Einstein’s Dice and Schrödinger’s Cat Audiobook By Paul Halpern cover art

Einstein’s Dice and Schrödinger’s Cat

How Two Great Minds Battled Quantum Randomness to Create a Unified Theory of Physics

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Einstein’s Dice and Schrödinger’s Cat

By: Paul Halpern
Narrated by: Sean Runnette
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About this listen

Albert Einstein and Erwin Schrödinger were friends and comrades-in-arms against what they considered the most preposterous aspects of quantum physics: its indeterminacy. Einstein famously quipped that God does not play dice with the universe, and Schrödinger is equally well known for his thought experiment about the cat in the box who ends up "spread out" in a probabilistic state, neither wholly alive nor wholly dead. Both of these famous images arose from these two men's dissatisfaction with quantum weirdness and with their assertion that underneath it all, there must be some essentially deterministic world. Even though it was Einstein's own theories that made quantum mechanics possible, both he and Schrödinger could not bear the idea that the universe was, at its most fundamental level, random.

As the Second World War raged, both men struggled to produce a theory that would describe in full the universe's ultimate design, first as collaborators, then as competitors. They both ultimately failed in their search for a grand unified theory - not only because quantum mechanics is true but because Einstein and Schrödinger were also missing a key component: of the four forces we recognize today (gravity, electromagnetism, the weak force, and the strong force), only gravity and electromagnetism were known at the time.

Despite their failures, much of modern physics remains focused on the search for a grand unified theory. As Halpern explains, the recent discovery of the Higgs boson makes the standard model - the closest thing we have to a unified theory - nearly complete. And while Einstein and Schrödinger tried and failed to explain everything in the cosmos through pure geometry, the development of string theory has, in its own quantum way, brought this idea back into vogue. As in so many things, even when he was wrong, Einstein couldn't help but be right.

©2015 Paul Halpern (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
History History & Philosophy Philosophy Physics Science String Theory Quantum Physics
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Engaging Personal Stories • Fascinating Historical Account • Compelling Biographical Details • Captivating Storytelling Style
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It was a good listen but you need to have at least a basic understanding of physics to get what is being explained. I learned a lot about both Einstein and Schrodinger and tried to follow the science but it was mostly beyond my reach. I would probably listen again and I might follow it better.

Great for a scientist

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Excellent mix of personalities and science. I was engaged for the entire book. I highly recommend it for the science enthusiast.

For the well read physics enthusiast

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This was probably the 2nd best book on physics I've listened to. Quantum by Manjit Kumar is still the best. Overall engaging story. Some complicated physics but more about the men, their ideas, and their mistakes.

Very good physics book.

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loved it I like the play on different characters showing them as being human and having emotions in friendships and arguments over politics and the media

Time and Place.

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This is a great history of Einstein and his contemporaries. I learned a lot about them.

History of Einstein

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A basic understanding of theoretical physics is helpful in enjoying this book. The history of physics and it's inherent excitement can be found here.

Einestine's Dice : Shrodinger's Cat

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Stuff you would have never guessed about these almost mythical figures is talked about in this book and brings them crashing back down to human being status. They were just like us, flaws and all, so perhaps there is greatness in us all.

Who would have known...

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Good tea about the grandfathers of physics. It was a very nice listen. Oh that Schrodinger was such a kiss butt.

Good listen

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Quite technical but can follow the ideas as long as not essay tested. We’ll worthwhile bilogy for science and human stories.

Great for interested layperson

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Nice overview to the fact that not all knowledge comes by itself and history and time are not negotiable.

Good

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