Physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein on who should read books about physics. “The question of ‘What is space-time?’ doesn’t belong only to scientists. It belongs to everyone who has ever wondered about the bigger picture.”
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Comments 3
She's right. I am definitely going to buy either this or her previous book. Or both.
[The following paragraph is not aimed at her or her books: it's aimed at other people and other books.]
But. As an ex-physicist I have read too many books by physicists aimed at a general audiences which (a) do not explain their subject-matter (often QM, or string theory) very well or at all and (b) hype it up in a way to make it seem interesting and weird. Physics is interesting and weird but you need to have some understanding of it to see why. I believe it is possible for non-physicists to gain such an understanding, but some of these books just cop out and go straight for the woo. I hate that.
As I said parenthetically above: this is not aimed at her books which look a whole bunch more interesting than this and which I also have not yet read.
Are there books aimed at general audiences you would recommend?
That's a good question. I am not at home but if comments stay open long enough I will look at my bookshelves when I get back.
Of course my opinion is worth nothing: if people enjoy books I don't then who am I to whine about that?
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