QUANTUM LEAPS

In the early years of its conception J Robert Oppenheimer spoke of quantum theory as a subject that was unlikely to be known to any poet or historian Yet as Bernstein notes in just sixtyodd years one can find at least nine million entries on Google under the rubric quantum theory from poets and historians as well as film critics and Buddhist monks How did quantum mechanics enter general culture so pervasivelyHaving studied the subject for over a halfcentury Jeremy Bernstein returns in this second edition to enlighten readers with a witty insider39s perspective on the development of quantum theory as well as its loopholes It is also a scintillating account of the interplay between brilliance and fallibility in humankind even in the key figures who have shaped common understanding of quantum theory such eminent figures include Niels Bohr the Dalai Lama Tom Stoppard and most notably John Bell who made pioneering contributions in quantum physicsAt once thoughtprovoking and intellectual this semiautobiographical popular science book is highly recommended for readers with rudimentary knowledge of science history philosophy and naturally physics