Product Description

Following on from his bestseller, SCHRODINGER'S CAT, John Gribbin presents the recent dramatic improvements in experimental techniques that have enabled physicists to formulate and test new theories about the nature of light. He describes these theories not in terms of hard-to-imagine entities like spinning subnuclear particles, but in terms of the fate of two small cats, separated at a tender age and carried to opposite ends of the universe. In this way Gribbin introduces the reader to such new developments as quantum cryptography, through which unbreakable codes can be made, and goes on to possible future developments such as the idea that the 'entanglement' of quantum particles could be a way to build a STAR TREK style teleportation machine.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28292 in Books
• Published on: 1996-02-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

About the Author
John Gribbin has a Ph.D in Astrophysics from the University of Cambridge and is now Visiting Fellow at the University of Sussex. His books have been translated into many languages and have won awards both in Britain and the United States. He is a consultant to the New Scientist.

Customer Reviews

Mind Blowing
In Search of Schrodinger's Cat was mind blowing in 1985, now 20 years on much of the theory put forward in Schrodinger's Cat has been proved by experiment. Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality is what science/physics should be, interesting and thought provoking.
John Gribbin doesn't treat the reader as a complete imbecile or as the next Richard Feynman but pitches the book just right with the correct balance of technical details and clear analogies. There's not too many books on quantum theory that you can't put down, but this is without doubt one such book.

Difficult ideas presented Simply
It is very rare to find a science book that is both informative and easy to understand. John Gribbin seems to manage to do just that in this book following on from the In search of Schrodinger's Cats. The ideas are built up in such a way that someone with no knowledge in the subject can access the ideas presented in the book immediately and Gribbin then goes on to develop these ideas in such a way that you are made to think about the implications. The authors own interest in the subject shines in the way that he writes and this adds to the readers discovery of an area of physics that is apparently difficult - John Gribbin should be congratulated for making it appear simple and wanting the reader to find out more. If you are doing A levels physics this is a must have!!

Brainy, quantum thingummy stuff made readable and funny.
Being a wildly creative divergent thinker myself I have little confidence in venturing into a territory which appears to be the province of eggheads, anoraks and other folk low down on one's party invitation list. However Schrodinger's Kittens drew me in from page one and for the first time ever I had the weird sensation that I understood this strange world and,having understood it, my world view was changed - forever. Or at least until the next theory comes along. Now I casually raise Quantum Theory at parties, loudly contradicting those who haven't read this wonderful book, and find gorgeous young scientists draping themselves at me,weak with admiration. A funny,intelligent and intelligible read.