I came across this little book in the library at that time, and I couldn't stop when I opened the first page. Finally, it took me an hour to read the whole book. There is only one feeling after reading it, wonderful, how can the world we live in be so wonderful!
The physical world is not only a boring formula and derivation in middle school, but also a process for human beings to explore and understand this world, and of course, the establishment of physical theories endowed with great historical significance.
If you have this book in your hand, or see it in the library, you will find that the author is not the title party, and this book deserves the word "minimalist". This little book is only 94 pages, divided into 7 lessons, from the two pillars of modern physics in the 20th century-general relativity and quantum physics, to the universe, and finally to ourselves. It is concise and colorful.
What is more worth mentioning is that the author's level of writing popular science can be described as superb. He summed up many complicated and difficult theories in one sentence, so that readers can have a general understanding of the theoretical achievements of physicists.
For example, in the first lesson, when the screenwriter talked about Einstein's special theory of relativity, he said, "It is the speed at which time passes, and everyone can be different." Then the author gives an example. Science has confirmed that if a pair of twins, one lives by the sea and the other lives on the mountain, after a period of time, the one who lives by the sea will find that his brother who lives on the mountain is older than himself.
The understanding of "general relativity" is condensed into one sentence: the gravitational field does not "diffuse" in space, because it is space itself.
Although we don't know what the gravitational field is, we can know from the above sentence that the core content of "general relativity" is to explore what space is, and space is the gravitational field.
There are many interesting events and phenomena in the book. Let me talk about the "dispute between Einstein and Bohr (Copenhagen School)" that I am most interested in.
At that time, Heisenberg thought that electrons only existed when they interacted with other things. When they collide with other things, they will appear somewhere with a calculable probability. The "quantum jump" from one orbit to another is the only way for them to appear.
Of course, "quantum transition" was put forward by Bohr, and he also supported the explanation of "probability". Moreover, Bohr was the leader of Copenhagen School at that time.
The emphasis is on the word "probability". You know, before quantum theory, all calculations of classical physical systems were very accurate, and there was no place for the word "probability" at all. But when it comes to quantum physics, the Copenhagen school has put forward "probability", which is really unimaginable for Einstein.
He still insisted on accuracy and perfection, so he argued with Bohr (Copenhagen School) for a long time until his death.
However, until the last moment, the two still have to prove their correctness. The following are the original words in the book, which are very touching:
Of course, in addition to describing the development of modern physics in the 20th century, more importantly, in the last lesson of the short book, the author talked about "we" human beings.
The following last-minute two paragraphs:
Most modern people seem to be used to the world in their eyes. Students attend classes, finish classes, study, review and take exams every day, and adults go to work and get off work every day.
Even the scenery they see along the way every day is exactly the same. They lost their curiosity about the world and began to get used to it. Habit is not a good thing. Once you get used to this world, life becomes numb and colorless. People's perception of the remaining world will gradually disappear.
At the end of If I Have Three Days of Light, Helen Keller hopes that normal people can cherish their senses, especially their eyes. Most people who can see are used to this world. Helen wants us to observe with our eyes and listen with our ears, which is still full of vitality and excitement, rather than the lifeless and rigid world that people are used to.
Our love and sincerity are innate, and we are born with a strong curiosity about the world. We are eager to learn and understand the nature of the world.
It is precisely because of endless learning that human beings should realize their smallness and ignorance in front of the two giants of nature and the universe. We thought we already knew a lot, but God sat on the cloud and smiled. It's still early, and what's on the water is just the tip of the iceberg.
This requires us to keep learning and exploring, and rekindle our original curiosity, the spirit of seeking knowledge that has been eroded a little by reality but still exists.