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Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness |  | Authors: Bruce Rosenblum, Fred Kuttner
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
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Rating:  70 reviews
Media: Paperback
Pages: 224
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6 x 0.8
ISBN: 019534250X
Dewey Decimal Number: 530
EAN: 9780195342505
Publication Date: June 16, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In trying to understand the atom, physicists built quantum mechanics and found, to their embarrassment, that their theory intimately connects consciousness with the physical world. Quantum Enigma explores what that implies and why some founders of the theory became the foremost objectors to it. Authors Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner explain all of this in non-technical terms with help from some fanciful stories and anecdotes about the theory's developers. They present the quantum mystery honestly, with an emphasis on what is and what is not speculation. Quantum Enigma's description of the experimental quantum facts, and the quantum theory explaining them, is undisputed. Interpreting what it all means, however, is controversial. Every interpretation of quantum physics encounters consciousness. Rosenblum and Kuttner therefore turn to exploring consciousness itself--and encounter quantum physics. Free will and anthropic principles become crucial issues, and the connection of consciousness with the cosmos suggested by some leading quantum cosmologists is mind-blowing. Readers are brought to a boundary where the particular expertise of physicists is no longer a sure guide. They will find, instead, the facts and hints provided by quantum mechanics and the ability to speculate for themselves.
"A remarkable and readable presentation of the basic mysteries of science, our universe, and human life. Critically important problems in our understanding are interestingly discussed with perception, depth, and careful objectivity."
--Charles Townes, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics
"Lively and thought-provoking."
--The Washington Times
"This book is unique. The clearest expositions I have ever seen."
--George Greenstein, Professor of Astronomy, Amherst College
"An immensely important and exciting book."
--Raymond Chester Russ, editor of Journal of Mind and Behavior
"Exposes the hidden skeleton in the physicist's closet."
--Nick Herbert, author of Quantum Reality
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 70
 Good First Book for This Subject September 8, 2010
Jeeprs (Sydney Australia)
This is quite a good book, but very much written for high school or undergraduate students. It explains the concepts clearly enough, but the prose is fairly workmanlike with a tone of earnest cheerfulness. It sets many of the key lessons as little stories or skits - it is an effective teaching method, but makes for annoying reading, as do the slightly corny verbal gimmicks and line drawings. It would suit non-technical readers who are coming to the subject without much prior knowledge. For the more philosophically sophisticated, there are better titles out there. Not a bad book, and filling an important gap, but not exactly what I was after, although at least it signifies that a somewhat esoteric subject is becoming mainstream.
 Great Book August 24, 2010
Isaac
Very good! Read in two days. I found it hard to find stopping points while reading, I didn't want to set it down. Interesting and written in a very compehensible way.
A touch cautious but excellent August 23, 2010
D. M. Zipay (NorthAm.)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've just read this book and it gives a wonderful summary of the discoveries and history of quantum mechanics. I found it to be easily understood, after rereading a few paragraphs, and understand the observation problem with quantum mechanics much better.
In Chapter 17, the last chapter, I would have preferred a longer list of the strange coincidences that have seemed to occur to create us and our consciousness but the authors state that "Many other coincidences have been noted that we won't mention here." Too bad but as they stated, "Do things working out so perfectly, but so improbably, require explanation? Not necessarily." Which segues nicely into their thoughts on the Anthropic Principle.
In the end the book came through, with thought provoking ideas that are not significantly short of crazy and gave me chills up the spine to consider them. I speak of the quote by Hendrik Casimir, "Sometimes it almost appears that the theories are not a description of a nearly inaccessible reality, but that so-called reality is a result of the theory." Wondrous, crazy and thought provoking at the same time.
A great book, that I'm glad the authors wrote apparently despite the less than ambitious tone of some of the people they approached regarding the idea.
Recommended for anyone who is interested in Quantum Mechanics generally or in the puzzle it presents specifically.
Excellent - a good read August 8, 2010
BobA
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'm lacking in math and so have trouble understanding the models and relationships that can only be seen properly if one is skilled with these tools. This book is a text inspired by and I think actually used in the authors in their course in the subject which they developed for folks like me and which they offer at UC Santa Cruz. They present the material in a very easy to understand way and with no math required. I especially liked how they talked about consciousness and it's place in quantum theory as the required "observer" even though many physicists seem to link consciousness with BS mostly because they don't want to deal with it. There is some discussion of machines possibly ever having consciousness (strong AI), which being a computer type I say not a chance. Try making eye contact with another sentient being and then with absolutely anything man-made or programmed by humans. Good book that includes what appears to be an essential part of the puzzle which the authors pretty candidly admit may be inexplicable. Well done.
 The skeleton is a little old and dusty July 20, 2010
VB
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Four stars because the information is not new.
Kudos for presenting (and presenting and presenting) the "measurement problem" in a clearly understandable way. It's probably enough to satisfy any reader, who does not speak mathematics, as regards the "quantum weirdness" found in subatomic experiments.
The authors cover the material from different points of view, and use several methods to explain the enigma, as they call it, but, like Hawking, I'm about to reach for my gun. I kept thinking, "It's that darn cat again!" or "Back to Neg Ahne Poc!" as they, yet again, start explaining superposition and wave function probabilities.
You may get the idea that I found it tedious to read. Not so. It's interesting enough, and contains enough historical perspective to keep my attention. The authors tried to make it more dramatic than it deserves (the loaded gun metaphor was over the top), and drag the reader all the way to chapter 9 to reveal "the skeleton in the closet".
If the material is new to you, this is an excellent starting point. The book has many illustrations and cartoons, and the authors take great care explaining everything. The only requirement necessary to understand it (as well as anyone does) is a little imagination.
It is, by the way, incorrect to say that Quantum Theory is the basis for one third of our economy. The particular behavior of the Universe we exploit for our technology is not a part of Quantum Theory, it is an aspect of the Universe. Quantum Theory is the formalized mathematical description of that behavior. It is a model of the Universe, and is both imperfect and incomplete. Giving Quantum Theory credit for the nature of the Universe is mistaking the map for the territory.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 70
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