Saving Science From Quantum Mechanics
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Saving Science from Quantum Mechanics
Author: Emily Adlam
language: en
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Release Date: 2025-07-25
The quantum measurement problem refers to a collection of unresolved questions about what happens during the measurement of a quantum system. The measurement problem must be solved in order for us to understand what kind of underlying reality could be compatible with the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics. The existing literature on the measurement problem typically views the problem through the lens of ontology and metaphysics. Adlam reconceptualizes the quantum measurement problem as a problem of epistemology, and in doing so presents a novel perspective on the issue, offering a new approach to finding valid solutions. Once we understand the importance of epistemology to the measurement problem, it becomes clear that several popular proposals have epistemic flaws which threaten their viability as solutions. This reframing helps clear the field so we can see where future research should be focused. Saving Science from Quantum Mechanics delves into the subtle relationship between physics and epistemology, exploring how they constrain and inspire each other. It will use the measurement problem to motivate a wide-ranging account of the epistemology of science and to highlight the role of coherence in justifying the use of measurements and observations in the scientific process.
How the Hippies Saved Physics: Science, Counterculture, and the Quantum Revival
Author: David Kaiser
language: en
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Release Date: 2011-06-27
"How the Hippies Saved Physics gives us an unconventional view of some unconventional people engaged early in the fundamentals of quantum theory. Great fun to read." —Anton Zeilinger, Nobel laureate in physics The surprising story of eccentric young scientists—among them Nobel laureates John Clauser and Alain Aspect—who stood up to convention and changed the face of modern physics. Today, quantum information theory is among the most exciting scientific frontiers, attracting billions of dollars in funding and thousands of talented researchers. But as MIT physicist and historian David Kaiser reveals, this cutting-edge field has a surprisingly psychedelic past. How the Hippies Saved Physics introduces us to a band of freewheeling physicists who defied the imperative to “shut up and calculate” and helped to rejuvenate modern physics. For physicists, the 1970s were a time of stagnation. Jobs became scarce, and conformity was encouraged, sometimes stifling exploration of the mysteries of the physical world. Dissatisfied, underemployed, and eternally curious, an eccentric group of physicists in Berkeley, California, banded together to throw off the constraints of the physics mainstream and explore the wilder side of science. Dubbing themselves the “Fundamental Fysiks Group,” they pursued an audacious, speculative approach to physics. They studied quantum entanglement and Bell’s Theorem through the lens of Eastern mysticism and psychic mind-reading, discussing the latest research while lounging in hot tubs. Some even dabbled with LSD to enhance their creativity. Unlikely as it may seem, these iconoclasts spun modern physics in a new direction, forcing mainstream physicists to pay attention to the strange but exciting underpinnings of quantum theory. A lively, entertaining story that illuminates the relationship between creativity and scientific progress, How the Hippies Saved Physics takes us to a time when only the unlikeliest heroes could break the science world out of its rut.
Applied Quantum Mechanics
Author: Walter A Harrison
language: en
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company
Release Date: 2000-07-24
Quantum mechanics is widely recognized as the basic law which governs all of nature, including all materials and devices. It has always been essential to the understanding of material properties, and as devices become smaller it is also essential for studying their behavior. Nevertheless, only a small fraction of graduate engineers and materials scientists take a course giving a systematic presentation of the subject. The courses for physics students tend to focus on the fundamentals and formal background, rather than on application, and do not fill the need. This invaluable text has been designed to fill the very apparent gap.The book covers those parts of quantum theory which may be necessary for a modern engineer. It focuses on the approximations and concepts which allow estimates of the entire range of properties of nuclei, atoms, molecules, and solids, as well as the behavior of lasers and other quantum-optic devices. It may well prove useful also to graduate students in physics, whose courses on quantum theory tend not to include any of these applications. The material has been the basis of a course taught to graduate engineering students for the past four years at Stanford University.Topics Discussed: Foundations; Simple Systems; Hamiltonian Mechanics; Atoms and Nuclei; Molecules; Crystals; Transitions; Tunneling; Transition Rates; Statistical Mechanics; Transport; Noise; Energy Bands; Electron Dynamics in Solids; Vibrations in Solids; Creation and Annihilation Operators; Phonons; Photons and Lasers; Coherent States; Coulomb Effects; Cooperative Phenomena; Magnetism; Shake-off Excitations; Exercise Problems.A supplementary Instructor's Solutions Manual is available for this book.