Product Description
In trying to understand the atom, physicists built quantum mechanics and found, to their embarrassment, that their theory intimately connects consciousness with the physical world. Quantum Enigma explores what that implies and why some founders of the theory became the foremost objectors to it. Authors Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner explain all of this in non-technical terms with help from some fanciful stories and anecdotes about the theory's developers. They present the quantum mystery honestly, with an emphasis on what is and what is not speculation. Quantum Enigma's description of the experimental quantum facts, and the quantum theory explaining them, is undisputed. Interpreting what it all means, however, is controversial. Every interpretation of quantum physics encounters consciousness. Rosenblum and Kuttner therefore turn to exploring consciousness itself--and encounter quantum physics. Free will and anthropic principles become crucial issues, and the connection of consciousness with the cosmos suggested by some leading quantum cosmologists is mind-blowing. Readers are brought to a boundary where the particular expertise of physicists is no longer a sure guide. They will find, instead, the facts and hints provided by quantum mechanics and the ability to speculate for themselves. "A remarkable and readable presentation of the basic mysteries of science, our universe, and human life. Critically important problems in our understanding are interestingly discussed with perception, depth, and careful objectivity." --Charles Townes, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics "Lively and thought-provoking." --The Washington Times "This book is unique. The clearest expositions I have ever seen." --George Greenstein, Professor of Astronomy, Amherst College "An immensely important and exciting book." --Raymond Chester Russ, editor of Journal of Mind and Behavior "Exposes the hidden skeleton in the physicist's closet." --Nick Herbert, author of Quantum Reality

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 49 reviews)

Decent overview, a little weak on consciousness. by T Rosh (West Coast)

4 Stars
November 04, 2009
It was a good presentation. They may have overused the Schrodinger box concept a bit. It is very important but not appropriate in all example explanations. Not enough emphasis was given at the end that some of the consciousness theories are barely hypothesis. Actually, the whole discussion of consciousness was very brief and ineffectual. However, that doesn't take away from the overall value of this book.

If you want a book that will ease your mind and rattle your cage at the same time, this one is well worth the money! by D. Fowler (Vermont)

5 Stars
November 02, 2009
Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Arthur Compton, Erwin Schröedinger and others were essential contributors to the world of quantum mechanics and theory. Quantum mechanics, according to Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner in their new book, QUANTUM ENIGMA: Physic Encounters Consciousness, "is the most accurate theory in all science." The fact that one-third of our economic revenue is based on quantum mechanics would most likely elude the average person on the streets, yet few could deny that they had never heard of lasers, transistors or an MRI. Practical applications aside there are, according to Einstein, some very "spooky" aspects to this theory. Classical physics delineates the physical aspects of our world quite nicely, yet quantum physics elicits the eerie, unexplainable quirks in the realm of our mere existence. The theory appears to tell us that the state of the "reality the physical world depends on our observation of it." It is for this very reason that this book is considered to be controversial; people simply do not talk about such things, let alone write about them. Through the use of fictional physicists such and extraordinary physicists such as Einstein and Schröedinger, the authors take us on a fascinating journey into the as yet unknown world of entanglement and the quantum enigma. The prime example the authors write about is the one about Schröedinger's hypothetical cat, the cat that would feel quite at home in the Twilight Zone. "Schröedinger's cat, according to quantum theory, could be simultaneously dead and alive-until your observation causes it to be either dead or alive. Moreover, finding the cat dead would create a history of its developing rigor mortis: finding it alive would create a history of its developing hunger- backward in time." Confused? Even Richard Feynman never really understood quantum mechanics and Stephen Hawking claims to "reach for my gun" whenever he heard the story of "Schröedinger's cat, so join the club as you just may be in very good company. I've only read a handful of books and articles on the quantum enigma and entanglement, but this book was by far the best. The writing was as clear and concise on this topic as any you will find. It was stimulating, bizarre, challenging, a roller coaster ride and discomfiting all at once. If you want a book that will ease your mind and rattle your cage at the same time, this one is well worth the money.

best book I ever read in my life by mtb (usa)

5 Stars
October 15, 2009
I have been searching for this book for a long time. I am so delighted it exists. The authours state that many physicists think letting the public know this information is like handing a loaded gun to a child. I disagree. I think it is long overdue. Long overdue . Many people are aware of the micro world of physics, invisible protons mysteriously disappearing into multi dimensions... and yet, how can anyone be in such denial about the macroworld we all consider that surrounds us being made of the same stuff with the same behaviour? The very idea that all forms exist only in our perspective? Makes sense to me and I applaud it and welcome it. Thank you thank you for this book. I will now continue to dream that I am existing in a 3 dimensional form.

Excellent read for general understanding

5 Stars
October 14, 2009
with only rudimentary scientific understanding I was able to read this book without a problem. I am pleased to now have a grasp of the theory and appreciate the trouble the authors went to to make this confounding subject digestible for the general public.

Great intro to quantum mechanics by C. McDonald

5 Stars
September 22, 2009
Great book. I have never had any exposure to the theory behind quantum mechanics/quantum theory. If you want a great stepping stone into a great new world, this is the book to get you started. The authors give you a history of physics' most influential minds and the slow development of quantum theory through Planck's earliest experiments. The authors give ample explanations, and real life comparisons to aid your understanding in this very complex, sometimes unbelievable, fact of life. The impact of this book has brought me to a new found passion to read more about the subject of quantum theory. Simply put, this book will open your eyes to a world that you may have thought you undertood well. It will definitely show you that the common way of thinking in terms of physics, is not only flawed, in some cases it's wrong.

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

	God Theory, The: Universes, Zero-Point Fields, and What's Behind It All by Bernard Haisch (Author) On the one hand, we have traditional science, based on the premises of materialism, reductionism, and randomness, with a belief that reality consists solely of matter and energy, that everything can be measured in the laboratory or observed by a telescope. If it can’t, it doesn’t exist. On the other hand, we have traditional religious dogma concerning God that fails to take into account evolution, a 4.6 billion-year-old Earth, and the conflicting claims of the world’s religions. In The...
	Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness Are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe by Robert Lanza (Author), Bob Berman (Author) Every now and then, a simple yet radical idea shakes the very foundations of knowledge. The startling discovery that the world was not flat challenged and ultimately changed the way people perceived themselves and their relationships with the world. For most humans of the 15th century, the notion of Earth as ball of rock was nonsense. The whole of Western natural philosophy is undergoing a sea change again, forced upon us by the experimental findings of quantum theory. At the same time, these...
	Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality by Dean Radin (Author) IS EVERYTHING CONNECTED? Can we sense what's happening to loved ones thousands of miles away? Why are we sometimes certain of a caller's identity the instant the phone rings? Do intuitive hunches contain information about future events? Is it possible to perceive without the use of the ordinary senses? Many people believe that such "psychic phenomena" are rare talents or divine gifts. Others don't believe they exist at all. But the latest scientific research shows that...
	The Quantum World: Quantum Physics for Everyone by Kenneth W. Ford (Author), Diane Goldstein (Contributor) As Kenneth W. Ford shows us in The Quantum World, the laws governing the very small and the very swift defy common sense and stretch our minds to the limit. Drawing on a deep familiarity with the discoveries of the twentieth century, Ford gives an appealing account of quantum physics that will help the serious reader make sense of a science that, for all its successes, remains mysterious. In order to make the book even more suitable for classroom use, the author, assisted by Diane...
	The Physics of Consciousness: The Quantum Mind and the Meaning of Life by Evan Harris Walker (Author) How quantum physics will explain the nature of reality and the human mind. For decades, neuroscientists, psychologists, and an army of brain researchers have been struggling, in vain, to explain the phenomenon of consciousness. Now there is a clear trail to the answer, and it leads through the dense jungle of quantum physics, Zen, and subjective experience, and arrives at an unexpected destination. In this tour-de-force of scientific investigation, Evan Harris Walker shows how the operation of...