Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You

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Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You Page 20

by Marcus Chown


  as electromagnetic wave, 1, 2

  interference, 1

  mass of, 1

  as particle phenomenon, 1

  photoelectric effect, 1

  as wave phenomenon, 1

  See also Speed of light

  Liquids, behaviour of, 1

  Lithium, 1, 2, 3

  Location of particle, uncertainty principle, 1

  M

  Many Worlds idea, 1

  Marsden, Ernest, 1, 2

  Mass

  in empty space, 1

  as form of energy, 1, 2

  gravity and, 1, 2

  of protons, 1

  speed and, 1

  transformation into energy, 1

  See also Matter

  Mass spectrograph, 1

  Matter

  antimatter and, 1

  atomic structure, 1, 2, 3

  creation in empty space, 1, 2

  critical mass, 1, 2

  dark matter, 1, 2

  distribution in universe, 1

  light and, 1

  properties of, determinants of, 1

  in space-time distortion, 1

  teleportation, 1

  See also Mass

  Maxwell, James Clerk, 1

  Maxwell’s wave, 1

  Mercury, 1

  Metals

  electric current in, 1

  superconductors, 1

  Microwave radiation. See Cosmic background radiation

  Minkowski, Hermann, 1

  Momentum, 1, 2

  Multiple universes, 1, 2

  Multiverse. See Multiple universes

  Muons, 1

  N

  Neutrinos, 1

  Neutron star, 1, 2, 3, 4

  Neutrons, 1

  Newtonian physics, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

  Night sky, 1, 2

  Nobel Prize, 1, 2, 3

  Nonlocality, 1, 2

  Novikov, Igor, 1

  Nuclear force, 1

  Nuclear fusion, 1, 2

  Nucleus, atomic

  alpha particle escape from, 1, 2

  collision of nuclei, 1

  electron (s) and, 1, 2, 3

  nuclear force in, 1

  structure and properties, 1, 2, 3

  O

  Observation

  of atomic behaviour and properties, 1, 2, 3

  effect of gravity of time and, 1

  electron ejection event, 1

  instantaneous influence and, 1

  principle of relativity, 1, 2, 3

  probability wave flipping, 1

  of quantum behaviour, 1, 2

  of speed of light, 1

  of superposition, 1, 2, 3

  superposition of atoms, 1

  uncertainty principle of, 1

  visibility of stars, 1

  Olbers, Heinrich, 1

  Olbers’ paradox, 1

  Orbitals, electron, 1, 2, 3, 4

  properties of atoms and, 1

  Orbits, planetary, 1

  P

  Page, Leigh, 1

  Parallel realities, 1, 2

  Particle physics

  creation of mass-energy, 1

  entanglement, 1

  light, 1, 2

  momentum, 1

  probability waveflipping, 1

  quantum theory, 1

  spin, 1

  uncertainty principle, 1

  Pauli, Wolfgang, 1

  Pauli exclusion principle, 1

  Penzias, Arno, 1

  Perlmutter, Saul, 1

  Perrin, Jean Baptiste, 1

  Photoelectric effect, 1, 2

  Photons

  cosmic background radiation, 1

  creation of, 1, 2

  discovery, 1

  dual wave-particle nature, 1

  effective mass, 1, 2

  indistinguishability, 1

  predictability of behaviour of, 1

  superposition, 1, 2, 3

  See also Bosons

  Planetary orbits, 1

  Pollen grains, 1

  Predictability of phenomenon, 1

  Pressure, 1

  Probability

  boson behaviour, 1

  in quantum theory, 1

  Probability wave, 1, 2, 3

  of bosons, 1

  decoherence, 1

  flipping of, 1

  Protons

  atomic structure, 1n

  mass, 1

  nuclear fusion, 1

  tunnelling, 1

  Prout, William, 1

  Pulsars, 1

  Q

  Quanta, 1

  Quantum bits, 1

  Quantum computers

  application, 1

  conceptual basis, 1

  current status, 1, 2

  design challenges, 1, 2

  operation in multiple universes, 1

  power of, 1, 2, 3

  qubits, 1

  role of interference in, 1, 2

  Quantum fluctuations, 1

  Quantum numbers, 1, 2

  Quantum theory

  atomic theory and, 1

  behaviour of large objects in, 1

  chemical properties and, 1

  of entanglement, 1

  existence of multiple universes in, 1

  Feynman on, 1

  future prospects, 1

  general theory of relativity and, 1

  of gravity, 1

  of particle spin, 1

  probability in, 1

  purpose, 1

  quanta in, 1

  significance of, 1

  of spooky action at distance, 1

  uncertainty principle in, 1

  wave-particle duality in, 1

  Quantum vacuum, 1

  Quasars, 1

  Qubits. See Quantum bits

  R

  Radio waves, 1

  Radioactivity, 1

  Radium, 1

  Red dwarf star, 1

  Reflectivity, 1, 2, 3

  Relativistic aberration/beaming, 88n

  Relativity

  principle of, 1

  See also General theory of relativity;

  Special theory of relativity

  Riefenstahl, Charlotte, 1

  Rohrer, Heinrich, 1

  Rutherford, Ernest, 1, 2, 3

  S

  Scanning tunnelling microscope, 1

  Schmidt, Brian, 1

  Schrödinger, Erwin, 1

  Schrödinger equation, 1, 2

  Scott, Dave, 1

  Shell, atomic, 1

  Simultaneity, 1

  Singularity, 1, 2

  Size of atoms, 1, 2, 3, 4

  Soddy, Frederick, 1

  Sodium, 1

  Space

  curvature of, 1

  emptiness of, 1, 2, 3, 4

  general theory of relativity, 1

  relationship to time, 1

  special theory of relativity, 1, 2

  Special theory of relativity, 1, 2

  energy and mass relationship in, 1

  gravity in, 1

  implications for physics, 1

  principles of, 1, 2

  real-world implications, 1

  shortcomings, 1

  simultaneity, 1

  Speed

  of alpha particles, 1

  of gravity, 1

  instantaneous influence, 1

  of light. See Speed of light

  mass and, 1

  of muons, 1

  of radio waves, 1

  theory of relativity, 1

  See also Acceleration; Velocity of particle

  Speed of light

  as maximum limit of speed, 1, 2, 3

  particle speed in excess of, 1

  principle of relativity, 1

  special theory of relativity, 1, 2

  speed of light source and, 1

  spooky action at a distance and, 1, 2, 3

  Speliotopoulos, Achilles, 1

  Spin, particle

  in Cooper pairs, 1

  electron distinguishability, 1<
br />
  integer/half-integer, 1

  probability waveflipping and, 1

  properties of particles, 1

  spooky action at a distance and, 1

  Spooky action at distance, 1

  Stars. See Sun/stars

  Stoppard, Tom, 1

  Strong nuclear force, 1, 2

  Sun/stars

  darkness of night sky, 1

  energy of, 1

  life cycle, 1, 2

  light from, 1

  neutron stars, 1, 2, 3, 4

  physics of, 1

  red dwarfs, 1

  supernovas, 1, 2

  warping of space-time by, 1

  weight of, 1

  white dwarfs, 1, 2, 3

  Suntzeff, Nick, 1

  Superconductors, 1

  Superfluids, 1

  Supernova, 1, 2

  Superposition

  conceptual basis, 1

  decoherence, 1

  definition, 1

  interference in, 1, 2

  observability, 1, 2, 3, 4

  in quantum computing, 1, 2

  Superstring theory, 1

  T

  Tachyons, 1

  Teleportation, 1

  Television static, 1

  Temperature

  Big Bang, 1

  cosmic background radiation, 1, 2

  electric current in metal, 1, 2

  weight and, 1, 2

  Thomson, J. J., 1, 2

  Time

  in black holes, 1

  concept of past and future, 1

  four dimensional space-time, 1

  general theory of relativity, 1

  gravity effects, 1

  relationship to space, 1

  special theory of relativity, 1, 2

  synchronisation, 1

  travel in, 1, 2n

  Tunnelling, 1

  current, 1n

  in nuclear fusion, 1

  Twin paradox, 1n

  U

  Uncertainty principle, 1

  atomic structure and, 1, 2

  conceptual basis, 1

  empty space and, 1

  entanglement and, 1

  Pauli exclusion principle and, 1

  physics of stars and, 1

  tunnelling and, 1

  Uranium, 1n, 2

  V

  Velocity of particle

  exceeding speed of light, 1

  uncertainty principle, 1

  Vibration

  electron behaviour and properties, 1, 2

  superstring theory, 1

  Viscosity, 1

  Volume of matter, 1, 2, 3

  W

  Wave equation, 1

  Wave phenomenon

  ability to penetrate matter, 1

  electron properties, 1

  gravity waves, 1, 2

  interference in, 1

  light as, 1, 2, 3

  Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory, 1

  in quantum theory, 1

  in quantum tunnelling, 1

  superposition, 1, 2, 3

  vibration, 1

  Wavelength of light, 1

  Weight

  of atoms, 1, 2

  of energy, 1, 2

  motion and, 1

  temperature and, 1, 2

  Weizmann, Chaim, 1

  Wheeler, John, 1n, 2, 3n, 4

  White dwarf stars, 1, 2, 3, 4

  Wilson, Robert, 1

  Wormholes, 1

  Wright, Steven, 1

  X

  X-rays, 1

  Y

  Young, Thomas, 1, 2

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  My thanks to the following people who either helped me directly, inspired me, or simply encouraged me during the writing of this book: My dad, Karen, Sara Menguc, Jeffrey Robbins, Neil Belton, Henry Volans, Rachel Marcus, Moses Cardona, Brian Clegg, Professor Tony Hey, Kate Oldfield, Vivien James, Brian May, Dr. Bruce Bassett, Dr. Larry Schulman, Dr. Wojciech Zurek, Sir Martin Rees, Allison Chown, Colin Wellman, Rosie and Tim Chown, Patrick O’Halloran, Julie and Dave Mayes, Stephen Hedges, Sue O’Malley, Sarah Topalian, Dr. David Deutsch, Alexandra Feacham, Nick Mayhew-Smith, Elisabeth Geake, Al Jones, David Hough, Fred Barnum, Pam Young, Roy Perry, Hazel Muir, Stuart and Nikki Clark, Simon Ings, Barry Fox, Spencer Bright, Karen Gunnell, Jo Gunnell, Pat and Brian Chilver, Stella Barlow, Silvano Mazzon, Barbara Pell and David, Julia Bateson, Anne Ursell, Barbara Kiser, Dottie Friedli, Jon Holland, Martin Dollard, Sylvia and Sarah Kefyalew, Matilda and Dennis and Amanda and Andrew Buckley, Diane and Peter and Ciaran and Lucy Tomlin, Eric Gourlay, Paul Brandford. It goes without saying, I hope, that none of these people are responsible for any errors.

  Author biography

  Marcus Chown is an award-winning writer and broadcaster. Formerly a radio astronomer at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, he is currently cosmology consultant of the weekly science magazine New Scientist.

  His previous book, The Never-Ending Days of Being Dead, was called ‘a limousine among popular science vehicles’ by the Guardian, ‘a masterpiece’ by Astronomy Now, and described as ‘like being at a party … with an almost perfect DJ’ in the Independent. It is also available as an ebook. Marcus Chown has also written a work for children, Felicity Frobisher and the Three-Headed Aldebaran Dust Devil.

  by the same author

  Afterglow of Creation

  The Magic Furnace

  The Universe Next Door

  The Never-Ending Days of Being Dead

  Copyright

  First published in the United Kingdom in 2007

  by Faber and Faber Limited

  3 Queen Square London WC1N 3AU

  This ebook edition first published in 2008

  All rights reserved

  © Marcus Chown, 2007

  The right of Marcus Chown to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  ISBN 978—0—571—24601—4 [epub edition]

 

 

 


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