Einstein's Unfinished Revolution: The Search for What Lies Beyond the Quantum

Einstein's Unfinished Revolution: The Search for What Lies Beyond the Quantum by Lee Smolin 

Quantum mechanics is hard to understand. It often seems to go in the face of what we observe. However, it is possible to be realist and understand quantum mechanics. There were some that put forth the postulates, but did ended up losing popularity to the non-realists. (Einstein was a realist, but he struggled to get a good explanation.) Today, we may need a revolution to adopt a new framework that truly covers everything together. Some will likely fail, but we need new ideas to come to final solution. The book says as much about the pitfalls of academic culture as it does with the quantum mechanics. Academia can get stuck in its ways and find it difficult to move on.

Quantum Space: Loop Quantum Gravity and the Search for the Structure of Space, Time, and the Universe

Quantum Space: Loop Quantum Gravity and the Search for the Structure of Space, Time, and the Universe by Jim Baggott

Theoretical physics is something that smart people work on. Occasionally it has implications in the real world. After reading this book, I did not feel I had a better understanding of Quantum loop gravity. I did feel it was something that is still being debated that involved a different way of looking at the universe. Some things like gravitons could theoretically exist to help explain things, but would be almost impossible to measure. A lot of the work comes down to the details the get hidden away in the work of Einstein and Newton. It seems there are a some artificial complexities in the nomenclature. There is a lot of insularity in the theoretical physics community. The book focuses on a few physicists - mostly in Italy and Pennsylvania - as they use different methods to explore the physical world. It seems we are a long way from having a definite answer.

QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter (Princeton Science Library Book 33)

QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter (Princeton Science Library Book 33) by Richard P. Feynman

This is a very accessible introduction to Quantum Electro-dynamics. The tone is very down to earth. Most of the sections are very understandable. However, a few bits went above my head. (Though I feel I could have grasped them if I spent a little more time.) Light discussions seems straightforward. Quarks are quarks and get a little weird, especially when you get to color and spin. There is a final bit that explores "modern ideas", and then an appendix that looks how things have changed. He even admits that physicists love to fit things in their current models. Maybe the world does reduce down, or maybe it is just the way scientists look at it.

Beyond Weird: Why Everything You Thought You Knew about Quantum Physics Is Different

Beyond Weird: Why Everything You Thought You Knew about Quantum Physics Is Different by Philip Ball

Quantum mechanics is weird. It seems to go against how we observe in the world. In our normal everyday life, traditional physics does seem to do a good job. However, quantum physics help explain some of the details that tie things together. Observations are not "free". Anytime we try to observe something we change it in some way. This makes science challenging.

This book was one of the more clearly written ones on thee subject. It acknowledges the weirdness and does a good job elucidating principles in context.