Air Particle Measurement

Could a Beam me up, Scottya soon become a reality? The lines between a sciencea and a science fictiona have become increasingly blurred. Now, quantum mechanics promises that some of humanitya s wildest dreams may be realized. Serious scientists, working from Einsteina s theories, have been investigating the phenomenon known as a entanglementa one of the strangest aspects of our strange universe. According to Einstein, quantum mechanics required entanglement, the idea that subatomic particles could become linked and that a change to one such particle would instantly be reflected in its counterpart, even if separated by a universe. Einstein felt that if quantum theory could produce such bizarre effects, then it had to be invalid. But new experiments show not only that it does happen, but that it may lead to unbreakable codes and even teleportation, perhaps in our lifetimes. This is a highly accessible yet technically well researched introduction to the bizarre phenomenon of entanglement and the scientists who have helped to discover it. The book provides an excellent introduction to a complex but exciting branch of science that could have significant implications for our understanding of the world and the way we live. aeo Amir D. Aczel is an internationally known author and speaker who attracts large crowds aeo We have all seen teleportation in science fiction. This book shows how it could become a reality. aeo The first book to explain the theory of entanglement and to make recent developments in quantum mechanics widely available. aeo Gives an insight into the lives and thinking of some of the leading physicists of the past century.

Amazon Sales Rank: #2597793 in Books Published on: 2002-11-07 Original language: English Dimensions: 8.50" h x .94" w x 5.75" l, 1.13 pounds Binding: Hardcover 302 pages

From Publishers Weekly In his newest book, Aczel (Fermat's Last Theorem) discusses a great mystery in physics: the concept of entanglement in quantum physics. He begins by explaining that "entanglement" occurs when two subatomic particles are somehow connected or "entangled" with one another, so that when something happens to one particle, the same thing simultaneously happens to the other particle, even if it's miles away. However, this concept violates the theory of special relativity, since communication between two places cannot occur faster than the speed of light. Einstein knew that the mathematics of quantum theory predicted that this could happen, but he didn't believe it. In the last decade, researchers have shown in laboratory experiments that entanglement does indeed happen, and in one case it occurred over a distance of almost 10 miles. Aczel explores how a Star Trek-like teleportation may be possible via entanglement (however, a particle's quantum state, not the entire particle, is teleported to its mate), though perhaps at the expense of demonstrating entanglement's more real-world applications to cryptography. General readers may need to skim over his technical explanations, whereas more advanced readers will be interested in only the last third of the book. While the book won't satisfy dedicated science buffs, it will be an accessible entry into this concept of quantum physics.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal "Entanglement" is one of the more remarkable aspects of quantum mechanics, a field that has produced a number of counterintuitive phenomena. Entangled particles are created in the same process and retain a connection even if they become far separated physically. If a change is later imposed on one of these particles, then there instantaneously occurs a change with its entangled partner, even if that partner is very far away in another part of the universe. Thus, the news of the change is transmitted with infinite velocity by an unknown means. Einstein aptly referred to this phenomenon as "spooky." In recent decades, researchers have shown entanglement to be a physical fact, thereby vindicating quantum mechanics, spooky though it may be. Aczel (Fermat's Last Theorem) tells most of this story at a pace that is slow enough and understandable for lay readers, but the last few chapters are more technical. Some sections read awkwardly and would have benefited from better editing, but on the whole this is recommended for college and large public libraries.Jack W. Weigel, Ann Arbor, MI Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review "!I am altogether happy that there is now a book on entanglement, almost 70 years after its discovery, and recommend it to people interested in the historical background and practical implications of quantum mechanics!" (Nature, 21 November 2002) "!a book that's perhaps the best lay description of the evolution and current state of quantum physics available today!" (Focus, February 2003) "!Amir D. Aczela s short biographies of these quantum pioneers are lively and entertaining..." (The Times Literary Supplement, 11 September 2003)

Most helpful customer reviews 41 of 43 people found the following review helpful. Biography, not science By A Customer If you buy this book hoping to get some insight into how entangled particles can be actually be created, what you can do with them and the truly bizarre and counterintuitive behavior that they exhibit, then this is NOT the book for you. On the other hand, if you're after a well-researched biography of the pioneers (and current players) in quantum physics, with personal backgrounds and amusing anecdotes, and running light on actual science, then Mr. Aczel has created a generally well-written account that you may enjoy. This book would probably be appreciated more by someone with an interest in physics but from perhaps a more "social" point of view. My problems with "Entanglement" stemmed mostly from Mr. Aczel's glossing over the actual science and experiments, and focusing on the experimenters, which left me feeling frustrated. When there are technical figures, they aren't well-described and sometimes it seems as though he's talking about things that aren't even in the figures, which I found confusing. But mostly he doesn't really manage to convey the sense of impossibility that begins to emerge in the lab as the physicists begin to design and perform experiments that Einstein thought could never be done. I've followed the work in entangled particles in the lay press (mostly Scientific American) and was hoping for something of about that level, but with the cohesiveness and richness that a book's-length format can provide. I was disappointed. 40 of 44 people found the following review helpful. At the Edge of Physics and Philosophy By Theodore R. Spickler This is a story about the search for a deeper understanding of what Quantum Mechanics really means. The book is tantalizing but a bit frustrating because we don't known what quantum theory actually means. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to get to know a little about the key players in this search, it adds a human touch and offers a feel for what it must be like to be at the frontiers of quantum theory research. Aczel skims the surface of the material because he must avoid plunging into the mathematics needed to fully appreciate the details. I suggest the reader have some previous experience reading and thinking about quantum theory ("The Cosmic Code" by H. Pagels is particularly recommended). Aczel spends the first half of his book with introductory material however in places this effort might need more elaboration for someone trying to enter this bizarre topic for the first time. This book is probably one of the very few places where a reader of popularizations in physics can explore the latest ramifications of quantum entanglement. Aczel spent considerable time interviewing the key physicists and probably got the science right. We recognize his total involvement with the content and appreciate the care with which the ideas are presented. I rated this book 5 stars because it was so thrilling and left me with a wish that I could be there with the investigators. This is an ongoing story and I didn't want it to end! It will certainly bend your brain and leave you wondering about what reality actually is! The bibliography is useful for anyone wishing to dig into the territory deeper. 15 of 15 people found the following review helpful. The Quantum Reality Einstein Could Not Suppose By Tatsuo Tabata In 1935 Einstein, Rosen and Podolsky raised a serious criticism of quantum theory in the form of a paradox. The criticism meant that quantum theory brings about a "spooky action at distance" or "entanglement" between quantum subsystems. Two photons generated at a point with a correlation, for example, continue to have the correlation even after they are separated by a great distance, and a change in the state of one of them affects the other instantaneously. In 1964 John Bell proposed a mathematical theorem experimentally to test the existence of