Geometry.Net - the online learning center
Home  - Physics - Quantum Physics
e99.com Bookstore
  
Images 
Newsgroups
Page 7     121-140 of 191    Back | 1  | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | 10  | Next 20

         Quantum Physics:     more books (100)
  1. Algebraic Methods in Statistical Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory by Dr. Gerard G. Emch, 2009-05-21
  2. Beyond Uncertainty: Heisenberg, Quantum Physics, and The Bomb by David C. Cassidy, 2010-04-01
  3. The Feynman Lectures on Physics, The Definitive Edition Volume 2 (2nd Edition) by Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, et all 2005-07-29
  4. Physics Essentials For Dummies (For Dummies (Math & Science)) by Steven Holzner, 2010-05-17
  5. Quantum Mechanics Demystified by David McMahon, 2005-11-22
  6. Quantum Wells, Wires and Dots: Theoretical and Computational Physics of Semiconductor Nanostructures by Paul Harrison, 2010-02-16
  7. Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (Manchester Physics Series) by A. C. Phillips, 2003-07-16
  8. Quantum Physics for Poets by Leon M. Lederman, Christopher T. Hill, 2010-09-11
  9. Green's Functions in Quantum Physics (Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences) by Eleftherios N. Economou, 2009-12-15
  10. The Quantum Revolution: A Historical Perspective (Greenwood Guides to Great Ideas in Science) by Kent A. Peacock, 2007-12-30
  11. The Quantum Challenge, Second Edition : Modern Research on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (Physics and Astronomy) by George Greenstein, 2005-07-28
  12. Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics by Diarmuid O'Murchu, 2004-04-01
  13. Relativity and Quantum Physics For Beginners by Steven L. Manly, 2009-11-17
  14. What is Quantum Mechanics? A Physics Adventure - Second Edition by Transnational College of LEX, 2009-07-01

121. GAP-Optique Université De Genève
Research and Development center for quantum Optics at the Group of Applied physics (GAP), University of Geneva. Projects, prototypes, publications, members.
http://www.gapoptique.unige.ch/
GAP-Optique
Department of Physics
University of Geneva Switzerland ...
Jobs

Introduction P
hysics is fascinating because of the intellectual excitement it provides and because of the applications it offers. In the Group of Applied Physics (GAP) at Geneva University we get our inspiration from both of these motivations. Optics, in this respect, has a privileged place. Indeed, in modern optics, experiments and theory progress hand-in-hand, and practical applications are close behind. Consequently, we can work both on conceptual issues and on applications. Moreover, it is a very good time for optics! The fascinating new insight about quantum mechanics brought about by recent quantum optics experiments on one side, and the tremendous development of optical communications on the other, illustrates our privileged position! T he American Research Council has recently declared optics as the technology of the 21st century. In contrast, a famous physicist, Michael Berry, has declared that the 21st century will be shaped by quantum physics, in a way similar to electrodynamics, which shaped the 20th century. Our position in GAP-Optique, at the crossroads between optics and quantum physics, ensures our participation to both challenges. Prof. Nicolas Gisin

122. Quantum Computing And Shor's Algorithm
An introduction to quantum algorithms by Matthew Hayward for those new to the field and who do not have an extensive physics background.
http://alumni.imsa.edu/~matth/quant/299/paper/
Next: Contents Contents
Quantum Computing and Shor's Algorithm
Matthew Hayward

  • About this document ...
    Matthew Hayward 2005-02-17
  • 123. European Research Network: The Physics Of Quantum Information
    European Research Network research teams and papers.
    http://info.uibk.ac.at/c/c7/c704/qinet/
    The Physics of Quantum Information
    European Research Network
  • Introduction Teams in the network Research objectives Links ...
  • Midterm Report
    Introduction
    The recent years have seen the emergence of a new field of research dealing with information at the quantum level. Quantum physics is so radically different from classical physics that a slight modification of the present knowledge of transmitting and processing information is not justified. Rather, the radically new principles in the quantum field open up completely new schemes of information transfer and processing, thus enabling new forms of communication and enhanced computational power. The Physics of Quantum Information is a proposed European network within the TMR program of the European Commission. It will bring together for the first time all relevant European activities in the field of the physics of quantum information and to guarantee, through the training of young researchers, that European expertise is disseminated broadly among the next generation of scientists. [Back to index]
    Research teams in the network
  • Experimentalphysik, U. Wien, AT
  • 124. Codes For PHYCS 498A
    Codes for course by Richard M. Martin.
    http://www.physics.uiuc.edu/research/ElectronicStructure/498-s97/codes/code.html
    Fortan Codes for PHYCS 498A
    The codes are written in FORTRAN 90, free format style. To compile them on an IBM workstation, use the command. Numerical Quadrature:
    • simpn.f - Simpson's rule integration. simpe.f

    • - Simpson's rule integration, refines grid until desired accuracy is obtained.
    • inttest.f

    • - Program to test these quaderature routines.
    Root finding:
    • bisect.f - Bisection method root finder. hybrid.f - Hybrid bisection/secant root finder. roottest.f - Program to test these root finder routines.
    Semiclassical Quantization: All above codes in a tar-file: codes.tar Poison Equation solution by Green's function method Solution of 1d Schrodinger equation by shooting method Source code:

    125. Welcome To QCLDB II
    A literature database on ab initio MO calculations published in major journals of Chemistry, physics and Computer Science since 1978.
    http://qcldb2.ims.ac.jp/
    Registration QCDBG Publications Ackowledgements USER-ID: PASSWORD: Forgot your password?
    qcldb2_admin@qcldb2.ims.ac.jp

    126. A Course In Consciousness
    quantum theory and consciousness; the metaphysics of nonduality; the end of suffering and the discovery of our true nature - an on-line or downloadable book by Stanley Sobottka, professor of physics at the University of Virginia.
    http://faculty.virginia.edu/consciousness/
    A Course in
    Consciousness
    Part 1: Quantum theory and consciousness
    Part 2: The metaphysics of nonduality
    Part 3: The end of suffering and the discovery of our true nature
    Stanley Sobottka
    Emeritus Professor of Physics
    University of Virginia
    Charlottesville, VA 22904-4714
    Permission is granted to copy and distribute freely. Changes in content are not permitted. Please cite this website.
    A Dialogue in Consciousness: A brief question-and-answer summary of the Course
    Microsoft Word version of Course
    (150 pages in one file for easy downloading and printing. Includes Dialogue).
    Comments? Questions?
    Send them to me by clicking here If you are viewing this page your browser doesn't support frames, but you can still view the whole site! Just click on Table of Contents . Then when you open a chapter, it will appear in a separate window. Put the two windows side-by-side, and it is the same as using frames!

    127. Transgressing The Boundaries: Toward A Transformative Hermeneutics Of Quantum Gr
    Essay by physicist, Alan Sokal, teasing philosophical implications from quantum mechanics, with a view to accomodating some feminist and poststructuralist critiques of the ideology of domination perceived to be inherent in the discourse of much of the scientific community.
    http://www.physics.nyu.edu/faculty/sokal/transgress_v2/transgress_v2_singlefile.
    Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity
    Alan D. Sokal
    Department of Physics
    New York University
    4 Washington Place
    New York, NY 10003 USA

    Internet: SOKAL@NYU.EDU
    Telephone: (212) 998-7729
    Fax: (212) 995-4016
    November 28, 1994
    revised May 13, 1995 Note: This article was published in Social Text , pp. 217-252 (spring/summer 1996). Biographical Information: Random Walks, Critical Phenomena, and Triviality in Quantum Field Theory (Springer, 1992). Transgressing disciplinary boundaries ... [is] a subversive undertaking since it is likely to violate the sanctuaries of accepted ways of perceiving. Among the most fortified boundaries have been those between the natural sciences and the humanities. Valerie Greenberg, Transgressive Readings The struggle for the transformation of ideology into critical science ... proceeds on the foundation that the critique of all presuppositions of science and ideology must be the only absolute principle of science. Stanley Aronowitz

    128. Quantum Mechanics History
    Planck won the 1918 Nobel Prize for physics for this work. Einstein proposed a quantum theory of light to solve the difficulty and then he realised that
    http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/The_Quantum_age_begins.ht
    A history of Quantum Mechanics
    Mathematical Physics index History Topics Index
    Version for printing
    It is hard to realise that the electron was only discovered a little over 100 years ago in 1897. That it was not expected is illustrated by a remark made by J J Thomson, the discoverer of the electron. He said I was told long afterwards by a distinguished physicist who had been present at my lecture that he thought I had been pulling their leg. The neutron was not discovered until 1932 so it is against this background that we trace the beginnings of quantum theory back to 1859. In 1859 Gustav Kirchhoff proved a theorem about blackbody radiation. A blackbody is an object that absorbs all the energy that falls upon it and, because it reflects no light, it would appear black to an observer. A blackbody is also a perfect emitter and Kirchhoff proved that the energy emitted E depends only on the temperature T and the frequency v of the emitted energy, i.e. E J T v He challenged physicists to find the function J In 1879 Josef Stefan proposed, on experimental grounds, that the total energy emitted by a hot body was proportional to the fourth power of the temperature. In the generality stated by

    129. [quant-ph/9611048] The Quantum Theory Of Ur-Objects As A Theory Of Information
    Here the quantum theory of urobjects proposed by C. F. von Weizsaecker is reviewed, and the philosophical consequences of its interpretation as an information theory are demonstrated by means of some important concepts of physics such as time, space, entropy, energy, and matter, which in ur theory appear to be directly connected with information as ''the'' fundamental substance.
    http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9611048
    Quantum Physics, abstract
    quant-ph/9611048
    From: Holger Lyre [ view email ] Date: Tue, 26 Nov 1996 16:28:24 GMT (11kb)
    The Quantum Theory of Ur-Objects as a Theory of Information
    Authors: Holger Lyre
    Categories: quant-ph
    Comments: 11 pages
    Journal-ref: Int.J.Theor.Phys. 34 (1995) 1541
    The quantum theory of ur-objects proposed by C. F. von Weizsaecker has to be interpreted as a quantum theory of information. Ur-objects, or urs, are thought to be the simplest objects in quantum theory. Thus an ur is represented by a two-dimensional Hilbert space with the universal symmetry group SU(2), and can only be characterized as ''one bit of potential information''. In this sense it is not a spatial but an ''information atom''. The physical structure of the ur theory is reviewed, and the philosophical consequences of its interpretation as an information theory are demonstrated by means of some important concepts of physics such as time, space, entropy, energy, and matter, which in ur theory appear to be directly connected with information as ''the'' fundamental substance. This hopefully will help to provide a new understanding of the concept of information.
    Full-text: PostScript PDF , or Other formats
    References and citations for this submission:
    SLAC-SPIRES HEP
    (refers to , cited

    130. Physics Virtual Bookshelf: Quantum Mechanics
    A collection of articles explaining basic concepts in quantum mechanics.
    http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/QM.html
    Quantum Mechanics Manhy of the listings are roughly in the order in which these topics might be taught. Topic Description Author Format Wave-Particle Duality A brief summary of wave-particle duality, from a first year physics course that uses minimal mathematics; the entire set of materials from the course is available by clicking here Anthony W. Key html Quantum Interference A brief summary of quantum interference and the uncertainty principle, from a first year physics course that uses minimal mathematics; the entire set of materials from the course is available by clicking here Anthony W. Key html Double Slit: html pdf A discussion of the "Feynman double slit," which forms the basis of many discussions of Quantum Mechanics. The topic is quite subtle, but the document is equally accessible to students at all levels. (183k/216k) David M. Harrison html and pdf The Bohr Model of the Atom A very brief introduction, originally designed for upper-year liberal arts students. (30k) David M. Harrison

    131. Quantum Optics And Atom Optics Links
    Laser physics and quantum Optics Group (Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad) quantum Optics Group (Institute of physics, Adam Mickiewicz U.)
    http://www.physics.mq.edu.au/~drice/quoptics.html
    Quantum Optics and Atom Optics links
    can now also be reached by typing the URL www.quantumoptics.net
    Australian site
    http://www.physics.mq.edu.au/~drice/quoptics.html
    German Mirror Page ...
    http://kaluza.physik.uni-konstanz.de/AU/quoptics.html
    (Thanks to Peter Marzlin for setting up the German Mirror page)
    All comments, suggestions, and quantum optics or atom optics links to be added are welcome. Please email Dien Rice (to drice@ics.mq.edu.au). Thanks to all who have contributed! If you know the correct URLs for any of the broken links below, please email me the corrections.
    Maintained by Dien A. Rice
    Department of Physics
    Macquarie University , Australia). List begun: June 25, 1995
    Last updated: January 26, 2005
    NEW AND UPDATED LINKS
    Added or updated January 25, 2005
    INDEX
    Research Groups
    (by country, roughly in alphabetical order by institution name within each country)

    132. Pythagorean Physics - Writings By Todd Matthews Kelso
    An axiomatic system that expands on classical mechanics rather than utilizing relativity or quantum mechanics. Variable mass. Different concept of a particle.
    http://home.att.net/~zei/TMKelso/index.htm
    PYTHAGOREAN PHYSICS A Collection of Writings by Todd Matthews Kelso Introduction Overview Pythagorean Physics postulates the existence of a basic unit of matter, the Pythagorean atom. It deals with discreteness in favor of continuity. It considers both time and space to be absolute. Motion is a function of space and time. Unlike classical mechanics, Pythagorean Physics considers mass to be a variable and has a different concept of what a particle is. Pythagorean Physics employs an axiomatic system that incorporates both philosophy and science in order to achieve meaning. Epistemology Scientists sometimes have a difficult time understanding the limits and validity of what they think they know. Neither the theory of relativity nor quantum mechanics employs an axiomatic system that can guard against such errors. Rather, they both superimpose notions for convenience. Pythagorean Physics follows an axiomatic system that starts with definitions and proceeds step by step from there in a logical fashion that provides meaning in a way that other approaches can not. Integration of Philosophy and Science Specialization has tended to separate concepts that are really interconnected. In order to understand better how the universe works, it is necessary to understand more than just one small portion of it. A comprehensive overview that honors the interconnectedness of all existence is required. Unfortunately, particular aspects of science are becoming more and more esoteric without a broader view. It even becomes necessary at times for a scientist to accept on faith the work developed in a different area of science. This practice can add credence to ideas that should be challenged. Pythagorean Physics challenges multiple ideas from multiple disciplines.

    133. Space And Time
    Course based on Stephen Hawking's best selling book, A Brief History of Time . The course deals with topics in modern physics such as Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, quantum Theory, Black Holes and the Creation of the Universe.
    http://info.hartwick.edu/physics/spacetime.html
    Welcome to the homepage for Physics 127: Space and Time. This course is based on Stephen Hawking's best selling book, "A Brief History of Time". The course deals with exciting topics in modern physics such as Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, Quantum Theory, Black Holes and the Creation of the Universe. Paul Hewitt's text "Conceptual Physics" is also used to fill in details about basic physics concepts such as energy, momentum, wave motion, atomic and nuclear physics that are necessary in order to understand the ideas in Hawking's book. You can read the syllabus by clicking here.
    A term project is required for this course. The purpose of the project is to help you to relate the ideas encountered in the course to your own interests, hobbies or professional goals. Details about this project can be obtained by clicking on the highlighted text.
    Here are some links to other web pages that may help you to learn about some of the ideas discussed in this course: Stonehenge This page contains several photos of the Stonehenge monument taken by Dr. Hickey in the Fall of 1999. Galileo's telescopes Pictures of the telescopes made by Galileo. Pictures taken by R. Hickey at the Science Museum in Florence, Italy

    134. Research Faculty - Amanda Peet
    Assistant professor at the University of Toronto, interests include highenergy theoretical physics, string theory, quantum gravity and black holes.
    http://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~peet/home/
    Prof. Amanda Peet, University of Toronto
    High-energy theoretical physics: string theory as quantum gravity
    Contact Details
    Address: Department of Physics
    University of Toronto
    60 St. George Street
    Toronto ON
    Canada M5S 1A7 Phone: Fax: Office: Room 1118, McLennan Labs
    (in Burton Tower) E-mail: amanda dot peet at utoronto dot ca
    N.B.: attachments and platform-dependent
    formats will be ignored. [Photograph is
    Brief CV
    Research Interests
    Please click here if you prefer a non-technical description... I am a member of the Toronto high-energy theory group My goal is to understand the fundamental dynamics of quantum gravity. I study this using string theory, with applications to black holes and cosmology, and links to gauge theory and particle physics. My work to date has concentrated on problems on the gravitational side of string theory. I began with aspects of the black hole information problem, moved to entropy computations when D-brane physics arrived, developed aspects of holographic gravity/gauge dualities useful to black holes and black branes, and most recently concentrated on the search for string theoretic mechanisms for resolution of spacetime singularities. I am also interested in mechanisms for string theoretic prevention of other pathologies in spacetimes, such as regions with closed timelike curves.

    135. [gr-qc/9507028] Quantum Cosmology Lectures
    Lectures at the First Mexican School on Gravitation and Mathematical physics
    http://it.arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/9507028
    General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, abstract
    gr-qc/9507028
    From: Don N. Page [ view email ] Date: Fri, 14 Jul 1995 00:26:36 GMT (18kb)
    Quantum Cosmology Lectures
    Author: Don N. Page (University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada)
    Comments: LaTeX, 18 pages, lectures at the First Mexican School on Gravitation and Mathematical Physics, December 12-16, 1994
    Report-no: Alberta-Thy-15-95
    Full-text: PostScript PDF , or Other formats
    References and citations for this submission:
    SLAC-SPIRES HEP
    (refers to , cited by , arXiv reformatted);
    CiteBase
    (autonomous citation navigation and analysis) Which authors of this paper are endorsers?
    Links to: arXiv gr-qc find abs

    136. Classical And Quantum Gravity
    Before 1984 classical and quantum gravity articles appeared in Journal of physics A Copyright © Institute of physics and IOP Publishing Limited 2005.
    http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/CQG
    @import url(http://ej.iop.org/style/nu/EJ.css); Quick guide Site map Athens login IOP login: Password:
    Create account
    Alerts Contact us Journals Home ... Help
    This Journal
    Editorial information

    Scope

    Editorial board

    Author benefits
    ...
    Submit an article

    Related content
    Linking to IOP journals

    IOP Select
    IOP Physics Reviews IOP journal news ... Latest issue (complete) No 18, 21 September 2005 (S869-S1390) Open issue No 19, 7 October 2005 (3817-4030) Current volume Number 19, 7 October 2005 Number 18, 21 September 2005 Number 17, 7 September 2005 Number 16, 21 August 2005 Number 15, 7 August 2005 Number 14, 21 July 2005 Number 13, 7 July 2005 Number 12, 21 June 2005 Number 11, 7 June 2005 Number 10, 21 May 2005 Number 9, 7 May 2005 Number 8, 21 April 2005 Number 7, 7 April 2005 Number 6, 21 March 2005 Number 5, 7 March 2005 Number 4, 21 February 2005 Number 3, 7 February 2005 Number 2, 21 January 2005 Number 1, 7 January 2005 Journal archive Vol 22, 2005 Vol 21, 2004 Vol 20, 2003 Vol 19, 2002 Vol 18, 2001 Vol 17, 2000 Vol 16, 1999 Vol 15, 1998 Vol 14, 1997

    137. Dr. Mendel Sachs
    On compatibility of the quantum theory and theory of general relativity by Dr. Mendel Sachs.
    http://www.compukol.com/mendel/
    The Future of Physics? My name is Mendel Sachs. My subject is theoretical physics. I have recently become aware of this excellent means of communicating ideas to my fellow physicists. I would like to ask your indulgence in some of my thoughts about physics today. I have discovered during my professional career that in order to increase our comprehension of the material world, it is necessary to ask significant questions and then try to answer them, as completely and rigorously as possible no matter how hard this may seem to be at the outset. A "significant question" to me is one whose answer could possibly increase our understanding. Of course, there is no guarantee at the outset that the question would turn out to be significant in the final analysis. On the other hand, it is often clear when a question (that a great deal of attention may be given to) is not significant! Let me start out, then, with some questions that I believe are significant, and then try to answer them, in my view. 1) What do we presently believe are the most fundamental assertions of the laws of nature? My answer is: The bases of the quantum theory and the theory of relativity. I am not referring here to mathematical expressions of these theories; I refer to the basic concepts that underlie these expressions. If you do not agree with this answer, or those to the questions below, please respond with your own views.

    138. Fundamentals Of Quantum Information (March 1998) - Physics World - PhysicsWeb
    physicsWeb, The web site for physicists, physicsWorld, Institute of physics, Electronic Publishing, online products and services.
    http://physicsweb.org/article/world/11/3/9

    Advanced site search
    physics world
    sample issue
    Request a sample issue
    browse the archive
    January February March April May June July August September October November December
    quick search Search Physics World
    Physics World

    March 1998
    Fundamentals of quantum information
    Feature: March 1998 The fact that information is physical means that the laws of quantum mechanics can be used to process and transmit it in ways that are not possible with existing systems. Ever since its invention in the 1920s, quantum physics has given rise to countless discussions about its meaning and about how to interpret the theory correctly. These discussions focus on issues like the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox, quantum non-locality and the role of measurement in quantum physics. In recent years, however, research into the very foundations of quantum mechanics has also led to a new field - quantum information technology. The use of quantum physics could revolutionize the way we communicate and process information. The important new observation is that information is not independent of the physical laws used to store and processes it (see Landauer in further reading). Although modern computers rely on quantum mechanics to operate, the information itself is still encoded classically. A new approach is to treat information as a quantum concept and to ask what new insights can be gained by encoding this information in individual quantum systems. In other words, what happens when both the transmission and processing of information are governed by quantum laws?

    139. Dennis P. Clougherty
    Research on topics in theoretical condensed matter physics, including ultracold atomsurface scattering and quantum sticking, Jahn-Teller effects in molecules, clusters and solids, and properties of fullerenes and nanotubes.
    http://www.uvm.edu/~dcloughe/
    Department of Physics
    Cook Physical Science Bldg. A516
    University of Vermont
    Burlington, Vermont 05405-0125
    e-mail: dennis.clougherty(at)uvm.edu
    Phone: (802) 656-0063
    FAX: (802) 656-0817
    Dennis P. Clougherty
    (Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Professor of Physics
    Background:
    Dr. Clougherty received his S.B. degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering , his S.M. degree in Electrical Engineering , and his Ph.D. in Physics from MIT . He was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Physics University of California-Santa Barbara with Professor Walter Kohn 1998 Nobel laureate ), and he has had visiting appointments at MIT University of California-San Diego ITAMP at Harvard University , and the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics in Santa Barbara. He joined the faculty of the University of Vermont in 1992.
    Research:
    Theoretical condensed matter physics
    Condensed matter physics broadly concerns the study of the properties of solids and liquids. Research in condensed matter physics theory attempts to elucidate the connection between microscopic laws and macroscopic behavior. The richness and complexity of the properties of matter we observe stem from interactions between the large numbers of degrees of freedom in the microscopic system. This is also the primary source of difficulty in analyzing such systems. Dr. Clougherty's research in theoretical condensed matter physics focuses on the dynamics of quantum systems with application to electronic, magnetic, optical, structural, and thermal properties of nanoscale materials (e.g. fullerene-derived solids and carbon nanotubes). His basic research also includes: the investigation of low energy scattering of atoms and molecules from surfaces and systems with many internal degrees of freedom (quantum sticking and quantum reflection); and the development of new methods for studying quantum many-body systems, such as new extensions of density functional theory to

    140. Quantum Theory: Weird And Wonderful (December 1999) - Physics World - PhysicsWeb
    physicsWeb, The web site for physicists, physicsWorld, Institute of physics, Electronic Publishing, online products and services.
    http://physicsweb.org/article/world/12/12/19/1

    Advanced site search
    physics world
    sample issue
    Request a sample issue
    browse the archive
    January February March April May June July August September October November December
    quick search Search Physics World
    Physics World

    December 1999
    Quantum theory: weird and wonderful
    Feature: December 1999 Quantum mechanics is the most accurate theory we have to describe the world, but there is still much about it that we do not fully understand. Quantum mechanics is a great deal more than a theory; it is a whole new way of looking at the world. When it was developed in the 1920s, quantum mechanics was viewed primarily as a way of making sense of the host of observations at the level of single electrons, atoms or molecules that could not be explained in terms of Newtonian mechanics and Maxwellian electrodynamics. Needless to say, it has been spectacularly successful in this task. Around 75 years later, as we enter the new millennium, most physicists are confident that quantum mechanics is a fundamental and general description of the physical world. Indeed, serious attempts have been made to apply quantum ideas not merely to laboratory-scale inanimate matter but also, for example, to the workings of human consciousness and to the universe as a whole. Yet despite this confidence, the nagging questions that so vexed the founding fathers of quantum theory - and which many of them thought had finally been laid to rest after years of struggle - have refused to go away. Indeed, as we shall see, in many cases these questions have returned to haunt us in even more virulent forms. It is probably fair to say that, in the final years of this century, interest in the foundations of quantum mechanics is more widespread, and more intellectually respectable, than at any time since the invention of quantum theory.

    Page 7     121-140 of 191    Back | 1  | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | 10  | Next 20

    free hit counter