- RSS loading...
"The Probable Universe: An Owner's Guide to Quantum Physics" by Dr. M.Y. Han
A title that both the Dummies and the Complete Idiot's Guide series missed out on.
We love Quantum Physics and all its complexities. Yeah, it's mysterious and usually tough to understand, from the concepts to its mathematics used to calculate and describe the goings-on, but that's the beauty of it. Like Mathematics itself, many people find it hard to understand and give up studying this subject, but that's what we like: Familiarizing ourselves in areas of sciences that many people don't seem to make time for. Given that we have read and reviewed other books on this very topic, you're looking at another great and friendly book that introduces the subject very nicely. Mind you, this is written in a way that students and learners have already have some experience in the subject of Physics as it's not written for the layperson, but written for the reader who has learned and heard of Quantum Physics seeking a "tour guide" into the studies before venturing deep into the subject. Author Dr. Yan has got you covered with this.
The reader gets a gentle introduction and its beginnings involving quantum and why it mattered both in science and in real life. Dr. Han even mentioned that "gigabyte" will be a thing in future as a larger unit of measurement when it comes to its role with computers. This may confuse some people, but this book was released in the early nineties. Anyway, author Han gets into the nitty-gritty about particles and waves. If you've heard and read about the particle-wave duality, this ought to be familiar to you. However, unlike other authors, Han teaches it in a way that he wants you to understand. How many authors can do that, especially with a tough subject like quantum physics?! We were thoroughly impressed with Han's style of presentation, feeling like a student in his class. This is possibly the most friendly and gentle writing ever, and it's enough for readers to continue reading. From that point on, the reader then gets taught about properties of the atom and going on from there.
Our favorite part has to be Chapter 6 about quantum tunneling which is the book's longest chapter. We won't mention any other books but Dr. Han made this mind-boggling phenomenon very easy to understand, even for us, complete with illustrations and how an atom's energy retains, or wears off, its momentum in the approaching of a barrier. If you're ever curious how a particle can show up in a different position without plowing through some kind of solid or energy field, Han explained it in a way we felt was best. Sure, it may be easily understood by those who knew already but honestly, we found Han's analogies much better for us and for anyone who has read this book. Another favorite that brought a smile to our faces was mentioning of the *latest* microchips which was the Intel 4004. Yeah, this book being published and released in the early 1990s, it was neat recalling the advanced computer processors back then which, in this case, were used as talking points featuring the power that quantum tunneling and its crucial role in technology. That chapter felt very nostalgic. Makes you wonder about the tech industry and how far it has come.
Even though it's just another book introducing the world of quantum mechanics, we feel this book should've been the one to be more mainstream and popular—the kind that Dummies and Complete Idiot's Guide series wishes it could be; The book that many textbooks written for schools wanted its explanations to be; Also, a book that the general reader with a basic understanding of physics can read through without being too lost in all the Linear Algebra it uses. We are so impressed with this book, yet stunned that it hasn't gotten very many reviews (are there not enough people interested in quantum physics?).
Because of this, we've come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a difficult subject. How can that be possible? The writer, the author, the teacher/professor and so on are the reasons. Some know how to teach and talk about a subject in ways that people can understand; Some know how to place themselves in the learner's/student's shoes and be able to explain where people are able to grasp and understand all they've learned even after school is out. Even though this is a short book, learners of all kinds wanting to know the world of quantum mechanics need to add this to their personal library. We have never been so impressed with the writing and teaching author Han has provided with this. We strongly recommend this book!
In honor and tribute to Dr. Han, we say 매우 감사합니다! (That means "thank you very much" in Korean.)
- The friendliest book introducing Quantum Physics we've ever read.
- Topics were presented in a way were the author assures the reader(s) understand, complete with examples and illustrations.
- Despite its release in the early nineties, having mentioned now-older technological advances, The Seeds of Books recommends this for introductory read/study into the subject.
- This book was never featured nor chosen on the Dummies and/or the Complete Idiot's Guide series.
Fan Rating
PROFILE |
|
|---|---|
| Title | The Probable Universe An Owner's Guide to Quantum Physics |
| Author(s) | Dr. M. Y. Han |
| Description | Explore the fascinating world of quantum physics with one of the world's most prominent authorities on this mysterious science as your guide! In The Probable Universe: An Owner's Guide to Quantum Physics, Dr. M. Y. Han clearly explains in layman's terms the physical principles behind quantum mechanics, including photons, wave-particle duality, and the uncertainty principle. You'll learn why and how the microscopic world behaves contrary to the macroscopic laws of physics. Then, Han describes the intriguing phenomenon of quantum tunneling and its application to new technologies such as nanoscopy, superconductivity, lasers, and fiberoptics. |
| Acknowledgements | This book and my previous work, The Secret Life of Quanta, have both benefited greatly from the steady guidance, beginning to end, of my editor, Roland Phelps. For this guidance and his many helpful suggestions toward improving the quality of both of my books, I am grateful. |
| Dedication | "To the memory of my mother" |
| ISBN-13 / ISBN-10 | 0-8306-4192-0 9780830641925 |
| Book Dimensions | Width: 6.5″ (6½″) |
| Height: 9″ | |
| Depth: 0.5″ (½″) | |
| Page Count | 156 |
| Contents | Acknowledgments, Prologue—Quantum physics and new technologies, 1 The realm of quanta, 2 Grains are grains and waves are waves, 3 The shower of light drops, 4 A breeze of electron waves, 5 The heart of quantum mechanics, 6 A tunnel without digging, 7 The very small and the very cold, 8 The tunneling eighties, Epilogue—Quantum field theory and the wave-particle duality, Glossary, Bibliography, Index |
| Acquisitions Editor | Roland S. Phelps |
| Editor | John Rhea |
| Managing Editor | Susan Wahlman |
| Director of Production | Katherine G. Brown |
| Book Design | Jaclyn J. Boone |
| Cover Design | Holberg Design, York, Pa. |
| Author Photograph | -- |
| Published | 1993 |
| Book Number | ??? |
| Publisher | TAB Books TAB Books is a division of McGraw-Hill, Inc. |
| Copyright | Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. The publisher takes no responsibility for the use of any of the materials or methods described in this book, nor for the products thereof. |
| Printed in | United States of America |
| Picture Credits | Corbis: 8, 12, 16, 21, 23, 29, 30, 34, 37, 40, 43, 58, 60, 64, 67, 70, 71, 73, 86, 87, 106 (2), 120, 127, 138, 140, 147, 149, 157, 162, 166, 173, 174, 189, 190 Bridgeman: 7, 77 Mary Evans: 10, 62 akg Images: 36, 38, 79, 80, 102, 110, 122, 127 The Art Archive: 104 Science Photo Library: 114, 115, 137, 139, 143, 148, 154, 155, 159, 162, 199 Topfoto: 133 Walter Callens: 18; Davy G: 28; Daniel Modell: 58; Alan D Thompson: 70; Sanaa Al-Falasi: 89; Emily Harlow: 103; Dr James R Warren: 131 |
| Book Format | Paperback, Hardcover |
| Genre | Nonfiction - Science - Physics |
| Quoted Reviews | "Dr. Han has a facility for expressing complex concepts in comprehensible ways. . . With an inviting sense of humor, Han carefully explains theories in terms of daily experience . . . highly recommended." —The Book Report, on Dr. M.Y. Han's The Secret Life of Quanta |
| Best Seller's List | -- |
| Other | TAB Books offers software for sale. For information and a catalog, please contact TAB Software Department, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17294-0850 |
| Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data |
1. Quantum Theory. |
| I. Title. | |
| CIP Number | 92-15530 |
| LC Control Number | -- |
| LC Call Number | QC174.12.H358 1992 |
| DDC Call Number | 530.1″2—dc20 |
MORE BOOK REVIEWS
Comments
This policy contains information about your privacy. By posting, you are declaring that you understand this policy:
- Your name, rating, website address, town, country, state and comment will be publicly displayed if entered.
- Aside from the data entered into these form fields, other stored data about your comment will include:
- Your IP address (not displayed)
- The time/date of your submission (displayed)
- Your email address will not be shared. It is collected for only two reasons:
- Administrative purposes, should a need to contact you arise.
- To inform you of new comments, should you subscribe to receive notifications.
- A cookie may be set on your computer. This is used to remember your inputs. It will expire by itself.
This policy is subject to change at any time and without notice.
These terms and conditions contain rules about posting comments. By submitting a comment, you are declaring that you agree with these rules:
- Although the administrator will attempt to moderate comments, it is impossible for every comment to have been moderated at any given time.
- You acknowledge that all comments express the views and opinions of the original author and not those of the administrator.
- You agree not to post any material which is knowingly false, obscene, hateful, threatening, harassing or invasive of a person's privacy.
- The administrator has the right to edit, move or remove any comment for any reason and without notice.
Failure to comply with these rules may result in being banned from submitting further comments.
These terms and conditions are subject to change at any time and without notice.
Comments