What is quantum physics, how was it conceived, and what does it tell us about ourselves? These are the questions Carlo Rovelli attempts to answer with cultural and philosophical depth while remaining clear, concise, and often beautifully poetic.
He begins by describing quantum theory through the fascinating tale of its birth, which briefly features the stark, “Sacred” island of Helgoland in the North Sea where young Werner Heisenberg first peeked beyond classical mechanics into the “strangely beautiful interior” of reality. Each of the great minds that contributed their inspiration and genius come alive in Rovelli’s retelling, and the basics of quantum mechanics are revealed, though only in their barest form. Rovelli then gives us an intelligible tour of the strange attempts at understanding quantum theory, explaining convincingly why he favors the relational interpretation.
”The properties of an object are the way in which it acts upon other objects: reality is this web of interactions. Instead of seeing the physical world as a collection of objects with definite properties, quantum theory invites us to see the physical world as a net of relations. Objects are its nodes.”
In summary, ours is a granular, probabilistic, and ultimately relative world built not on solid objects but only on a web of interactions made coherent by entanglement—”the intersubjectivity that grounds the objectivity of our communal vision of the world.”
Rovelli spends the rest of the book grappling with the implications of this transformed vision of the world for our philosophy, our conception of self, and our sense of meaning. To me, this was the best part, especially his comparison of quantum mechanics to the wisdom of Nāgārjuna, a revered 2nd century Indian Buddhist saint and philosopher.
”There is no ultimate or mysterious essence to understand—that is the true essence of our being. “I” is nothing other than the vast and interconnected set of phenomena that constitute it, each one dependent on something else.”
I noticed many parallels in Rovelli’s descriptions to those of complex systems theory, nondualist philosophy, and, more subtly, to monistic idealism, despite Rovelli’s obvious aversion to idealism in general. His approach effectively negates mind/body dualism as well as metaphysical absolutes while avoiding a complete spiral into the abyss of nihilism. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone with an open mind willing to rebuild reality from the ground up. I will leave you with a few highlights:
”To understand that we do not exist as autonomous entities helps us free ourselves from attachments and suffering.”
”Precisely because of its impermanence, because of the absence of any absolute, the now has meaning and is precious.”
”We are nothing but images of images. Reality, including our selves, is nothing but a thin and fragile veil, beyond which… there is nothing.”
Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution
4.5 | 1,123 ratings
Price: 11.81
Last update: 07-22-2024
Top reviews from the United States
John
The history and philosophical ramifications of our quantum world, beautifully explored
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2021
Clin
Carlo Rovelli is a pleasure to read
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2021
Clin
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2021
If you are looking for deep technical knowledge, there is not much here. It is in the simplest terms a broad discussion on the topic. The book takes its name from an Island one of the principals of quantum mechanics inhabited for a time in order to obtain the time and space to think portions of it through.
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Alexander M. Cavazos
Thoroughly enjoyed this book...
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2021