The Quantum Story

A History in 40 Moments

By: Jim Baggott

Narrated by: Mike Pollock

Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Utterly beautiful. Profoundly disconcerting. Quantum theory is quite simply the most successful account of the physical universe ever devised. Its concepts underpin much of the 21st-century technology that we now take for granted. But at the same time it has completely undermined our ability to make sense of the world at its most fundamental level. Niels Bohr claimed that anybody who is not shocked by the theory has not understood it. The American physicist Richard Feynman went further: he claimed that nobody understands it.

The Quantum Story begins in 1900, tracing a century of game-changing science. Popular science writer Jim Baggott first shows how, over the space of three decades, Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, and others formulated and refined the theory--and opened the floodgates. Indeed, since then, a torrent of ideas has flowed from the world's leading physicists, as they explore and apply the theory's bizarre implications. To take us from the story's beginning to the present day, Baggott organizes his narrative around 40 turning-point moments of discovery. Many of these are inextricably bound up with the characters involved--their rivalries and their collaborations, their arguments and, not least, their excitement as they sense that they are redefining what reality means. Through the mix of story and science, we experience their breathtaking leaps of theory and experiment, as they uncover such undreamed of and mind-boggling phenomenon as black holes, multiple universes, quantum entanglement, the Higgs boson, and much more.

Brisk, clear, and compelling, The Quantum Story is science writing at its best. A compelling look at the 100-year history of quantum theory, it illuminates the idea as it reveals how generations of physicists have grappled with this monster ever since.

©2011 Jim Baggott (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Good Audiobook!

This is a great overview of quantum theory and a nice introduction!

Well, I was very interested in it earlier. However, this book really illuminated the subject nicely and so I would say it might have made me even more interested.

QUANTUM

The language of Quantum Theory is as fluid and changeable as gas in an infinite vacuum. Humankind sees the world one way and explains with language they know. Quantum Theory is unseen and humankind struggles to explain with language still in process of creation.

“The Quantum Story” is a roller coaster ride for the uninformed; i.e. one is thrilled by the experience but exhausted by the ride.

A Great Course PDF needed to complement story

I would recommend this audio book to anyone who wants to get an A for Coursework. I'm hoping to receive a link with the PDF as a necessary complement. Thanks so much!

Everything you ever wanted to know....

The chronological development of Quantum Theory is explained "beautifully" and in great detail. This book pulled together many desparate elements that I had previously encountered into one very cohesive and compelling depiction of the development of "the Quantum".

it is 40 some moments, not 40 minutes 🤔

I love the book so far. The cover art says 40 moments. It’s really 40 some chapters (moments). The speaker says 40 minutes, or at least that’s what I heard him say.

Not of everyone but if you have an enquiring mind

it is a great listen that can be used to demolish many kilometres of bicycle riding.

The best quantum mechanics book for non physicists

I have tried to understand quantum physics by listening to audible and in YouTube in my spare time for 2 years. I have finished at least 5 audiobooks but each book only give me a fraction of the concept and history of quantum mechanics. Thanks Jim, this is the best introductory book for me. A detailed layout of the history intermingle with some maths. That is exactly i am looking for. Highly recommend for anyone interested in this subject. Although you may need to have some basic knowledge to understand the idea presented by jim . Thanks you so much jim,

who's the target reader?

This book is so complex, mathematically speaking, that no one other than a graduate level physicist is likely to understand it. This is made even more difficult in the audio format. However, the author still feels he has to explain how large a micron is and how many zeros come after the 10 in scientific notation! If you can understand this book, you don't need to listen to this book. If you want quantum theory dumbed down enough for a non-physicist to understand, there are much better books out there to listen to.

Not for the Casual Reader

This novel is primarily about the personalities behind quantum theory rather than the science itself. When the author does tackle the subject he quickly becomes arcane and obscure. He does not possess the ability Stephen Hawking has for explaining a complex subject in a manner easily understood for the lay reader. That being said the narrator is excellent and possesses both a clear voice and a sense of captivation in the subject he is reading. This in itself makes the book work the trouble for me. But I would not recommend anyone waste their credit or money unless they are steeped in the arcane knowledge of the quantum world.

Too complex for the most readers

I've heard several audio books on different subjects, but this is definitely one that does not lend itself to the audio format. In addition, the subject matter is way too complex for a non-physicist (I'm an engineer and the material went over my head).