Einstein's Unfinished Revolution

The Search for What Lies Beyond the Quantum

By: Lee Smolin

Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan

Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

A daring new vision of quantum theory from one of the leading minds of contemporary physics.

Quantum physics is the golden child of modern science. It is the basis of our understanding of atoms, radiation, and so much else, from elementary particles and basic forces to the behavior of materials. But for a century, it has also been the problem child of science: It has been plagued by intense disagreements between its inventors, strange paradoxes, and implications that seem like the stuff of fantasy. Whether it's Schrödinger's cat - a creature that is simultaneously dead and alive - or a belief that the world does not exist independently of our observations of it, quantum theory challenges our fundamental assumptions about reality.

In Einstein's Unfinished Revolution, theoretical physicist Lee Smolin provocatively argues that the problems that have bedeviled quantum physics since its inception are unsolved and unsolvable, for the simple reason that the theory is incomplete. There is more to quantum physics, waiting to be discovered. Our task - if we are to have simple answers to our simple questions about the universe we live in - must be to go beyond quantum mechanics to a description of the world on an atomic scale that makes sense.

In this vibrant and accessible audiobook, Smolin takes us on a journey through the basics of quantum physics, introducing the stories of the experiments and figures that have transformed our understanding of the universe, before wrestling with the puzzles and conundrums that the quantum world presents. Along the way, he illuminates the existing theories that might solve these problems, guiding us toward a vision of the quantum that embraces common-sense realism.

If we are to have any hope of completing the revolution that Einstein began nearly a century ago, we must go beyond quantum mechanics to find a theory that will give us a complete description of nature. In Einstein's Unfinished Revolution, Lee Smolin brings us a step closer to resolving one of the greatest scientific controversies of our age.

©2019 Lee Smolin (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Smolin is an extremely creative thinker who has been a leader in theoretical physics for many years. He is also a gifted writer who manages to translate his own insights about how science works into engaging language and compelling stories...Smolin's description of how quantum mechanics works is both elegant and accessible.” (NPR)

"[A]mbitious...upbeat and, finally, optimistic...Smolin is a lucid expositor.” (Nature)

“Lee Smolin has written a superb and sweeping book. He takes us to Bohr, Bohm, Everett and far beyond in a masterful assessment, then on to the struggle to go beyond quantum mechanics towards quantum gravity. Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution is truly a fine work.” (Stuart Kauffman, author of At Home in the Universe)

Great explanation of were we are and what need to be done to expand our knowledge!

The only thing that I disliked is the fact that I will now have to go and read a lot more information because it has inspired me to seek it out!

Finally proved worthwhile

I had a few false starts listening to this audible, but I finally got through the entire thing. It takes 2-3 times as long as it should for Smolin to get to the point, if he ever gets there. And the narrator's voice was a constant shrilling screech as if someone had been scraping their fingernails along a chalkboard for 10 hrs straight. I didn't give the narrator lower marks because maybe I'm the only one who is bothered by her voice, and her horrible British accent.

But it was worth finishing, in the end, due to the overall depth, though subtle, in the development of the foundational physical concepts regarding time and space. I particularly enjoyed the parts about Causal Set Theory, which is also given probably an entire chapter in another great physics audible called "Spooky Action at a Distance", one of my favorites! (See the part about quantum graphity.)

Amazing

Fantastic book, fantastic author, fantastic narration. Smolin humanizes the problem of the unresolved tension between quantum mechanics and general relativity and proposes a genuinely new and fascinating solution. Is it correct? Maybe not. But even if you don't buy the ideas, the clarity and honesty of the endeavor is exactly what is needed.

Great

Complete. Brilliant. Profound. Mesmerizing. Inspiring. Motivating. A theses about a piece of science that insist on remaining unsolved.

Always Interesting

Lee Smolin always captures your imagination with his descriptions of the foundations of nature. A fine production of his book by KL McEwan. I find his way of explaining the complex concepts to be understandable, if surprising.

Suffered through it

The book’s content is great and something that I’m really interested in. But the narration is horrible and I had to force myself not to just give up and quit listening. It’s hard to know if this book is read by an actual person that has a delivery of a robot, or by a text-to-speech computer program. It almost sounds like she is reading and saying each word one be one with no regard to the flow of the sentence, with awkward pauses between words. Just simply bad. Probably the worst narration I’ve ever listen to. It’s a shame, because this book is actually really good. I will probably buy the book read it again.

Great for learning Realist QM, except multiverse

Great read if you're looking for a conceptual explanation of the various Realist interpretations of quantum physics. My only complaint is that I don't think he gave multiverse interpretations a fair shake.

Enlightening look at Quantum Physics

I enjoyed the way the author discussed and laid out the current understanding and foundations of quantum physics and introduced alternative i concepts and ideas. It makes you question if we do have a correct theory and if not, what might one look like. I do appreciate the realistic approach to physics, as to me that is how the universe should and does work.

Lee Smolin’s unique brand of deep musings

If you enjoy reading different approaches to trying to understand the “measurement problem” and other quantum weirdness, Lee Smolin is your iconoclastic “realist” guide. I hafta admit I didn’t quite follow all of this, particularly Lebniz’ “monads” but it’s well worth a listen because he is so open to various branches (e.g., Everett-ian many worlds) that he argues their case well enough to provide a primer, while also disagreeing with them. Then the last couple chapters summarize his view which seems more like a lighthouse than a road map. Fascinating read.

PS I am TOUGH on narrators and this one is very good.

interesting ideas

book starts off with a pretty big review of a lot of ideas and philosophical concepts. it's only the end where the author really serves describing their ideas about reality and somewhat interesting original ideas. ultimately though I'm not sure he new model that they come up with is all that different from the alternative.