This undergraduate text takes the non-science student from Newton's particles to Einstein's relativity.

"A lucid account of quantum theory (and why you should care) combined with a gripping narrative." —San Francisco Chronicle Quantum theory is weird. As Niels Bohr said, if you weren’t shocked by quantum theory, you didn’t really understand it. For most people, quantum theory is synonymous with mysterious, impenetrable science. And in fact for many years it was equally baffling for scientists themselves. In this tour de force of science history, Manjit Kumar gives a dramatic and superbly written account of this fundamental scientific revolution, focusing on the central conflict between Einstein and Bohr over the nature of reality and the soul of science. This revelatory book takes a close look at the golden age of physics, the brilliant young minds at its core—and how an idea ignited the greatest intellectual debate of the twentieth century.

From Isaacson, the bestselling author of "Benjamin Franklin," comes the first full biography of Albert Einstein since all his papers have become available--a fully realized portrait of a premier icon of his era.

This book traces the evolution of our understanding and utilization of light from classical antiquity and the early thoughts of Pythagoras to the present time. From the earliest recorded theories and experiments to the latest applications in photonic communication and computation, the ways in which light has been put to use are numerous and astounding. Indeed, some of the latest advances in light science are in fields that until recently belonged to the realm of science fiction. The author, writing for an audience of both students and other scientifically interested readers, describes fundamental investigations of the nature of light and ongoing methods to measure its speed as well as the emergence of the wave theory of light and the complementary photon theory. The importance of light in the theory of relativity is discussed as is the development of electrically-driven light sources and lasers. The information here covers the range o f weak single-photon light sources to super-high power lasers and synchrotron light sources. Many cutting-edge topics are also introduced, including entanglement-based quantum communication through optical fibers and free space, quantum teleportation, and quantum computing. The nature and use of "squeezed light" - e.g. for gravitational wave detection - is another fascinating excursion, as is the topic of fabricated metamaterials, as used to create invisibility cloaks. Here the reader also learns about the realization of extremely slow speed and time-reversed light. The theories, experiments, and applications described in this book are, whenever possible, derived from original references. The many annotated drawings and level of detail make clear the goals, procedures, and conclusions of the original investigators. Where they are required, all specialist terms and mathematical symbols are defined and explained. The final part of the book covers light expe riments in the free space of the cosmos, and also speculates about scenarios for the cosmological origins of light and the expected fate of the photon in a dying universe.

Exercise problems in each chapter.

An exceptionally accessible introduction to quantum field theory Quantum field theory is by far the most spectacularly successful theory in physics, but also one of the most mystifying. This venerable subject provides the crucial bridge between the long established quantum mechanics and the still hypothetical string theory. Quantum Field Theory, as Simply as Possible provides an essential primer on the subject, giving readers the conceptual foundations they need to wrap their heads around one of the most important yet baffling subjects in physics. Quantum field theory grew out of quantum mechanics in the late 1930s and was developed by a generation of brilliant young theorists, including Julian Schwinger and Richard Feynman. Their predictions were experimentally verified to an astounding accuracy unmatched by the rest of physics. Quantum field theory unifies quantum mechanics and special relativity, thus providing the framework for understanding the quantum mysteries of the subatomic world. With his trademark blend of wit and physical insight, A. Zee guides readers from the classical notion of the field to the modern frontiers of quantum field theory, covering a host of topics along the way, including antimatter, Feynman diagrams, virtual particles, the path integral, quantum chromodynamics, electroweak unification, grand unification, and quantum gravity. A unique and valuable introduction for students and general readers alike, Quantum Field Theory, as Simply as Possible explains how quantum field theory informs our understanding of the universe, and how it can shed light on some of the deepest mysteries of physics.