Reality is Not What it Seems

A good summary of discovery of quantum mechanics, and also, a very gentle introduction of Loop Quantum Gravity. Experienced people may see the explanations are too simple, it is very broad and abstract. However, this is actually perfect for starters like me, warming-up my brain to another bizzare theory quantum gravity.

For en strålende enkel og lesbar bok som forklarer det komplisere så jeg nesten forstår det, og det at jeg nesten forstår er poenget: Å forstå helt er umulig, men vi nærmer oss stadig helt til det dukker opp noe nytt som gjør det vi forstår enda litt mindre forståelig. Må leses av alle, og spesielt av folk som tror de vet.

I will say that as a novice in this field of science, the better part of the first half is focused on our understanding of gravity came to be. This then leads into general relativity, space-time, and both of these concepts intersect at quantum gravity. This means that the vast majority of the book is accessible to people who have no experience in the field. I did expect this book to be a little bit more opaque (I don't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing) but it never really seemed to impact the validity of combining two seemingly irreconcilable yet, fundamental parts of physics. I do appreciate the modeling of spin networks and explaining why they are important. Overall, I think that this is a fairly good introductory book to quantum gravity and some of its implications for better understanding it.

An inspirational read despite some rather dense science involved.

Carlo Rovelli does a good job and explaining complex scientific ideas to non-experts. His prose is well-written and quite beautiful. It isn't all hard science as there is a certain element of story-telling as he recounts the journey of knowledge that has brought us to where we stand today with quantum gravity and loop theory.

That being said, you almost definitely need to have an interest in theoretical physics in order to persist through the more obtuse and complicated sections. I feel like I absorbed maybe 70% of the science explained in this book and the remaining 30% I suspect I may never fully grasp, although, as Rovelli argues science is all about butting up against those things we don't know or don't fully understand. I'm happy with what I did take away from the book.

Aside from the formulae and theories and equations, this is an enlightening and inspirational read that will provoke some philosophical questions in its reader. How much more might we know now if the science of antiquity had not been destroyed? What might we be able to do if 1400 years hadn't been lost to the dominion of religion over science? It's an interesting question to think on, when reading Rovelli's accounts of how much science has advanced since 1900, when it was free to do so.

This and my other reviews are on my website: Aspects of Me.