cover image SCHRDINGER'S RABBITS: The Many Worlds of Quantum

SCHRDINGER'S RABBITS: The Many Worlds of Quantum

Colin Bruce, Colin Bruce, . . Joseph Henry, $24.95 (282pp) ISBN 978-0-309-09051-3

To the average reader trying to understand current theories of the subatomic quantum world, terms like nonlocality, decoherence and quantum collapse must sound like fantastical notions tossed about at an ivory-tower tea party. British physicist Bruce (The Einstein Paradox ) attempts to put into plain English what physicists, especially those based in Oxford, think is happening in this invisible world that binds the universe together. We shouldn't be talking about "the universe" at all, Bruce says, but rather of the multiverse: the idea of coexisting alternate realities is based on sophisticated mathematical models of what happens to probability waves—the form in which subatomic elements exist before they "collapse" and assume tangible form. Very early, tentative experiments have confirmed pieces of the multiverse theory. Bruce illustrates these mind-altering concepts via accessible stories and illustrations. He gives equal time to "single worlders" like Sir Roger Penrose and Anton Zeilinger, who has proposed that apparent contradictions in quantum theory can be explained if the amount of information that a quantum system can contain is limited. The tone of the book changes midway through: the general reader will be able to follow the first half, but the latter part of the book is tough sledding and will appeal more to science buffs. (On sale Oct. 26)