Sean CarrollSomething Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime

Great book, not that easy to understand and requires deep thinking. As per the book, there are thousands of copies of me being created while I'm typing this review :D. I completed the book and still not convinced of the many worlds interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, however, it is fascinating to read about QM and the various interpretations of it. And the fact the MW interpretation is actually the one with less assumptions i.e. more natural interpretation of them all.

I have read many books on quantum physics. This book is a gem and well worth reading several times. It’s written in layman’s terms. Even then some parts are hard to comprehend.

Muchas gracias voy a empezar a leerlo llego 1 dia antes y esta grueso. Buen material (:

My edition is the three hundred and fifty page, hardcover, 2019, edition published by One World. Reprinted twice in 2019, is a clear indication of its popularity and its publisher’s willingness to republish. For me, it was “ … the Emergence of Spacetime” in the title “Something Deeply Hidden - Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime” which initially attracted me.“Deeply Hidden” means just that. Carroll investigates, explains and puzzles over the smallest in our world and, while he clearly explains, expands on and propagates the quantum world, standard model, spoooky entanglement and all things quantum, he reveals his continued amazement and surprise. Discussing the smallest and weirdest features of our world, universe(s), he is lucid, clear and has the great ability to make the complex clearer, even without the complex mathematics which usually accompany these texts.He has a great sense of humour which arises when least expected and, at times, asks questions one would not expect of a scientist. However, dealing with the quantum, questions are often forced upon us.“Physics is one of the most basic of sciences, indeed one of the most basic human endeavours. We look around the world, we see it is full of stuff. What is that stuff and how does it behave?” He states this early in the book and proceeds to continue the questions, relating as he does so, the history of quantum discoveries, scientists involved in major breakthroughs from Aristotle to Einstein to Plank Feynman and many others.There are very few pictures, many diagrams and only a small selection of equations, used mainly as illustrations of another approach, not something to work with. Part Two, “Splitting” begins with the 1935 Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paper written after the famous 1932 Solvay Conference. The paper dealing with and questioning the foundations of quantum mechanics., e.g. quantum gravity and complexities of measurement. “But what happens when the quantum system under consideration is the entire Universe?” (P.113) “Everything in quantum and the universe is described as a single wave-function, how is measurement supposed to occur?”“Does This Ontological Commitment Make Me Look Fat? A Socratic Dialogue on Quantm Puzzles” - the sense of humour again. What follows is a father and daughter, Alice, meeting during which he, skeptically, questions her on quantum issues but, in doing so, clarifies many areas for the reader - Socratic questioning at its best. The Galileo-like format and the name, Alice, suggest other texts but he makes the points well and illustrates how science should work and be “falsifiable” quoting Popper.On page 229 - “Okay, at long last we’re ready to think about the actual world.” What follows is a fascinating exploration of locality, why there is space, spacetime and other related issues.In his Epilogue, he relates a story Einstein told about his childhood and we discover the source of his title. Einstein’s father showed him a compass at the age of four or five and he, Einstein, marvelled at the compass needle’s determined movement. “I still remember - or believe I remember - that this experience made a deep and lasting impression upon me. Something deeply hidden had to be behind things.” (P 310)Some knowledge of quantum theory will help readers through this complex, entertaining and well-written book. Carroll writes well and does not patronise. He reads like a tour-guide, one who is still researching, opening doors and being amazed at what he (and others) finds there.Recommended.

Deeply written

The author understands how the progress of the measure has allowed to have better experiments. Then many concepts of Einstein look like not decisive axioms, but rules for the action, Therefore the relativity framework doesn't so important, but it becomes an useful model for the solution of the problems. However a book written with great passion, which must be read slowly and with attention.