Helgoland: The World of Quantum Theory
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- Author：Carlo Rovelli
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Summary
A startling new look at quantum theory， from the bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and The Order of Time。
One of the world's most renowned theoretical physicists， Carlo Rovelli has entranced millions of readers with his singular perspective on the cosmos。 In Helgoland， he examines the enduring enigma of quantum theory。 The quantum world Rovelli describes is as beautiful as it is unnerving。
Helgoland is a treeless island in the North Sea where the twenty-three-year-old Werner Heisenberg made the crucial breakthrough for the creation of quantum mechanics， setting off a century of scientific revolution。 Full of alarming ideas （ghost waves， distant objects that seem to be magically connected， cats that appear both dead and alive）， quantum physics has led to countless discoveries and technological advancements。 Today our understanding of the world is based on this theory， yet it is still profoundly mysterious。
As scientists and philosophers continue to fiercely debate the meaning of the theory， Rovelli argues that its most unsettling contradictions can be explained by seeing the world as fundamentally made of relationships rather than substances。 We and everything around us exist only in our interactions with one another。 This bold idea suggests new directions for thinking about the structure of reality and even the nature of consciousness。
Rovelli makes learning about quantum mechanics an almost psychedelic experience。 Shifting our perspective once again， he takes us on a riveting journey through the universe so we can better comprehend our place in it。
One of the world's most renowned theoretical physicists， Carlo Rovelli has entranced millions of readers with his singular perspective on the cosmos。 In Helgoland， he examines the enduring enigma of quantum theory。 The quantum world Rovelli describes is as beautiful as it is unnerving。
Helgoland is a treeless island in the North Sea where the twenty-three-year-old Werner Heisenberg made the crucial breakthrough for the creation of quantum mechanics， setting off a century of scientific revolution。 Full of alarming ideas （ghost waves， distant objects that seem to be magically connected， cats that appear both dead and alive）， quantum physics has led to countless discoveries and technological advancements。 Today our understanding of the world is based on this theory， yet it is still profoundly mysterious。
As scientists and philosophers continue to fiercely debate the meaning of the theory， Rovelli argues that its most unsettling contradictions can be explained by seeing the world as fundamentally made of relationships rather than substances。 We and everything around us exist only in our interactions with one another。 This bold idea suggests new directions for thinking about the structure of reality and even the nature of consciousness。
Rovelli makes learning about quantum mechanics an almost psychedelic experience。 Shifting our perspective once again， he takes us on a riveting journey through the universe so we can better comprehend our place in it。
Reviews
Richard Smith
，
An exquisite book。My blog:https://richardswsmith。wordpress。com/。。。 An exquisite book。My blog:https://richardswsmith。wordpress。com/。。。 。。。more
Denise Polese
，
Una attraente lettura， uno scambio di pensieri profondo che da risposta a molte domande e ne crea di altrettante， stimolando la curiosità sui segreti del nostro universo。
Sorrento
，
I found Carlo Rovelli’s latest book to be a fascinating explanation of his thinking around his specialist subject of relational quantum mechanics。Rovelli not only takes us on a tour of the thinking of the most influential physicists who developed the theory of quantum mechanics such as Heisenberg and Schrodinger but also that of the philosophers。 He even manages a quote from Douglas Adams。Rovelli has done an amazing job of making this highly specialised subject of relational quantum mechanics ac I found Carlo Rovelli’s latest book to be a fascinating explanation of his thinking around his specialist subject of relational quantum mechanics。Rovelli not only takes us on a tour of the thinking of the most influential physicists who developed the theory of quantum mechanics such as Heisenberg and Schrodinger but also that of the philosophers。 He even manages a quote from Douglas Adams。Rovelli has done an amazing job of making this highly specialised subject of relational quantum mechanics accessible to the public。Having read the book as I understand it the key message is that everything in the universe including me only exists in relation to something else。 There are no absolute things。The books title is taken from the name of the remote island in the North Sea where Werner Heisenberg developed his thinking about the uncertainty principle， a key notion of quantum mechanics， in the 1920s。The uncertainty principle states that we cannot measure the precise position and momentum of a particle at the same time。Helgoland is another brilliant piece of writing by Carlo Rovelli who is passionate communicator of the world of advanced theoretical physics。 A very entertaining and rewarding read which may change the way you think about the world。 。。。more
Fern Adams
，
‘Helgoland’ is the latest book by theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli。 In it he explores the topics of quantum mechanics and relational interpretation。 I should state immediately that I have not enough knowledge to review the information itself contained in the book （I’ve never formally studied physics and am just very interested in the subject）。 However that aside I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 When a writer is passionate about their subject and can articulate that through the work then they a ‘Helgoland’ is the latest book by theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli。 In it he explores the topics of quantum mechanics and relational interpretation。 I should state immediately that I have not enough knowledge to review the information itself contained in the book （I’ve never formally studied physics and am just very interested in the subject）。 However that aside I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 When a writer is passionate about their subject and can articulate that through the work then they are able to enthuse their reader with a spark of that same passion。 This book definitely did that for me。 Rovelli does a good job of explaining what seemed previously seemed unexplainable （well as much as can be） to his audience。 He weaves in with his explanations and hypothesis philosophical arguments， asides about his own writing process and digresses at times to information about scientists and philosophy， that I especially enjoyed。 I definitely shall be reading this one again！Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Bastiaan Aelbrecht
，
Het soort boek dat ik opnieuw wil lezen om het volledig te begrijpen。 Ook het soort boek dat je van de eerste keer gewoonweg niet volledig vat。 Maar vooral het soort boek dat met hoge waarschijnlijkheid mijn blik op de aard van de de werkelijkheid heeft gemodificeerd。De titel 'Helgoland' verwijst naar de epische mentale reis van Werner Heisenberg op het "eiland van Goethe" waarin hij de grondbeginselen van de kwantummechanica neerpent。 De titel is echter wat misleidend。 Die nodige grondslagen wo Het soort boek dat ik opnieuw wil lezen om het volledig te begrijpen。 Ook het soort boek dat je van de eerste keer gewoonweg niet volledig vat。 Maar vooral het soort boek dat met hoge waarschijnlijkheid mijn blik op de aard van de de werkelijkheid heeft gemodificeerd。De titel 'Helgoland' verwijst naar de epische mentale reis van Werner Heisenberg op het "eiland van Goethe" waarin hij de grondbeginselen van de kwantummechanica neerpent。 De titel is echter wat misleidend。 Die nodige grondslagen worden uiteraard helder uiteengezet， maar dit met als voornaamste reden om de aanzet te geven tot een nieuwe， nuchtere kijk op de kwantummechanica。 Rovelli oppert het idee dat we beter stoppen met de wereld te zien als een hoop objecten， maar eerder als een complex geweefd netwerk van relaties。 Een naturalisme zonder substantie。"We kunnen de eigenschappen van objecten niet scheiden van de objecten waarmee ze zich interageren wanneer deze eigenschappen zich manifesteren。 Alle （variabele） eigenschappen van een object zijn uiteindelijk alleen eigenschappen ten opzichte van ander objecten。"Voor eenieder die niet vies is van een beetje gefilosofeer en geboeid is door de wondere mysteries van de kwantumwereld， is dit boek een ábsolute must-have。 。。。more
Martin
，
Quantum perspectiveEnjoyed the book and learned a lot。 By definition there is no answer。 But the search for one is fascinating。
Neil
，
I’m not going to pretend that I fully understood all， most， or even， if I’m being entirely honest， any， of this book。 I tried my best。 But I will say that every chapter contains at least one jaw-dropping observation about the world I thought I was living in。
Werner
，
Excellent and easy read on a complex issue！
Conor Ryan
，
Do I understand quantum mechanics after reading this book？ Absolutely not。 However， my eyes have been opened to a whole new way of perceiving the world。 Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution is just as much a book about philosophy as it is about physics。 As Carlo Rovelli so deftly shows， it’s nearly impossible to extricate that scientific field of study from history， literature， philosophy， art， and the very thread of our daily lives。 As an author， he has a wonderful way of weaving a Do I understand quantum mechanics after reading this book？ Absolutely not。 However， my eyes have been opened to a whole new way of perceiving the world。 Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution is just as much a book about philosophy as it is about physics。 As Carlo Rovelli so deftly shows， it’s nearly impossible to extricate that scientific field of study from history， literature， philosophy， art， and the very thread of our daily lives。 As an author， he has a wonderful way of weaving a story around incredibly complex scientific topics。 I deeply appreciate that instead of this book being filled with rote formulas and complex jargon， Rovelli mercifully gives the reader just what they need to know in order to come to a basic understanding of quantum principles。 I also admire that he doesn’t shy away from all of the spiritual questions that this shredding of reality raises。 Much of the later third of the book， in fact， specifically dives into the philosophical and spiritual discourse revolving around quanta。 If you are to take the scientific discoveries presented in this book as fact， the you are left with only more questions about the nature of consciousness and reality itself。 Despite myself wanting to dive off the deep-end with the spiritual ramifications of these discoveries， Rovelli does a good job of keeping his spiritual discussion tethered to logic instead of jumping to any wild conclusions。 This book is a radical intervention with comfortable beliefs about reality that will leave the reader questioning the fabric of their daily lives。 If you’re someone who has even a passing interest in physics， or is even looking for a new spiritual framework with which to build on， then this is an absolute must-read。 。。。more
John Cumming
，
I was unsure in giving this book 3 stars rather than 4。 It is at times repetitive and a little hard to follow （that might just be my inability to comprehend！） As I sit amidst the mountains of North Wales， staring out at the rain， having completed the book， I’m left with a sense of importance in this book in relation to knowledge management。 Our bias to what we expect to see， our forming of a perspective on reality from deviation from the expected， the absence of independent properties of entity I was unsure in giving this book 3 stars rather than 4。 It is at times repetitive and a little hard to follow （that might just be my inability to comprehend！） As I sit amidst the mountains of North Wales， staring out at the rain， having completed the book， I’m left with a sense of importance in this book in relation to knowledge management。 Our bias to what we expect to see， our forming of a perspective on reality from deviation from the expected， the absence of independent properties of entity free from its interaction with other。 There’s something important here about how we consider knowledge within organisations that I can’t quite put my finger on。 But then perhaps that is the point - there is so much we can’t put our finger on！I’m also reading a bit about action as a complex system and social epistemology - there is， for a brief moment at least， here amongst the rain and rock， a parting of the clouds and a moment of convergence。 。。。more
Dario Mannu
，
Libro meraviglioso！ Consiglio vivamente la lettura！Per chi è interessato alla Fisica quantica， ma anche alla filosofia e alla rete di relazioni ed interconnessioni！
Poiqwuy
，
Edition: Allen Lane （Penguin Random House UK）， 2021- - - - -This books explains in an easy， philosophical and some times （in my opinion unnecessarily） poetical the ideas behind the Relational Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics， proposed firstly by Rovelli in 1996。 It offers no new results and no technical explanations， but the ideas and the spirit of the theory are clear and inspiring。 The author also connects these ideas with its historical lineage， relating them with other thinkers， ancient a Edition: Allen Lane （Penguin Random House UK）， 2021- - - - -This books explains in an easy， philosophical and some times （in my opinion unnecessarily） poetical the ideas behind the Relational Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics， proposed firstly by Rovelli in 1996。 It offers no new results and no technical explanations， but the ideas and the spirit of the theory are clear and inspiring。 The author also connects these ideas with its historical lineage， relating them with other thinkers， ancient and present。- - - - -A bunch of cites and comments:At the first decades of the XX century the European culture thinks that the act of studying something necessarily affects it （a culture —Levi-Strauss—， a psychological patient —Freud—， a physical system —quantum theory—） （p。 60）。 There are several interpretations of quantum theory。 Some of them attribute existence to entities which cannot be observed （many worlds to the universe's wave function， hidden variables to extra properties we cannot see）。 Other， QBism， denies it， but in order to preserve the universality of each measurement anchors them to a single， solipsistic subject。 The relationalist approach consists in only taking as real the concrete observations， and consider that each system can observe each other system via an interaction， and those observations are always relative to those systems， not universal。 Hence the wave function is just a mathematical tool used to store the information one system has about another。 "What quantum theory describes， then is the way in which one part of nature manifests itself to any other single part of nature" （67）。 Many of those interpretations seem to the author to be "efforts to squeeze the discoveries of quantum physics into the canons of metaphysical prejudice" （p。 117）: if I think all times are univocally determined by the present， then I introduce unobservable quantities that determine them。 If I do not want to see a component of the wave function disappear， then I introduce parallel universes where this component shall go。 "If there was an object that had no interactions （…） it would be a good as non-existent" （p。 68）。 "Any interaction between two physical objects can be seen as an observation。 （…） The discovery of quantum theory， I believe， is the discovery that the properties of an entity are nothing other than the way in which that entity influences others。 It exists only through its interactions。 Quantum theory is the theory of how things influence each other。 And this is the best description of nature that we have。" （p。 69）。 All properties are nothing but interactions， therefore， "[f]acts that are real with respect to an object are not necessarily so with respect to another" （p。 72）。 "Events that take place in relation to one thing do not influence the probability of events that occur in relation to others。 The 'quantum state' \Psi is always a relative state" （p。 74）。 The fact that things always exist in a context is called 'contextuality' （p。 120）。"The joint properties of two objects exist only in relation to a third。 To say that two objects are correlated means to articulate something with regard to a third object: the correlations manifests itself when the two correlated objects both interact with this third object， which can check" （p。 86）。 Those correlations are entanglement。 This fragmentation of points of view is made coherent by the very structure of the theory （the direct product of Hilbert spaces for the composition of systems）。 （p。 88-9）。As somehow informal axioms of the theory， we can take the following two statements （p。 92-4）:+ The maximal amount of relevant information about an object is finite。 It has to do with \hbar as the minimal volume in phase space and with Heisenberg's principle。+ It is always possible to acquire new relevant information about any object。 It has to do with the non-commutativity of observables。"Science is not a Depository of Truth， it is based on the awareness that there are no Depositories of Truth" （p。 117）。Rovelli cites many philosophers。 Among them， he highlights Ernst Mach （as the physicist and philosopher direct ancestor of both quantum mechanics and general relativity） and Nagarjuna， with which "we can think of interdependence without autonomous essence entering the equation" （p。 129）。He proposes that meaning emerges from relevant （in a biological-Darwinian sense） relative information （in a physical —Shannon— sense）。 An intentional state of the mind requires relative information among the subject and the object， the subject filters， due to biological evolution， the information that is useful， and that is meaning （p。 146）。 "There is a continuity between the world of meanings in our mental life and the physical world。 Both are relations。" （p。 147）。 "The relational perspective distances us from subject/object and matter/spirit dualisms， and from the apparent irreducibility of the reality/thought or brain/conciousness dualism" （p。 157）。- - - - -21 04 。。。more
Cristiano Toffanin
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Pur contenendo dissertazioni interessanti il libro non è scorrevole come i precedenti "Sette brevi lezioni di Fisica" e "L'ordine del tempo"。 Vengono costruiti molti discorsi filosofici ma la teoria dei quanti rimane sempre qualcosa che da l'impressione di essere vago e fumoso。Pur capendo che la teoria è。 sorretta da tanti riscontri， alla fine del libro sento nostalgia della precisione e concretezza della fisica classica。 Pur contenendo dissertazioni interessanti il libro non è scorrevole come i precedenti "Sette brevi lezioni di Fisica" e "L'ordine del tempo"。 Vengono costruiti molti discorsi filosofici ma la teoria dei quanti rimane sempre qualcosa che da l'impressione di essere vago e fumoso。Pur capendo che la teoria è。 sorretta da tanti riscontri， alla fine del libro sento nostalgia della precisione e concretezza della fisica classica。 。。。more
Lora Milton
，
"In June 1925， twenty-three-year-old Werner Heisenberg， suffering from hay fever， retreated to a treeless， wind-battered island in the North Sea called Helgoland。 It was there that he came up with the key insight behind quantum mechanics。"Yes， this is where Quantum Theory got its start。 This book was written for non-Physicists and is easily accessible。 It's written well and tells the story of this significant moment in history in a way that would make good fiction， if it wasn't all real life！I f "In June 1925， twenty-three-year-old Werner Heisenberg， suffering from hay fever， retreated to a treeless， wind-battered island in the North Sea called Helgoland。 It was there that he came up with the key insight behind quantum mechanics。"Yes， this is where Quantum Theory got its start。 This book was written for non-Physicists and is easily accessible。 It's written well and tells the story of this significant moment in history in a way that would make good fiction， if it wasn't all real life！I found it intensely interesting and easy to follow。 I also like that the author changed Shrodinger's Cat to sleeping or awake for its dual state as he didn't want to deal with dead cats！ I think I would like this guy。I found the book infinitely fascinating and took it one chapter at a time to try to fully absorb the concepts， which make sense despite the oddities of Quantum。 I will probably read it again， maybe even several times to let it sink in。The subject is pretty amazing and this book explains it very well。 Definitely recommended for anyone who has a curiosity either about Quantum Physics or generally how things work。 。。。more
Mihir Parekh
，
“You should never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think”- Niels BohrOne of the greatest scientist of nineteenth century Lord Kelvin said in year1900:"Now， there is nothing new to discover in physics。 It only remains to be measured more and more precisely"。 Around the same time， physicist Max Planck came across with some weird phenomenon while observing the problem of black-body radiation。 And twenty five years later， young physicists like Heisenberg， Jorden， Dirac， Pauli and S “You should never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think”- Niels BohrOne of the greatest scientist of nineteenth century Lord Kelvin said in year1900:"Now， there is nothing new to discover in physics。 It only remains to be measured more and more precisely"。 Around the same time， physicist Max Planck came across with some weird phenomenon while observing the problem of black-body radiation。 And twenty five years later， young physicists like Heisenberg， Jorden， Dirac， Pauli and Schrodinger， under guidance of their mentor Niles Bohr， laid foundation of Quantum Mechanics。 When Heisenberg got first glimpses of this remarkably accurate but equally puzzlingly nature of reality on North Sea island of Helgoland， he was just twenty three year old。 Title of this book of Carlo Rovelli in on the name of this barren North See island。 ‘Helgoland’ is poetic commentary on historical development of Quantum Theory， its core components， central ideas of theory and it’s philosophical meaning and implications。 Commentary of development of theory is very brief and touches only major aspects。 However beauty of book lies where author explains vital aspects of Quantum Mechanics and than switched to deeper philosophical meaning hidden behind ultimate nature of reality。 And what fascinates reader is philosophy of Emptiness （śūnyatā） of Nāgārjuna， a second century Buddhist philosopher， is perspective according to Carlo Rovelli which perhaps make it little easier to think about the quantum world。 This is not Carlo Rovelli’s best book。 Neither this is a complete introductory guide of Quantum Mechanics。 But this book describes this fascinating theory， its development ， implications and possible meaning in briefest possible lengths and in most beautiful language。 This book might evoke feelings which author experiences about his subjects; Physics:“Physics has not deluded me。 It has bewitched， astonished， confused and disconcerted me; given me anxious， sleepless nights looking in to the dark and thinking: ‘But is it really possible？ Can we believe this？’- Carlo Rovelli 。。。more
GONZA
，
Trovo che Rovelli sia un grande divulgatore， anche se un po' sulla scia del marchese del Grillo （io so' io e voi non siete un ca。。。）， e anche stavolta i suoi excursus dalla fisica alla filosofia mi hanno dato parecchio da pensare。 Come sempre mi piacerebbe affermare senza tema di essere smentita di aver capito tutto， ma anche stavolta é meglio mantenere un certo riserbo sulla mia percentuale di comprensione di quanto letto。 Trovo che Rovelli sia un grande divulgatore， anche se un po' sulla scia del marchese del Grillo （io so' io e voi non siete un ca。。。）， e anche stavolta i suoi excursus dalla fisica alla filosofia mi hanno dato parecchio da pensare。 Come sempre mi piacerebbe affermare senza tema di essere smentita di aver capito tutto， ma anche stavolta é meglio mantenere un certo riserbo sulla mia percentuale di comprensione di quanto letto。 。。。more
Andrea Ricci Curbastro
，
Qualcosa di eccezionale。 La teoria dei quanti， come si è arrivati ad immaginarla， il suo percorso evolutivo， le correnti di pensiero che hanno contribuito a realizzarla。。。 Il tutto spiegato un maniera accattivante， chiara mai banale。 Cogliere che il nostro mondo esiste nel momento in cui le sue componenti si mettono in relazione tra loro tramite interconnessioni infinite è stata una delle più belle scoperte della mia vita。
Gustavo Garcia
，
Even though in some cases I had to re-read some chapters over 10 times， I still recommend for anyone to grab a copy of this book。 This book will leave you with more questions than answers， but they are the good type of questions。 Those that wake up your thirst and that pave the way for new knowledge。 Disclaimer: at the end of this book you will feel like a philosopher and you will start asking your friends questions like: What is life？ Is it truly all an illusion？ Is the cat awake and asleep？ I Even though in some cases I had to re-read some chapters over 10 times， I still recommend for anyone to grab a copy of this book。 This book will leave you with more questions than answers， but they are the good type of questions。 Those that wake up your thirst and that pave the way for new knowledge。 Disclaimer: at the end of this book you will feel like a philosopher and you will start asking your friends questions like: What is life？ Is it truly all an illusion？ Is the cat awake and asleep？ I will like to finish my review by sharing a quote that I very much liked from the book: “There is no cardinal or final fixed point， philosophical or methodological， with which to anchor the adventure of knowledge” 。。。more
Giorgio Malvestiti
，
Emozionante ed affascinante scoperta della teoria dei quanti e le implicazioni e radici filosofiche。 Davvero bello！
Katarina Janoskova
，
Me: Which of the crazy ideas surrounding quantum theory is true？Physicists: YesI love Carlo's writing。 Me: Which of the crazy ideas surrounding quantum theory is true？Physicists: YesI love Carlo's writing。 。。。more
Fiona Thompson
，
I found Physics totally uninspiring and impossible when I was at school。 However， I have found myself fascinated as an adult with quantum physics and how similar it is to faith， where uncertainty causes one to question， observe and hypothesise often without evidence。 I have read a number of Rovelli's books and they fascinate me despite my finding myself lost practically on every page。 It is in getting lost that I find the most enjoyment。 Rather than me try to explain what this book is about - as I found Physics totally uninspiring and impossible when I was at school。 However， I have found myself fascinated as an adult with quantum physics and how similar it is to faith， where uncertainty causes one to question， observe and hypothesise often without evidence。 I have read a number of Rovelli's books and they fascinate me despite my finding myself lost practically on every page。 It is in getting lost that I find the most enjoyment。 Rather than me try to explain what this book is about - as I would fail to do that - let me just quote a few aspects so you can judge whether it is for you or not！'The best description of reality that we have found is in terms of events that weave a web of interactions。 'Entities' are nothing other than ephemeral nodes in this web。 Their properties are not determined until the moment of these interactions; they exist only in relation to something else。 Everything is what it is only with respect to something else。' （page 166）'When we look around ourselves， we are not truly 'observing': we are instead dreaming an image of the world based on what we know （including bias and misconception） and unconsciously scrutinizing the world to reveal any discrepancies which， if necessary， we will try to correct。 What I see， in other words， is not a reproduction of the external world。 It is what I expect， corrected by what I can grasp。 The relevant input is not that which confirms what we already know， but that which contradicts our expectations。' （page 162-163）There you go - be prepared to wince at your own lack of understanding （if you're nothing like me） but also revel in the joy of such brilliant thinking that renders the world as relative and empty - with even emptiness relative！ Reminds me of Adam Curtis' breadth of thinking and I can give no greater accolade！ 。。。more
Connor Hansford
，
Bit blown away by this。'Popular science' seems to me an inherently derogatory term that distinguishes proper academic jargon from the kind of thing Joe Public， with no grounding in the subject， might be able to understand if they felt like it。 It's extremely difficult to get the balance right between writing scientifically and being really patronising and the reason Rovelli is so reknowned is because he does this perfectly。English has more words than most other languages which is why texts in tr Bit blown away by this。'Popular science' seems to me an inherently derogatory term that distinguishes proper academic jargon from the kind of thing Joe Public， with no grounding in the subject， might be able to understand if they felt like it。 It's extremely difficult to get the balance right between writing scientifically and being really patronising and the reason Rovelli is so reknowned is because he does this perfectly。English has more words than most other languages which is why texts in translation have a preciseness that most English texts lack。 That helps; there is nothing extraneous here， no verbiage。 But within that is suffused a kind of assured passion tinged with hopefulness that is poetic but not flim flam。 I was engrossed。I'm not certain Helgoland was the best title？ It implies it is about the island but the island only plays a role in the narrative of the history of quantum mechanics。 That would have been a better title。。。 But anyway， I didn't want it to end。 I didn't understand it all but it's like the singing during Latin Mass; sometimes the experience is enough。 。。。more
Flo！
，
My study association got this book from the publisher。 They wanted a review from them or something， but they also sent it to the wrong adress actually。 Very confusing， but funny。 Anyway， I was asked to read the book and make a review， which I will gladly do。 The experience of this book is different for someone like me， who had his quantum physics courses as a physics student， and to a more general audience。 The author starts with some history of the discovery of quantum physics by Heisenberg on My study association got this book from the publisher。 They wanted a review from them or something， but they also sent it to the wrong adress actually。 Very confusing， but funny。 Anyway， I was asked to read the book and make a review， which I will gladly do。 The experience of this book is different for someone like me， who had his quantum physics courses as a physics student， and to a more general audience。 The author starts with some history of the discovery of quantum physics by Heisenberg on the island of Helgoland， then explains what is so weird about quantum physics and begin to slide into the philosophy side。 This first part with the history and explaination of quantum physics is really fun and interesting。 I am already familiar with the classic examples of inference， Schrödinger's cat， Heisenberg's uncertainty principle， commutation relations etcetra， but it is always good to refresh the fundamentals。 On top of that， the history behind the discovery of it all is always an interesting read。 You read names of the European 1920s clique like Heisenberg， Born， Bohr， Schrödinger and of course Einstein which I recognise from my lectures and textbooks。 This history is very crucial in a sense that suddenly an entirely new way of mechnical thinking had to be developed。 Besides， it was funny to read about the character descriptions of some of these physicists such as （view spoiler）[Schrödinger fucked a lot （hide spoiler）]Then comes the philosophy part of the book。 Here the author explains the philosophical implications of that the observer is also part of the system of what is being observed。 I will not attempt to summarise what he wrote in this part， read it yourself。 In quantum physics， the observation changes the outcome of the system: the wavefunction collapses， the cat is either the alive or dead state etcetra。 Now this is a part which never comes up in my physics courses。 In physics， and here I will quote a well-loved professor here， you "shut up and do the math" and consider the fact that "physics is an empirical science"。 If you are more into philosophy than me， which is not difficult to be， then this might be more of a thing for you。 In this part， the author also jams in some things that he just really want to write about， which is interesting on its own， but clouds the message that the author wants to provide。 It is a good book: it explains （most） things well， it has a good build-up to the more complicated things and it is decently accessible for people。 Although I have to be careful with the term accessible。 For me the explaination of quantum phenomena was a refresher。 For someone who is completely new to this， the explaination could be awful， I don't know。 I think it is an amazing introductionairy book for the more interested person， especially for those very curious high schoolers， who are more into the philosophy side of things than me。 The thing is that personally， I just like the actual physics and history part a lot more。 Therefore I am disappointed that the first part was not that grand as the second。 The subtitle（in Dutch） is "The story behind quantum physics， [。。。]"， so I expected more of the history behind it。 That was not the case。 I will give it four stars as an attempt to rate it more 'objectively'。 However， I think I like it less than others because I am a physics student who is experienced with the topic。 So if you are a physics student who is not that interested in the philosophy side of quantum physics， like me， then this is not the book for you。 One last point to make is that the book physically is quite nice。 It is not big， the paper quality is amazing with firm outer sides and the text layout is just good。 There is also a hinge of book smell in there。 。。。more
Simone Corami
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Ritornare alla fisica quantistica， mia vecchia passione， è stato molto bello。 Rovelli è un grande divulgatore。
Peter Baran
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Helgoland is a small Danish Island （pair of islands） where Werner Heisenberg went to try to sort out the basic tenets of quantum physics， and in the description of Helgoland as a book I thought I was going to get a more biographical travelogue， trying to tie together the geography of the place with the outlandish ideas at the heart of Quantum physics。 Rovelli tries that for a few pages but is well away of the problem at the heart of the book， that no-one really understands Quantum Physics， not e Helgoland is a small Danish Island （pair of islands） where Werner Heisenberg went to try to sort out the basic tenets of quantum physics， and in the description of Helgoland as a book I thought I was going to get a more biographical travelogue， trying to tie together the geography of the place with the outlandish ideas at the heart of Quantum physics。 Rovelli tries that for a few pages but is well away of the problem at the heart of the book， that no-one really understands Quantum Physics， not even a lot of the people who do it。 So how do you tell a story about something people find fiendishly difficult to understand？ You try to explain it again。Helgoland is a fascinating stab at making a laymans guide to quantum physics， but it is clear early on that Rovelli has greater ambitions than that， He doesn't just want to explain quantum physics， he has a particular take on it to pimp， one which discards possible worlds， and superimposition of probability fields and instead relies on a relational description of the world。 Does it help that he also reaches for a Buddhist text to back this up， probably not but by the time we get to his model you're three quarters of the way through the book and you want to see how it pans out。 It pans out pretty well to be fair， my old Philosophy Of Science brain clicked into place， followed by the metaphysician and sceptic in me and whilst he never goes as far as Penrose did regarding quantum physics as the secret to where consciousness lies， he extrapolates a bold theory。 Quantum physics is the science of relationship， the observer affects the outcome because everything is an observer。 An electron with nothing to act in relation too might as well not exist。 This drags back to s pretty familiar philosophical idea，if a tree falls in a wood and no-one is there， does it make a sound。 But here the observe does not need to be active， it just needs to be something else that is affected， another atom， the space around it。 People are special observers， with out microscopes but being part of a network of relationship describes the universe。As a theory （model） I can't say that it necessarily solves the quantum physics description problem， and any philosophy of science stab at describing the "real world" that doesn't appear to have "things" in it initially always feels suspect。 It also could be that his description - the "real world is the information described within this network of relationships" is potentially axiomatic， that is what it means to exist （there are parallels here with number theory definitions which sounds clunky， but is just retrofitting a clever description on something we instinctively understand）。 Either way I was given a good work out and I do now understand quantum physics a bit more。 Maybe I would have liked a bit more of a blow by blow of Heisenberg on the island （though I was lucky enough to see Heisenberg played my Mark Strong in a very dodgy wig a few days later）。 I think Rovelli sometimes expects the reader to go along with him on both the science and his own conjecture， and that doesn't always work， but its skilfully done and since the history of scientists dabbling for answers in Buddhist philosophy is poor， more convincing than most。 。。。more
Tonino Filipovic
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While I admire Rovelli's ability to make quantum mechanics approachable to laymen like I am， this last work of his seems to me a least consistent of his entire opus。He tries to address quantum mechanics from both physics' and philosophical point of view， delving into the nature of consciousness， neuroscience and reality （where hundreds of books are written on each of these topics） - the only problem is that he tries to explain it all in a book of 200 pages。The outcome obviously can only be the w While I admire Rovelli's ability to make quantum mechanics approachable to laymen like I am， this last work of his seems to me a least consistent of his entire opus。He tries to address quantum mechanics from both physics' and philosophical point of view， delving into the nature of consciousness， neuroscience and reality （where hundreds of books are written on each of these topics） - the only problem is that he tries to explain it all in a book of 200 pages。The outcome obviously can only be the work that scratches the surface of each of those fields， leaving impression that the idea promised more than it delivered。Still， this book has it's bright moments as Rovelli is skillful narrator， always interesting to read and I'd recommend it to those already familiar with his work。 。。。more
Richard Hakes
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I have to admit I was a bit disappointed。 The quantum world is tricky to understand， I know enough to know that its not an easy subject but I just thought that failed to get fundamentals across！
Matthias
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I believe that one of the greatest mistakes made by human beings is to want certainties when trying to understand something。 The search for knowledge is not nourished by certainty: it is nourished by a radical absence of certainty。Delightful read。 Don't expect to understand quantum mechanics after reading this book。 But it excellently conveys how our ways of thinking about reality has changed。 4。5 I believe that one of the greatest mistakes made by human beings is to want certainties when trying to understand something。 The search for knowledge is not nourished by certainty: it is nourished by a radical absence of certainty。Delightful read。 Don't expect to understand quantum mechanics after reading this book。 But it excellently conveys how our ways of thinking about reality has changed。 4。5 。。。more
John
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OK the （little） maths bit I just accepted but the rest is very well explained。 。。 facinating！
Brian Hamilton
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