What Is Real?

The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics

De: Adam Becker

Narrado por: Greg Tremblay

"A thorough, illuminating exploration of the most consequential controversy raging in modern science." --New York Times Book Review

An Editor's Choice, New York Times Book Review
Longlisted for PEN/E.O. Wilson Prize for Literary Science Writing
Longlisted for Goodreads Choice Award Every physicist agrees quantum mechanics is among humanity's finest scientific achievements. But ask what it means, and the result will be a brawl. For a century, most physicists have followed Niels Bohr's solipsistic and poorly reasoned Copenhagen interpretation. Indeed, questioning it has long meant professional ruin, yet some daring physicists, such as John Bell, David Bohm, and Hugh Everett, persisted in seeking the true meaning of quantum mechanics. What Is Real? is the gripping story of this battle of ideas and the courageous scientists who dared to stand up for truth. "An excellent, accessible account." --Wall Street Journal "Splendid. . . . Deeply detailed research, accompanied by charming anecdotes about the scientists." --Washington Post

Reseñas de la Crítica

"In What Is Real? Adam Becker tells a fascinating if complex story of quantum dissidents...An excellent, accessible account."—Wall Street Journal

"A thorough, illuminating exploration of the most consequential controversy raging in modern science...[Becker] leads us through an impressive account of the rise of competing interpretations, grounding them in the human stories, which are naturally messy and full of contingencies. He makes a convincing case that it's wrong to imagine the Copenhagen interpretation as a single official or even coherent statement."—New York Times Book Review

"Becker's book is one of the first attempts we have at telling this story in a way that acknowledges how it actually turned out--acknowledges, that is, who won these debates about the Copenhagen interpretation, who lost them, who pretended otherwise, and how they got away with it.... He has clearly done extensive and meticulous historical research."—David Z. Albert, NewYork Review of Books

"Splendid.... With deeply detailed research, accompanied by charming anecdotes about the scientists...[Becker] hopes to convince us that the Cophenhagen interpretation has had too great an influence on physics for historically contingent reasons."—Washington Post

"Becker...make[s] a case for the importance of philosophy. That's a key call, with influential scientists such as Neil deGrasse Tyson dismissing the discipline as a waste of time. What Is Real? is an argument for keeping an open mind."—Nature

"A riveting storyteller, Becker brings to life physicists who have too long remained in the shadow of Bohr and Einstein.... What Is Real? offers an engaging and accessible overview of the debates surrounding the interpretation of quantum mechanics."—Science

"Impressive...[Becker's] strength is the excavation of stories that show how deeply quantum physics was in thrall to the personalities of its developers. The cast is colourful and expansive, and provides engaging drama...The subtext running through this hugely enjoyable book is that, if we still have a long way to go before we understand reality, we may only have our own prejudices to blame."—New Scientist

"A joy to read...For anyone who has been intrigued by other popular accounts of the quantum world but came away feeling somewhat cheated by the Copenhagen sleight-of-hand."—Physics World

"Remarkable...What Is Real? is a superb contribution both to popular understanding of quantum theory and to ongoing debates among experts...It deserves wide attention and careful study."—Physics Today

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I actually feel dumber

The author clearly has an agenda, although what that is remains unclear until the end.
Regardless, his conclusions and analysis throughout are self-contradictory and fail to take current research into account.

Does not Deliver

This book is not really about what is real. It largely has two points. First, that followers of the Copenhagen interpretation blocked the careers of those investigating other interpretations. Second, that modern physicists are not trained in philosophy which limits their perspectives.

The author makes the point (when discussing the untestable multi-universes theory) that no theory is really falsifiable. That is true, but misses the point. Such theories are not subject to Bayesian refinement necessary for advancement of science. The author suggests that Ptolemy’s (Earth centric) model gave the same results as Copernicus’s (Sun centric) model, and the difference was just in perspective. Of course, Ptolemy’s model was falsifiable and subject to Bayesian refinement (stars make tiny ellipses each year).

I do agree with the author’s final summary, (which John Bell made clear), that modern physicists should understand many of the possible frameworks for QM (particularly Bohmian mechanics). For me it seems believing in a Multi-Universe theory is similar believing in a religion. It is good to understand, but it is not scientific.

The best part of the book is the appendix with four interpretations of a delayed choice QM experiment.

The narration is clear and well produced.