How to Teach Physics to Your DogLearn the basics of quantum physics with this clever, fun, and lighthearted introduction to modern physics based on a series of conversations with Chad Orzel and his dog Emmy. When physics professor Chad Orzel went to the pound to adopt a dog, he never imagined Emmy. She wasn’t just a friendly mutt who needed a home. Soon she was trying to use the strange ideas of quantum mechanics for the really important things in her life: chasing critters, getting treats, and going for walks. She peppered Chad with questions: Could she use quantum tunneling to get through the neighbor’s fence and chase bunnies? What about quantum teleportation to catch squirrels before they climb out of reach? Where are all the universes in which Chad drops steak on the floor? With great humor and clarity, Chad Orzel explains to Emmy, and to human readers, just what quantum mechanics is and how it works—and why, although you can’t use it to catch squirrels or eat steak, it’s still bizarre, amazing, and important to every dog and human. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Chapter 2 | 35 |
Chapter 4 | 56 |
Chapter 5 | 105 |
Chapter 6 | 119 |
Chapter 7 | 139 |
Chapter 8 | 165 |
Chapter 9 | 189 |
Acknowledgments | 227 |
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Common terms and phrases
allowed angle arrow atoms backyard ball beam splitter Bell’s theorem Bohr Bohr’s bounces branches bunny chapter classical physics collapse Copenhagen interpretation decoherence describe detect detector diagrams diffraction Einstein electron emitted exactly experiment Feynman frequency happens Heisenberg hidden variable idea interactions interference pattern kinetic energy look many-worlds interpretation mass means microscopic molecules momentum moving nature of quantum nonlocal object Okay oscillations outcome pass physicists Planck’s polarizing filter position possible potential energy predict probability of finding problem quan quantum computer quantum measurement quantum mechanics quantum particles quantum physics quantum teleportation quantum theory quantum Zeno effect random RD’s result Schrödinger single photon slits squirrel steak superposition talk there’s things tion treat Truman tunneling uncertainty principle universe velocity vertically polarized virtual particles wagging wave nature wave packet wavefunction wavelength weird What’s Yeah zero zero-point energy