Books on relativity, string theory, quantum mechanics

ccb056 · Post by **ccb056** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 9:16 pm

I can't make up my mind on which book to read, I'm a high school senior who is taking Calculus and has taken basic Physics where we touched on special relativity, time travel, etc.

The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
A Brief History of Time : The Updated and Expanded Tenth Anniversary Edition
The Universe in a Nutshell

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 4:58 am

Get the books from Hawking. They're pretty simple to read, are well illustrated (especially the nutshell one) and have a low BS and Sci-Fi factor.

Don't touch "superstrings and hidden dimensions" with a 1,000 foot pole before you know Hawkings books by heart. Otherwise you'll just be an excited kiddie who heard about something he doesn't understand anything about.

Also, when you read stuff, the why is more important than the what. Try to understand why theories were developed, why they were natural in the evolution of thoughts in the author's head. Some theories were made to replace others that were too inaccurate. Many times, when a new theory was introduced, it took a long time to convince the established scientists that it was better than the current one. Some discoveries were regarded as ridiculous and were left ignored for years before they were accepted. Why?

Good reads. Don't wet your pants in excitement though. Last bit of advice: read, don't talk. You still know nothing after having read these books

roid · Post by **roid** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 7:36 am

wow, then i must really annoy you tricord with my talking & chatter.

Nitrofox125 · Post by **Nitrofox125** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 7:39 am

Another good Hawking book is The Theory of Everything. No illustrations or whatnot, but when I want *all* the information in a book, it's easier to follow one flow as opposed to having your eyes jump from caption to caption, I've found. Depending on what type of reader you are, that is. The Universe in a Nutshell is probably the easiest to read, with some really nice illustrations.

Lobber · Post by **Lobber** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 8:30 am

I just bought a book from Barnes and Noble called Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed by Jim Al-Khalili.

Amazon.com link

ISBN 1 841 88238 0

It is 280 glossy pages filled with the history and development of the Quantum Theory of Matter, and illustrated with both art and scientific imagery to help the lay reader understand the world of the very very small. It does not contain any mathematical notation that most books on the subject do, alienating readers who lack any higher learning than basic arithmetic. I have not yet read the book, but a simple perusal while in the bookstore assured me that it was worth the $18.

I highly recommend it.

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 10:27 am

roid wrote:wow, then i must really annoy you tricord with my talking & chatter.

Quite so, but I'm nowhere near rude enough to complain about it

Robo · Post by **Robo** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 12:41 pm

Try The Universe Next Door by Marcus Chown.

Excellent book, and not too mind boggling.

Sligar · Post by **Sligar** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 8:30 am

I liked A Brief History of Time, I remember it was a fairly easy read, not a textbook by any means. Good background 'big picture' reading, which I think is important if you're going to focus on physics. To me, going straight into the highly technical aspects of physics without an overall roadmap can be frustrating, unless you don't mind learning things without knowing why you are learning them, or where they fit in the big picture.

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 9:49 am

Tricord wrote:You still know nothing after having read these books

If one trulely still knows nothing about a subject after reading a book by someone considered the leading expert in the field on the subject, then either 1) The book was very poorly written, 2)the author isn't really a leading expert in the field, or 3)the reader is a moron.

Which is it Tri, are you calling ccb a moron?

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 10:22 am

Don't kid yourself Ded, you can learn some notions about the subject by reading books, but you still know nothing after that. The leading experts cannot transmit all their knowledge to you by means of a simple book. The mathematical value of such a book is zilch, nada. You have to take the word of the scientist for it, and hope his interpretation is right.

You are a moron if you consider yourself knowledgeable on the subject after having read these books. In this case, it does take a rocket scientist to get to the essence of the subject.

I'm taking relativity this semester (for fun) and it is built from the ground up using mathematics. The equations do the talking on this one. Needless to say it's a bit more complicated and detailed than those books here.

Phoenix Red · Post by **Phoenix Red** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 10:29 am

Dedman wrote:
Tricord wrote:You still know nothing after having read these books
If one trulely still knows nothing about a subject after reading a book by someone considered the leading expert in the field on the subject, then either 1) The book was very poorly written, 2)the author isn't really a leading expert in the field, or 3)the reader is a moron.

Which is it Tri, are you calling ccb a moron?

You forgot option 4: Tricord knows much much more than you and dismisses your knowledge as trivial.

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 11:25 am

Tricord wrote:Don't kid yourself Ded, you can learn some notions about the subject by reading books...

You said you would know nothing after reading these books. Some notions about a subject is not nothing. Granted, you won't be an expert. That takes years of study.

Tricord wrote:In this case, it does take a rocket scientist to get to the essence of the subject.

Not that it matters because we aren't discussing my knowledge of the subject but I am a rocket scientist.

Tricord wrote:I'm taking relativity this semester (for fun)

Great, I am happy for you. I took it ten years ago, what is your point?

Phoenix Red wrote:Tricord knows much much more than you and dismisses your knowledge as trivial.

He may very well at that. Even though I took a relativity course while in college and found it interesting, it wasn't my thing and I didn't pursue it further. At this point my knowledge on the subject is trivial. However, what he said was that one would know nothing after reading one of the books mentioned. My assertion is that that is a false statement. If one reads a book on a subject one should know something about that subject when they are finished. Therefore, my previous statement stands.

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 3:37 pm

Holy ★■◆● you literal nazi!
Let me rephrase for you.

.... you still know next to nothing.

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 4:03 pm

Tricord wrote:Holy **** you literal nazi!
Let me rephrase for you.

.... you still know next to nothing.

That's better. Thanks

Ain't Skeird · Post by **Ain't Skeird** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 9:36 pm

Dedman wrote:
Tricord wrote:Holy **** you literal nazi!
Let me rephrase for you.

.... you still know next to nothing.

documenting information, for the benefit of future generations, has enabled our species to evolve from
hunter/gathering to walking on the moon. reading is the only requsite. With it you are empowered to be more than you were before. The tone of your reply
suggests that it is hardly worth the effort. The book may not be much,but it is a brick in the foundation of knowledge,to be built upon.
My advice to the young,curious mind..read all you can.

Lobber · Post by **Lobber** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 9:48 am

I agree that simply reading these books does not make you an expert on the subject. To do that, you would have to study enough and learn enough to be able to write your own book on the subject.