Ideas of Modern Physics

Ideas of Modern Physics is a compact, comprehensive but accessible survey which requires no more (or less) from the reader than intellectual curiosity. The Big Bang, Space-Time, Higgs Boson, Schrodinger’s Cat. This book presents BIG ideas about the universe in a non-mathematical framework accessible to all. It explores ideas modern physics has proposed to make sense of our experiences, shaping our way of life. Supplanting the classical “clockwork” model of the universe, these concepts have established a paradigm – Relativity and Quantum Mechanics – that places the human mind at the center of science. This has led to both enormous technological advances in the last century but has also highlighted existential questions and limits to our knowledge that remain unresolved. In the context of this paradigm, the book considers questions such the origin of the universe, the nature of space and time and matter, and the role of uncertainty and technology in shaping our world-view. It gives readers from all backgrounds a basic scientific understanding of our cosmos that makes it both more accessible and inspiring.

This book is the ideal basis for a one-semester college course aimed at non-science majors with no math skills beyond arithmetic. In addition to arts, humanities, and business specialists it also appeals to other kinds of learner, including science students in high school, college and beyond who are looking for a broad contemporary sweep of the field or an intuition to underpin calculation. It is carefully structured, with a level of detail bearable by a tourist in physics, to build the reader’s knowledge and understanding starting from almost zero, while at all times treating them with intellectual respect. Unlike a typical physics textbook, the reader is brought to the deepest modern ideas as quickly as possible, but without sacrificing classical concepts entirely. The textbook is very compact and focused, designed to limit distractions by requiring the reader to jump to a different medium if they want more bells and whistles. It can be read in conjunction with and as a portal to more extensive material on the companion website, which contains links to helpful videos, suggested experiments and assignments, and other relevant websites filtered by scientific rigor and accessibility.