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 as 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.