Description
Book SynopsisCould ''Beam me up, Scotty'' soon become a reality?
The lines between ''science'' and ''science fiction'' have become increasingly blurred. Now, quantum mechanics promises that some of humanity''s wildest dreams may be realized. Serious scientists, working from Einstein''s theories, have been investigating the phenomenon known as ''entanglement'' one of the strangest aspects of our strange universe.
According to Einstein, quantum mechanics required entanglement, the idea that subatomic particles could become linked and that a change to one such particle would instantly be reflected in its counterpart, even if separated by a universe. Einstein felt that if quantum theory could produce such bizarre effects, then it had to be invalid. But new experiments show not only that it does happen, but that it may lead to unbreakable codes and even teleportation, perhaps in our lifetimes.
This is a highly accessible yet technically well researched introduction to the bizarre pheno
Trade Review"…I am altogether happy that there is now a book on entanglement, almost 70 years after its discovery, and recommend it to people interested in the historical background and practical implications of quantum mechanics…" (Nature, 21 November 2002)
"…a book that’s perhaps the best lay description of the evolution and current state of quantum physics available today…" (Focus, February 2003)
"…Amir D. Aczel's short biographies of these quantum pioneers are lively and entertaining..." (The Times Literary Supplement, 11 September 2003)
Table of ContentsPreface.
A Mysterious Force of Harmony.
Before the Beginning.
Thomas Young's Experiment.
Planck's Constant.
The Copenhagen School.
De Broglie's Pilot Waves.
Schrödinger and His Equation.
Heisenberg's Microscope.
Wheeler's Cat.
The Hungarian Mathematician.
Enter Einstein.
Bohm and Aharanov.
John Bell's Theorem.
The Dream of Clauser, Horne, and Shimony.
Alain Aspect.
Laser Guns.
Triple Entanglement.
The Ten-Kilometer Experiment.
Teleportation: "Beam Me Up, Scotty".
Quantum Magic: What Does It All Mean?
Acknowledgments.
References.
Index.
