niels Bohr to Roger Penrose have admitted that it doesn’t make sense. What one can do is discover how the ideas developed and how the theory is applied.�
Maybe I learned a thing or two from here, but that doesn’t mean I would be able to tell you what they were a week from now, but nevertheless this will appeal to those with a more enhanced grounding or keener interest than me in this esoteric subject. Go on dive into the mind melting universe of classical physics, thermodynamics and anti-matter.
August 16, 2024
My beige flag is reading a book on a certain subject and then wanting to learn as much as I can about that subject before my interest in it fizzles out again.
To quote Richard Feynman: “Nobody understands quantum mechanics� and I really did feel like the more I learned, the less I knew but apparently my brain has a masochistic side that likes getting told it knows nothing because I actually had a good time reading this? It doesn’t quite feel like an introduction as it assumes the reader to at least have some prior knowledge of physics. Had to dig up whatever secondary school physics knowledge I had left but thankfully there are a lot of helpful videos that touch on these concepts as well (e.g. Domain of Science’s Map of Quantum Physics or Michio Kaku explaining string theory 🙏🏻)
To quote Richard Feynman: “Nobody understands quantum mechanics� and I really did feel like the more I learned, the less I knew but apparently my brain has a masochistic side that likes getting told it knows nothing because I actually had a good time reading this? It doesn’t quite feel like an introduction as it assumes the reader to at least have some prior knowledge of physics. Had to dig up whatever secondary school physics knowledge I had left but thankfully there are a lot of helpful videos that touch on these concepts as well (e.g. Domain of Science’s Map of Quantum Physics or Michio Kaku explaining string theory 🙏🏻)
April 7, 2015
[This review first appeared on .]
One wonders why popular physics books do not come with illustrations more often. In fact, a surprising number of books are published that explain quantum physics in words alone, with not a single illustration to accompany them other than a fancy Hubble picture on the cover. It works, in many cases: Pedro Ferreira’s The Perfect Theory and Amanda Gefter’s Trespassing on Einstein’s Lawn are two excellent examples. But wouldn’t a few pictures be able to convey so much more than words, especially when famous experiments are discussed? McEvoy and Zarate aim for exactly such a concise visual presentation of quantum theory, but unfortunately overstretch themselves by covering too much material in their little book.
The book is part of the ‘Introducing� Graphic Guides series. Other works in this series cover topics such as Freud, Wagner, Semiotics and Success: it seems to be the illustrated mirror of the Oxford University Press ‘Very Short Introductions�. The pictures in Quantum Theory are a mix of illustrations, by Zarate, and photographs. These photographs include quite brilliant historical illustrations: for instance, there is a picture of Mendeleev’s original periodic table, which looks entirely different visually from the one that is used today. As the illustrations indeed do prove to be very helpful, one realises that a little colour might have made them even better, especially in the chapter on absorption spectra. A black-and-white illustration of hydrogen absorption in the visible spectrum does not really help to explain the concept. Also, the illustrations in the ebook version were much too small, at times making it impossible to read the words in the comics, and it was impossible to zoom in � if you have the choice, go for the paper book.
This book is not the first on quantum theory by a long stretch, nor is it the best one. Surprisingly, however, it does present itself as such in a cringe-worthy reference to John Gribbin’s In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat (1984): “Until now, this was the best lay person’s guide to how the theory emerged.� This entirely unnecessary arrogance is the first indication that this book may be slightly outdated, although this datedness does not fully become clear until the end. The book was actually first published in 1992. The edition reviewed here is from 2014, but the final chapter of the book shows that this edition has not actually been updated at all. For instance, this chapter claims that John Wheeler is still alive (he died in 2008) and shows a “web page recently down-loaded from the Internet� from 1995.
There are more instances in this book where the authors make claims they perhaps should have left out. As they explain Planck’s contribution to quantum mechanics, they remark, “Ironically, his discovery was accidental, caused by an incomplete mathematical procedure. An ignominious start to one of the greatest revolutions in the history of physics!� Ignominious? Really? They are calling Planck’s discovery shameful? Well, that’s one approach that is entirely different from all of the works (and the Nobel committee) who lauded him as one of the great founders of quantum physics.
The authors make one big mistake in their book that is going to cost them: they assume too much knowledge on the part of the reader. After a few chapters, their explanations demand that the reader’s secondary school chemistry and physics has not gone rusty yet: this knowledge is directly referred to several times. The book then continues to teach quantum mechanics up to an extraordinarily advanced level for a short popular work: at Oxford, this would be second-year university physics; at Coursera, this is advertised as final-year undergraduate or graduate physics (I took both courses).
For those who can stomach such a dense approach, however, this book is well-written. It does not shy away from equations, which are explained in detail: it is explained what each letter in the equation stands for. McEvoy and Zarate give a complete picture of quantum mechanics, rather than the polished verbal version many reviews give. Yet at one point, the authors even demand knowledge of matrix multiplication, which is only taught in the most advanced mathematics classes in high school. This makes the book an excellent introduction to quantum physics for other scientists, who may specialize in mathematics, engineering or computer science, but not for a wider readership than that.
One wonders why popular physics books do not come with illustrations more often. In fact, a surprising number of books are published that explain quantum physics in words alone, with not a single illustration to accompany them other than a fancy Hubble picture on the cover. It works, in many cases: Pedro Ferreira’s The Perfect Theory and Amanda Gefter’s Trespassing on Einstein’s Lawn are two excellent examples. But wouldn’t a few pictures be able to convey so much more than words, especially when famous experiments are discussed? McEvoy and Zarate aim for exactly such a concise visual presentation of quantum theory, but unfortunately overstretch themselves by covering too much material in their little book.
The book is part of the ‘Introducing� Graphic Guides series. Other works in this series cover topics such as Freud, Wagner, Semiotics and Success: it seems to be the illustrated mirror of the Oxford University Press ‘Very Short Introductions�. The pictures in Quantum Theory are a mix of illustrations, by Zarate, and photographs. These photographs include quite brilliant historical illustrations: for instance, there is a picture of Mendeleev’s original periodic table, which looks entirely different visually from the one that is used today. As the illustrations indeed do prove to be very helpful, one realises that a little colour might have made them even better, especially in the chapter on absorption spectra. A black-and-white illustration of hydrogen absorption in the visible spectrum does not really help to explain the concept. Also, the illustrations in the ebook version were much too small, at times making it impossible to read the words in the comics, and it was impossible to zoom in � if you have the choice, go for the paper book.
This book is not the first on quantum theory by a long stretch, nor is it the best one. Surprisingly, however, it does present itself as such in a cringe-worthy reference to John Gribbin’s In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat (1984): “Until now, this was the best lay person’s guide to how the theory emerged.� This entirely unnecessary arrogance is the first indication that this book may be slightly outdated, although this datedness does not fully become clear until the end. The book was actually first published in 1992. The edition reviewed here is from 2014, but the final chapter of the book shows that this edition has not actually been updated at all. For instance, this chapter claims that John Wheeler is still alive (he died in 2008) and shows a “web page recently down-loaded from the Internet� from 1995.
There are more instances in this book where the authors make claims they perhaps should have left out. As they explain Planck’s contribution to quantum mechanics, they remark, “Ironically, his discovery was accidental, caused by an incomplete mathematical procedure. An ignominious start to one of the greatest revolutions in the history of physics!� Ignominious? Really? They are calling Planck’s discovery shameful? Well, that’s one approach that is entirely different from all of the works (and the Nobel committee) who lauded him as one of the great founders of quantum physics.
The authors make one big mistake in their book that is going to cost them: they assume too much knowledge on the part of the reader. After a few chapters, their explanations demand that the reader’s secondary school chemistry and physics has not gone rusty yet: this knowledge is directly referred to several times. The book then continues to teach quantum mechanics up to an extraordinarily advanced level for a short popular work: at Oxford, this would be second-year university physics; at Coursera, this is advertised as final-year undergraduate or graduate physics (I took both courses).
For those who can stomach such a dense approach, however, this book is well-written. It does not shy away from equations, which are explained in detail: it is explained what each letter in the equation stands for. McEvoy and Zarate give a complete picture of quantum mechanics, rather than the polished verbal version many reviews give. Yet at one point, the authors even demand knowledge of matrix multiplication, which is only taught in the most advanced mathematics classes in high school. This makes the book an excellent introduction to quantum physics for other scientists, who may specialize in mathematics, engineering or computer science, but not for a wider readership than that.
February 19, 2018
The title of the book is misleading. It should be called "Introducing the History of Quantum Theory: A Guide". It does very little in explaining Quantum Theory, but it does a pretty good job at explaining who came up with it. The "graphic" part is almost entirely superfluous, but does have some nice cartoon drawings of people like Rutherford.
August 4, 2020
This wasn't very useful unless you are fine with continuing pages after pages not having crucial information. I suggest you read Stephen Hawking's books instead, as he's very apt at explaining difficult concepts so almost anyone can get it. This book felt more like rushing through things and the pictures were pretty useless, as it didn't explain anything more or differently.
October 27, 2019
So I didn't finish this. The "graphic" aspect mainly meant caricatures of famous physicists, which is not bad, but not what I was hoping for. I wanted a graphic representation of the unseen, which, granted, is a big ask, but also I feel implied in the cover and title.
February 1, 2020
Good introduction to the subject and mostly easy to understand. The bit I enjoyed the most was that the book covers history of discoveries and experiments and some biography of the scientists. The drawings are a bit blurry though (at least it was the case on the kindle edition).
November 20, 2018
Very interesting book
Crisp, easy to understand, diagrams and connected. If you want to learn basic theory with out any mathematics, you can pick this book.
Crisp, easy to understand, diagrams and connected. If you want to learn basic theory with out any mathematics, you can pick this book.
March 30, 2025
Even the cognitive outliers who developed quantum theory, over a span of decades, claim that it doesn't make sense. And that's after they spent countless hours working with it, testing it experimentally, and being competent at the mathematical details. Most readers of this book will bring considerably less to the table than, say, Albert Einstein possessed. So how much of quantum theory can a brief introductory book like this impart to the average reader?
I suspect that the average reader of this book won't be entirely "average" compared to the general population, but will instead have at least some educational background in mathematics, physics, and science more broadly. But even so, the book skims rapidly through equations and results, while a typical reader would probably need years of study to master the details enough to personally verify the conclusions.
The book contains a lot of equations, and according to Stephen Hawking's rule each one halves the readership. Maybe the abundant illustrations soften the damage a bit. I found the illustrations somewhat inconvenient in the ebook version, since some of them contain substantial amounts of text in the form of word balloons, text which is not repeated in the body text. However, the text size in the balloons is smaller and harder to read than the body text, and harder to enlarge in the e-reader I have on my tablet. Oh well, I squinted through it well enough.
One thing I didn't like about the equations is that many of them did not include dimensions for all the terms. My personal experience with actually studying mathematical topics is that I have to work with the equations before I can "understand" them. And this book doesn't define all the mathematical terms and symbols to the degree that a reader could actually do that. In other words, for "real" understanding it's probably necessary to read some actual textbooks. And repeat some of the calculations that the inventors of the theory used to confirm it.
But as an historical overview of how quantum theory developed, the book works pretty well. If I were really serious about grasping it, I'd probably need to read the book a few more times. But at least I got the sense of just how remarkable that particular time and place in history was, to have so much explained by so few people in so short a time. Scientific greatness seems to depend not only on having enough ability, but also having the luck to be born in the right place and time when interesting things become discoverable.
It was a bit jarring to see just what a non-factor the United States was in the early development of quantum theory. World War II certainly re-drew the map for science, with many prominent scientists fleeing to the USA to escape the mayhem of Europe. We're probably less likely to have any major scientific breakthrough today with near-zero American involvement. That might change if Trump's anti-science campaign causes a reverse brain-drain.
And while it was cool that a handful of exceptionally smart people were able to develop neat theories, which led to many useful applications, I'm sad to say that science has thus far done almost nothing to make anybody smarter. More knowledgeable, yes, but nobody's "cognitive motor" gets any bigger. We're still as much at the mercy of the random genetic crap shoot today as we were in the early 1900s, when scientific progress depended utterly on the chance appearance of exceptionally talented individuals. Just because a scientific finding is "known" doesn't mean it trickles down to hoi polloi. For example, according to Wikipedia, For science to do something really impressive, it should figure out how to make everyone smart enough to understand science.
So if you have any difficulty understanding this book, it's the fault of science for failing to democratize cognition yet.
I suspect that the average reader of this book won't be entirely "average" compared to the general population, but will instead have at least some educational background in mathematics, physics, and science more broadly. But even so, the book skims rapidly through equations and results, while a typical reader would probably need years of study to master the details enough to personally verify the conclusions.
The book contains a lot of equations, and according to Stephen Hawking's rule each one halves the readership. Maybe the abundant illustrations soften the damage a bit. I found the illustrations somewhat inconvenient in the ebook version, since some of them contain substantial amounts of text in the form of word balloons, text which is not repeated in the body text. However, the text size in the balloons is smaller and harder to read than the body text, and harder to enlarge in the e-reader I have on my tablet. Oh well, I squinted through it well enough.
One thing I didn't like about the equations is that many of them did not include dimensions for all the terms. My personal experience with actually studying mathematical topics is that I have to work with the equations before I can "understand" them. And this book doesn't define all the mathematical terms and symbols to the degree that a reader could actually do that. In other words, for "real" understanding it's probably necessary to read some actual textbooks. And repeat some of the calculations that the inventors of the theory used to confirm it.
But as an historical overview of how quantum theory developed, the book works pretty well. If I were really serious about grasping it, I'd probably need to read the book a few more times. But at least I got the sense of just how remarkable that particular time and place in history was, to have so much explained by so few people in so short a time. Scientific greatness seems to depend not only on having enough ability, but also having the luck to be born in the right place and time when interesting things become discoverable.
It was a bit jarring to see just what a non-factor the United States was in the early development of quantum theory. World War II certainly re-drew the map for science, with many prominent scientists fleeing to the USA to escape the mayhem of Europe. We're probably less likely to have any major scientific breakthrough today with near-zero American involvement. That might change if Trump's anti-science campaign causes a reverse brain-drain.
And while it was cool that a handful of exceptionally smart people were able to develop neat theories, which led to many useful applications, I'm sad to say that science has thus far done almost nothing to make anybody smarter. More knowledgeable, yes, but nobody's "cognitive motor" gets any bigger. We're still as much at the mercy of the random genetic crap shoot today as we were in the early 1900s, when scientific progress depended utterly on the chance appearance of exceptionally talented individuals. Just because a scientific finding is "known" doesn't mean it trickles down to hoi polloi. For example, according to Wikipedia, For science to do something really impressive, it should figure out how to make everyone smart enough to understand science.
So if you have any difficulty understanding this book, it's the fault of science for failing to democratize cognition yet.
September 5, 2020
3.5 stars but I still recommend reading. As the author states, you can’t simply “describe� quantum physics but you can understand the history of the theory and how the theory is applied. This book focuses on the history of quantum theory, key players, dates, experiments, thought experiments, etc. I would rate this 4 stars but I found the illustrations to be difficult to read on kindle and sometimes they didn’t really serve a purpose other than to fill in space. I also felt this book is geared toward someone who has recently taken chemistry or physics and already grasps key concepts (I have taken both classes in college but a brief refresher or more detailed description on certain topics would have been useful). I did supplement the book with a few google searches which helped.
June 14, 2020
Interesting
I wish I could say I know understand the basics of quantum theory I don’t. Know more than I used to but some how feel like I know less.
So much was over my head but I do understand it better than I did and learnt some interesting facts along the way.
These graphic guides are a great source of information for the layperson.
I wish I could say I know understand the basics of quantum theory I don’t. Know more than I used to but some how feel like I know less.
So much was over my head but I do understand it better than I did and learnt some interesting facts along the way.
These graphic guides are a great source of information for the layperson.
May 9, 2019
355 - 2019
Berusaha memahami teori time travel Avengers: Endgame dengan baca buku ini...
#gagaltentusaja #kapanyaterakhirbelajarfisika
Berusaha memahami teori time travel Avengers: Endgame dengan baca buku ini...
#gagaltentusaja #kapanyaterakhirbelajarfisika
August 23, 2023
It's one of those books which is very fun to read, makes total sense, quenches your curiosity, inspires you to read more on physics... but at the same time, you know deep down that you are going to forget everything in probably two weeks time 😅
September 11, 2014
This review originally published in . Rated 3.0 of 5
Mostly what I learned from this book is: 1) trying to explain quantum theory in a graphic novel format doesn't actually make it any more understandable for someone like me, and 2) "Quantum theory cannot be explained. Physicists and mathematicians ... have admitted that it doesn't make sense." Number 2 is a sentence from the book.
Quantum Theory is a pretty tough topic. it IS after all, a theory, and one in which even some of our most brilliant scientific minds have disagreed on (Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein apparently battled [verbally] over the subject, each trying to disprove the other).
If I understand it, the theory essentially attempts to explain the motion of sub-atomic particles. Because the particles can not actually be measured ormonitored individually, their movements and reactions are 'theorized' given different particulars.
I'm not a math guy, not by a long shot, so when I see things like "E =αf³exp(-ßf/T)" -- even in a graphic novel format -- I tend to start checking out.
Kudos to McEvoy and Zarate and the "Introducing" series for this format and for this attempt. I'm sad to admit that I'm not up to the challenge of learning about Quantum Theory.
Looking for a good book? Introducing Quantum Theory: A Graphic Guidedoes everything it can to make it understandable, but you still need to have some strong understanding of math and science to follow the principles of this theory that "cannot be explained."
Mostly what I learned from this book is: 1) trying to explain quantum theory in a graphic novel format doesn't actually make it any more understandable for someone like me, and 2) "Quantum theory cannot be explained. Physicists and mathematicians ... have admitted that it doesn't make sense." Number 2 is a sentence from the book.
Quantum Theory is a pretty tough topic. it IS after all, a theory, and one in which even some of our most brilliant scientific minds have disagreed on (Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein apparently battled [verbally] over the subject, each trying to disprove the other).
If I understand it, the theory essentially attempts to explain the motion of sub-atomic particles. Because the particles can not actually be measured ormonitored individually, their movements and reactions are 'theorized' given different particulars.
I'm not a math guy, not by a long shot, so when I see things like "E =αf³exp(-ßf/T)" -- even in a graphic novel format -- I tend to start checking out.
Kudos to McEvoy and Zarate and the "Introducing" series for this format and for this attempt. I'm sad to admit that I'm not up to the challenge of learning about Quantum Theory.
Looking for a good book? Introducing Quantum Theory: A Graphic Guidedoes everything it can to make it understandable, but you still need to have some strong understanding of math and science to follow the principles of this theory that "cannot be explained."
January 5, 2021
Do your wave functions collapse even after you’ve applied sculpting hair spray? Do your observations frequently change your reality? Well, then, this is not the book for you. Quantum theory is some mind bending material and I’m just vaguely familiar enough to almost be able to review this book. It does an amazing job of condensing the history of the primary players and discoveries, and, mostly, makes them understandable. There’s a whole series of these graphic guides being offered via Prime Reading and it was a timely suggestion (coming my way shortly after reading the amazing ). The graphics were helpful depicting some of the experiments and put faces with the many names, but many of them were just speech text bubbles in cartoon/comic book style (the resolution was pretty crappy in the Kindle version making them hard to read even when enlarged).
It definitely inspired me to read more on the subject. When they decimated the commutative property of multiplication I knew my whole childhood had been a lie. (I’m just joking�-this realization occurred prior to this reading).
There are still a great number of unsolved problems in physics, but all you need to know is that the same rules for really big things don’t work for the really small things. Just like we have different rules for the rich and the poor but wish everyone was treated equally.
It definitely inspired me to read more on the subject. When they decimated the commutative property of multiplication I knew my whole childhood had been a lie. (I’m just joking�-this realization occurred prior to this reading).
There are still a great number of unsolved problems in physics, but all you need to know is that the same rules for really big things don’t work for the really small things. Just like we have different rules for the rich and the poor but wish everyone was treated equally.
December 26, 2014
The pith and pictures (the ever-reliable Oscar Zarate should be credited as well!) were quite helpful navigational tools through some ponderous historical (even meta-physical?) thought here, though I was later comforted to know not even my programmer and engineer friends could explain why multiplication matrices could demonstrate that q x p is NOT necessarily the same as p x q. You know?
June 13, 2016
Very cool and entertaining introduction to Quantum Theory. It was also very helpful fir me to understand "The Electron Structure" unit in Chemistry. I recommend for all who doesn't have any idea on this topic, especially for students in high school.
February 22, 2018
This book gives a decent introduction & a pleasant account on the Quantum origin. This book is good organized, though it explains a little Physics. Great book for beginners.
January 19, 2016
Maybe quantum physics can never be easy. At least this book made it comprehensible and fascinating.
Certainly this one volume of the series was well done.
Certainly this one volume of the series was well done.
May 28, 2020
A simple introduction to the theory...
May 8, 2021
The book takes you through the history and development sin the field of Quantum Physics but can be a little confusing for people who haven't been acquainted with the concepts earlier itself.
March 30, 2023
Loved it
March 22, 2025
This book is part of the series graphic guides which are introductions to academic topics mostly in the social sciences. Quantum theory has big implications for the philosophy of the world and relates to a lot of philosophical topics. I enjoyed this overview of a topic that I teach in my courses.
The format of the book is a chronological description of the important events in the development of quantum mechanics. As the title suggests, it is highly illustrated with cartoons representations of the scientist involved, the experiments done, the thought experiments, and some cheeky asides thrown. I enjoyed this step by step description of the big discoveries of quantum theory. It gives the background of classical mechanics at the state of physics in 1900 which is where quantum theory started. Physicsts smugly believed that they had discovered everything. I thought some events occurred in a different than I have been teaching the story. This was a good correction for me.
The stage is set by the famous 1927 Solvay conference where Bohr and Einstein began a long conversation about how to interpret quantum mechanics. Bohr championed a probabilistic interpretation which he thought Einstein would embrace. Einstein responded famously by saying, "God does not play dice with the universe." For this conflict point, the author returns to Planck's original introduction of quanta, though Rutherford's discovery of the nucleus, to Bohr planetary atom, continuing with Heisenberg and Schrödinger and Dirac's develop of modern quantum theory. The big later developments: the EPR paradox and the Bell inequality which challenger Bohr's ideas end the book.
The book is an easy read. I finished it in a few hours. It has math, but it is not overwhelming. The author does a good job of describing the consequences of the experiments and equations without deriving them or detailing them. I recommend it to someone who has had some study of quantum theory, and wants a compact, comprehensive description of the high points of the important theory. It should not be the first book you read about this topic. If you are a complete beginner, I recommend "Thirty Years that Shook Physics" by George Gamow.
The format of the book is a chronological description of the important events in the development of quantum mechanics. As the title suggests, it is highly illustrated with cartoons representations of the scientist involved, the experiments done, the thought experiments, and some cheeky asides thrown. I enjoyed this step by step description of the big discoveries of quantum theory. It gives the background of classical mechanics at the state of physics in 1900 which is where quantum theory started. Physicsts smugly believed that they had discovered everything. I thought some events occurred in a different than I have been teaching the story. This was a good correction for me.
The stage is set by the famous 1927 Solvay conference where Bohr and Einstein began a long conversation about how to interpret quantum mechanics. Bohr championed a probabilistic interpretation which he thought Einstein would embrace. Einstein responded famously by saying, "God does not play dice with the universe." For this conflict point, the author returns to Planck's original introduction of quanta, though Rutherford's discovery of the nucleus, to Bohr planetary atom, continuing with Heisenberg and Schrödinger and Dirac's develop of modern quantum theory. The big later developments: the EPR paradox and the Bell inequality which challenger Bohr's ideas end the book.
The book is an easy read. I finished it in a few hours. It has math, but it is not overwhelming. The author does a good job of describing the consequences of the experiments and equations without deriving them or detailing them. I recommend it to someone who has had some study of quantum theory, and wants a compact, comprehensive description of the high points of the important theory. It should not be the first book you read about this topic. If you are a complete beginner, I recommend "Thirty Years that Shook Physics" by George Gamow.
August 3, 2023
Very detailed physics terms and equations are used with not enough explanation of the complex concepts. I got a lot of it due to my physics studies in high school+ recent exploration of quantum theory, but a lot will need additional reading to fully grasp.
Quantum theory is mind blowing though, and a couple of recent podcasts put me on this trail again, 10 years after I first studied it in high school. The part that interested me this time was the argument that quantum theory might explain alternate worlds or even signal to the meaning of life. A popular episode of The Knowledge Project with Angellist's CEO - which should be listened to anyway for the ideas on philosophy and productivity it presents, put the germ of the idea in my head, when towards the end of the 1 hour long episode, the guest answers a question on the meaning of life - he talks about the theory that the universe wants to maximise entropy and that's best supported by living organisms with their constant heat exchange. It's an interesting idea and certain physics theorems are said to support it including the second law of thermodynamics and some parts of quantum theory.
I deep dived into the meaning of life and quantum theory (and found multiple blogs and articles on the internet that explain it really well so that laymen like me can get it - Schrodinger's cat experiment had never made so much sense before) and pondered on the observer theory and the role of humans / life in the universe.
I then heard another podcast with the guest as notable physicist Sean Carroll, who espoused on his theory that the superposition of the electron or any particle in these famous double slit experiment signifies the presence of alternate reality. Each possible outcome is an alternate reality. He doesn't place that much importance on the observer. It is very interesting but raises even more questions.
Thereafter, I picked up this book as a refresher on the key concepts of quantum physics, and it's very helpful to see how the field developed and not able people and discoveries in history, but not very effective at explaining the underlying physics, for which one needs to read further.
Quantum theory is mind blowing though, and a couple of recent podcasts put me on this trail again, 10 years after I first studied it in high school. The part that interested me this time was the argument that quantum theory might explain alternate worlds or even signal to the meaning of life. A popular episode of The Knowledge Project with Angellist's CEO - which should be listened to anyway for the ideas on philosophy and productivity it presents, put the germ of the idea in my head, when towards the end of the 1 hour long episode, the guest answers a question on the meaning of life - he talks about the theory that the universe wants to maximise entropy and that's best supported by living organisms with their constant heat exchange. It's an interesting idea and certain physics theorems are said to support it including the second law of thermodynamics and some parts of quantum theory.
I deep dived into the meaning of life and quantum theory (and found multiple blogs and articles on the internet that explain it really well so that laymen like me can get it - Schrodinger's cat experiment had never made so much sense before) and pondered on the observer theory and the role of humans / life in the universe.
I then heard another podcast with the guest as notable physicist Sean Carroll, who espoused on his theory that the superposition of the electron or any particle in these famous double slit experiment signifies the presence of alternate reality. Each possible outcome is an alternate reality. He doesn't place that much importance on the observer. It is very interesting but raises even more questions.
Thereafter, I picked up this book as a refresher on the key concepts of quantum physics, and it's very helpful to see how the field developed and not able people and discoveries in history, but not very effective at explaining the underlying physics, for which one needs to read further.
November 7, 2020
This is a short book with information bites that make some of the concepts of Physics easy to follow. It is illustrated in comic book fashion, but the text explains things simply so that any average person can follow it.
It tells the story of where Quantum Theory originated and the obstacles to its acceptance in the scientific community. This would be a great book for someone studying beginning Physics, because it gives the relevant names and dates of the scientists and their theories that would be likely to come up on tests. It gives a good overview of the rise of modern scientific thought and where the ideas came from.
There is information on such basic concepts as Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics which are explained so simply that a child could grasp it, as well as more complicated information which is presented in the easiest form possible. I found explanations about things like the Photoelectric Effect and astrophysical spectroscopy really fascinating and relatively easy to follow.
One thing I noticed is that it's worth reading what's said in the cartoons. A lot of information is put into a simple conversational formula in the speech bubbles, some of it essential to anyone learning Physics. The equations start to sneak up on you about halfway and this is where a lot of people tend to tune out on Physics, but with a little application, these can be conquered. You just can't have Physics without equations.
Overall this book takes a complicated subject and makes it as simple as it can be. I would give this to a child just starting school, in hopes that they would learn the concepts before they get old enough to fear the more abstract ideas and equations, which I think would give them a strong advantage later in school.
It tells the story of where Quantum Theory originated and the obstacles to its acceptance in the scientific community. This would be a great book for someone studying beginning Physics, because it gives the relevant names and dates of the scientists and their theories that would be likely to come up on tests. It gives a good overview of the rise of modern scientific thought and where the ideas came from.
There is information on such basic concepts as Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics which are explained so simply that a child could grasp it, as well as more complicated information which is presented in the easiest form possible. I found explanations about things like the Photoelectric Effect and astrophysical spectroscopy really fascinating and relatively easy to follow.
One thing I noticed is that it's worth reading what's said in the cartoons. A lot of information is put into a simple conversational formula in the speech bubbles, some of it essential to anyone learning Physics. The equations start to sneak up on you about halfway and this is where a lot of people tend to tune out on Physics, but with a little application, these can be conquered. You just can't have Physics without equations.
Overall this book takes a complicated subject and makes it as simple as it can be. I would give this to a child just starting school, in hopes that they would learn the concepts before they get old enough to fear the more abstract ideas and equations, which I think would give them a strong advantage later in school.
September 20, 2018
It is a short book, full of graphics and cartoons, telling the history of development of quantum theory. It gives us a ride through history by introducing the major and most remarkable physicists of the world from the past few centuries and their most interesting discoveries, more specifically those related to quantum theory. Quite honestly, one cannot pretend to read this book and understand quantum theory (heck, one cannot pretend to read most books on quantum theory and understand it anyways), and a good deal of what this book explains was beyond my understanding. There are pages containing mathematical formulas or explanations of physics statements that are beyond my capacity. But even so, I could still derive a sense of wonder and a feeling of appreciation for the discoveries being made, for the curiosity of those brilliant minds, and their outstanding contributions to the knowledge of humanity. The graphics do make it fun to read, but they don't make it at all easier to comprehend.
I still believe that the material in the book may be presented in a much simpler way such that the general public can understand the principles of quantum theory and that's the reason why I don't give it 5 starts. However, I do think it was fun and entertaining book and I did a learn quite a few things reading it.
I still believe that the material in the book may be presented in a much simpler way such that the general public can understand the principles of quantum theory and that's the reason why I don't give it 5 starts. However, I do think it was fun and entertaining book and I did a learn quite a few things reading it.
December 27, 2024
I've decided to write a review for every book I finish while the content is still fresh in my brain as many of my logged books have faded from my memory completely.
This book is a digestable and entertaining introduction to the history and results of the quantum theory of physics. The illustrations help put names to faces and contributions. The book covers Plank's discovery of quanta, Bohr's model of the atom to explain light spectra and the Balmer formula, electron spin and the Pauli Exclusion Principle, wave-particle duality, the Schrödinger equation, Dirac's quantum mechanics, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and other discoveries along the way.
It is fascinating how closely each of these famous scientists worked. Many household names had students who became household names in their own right.
I find it interesting to see that most physical theories begin first with experiments, where data is gathered, then an equation is formulated to match the data, and finally an intuitive description is thought up to explain the equation. It appears the equations were not derived theoretically from first principles as I once thought.
This book is a digestable and entertaining introduction to the history and results of the quantum theory of physics. The illustrations help put names to faces and contributions. The book covers Plank's discovery of quanta, Bohr's model of the atom to explain light spectra and the Balmer formula, electron spin and the Pauli Exclusion Principle, wave-particle duality, the Schrödinger equation, Dirac's quantum mechanics, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and other discoveries along the way.
It is fascinating how closely each of these famous scientists worked. Many household names had students who became household names in their own right.
I find it interesting to see that most physical theories begin first with experiments, where data is gathered, then an equation is formulated to match the data, and finally an intuitive description is thought up to explain the equation. It appears the equations were not derived theoretically from first principles as I once thought.
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