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A review by thomcat
Spooky Action at a Distance: The Phenomenon That Reimagines Space and Time--and What It Means for Black Holes, the Big Bang, and Theories of Everything by George Musser
4.0
Very good book which delves into modern physics, both quantum entanglement and locality. To do that, the author starts with an accessible history of these (and related) concepts. When he comes back to the present focus, the going gets tougher... and stranger.
Partly that's because we don't have the answers. One major point is that science is about debate, with the most progress made by discussion between champions of ideas. In this book, the author mentions some of those champions and the ebb and flow of their cases - and that can require a deeper understanding of physics than I possess.
The author does attempt to put these ideas in easier terms, and frequently returns to earlier metaphors with new wrinkles. In the earlier part of the book, this works very well. For an excellent explanation of Einstein's "Spooky Action at a Distance", this can't be beat. Another major plus is the excellent bibliography.
In conclusion, there's no consensus yet. I plan to read more about gravitational waves before returning to reread this book, and possibly expand my review. Until then, a solid 4 stars.
Partly that's because we don't have the answers. One major point is that science is about debate, with the most progress made by discussion between champions of ideas. In this book, the author mentions some of those champions and the ebb and flow of their cases - and that can require a deeper understanding of physics than I possess.
The author does attempt to put these ideas in easier terms, and frequently returns to earlier metaphors with new wrinkles. In the earlier part of the book, this works very well. For an excellent explanation of Einstein's "Spooky Action at a Distance", this can't be beat. Another major plus is the excellent bibliography.
In conclusion, there's no consensus yet. I plan to read more about gravitational waves before returning to reread this book, and possibly expand my review. Until then, a solid 4 stars.