Experimental Blog # 101

Comments on "For the Love of Physics - From the End of the Rainbow to the Edge of Time - A Journey Through the Wonders of Physics" by Walter Lewin with Warren Goldstein and "The Quantum Story" - A History in 40 Moments by Jim Baggott

The first book, by Walter Lewin, is a popular and extremely informative survey of the entire science of physics; as the subtitle describes it to be. It is also autobiographical, and it includes several pages of the history of the author's childhood in Nazi occupied Holland. Walter Lewin had Jewish grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins on his father's side of the family.

The second book, a history of quantum theory{not capitalized}, begins in 1900 with the German physicist Max Planck. From the theoretical point of view the first 3 decades of the 20th century seem to have been the most productive and revolutionary. World War II and the developement of the atom bomb interrupted the study and developement of quantum theory somewhat, but eventually came 2 or more decades of discoveries of many sub-atomic particles.

Jim Baggott says there are now 61, not all yet observed, sub-atomic particles of matter or energy, counting the particles of anti-matter.

The extraordinary accuracy of prediction and measurement based on quantum theory cause it sometimes to be called "the most successful theory in the history of science" or similar statements, in spite of being so bizarre and controversial in some ways.