The untold story of the heretical thinkers who dared to question the nature of our quantum universeEvery physicist agrees quantum mechanics is among humanity's finest scientific achievements. But ask what it means, and the result will be a brawl. For a century, most physicists have followed Niels Bohr's Copenhagen interpretation and dismissed questions about the reality underlying quantum physics as meaningless. A mishmash of solipsism and poor reasoning, Copenhagen endured, as Bohr's students vigorously protected his legacy, and the physics community favored practical experiments over philosophical arguments. As a result, questioning the status quo long meant professional ruin.And yet, from the 1920s to today, physicists like John Bell, David Bohm, and Hugh Everett persisted in seeking the true meaning of quantum mechanics. What Is Real? is the gripping story of this battle of ideas and the courageous scientists who dared to stand up for truth. Read more

One of TIME’s Ten Best Nonfiction Books of the Decade"Meet the new Stephen Hawking . . . The Order of Time is a dazzling book."—The Sunday TimesFrom the bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, Reality Is Not What It Seems, Helgoland, and Anaximander comes a concise, elegant exploration of time.Why do we remember the past and not the future? What does it mean for time to "flow"? Do we exist in time or does time exist in us? In lyric, accessible prose, Carlo Rovelli invites us to consider questions about the nature of time that continue to puzzle physicists and philosophers alike.For most this is unfamiliar terrain. We all experience time, but the more scientists learn about it, the more mysterious it remains. We think of it as uniform and universal, moving steadily from past to future, measured by clocks. Rovelli tears down these assumptions one by one, revealing a strange universe where at the most fundamental level time disappears. He explains how the theory of quantum gravity attempts to understand and give meaning to the resulting extreme landscape of this timeless world. Weaving together ideas from philosophy, science and literature, he suggests that our perception of the flow of time depends on our perspective, better understood starting from the structure of our brain and emotions than from the physical universe.Already a bestseller in Italy, and written with the poetic vitality that made Seven Brief Lessons on Physics so appealing, The Order of Time offers a profoundly intelligent, culturally rich, novel appreciation of the mysteries of time. Read more

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA landmark volume in science writing by one of the great minds of our time, Stephen Hawking’s book explores such profound questions as: How did the universe begin—and what made its start possible? Does time always flow forward? Is the universe unending—or are there boundaries? Are there other dimensions in space? What will happen when it all ends?Told in language we all can understand, A Brief History of Time plunges into the exotic realms of black holes and quarks, of antimatter and “arrows of time,” of the big bang and a bigger God—where the possibilities are wondrous and unexpected. With exciting images and profound imagination, Stephen Hawking brings us closer to the ultimate secrets at the very heart of creation. Read more

Silver Medal winner of the 2023 Independent Publisher Book AwardAre you ready to master Quantum Physics fast through just four bizarre discoveries, even if you’ve got zero prior experience or training in the subject?Then keep reading....In 1965, the great American physicist Richard Feynman famously proclaimed, “I think I can safely say that nobody understands Quantum Mechanics." Is there any wonder why?Particles that pop in and out of existence....Spooky action at a distance that travels faster than light....Infinite universes and branching realities….Most people, unfortunately, were never taught how wonderful and spectacular quantum physics really and truly is in school....And the ones who do receive formal training are overwhelmed with advanced mathematics that only makes sense to a fraction of the population....In this book, we will break through the confusion and reveal to you the most important ideas of quantum physics, told through the amazing true story of just four bizarre discoveries–many of which were made completely by accident!In Quantum Physics, Into the Light, you’ll discover:How one young physicist accidentally discovered quantum physics with a math trick and changed our entire understanding of light and matter forever.The true secret nature of light (get ready to be extremely confused).How a playful riddle about a dead cat started as a joke but later smashed our entire interpretation of reality forever.How a man you’ve never heard of took us to the brink of a Theory of Everything (and why we’re not there yet).And a whole lot more!So if you’re ready to master quantum physics fast (and in plain English), buy this audiobook now!PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. Read more

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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Most appealing... technical accuracy and lightness of tone... Impeccable.”—Wall Street Journal“A porthole into another world.”—Scientific American“Brings science dissemination to a new level.”—ScienceThe most trusted explainer of the most mind-boggling concepts pulls back the veil of mystery that has too long cloaked the most valuable building blocks of modern science. Sean Carroll, with his genius for making complex notions entertaining, presents in his uniquely lucid voice the fundamental ideas informing the modern physics of reality.   Physics offers deep insights into the workings of the universe but those insights come in the form of equations that often look like gobbledygook. Sean Carroll shows that they are really like meaningful poems that can help us fly over sierras to discover a miraculous multidimensional landscape alive with radiant giants, warped space-time, and bewilderingly powerful forces. High school calculus is itself a centuries-old marvel as worthy of our gaze as the Mona Lisa. And it may come as a surprise the extent to which all our most cutting-edge ideas about black holes are built on the math calculus enables.    No one else could so smoothly guide readers toward grasping the very equation Einstein used to describe his theory of general relativity. In the tradition of the legendary Richard Feynman lectures presented sixty years ago, this book is an inspiring, dazzling introduction to a way of seeing that will resonate across cultural and generational boundaries for many years to come. Read more

Instant New York Times best sellerAs you listen to these words, copies of you are being created. Sean Carroll, theoretical physicist and one of this world’s most celebrated writers on science, rewrites the history of 20th-century physics. Already hailed as a masterpiece, Something Deeply Hidden shows for the first time that facing up to the essential puzzle of quantum mechanics utterly transforms how we think about space and time. His reconciling of quantum mechanics with Einstein’s theory of relativity changes, well, everything. Most physicists haven’t even recognized the uncomfortable truth: Physics has been in crisis since 1927.Quantum mechanics has always had obvious gaps—which have come to be simply ignored. Science popularizers keep telling us how weird it is, how impossible it is to understand. Academics discourage students from working on the "dead end" of quantum foundations. Putting his professional reputation on the line with this audacious yet entirely reasonable audiobook, Carroll says that the crisis can now come to an end. We just have to accept that there is more than one of us in the universe. There are many, many Sean Carrolls. Many of every one of us.Copies of you are generated thousands of times per second. The Many Worlds Theory of quantum behavior says that every time there is a quantum event, a world splits off with everything in it the same, except in that other world, the quantum event didn't happen. Step-by-step in Carroll's uniquely lucid way, he tackles the major objections to this otherworldly revelation until his case is inescapably established.Rarely does a book so fully reorganize how we think about our place in the universe. We are on the threshold of a new understanding—of where we are in the cosmos, and what we are made of. Read more

A contrarian scientist wrestles with the big questions that modern physics raises, and what physics says about the human condition.Not only can we not currently explain the origin of the universe, it is questionable we will ever be able to explain it. The notion that there are universes within particles, or that particles are conscious, is ascientific, as is the hypothesis that our universe is a computer simulation. On the other hand, the idea that the universe itself is conscious is difficult to rule out entirely. According to Sabine Hossenfelder, it is not a coincidence that quantum entanglement and vacuum energy have become the go-to explanations of alternative healers, or that people believe their deceased grandmother is still alive because of quantum mechanics. Science and religion have the same roots, and they still tackle some of the same questions: Where do we come from? Where do we go to? How much can we know? The area of science that is closest to answering these questions is physics. Over the last century, physicists have learned a lot about which spiritual ideas are still compatible with the laws of nature. Not always, though, have they stayed on the scientific side of the debate. In this lively, thought-provoking book, Hossenfelder takes on the biggest questions in physics: Does the past still exist? Do particles think? Was the universe made for us? Has physics ruled out free will? Will we ever have a theory of everything? She lays out how far physicists are on the way to answering these questions, where the current limits are, and what questions might well remain unanswerable forever. Her book offers a no-nonsense yet entertaining take on some of the toughest riddles in existence, and will give the listener a solid grasp on what we know—and what we don’t know.* This audiobook includes a downloadable PDF with key visual figures included in the book.PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. Read more

Quantum Physics, Made Simple and AccessibleAre you curious about the quantum world but overwhelmed by tough words and complex equations? Make this your first book on quantum—your guide to understanding the universe’s most mysterious topics, from waves and light to space, nature, and even consciousness!I promise to break down quantum physics into bite-sized, engaging explanations that make learning feel natural. Through real-life analogies, stories of the great physicists who paved the way, and simplified terms, you’ll soon unlock the secrets of light, entanglement, waves, and much more.Inside the Book, You’ll FindThe Giants of Science – Meet the icons of modern physics, from Einstein to Bohr, and dive into the fierce debates, groundbreaking discoveries, and unique perspectives that shaped the field.Key Principles – Unlock five basics of quantum physics, from the mind-bending wave-particle duality to the intrigue of the uncertainty principle.Major Theories – Explore the biggest concepts in quantum, including entanglement, Schrödinger’s Cat, superposition, and more.Experiments – Discover the pivotal experiments that shaped quantum theory, such as the famous double-slit experiment and the eye-opening photoelectric effect.Everyday Items – Watch quantum physics in action—from GPS navigation and X-ray machines to lasers and smartphones—explore emerging applications in quantum computing and cryptography.I cover all this and more, without the intimidating equations or engineering blueprints—just clear, easy-to-understand descriptions. Get your copy now and leap into the possibilities of quantum mechanics, from nuclear fusion to bending time, teleporting data, and even quantum supremacy.If the Law of Attraction really works for me, you’ll scroll up and click the BUY NOW button—and then tell every school to make this book mandatory reading! But if you’re still on the fence, check out the exclusive extras that come with your book purchase.Includes 7 Exclusive DownloadsIncluding but not limited to:The Theory of Relativity by Albert EinsteinEight Lectures delivered at Columbia by Max PlanckThe Nature of the Physical World by Sir Arthur Stanley EddingtonExpanded Quantum Glossary with hundreds of beginner-friendly definitionsAND MORE!Big Ideas, Simply ExplainedSo, whether you're an aspiring scientist, a tech enthusiast ready for the next big thing, or a curious mind eager to explore nature and philosophy, this book is your best non-scientist introduction to quantum mechanics. Order your copy now and join the ranks of modern science! Read more

Named a Best Book of 2021 by the Financial Times and a Best Science Book of 2021 by The Guardian“Rovelli is a genius and an amazing communicator… This is the place where science comes to life.” ―Neil Gaiman“One of the warmest, most elegant and most lucid interpreters to the laity of the dazzling enigmas of his discipline...[a] momentous book” ―John Banville, The Wall Street Journal A startling new look at quantum theory, from the New York Times bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, The Order of Time, and  Anaximander.One of the world's most renowned theoretical physicists, Carlo Rovelli has entranced millions of readers with his singular perspective on the cosmos. In Helgoland, he examines the enduring enigma of quantum theory. The quantum world Rovelli describes is as beautiful as it is unnerving.Helgoland is a treeless island in the North Sea where the twenty-three-year-old Werner Heisenberg made the crucial breakthrough for the creation of quantum mechanics, setting off a century of scientific revolution. Full of alarming ideas (ghost waves, distant objects that seem to be magically connected, cats that appear both dead and alive), quantum physics has led to countless discoveries and technological advancements. Today our understanding of the world is based on this theory, yet it is still profoundly mysterious.As scientists and philosophers continue to fiercely debate the meaning of the theory, Rovelli argues that its most unsettling contradictions can be explained by seeing the world as fundamentally made of relationships rather than substances. We and everything around us exist only in our interactions with one another. This bold idea suggests new directions for thinking about the structure of reality and even the nature of consciousness.Rovelli makes learning about quantum mechanics an almost psychedelic experience. Shifting our perspective once again, he takes us on a riveting journey through the universe so we can better comprehend our place in it. Read more

By the author of the acclaimed bestsellers Benjamin Franklin and Steve Jobs, this is the definitive biography of Albert Einstein.How did his mind work? What made him a genius? Isaacson’s biography shows how his scientific imagination sprang from the rebellious nature of his personality. His fascinating story is a testament to the connection between creativity and freedom. Based on newly released personal letters of Einstein, this book explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk—a struggling father in a difficult marriage who couldn’t get a teaching job or a doctorate—became the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos, the locksmith of the mysteries of the atom, and the universe. His success came from questioning conventional wisdom and marveling at mysteries that struck others as mundane. This led him to embrace a morality and politics based on respect for free minds, free spirits, and free individuals. These traits are just as vital for this new century of globalization, in which our success will depend on our creativity, as they were for the beginning of the last century, when Einstein helped usher in the modern age. Read more

How is faster-than-light related to back-in-time?Albert Einstein knew already in the early 1900s, when he first published his famous paper about the constancy of the speed of light, that not only did this constancy imply that mass contains energy (E = m c squared), but that faster-than-light motion could lead to paradoxes -- some that seemed to involve backwards time travel.What are these paradoxes? Why is light and its speed relevant? This book will lead you through an obstacle course of conundrums and oddities, building up your understanding of how light's speed creates simple but mind-expanding paradoxes -- one conceptual riddle at a time.This is not your average popular science book. This is also not a textbook. This book takes one theme -- the universally constant speed of light -- and shows how it may appear compromised on scales from the quantum mechanics of the very small to the cosmology of the very large, and the resulting surprising implications can result. Read more

The legendary introduction to physics from the subject's greatest teacher "The whole thing was basically an experiment," Richard Feynman said late in his career, looking back on the origins of his lectures. The experiment turned out to be hugely successful, spawning a book that has remained a definitive introduction to physics for decades. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics through such formidable theories as general relativity and quantum mechanics, Feynman's lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. Now, we are reintroducing the printed books to the trade, fully corrected, for the first time ever, and in collaboration with Caltech. Timeless and collectible, the lectures are essential reading, not just for students of physics but for anyone seeking an introduction to the field from the inimitable Feynman. Read more

Number One New York Times Best SellerThe epic story of the greatest quest in all of science—the holy grail of physics that would explain the creation of the universe—from renowned theoretical physicist and author of The Future of the Mind and The Future of Humanity.When Newton discovered the law of gravity, he unified the rules governing the heavens and the Earth. Since then, physicists have been placing new forces into ever-grander theories.But perhaps the ultimate challenge is achieving a monumental synthesis of the two remaining theories—relativity and the quantum theory. This would be the crowning achievement of science, a profound merging of all the forces of nature into one beautiful, magnificent equation to unlock the deepest mysteries in science: What happened before the Big Bang? What lies on the other side of a black hole? Are there other universes and dimensions? Is time travel possible? Why are we here?Kaku also explains the intense controversy swirling around this theory, with Nobel laureates taking opposite sides on this vital question. It is a captivating, gripping story; what’s at stake is nothing less than our conception of the universe.Written with Kaku’s trademark enthusiasm and clarity, this epic and engaging journey is the story of The God Equation. Read more

“The most exciting intellectual adventure I've been on since reading Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.”—Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, New York TimesGary Zukav’s timeless, humorous, New York Times bestselling masterpiece, The Dancing Wu Li Masters, is arguably the most widely acclaimed introduction to quantum physics ever written. Scientific American raves: “Zukav is such a skilled expositor, with such an amiable style, that it is hard to imagine a layman who would not find his book enjoyable and informative.” Accessible, edifying, and endlessly entertaining, The Dancing Wu Li Masters is back in a beautiful new edition—and the doors to the fascinating, dazzling, remarkable world of quantum physics are opened to all once again, no previous mathematical or technical expertise required. Read more

General relativity is one of the most profound statements in science. It is a theory of gravity that allows us to model the large-scale structure of the Universe, to understand and explain the motions and workings of stars, to reveal how gravity interacts with light waves and even how it hosts its own gravitational waves. It is central to our notions of where the Universe comes from and what its eventual fate might be. For those wishing to learn physics, general relativity enjoys a dubious distinction. It is frequently viewed as a difficult theory, whose mastery is a rite of passage into the world of advanced physics and is described in an array of unforgiving, weighty textbooks aimed firmly at aspiring professionals. Written by experimental physicists and aimed at providing the interested amateur with a bridge from undergraduate physics to general relativity, this book is designed to be different. The imagined reader is a gifted amateur possessing a curious and adaptable mind looking to be told an entertaining and intellectually stimulating story, but who will not feel patronised if a few mathematical niceties are spelled out in detail. Using numerous worked examples, diagrams and careful physically motivated explanations, this book will smooth the path towards understanding the radically different and revolutionary view of the physical world that general relativity provides and which all physicists should have the opportunity to experience. Read more

Discover Albert Einstein's groundbreaking theories with ""Relativity: The Special and the General Theory."" This influential work provides a comprehensive exploration of the principles that revolutionized our understanding of space, time, and gravity. A must-read for science enthusiasts and those intrigued by the mysteries of the universe. Albert Einstein's revolutionary work, ""Relativity: The Special and the General Theory"" Explore the profound principles that reshaped our understanding of the universe Dive into the concepts of space, time, and gravity Perfect for science enthusiasts and those interested in theoretical physics A thought-provoking addition to any book collection, unlocking the secrets of the cosmos. Read more

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A New Yorker Best Book of 2024 A Globe and Mail Best Book of 2024 A Financial Times Best Book of 2024 A Kirkus Best Book of 2024 A Daily Telegraph Best Book of 2024 A "beautifully composed and revealing" (Financial Times) biography of the dazzling and painful life of Nobel Prize–winning physicist Roger Penrose—"a stunning achievement" (Kai Bird, American Prometheus). When he was six years old, Roger Penrose discovered a sundial in a clearing near his house. Through that machine made of light, shadow, and time, Roger glimpsed a “world behind the world” of transcendently beautiful geometry. It spurred him on a journey to become one of the world’s most influential mathematicians, philosophers, and physicists.    Penrose would prove the limitations of general relativity, set a new agenda for theoretical physics, and astound colleagues and admirers with the elegance and beauty of his discoveries. However, as Patchen Barss documents in The Impossible Man, success came at a price: He was attuned to the secrets of the universe, but struggled to connect with loved ones, especially the women who care for or worked with him.   Both erudite and poetic, The Impossible Man draws on years of research and interviews, as well as previously unopened archives to present a moving portrait of Penrose the Nobel Prize-winning scientist and Roger the human being. It reveals not just the extraordinary life of Roger Penrose, but asks who gets to be a genius, and who makes the sacrifices that allow one man to be one. Read more