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A Guess at the Riddle

Essays on the Physical Underpinnings of Quantum Mechanics
By David Z Albert
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
A Guess at the Riddle by David Z Albert delves into profound scientific and philosophical questions, examining the nature of reality through the lens of quantum mechanics. The author explores the complexities and mysteries of physics, offering insights into how they challenge our understanding of time, space, and existence itself. Readers are invited to ponder deep metaphysical concepts while engaging with the elegant intricacies of scientific theory.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're intrigued by the philosophical puzzles and scientific principles that underpin our understanding of the universe. It offers an engaging exploration of profound questions about the nature of reality, making it a thought-provoking read for those who enjoy delving into the mysteries of science and the philosophical challenges they present.

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Renowned philosopher of science David Z Albert offers an innovative approach to understanding the fundamental physical underpinnings of quantum mechanics. Albert shows how we can discern all the baffling features of quantum theory in a simple picture of the pushings and pullings of concrete and high-dimensional, fundamental physical “stuff.”

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From the celebrated author of Quantum Mechanics and Experience comes an original and exhilarating attempt at making sense of the strange laws of quantum mechanics.

A century ago, a brilliant circle of physicists around Niels Bohr argued that the search for an objective, realistic, and mechanical picture of the inner workings of the atom—the kind of picture that had previously been an ideal of classical physics—was doomed to fail. Today, there is widespread agreement among philosophers and physicists that those arguments were wrong. However, the question of what that picture might look like, and how it might fit into a comprehensive picture of physical reality, remains unsettled.

In A Guess at the Riddle, philosopher David Z Albert argues that the distinctively strange features of quantum mechanics begin to make sense once we conceive of the wave function, vibrating and evolving in high-dimensional space, as the concrete, fundamental physical "stuff" of the universe. Starting with simple mechanical models, Albert methodically constructs the defining features of quantum mechanics from scratch. He shows how the entire history of our familiar, three-dimensional universe can be discerned in the wave function's intricate pattern of ripples and whorls.

A major new work in the foundations of physics, A Guess at the Riddle is poised to transform our understanding of the basic architecture of the universe.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

A Guess at the Riddle by David Z Albert is praised for offering a substantial contribution to the philosophy of physics and metaphysics. Reviewers commend Albert's engaging and clear style as he explores wave-function realism, providing a fresh perspective on quantum mechanics and its foundational structures. The book has been noted for deep insights and thought-provoking discussions that challenge traditional views on the universe's fundamental nature.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780674291263

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 19 September 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Harvard University Press

Illustration: 8 illus.

Audience: General / adult, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 318g

Pages: 144

Collections

David Z Albert Education & Reference Non-Fiction Philosophy & Psychology Philosophy & Stoicism Science & Nature

About the Author

David Z Albert is Frederick E. Woodbridge Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University and the author of Quantum Mechanics and Experience, Time and Chance, and After Physics. His writing has appeared in numerous scholarly journals of physics and philosophy, as well as in the New York Times, the New York Review of Books, and Scientific American.

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    From the celebrated author of Quantum Mechanics and Experience comes a "provocative" (Nature) and "deeply important" (Mind) attempt at making sense of the strange laws of quantum mechanics. A century ago, Niels Bohr and a circle of brilliant physicists argued that the search for an objective, realistic, and mechanical picture of the inner workings of the atom was doomed to...
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