Something Deeply Hidden

Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime

De: Sean Carroll

Narrado por: Sean Carroll

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

As you read 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 book, 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.

Missing figures

There are many figures in the hardcopy book, drawings and graphs and images, that help a reader understand the content. However, these are not available in as PDFs accompanying the audiobook. I wound up checking the hardcopy out from my local library and plan on reading key chapters.

Sean is a great communicator.

I appreciate his ability to explain things down to my limited level of understanding.

Author-read books are great!

To be perfectly suited for me, this content needed to be dumbed down a little bit. But there are vast sections that are understandable and thought-provoking. I certainly can’t begrudge someone who needs a little bit more of the scientific meat in their diet. In the case of this author who has a clear and good speaking voice, this audible selection is improved upon by having him read this. Proper intonation and phrasing that can only be done by the author are things I have missed gravely in other selections. This one is worth it.

excellent next level explanation of physics

best non-expert/non-math description I've read of quantum field theory and quantum gravity and how they (may) relate to each other and more traditional explantations of quantum particle physics and relativity. intuitive and clear without oversimplifying or resorting to furmulae. great.

Great attempt to explain a very difficult subject

The story told was extremely interesting although quite difficult to follow sometimes. However, this is something that we should know

A smoothly evolving wave function

A room full of pianos. What an excellent way to describe a particle propagating through space.
Everett and Bohm in Other Ways. I had a lot of eureka moments in this book. What an excellent teacher. I also listened to his audio version.

Me and the other parallel me(s)

Loved the popularization of parallel / alternative realities.
Thanks to the author for excellent contents and good audio.
I still wonder if future quantum-field cellphones will allow me to call the other me(s) from parallel universes.

A phenomenal journey into a deeply complex reality

This book does more than shedding light on the spookiness or absurdity of the measurement problem in quantum mechanics, it should lay it to rest as a big blunder. “Shut up and calculate” discourages scientific inquiry especially when it is enforced by renowned scientific institutions. Whether Everettian quantum mechanics is the final answer or not, it does away with the measurement problem for sure. As Sean Carroll shows, gravity puts limits on the wave function and “many worlds” due to its finite number of degrees of freedom. Thus, the number of branches is limited, ensuring not “everything, everywhere all at once.”

Making the case that space is not fundamental but emerges out of the wave function is a scientific course to deepen. I am avidly waiting to learn more about this.

After listening to Carroll, I have more appreciation for his work attempting to derive gravity from quantum field theory.

This book has been an education for me an eye opener. I highly recommend it to any mind curious and passionate about a reality “deeply hidden.”

Incredible

This was the most provocative, wonderful, creative, intense and beautiful telling of quantum field theory… just absolutely incredible. I will listen again.

An honest and humble look at fundamental physics

Couldn't stop listening when I started. The most honest description of physics I've heard In a while. Also really nice to atlast get a physics book on something new and not just rehashing the same old stories