Quantum Mechanics Primer
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I haven't read the wikipedia entry yet, but if memory serves me correctly, he also had a big thing for picking the locks of other people's filing cabinets when he worked at Los Alamos! (I think it was Los Alamos anyways). He'd definitely be on my fantasy dinner party guest list :D
Another good read is "Genius". Feynman discovered most people, including scientist, don't bother changing the combination to the locks or would write the combination in some obvious place.
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Rama Krishna Vavilala wrote:
Mmmhh ... Quantum Mechanics and Microsoft ? Not sure I want to know what this link points at. :rolleyes:
uncertainty obviously!
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The Feynman Lectures on Physics, volume 3. A thoroughly enjoyable read. It's old (1964), but since you want a primer. You want to get all 3 volumes. (the other ones are not about quantum mechanics, but wonderful reading) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0201021153[^]
Of course I'm exposing my age but ... The Feynman Lectures on Physics were the assigned books when I was thinking about majoring in Physics in college. I loved the first two but just did not get Quantum Mechanics at the time and gave up on that idea when I discovered computers so I majored in Math. (There was no CS major and all the CS classes were given by the College of Electrical Engineering and I didn't want to get an EE degree. It seemed like a good idea at the time as weird as it sounds to me now.)
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I haven't read the wikipedia entry yet, but if memory serves me correctly, he also had a big thing for picking the locks of other people's filing cabinets when he worked at Los Alamos! (I think it was Los Alamos anyways). He'd definitely be on my fantasy dinner party guest list :D
He also took pleasure in sneaking out of the compound and then walking back in through the front gate. He would immediately repeat the process just to see how long it took the guards to figure it out. Sometimes the guards either never figured it out or were on to him and ignored him until he got tired of the game.
Melting Away www.deals-house.com www.innovative--concepts.com
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He also took pleasure in sneaking out of the compound and then walking back in through the front gate. He would immediately repeat the process just to see how long it took the guards to figure it out. Sometimes the guards either never figured it out or were on to him and ignored him until he got tired of the game.
Melting Away www.deals-house.com www.innovative--concepts.com
Enrico Fermi was another physicist with a Nobel Prize in physics. He doubter the sentries at Los Alamos really inspected the ID cards they all had to sho every morning to enter the research lab. He decided co create a fake ID card with a portrait of Adolf Hitler, with that name, Adolf Hitler. The next morning the sentry saluted him as usual saying "Good morning, Professor Fermi." He asked "Can't you read? Can't you see my name on my card?" The sentry l;ooked carefully at the card, saluted again and said "I's sorry, Professor Hitler." Juan Antonio Rodriguez-Sero; juan_ars@hotmail.com Seattle, WA 98133-9110 U. S. A. ----------------------------------------------------------------- People who design systems never use their designs to do anything. 4th Cooper's law
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Anyone know of a good primer or beginners book? Not looking for something totally basic but just a good place to start. Been curious for a while about the field and would like to learn more in spare time.
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Anyone know of a good primer or beginners book? Not looking for something totally basic but just a good place to start. Been curious for a while about the field and would like to learn more in spare time.
'Six Easy Pieces' - Richard Feynman
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Mario Luis wrote:
Been curious for a while about the field and would like to learn more in spare time.
Are you REALLY sure you want to try and understand this stuff? Have a look at this: http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/Harrison/SchrodCat/SchrodCat.html[^] and then see how you feel. I'm not certain the human brain can comprehend quantum mechanics at its fundamental level; but then, according to how QM is supposed to work, the brain can and it can't!
No trees were harmed in the posting of this missive; however, a large number of quantum states were changed.
I'm a dev ;p Curiosity and learning are second nature :D
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Of course I'm exposing my age but ... The Feynman Lectures on Physics were the assigned books when I was thinking about majoring in Physics in college. I loved the first two but just did not get Quantum Mechanics at the time and gave up on that idea when I discovered computers so I majored in Math. (There was no CS major and all the CS classes were given by the College of Electrical Engineering and I didn't want to get an EE degree. It seemed like a good idea at the time as weird as it sounds to me now.)
Earl Truss wrote:
but just did not get Quantum Mechanics at the time
But didn't Feynman also say that no-one gets quantum mechanics? :laugh:
Kevin
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Earl Truss wrote:
but just did not get Quantum Mechanics at the time
But didn't Feynman also say that no-one gets quantum mechanics? :laugh:
Kevin
This is actually one of the things that draws ME to him. He is willing to admit that much of what is taken as science is done so with the faith that it's what we 'get' now because it is pretty repeatable to a decent level, but that does not mean it is always understood. I am actually reading through 'QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter' right now and am finding his alternate ways of viewing the theories very enlightening. I think if they used his stuff in lower level classes it may help keep younger people interested in the subject longer. Going through all his material is one personal goal I have set for myself. So far so good...