Al-Khalili begins by introducing the fundamental concepts of space, time, energy, and matter, and then describes the three pillars of modern physics--quantum theory, relativity, and thermodynamics--showing how all three must come together if we are ever to have a full understanding of reality. Using wonderful examples and thought-provoking analogies, Al-Khalili illuminates the physics of the extreme cosmic and quantum scales, the speculative frontiers of the field, and the physics that underpins our everyday experiences and technologies, bringing the reader up to speed with the biggest ideas in physics in just a few sittings. Physics is revealed as an intrepid human quest for ever more foundational principles that accurately explain the natural world we see around us, an undertaking guided by core values such as honesty and doubt. The knowledge discovered by physics both empowers and humbles us, and still, physics continues to delve valiantly into the unknown.

I like the way that in the preface you write, “I have no particular theory to plug.” Are there a lot of things causing disputes within the field at the moment? Al-Khalili begins by introducing the fundamental concepts of space, time, energy, and matter, and then describes the three pillars of modern physics—quantum theory, relativity, and thermodynamics—showing how all three must come together if we are ever to have a full understanding of reality. Using wonderful examples and thought-provoking analogies, Al-Khalili illuminates the physics of the extreme cosmic and quantum scales, the speculative frontiers of the field, and the physics that underpins our everyday experiences and technologies, bringing the reader up to speed with the biggest ideas in physics in just a few sittings. Physics is revealed as an intrepid human quest for ever more foundational principles that accurately explain the natural world we see around us, an undertaking guided by core values such as honesty and doubt. The knowledge discovered by physics both empowers and humbles us, and still, physics continues to delve valiantly into the unknown. I love the effortless learning I find in books like these. This one was great, as I’ve always found with this authors books, as I am a lover of Jim al-khalilis writings, I had to read the latest of his many wonderful popular science books. hal yang sudah kita temukan ternyata hanya 5% dari keseleruhan alam semesta. Yang 95%, dikenal sebagai zat gelap dan energi gelap, masih miterius.(hal.122) I really enjoyed his very short section on life and physics. Al-Khalili co-authored a 2014 book Johnjoe McFadden titled Life on the Edge. It's been too long since I read that book but it almost felt to me as if maybe he has newer or different ideas than the ones of focus in his previous book. I would really love it if he wrote a current book on physics and life. He almost apologized for physics dipping their toes in the water or first life research. I think this is the *only* way we will come to truly understand how life emerged.A good read. Al-Khalili gives a nice overview of the current state of play in fundamental physics and why understanding physics is important."—Jeff Forshaw, coauthor of Universal: A Journey through the Cosmos So, can you give a summary of what is currently so exciting in research at the forefront of physics? Awal tahun 2023 diawali dgn membaca buku Dunia Menurut Fisika. Buku ini sebenarnya lebih seperti pengantar fisika, di mana penulisnya mengajak kita utk memahami fenomena-fenomena dunia melalui kacamata Ilmu Fisika.

Absolutely. The Born-Einstein Letters is a collection of the correspondence of these two men over decades and decades. You know – ‘Dear Albert…’ ‘Dear Max…’ There’s no commentary at all, just the letters. Max Born is one of the unsung heroes of the quantum revolution. He was at least as influential as Bohr, Schrödinger and Heisenberg.Jim Al-Khalili’s latest masterpiece beautifully conveys just how profound, intimate, and unique our connection with science is. The Joy of Science awakens the scientific thinking that is deeply rooted in all of us, revealing not only what its methods truly are but also how one can find enlightenment by trying them out.”—Claudia de Rham, Imperial College London Update: It took me a while to find the video linked below, but when i was reading this book, I kept thinking of this video and thought it would be good to include in the review for anyone still struggling with the idea of infinite mass. Before we get to the books about physics that inspired you, I wanted to ask about the book you’ve written to inspire others. You’ve been on a valiant quest to make physics accessible to the rest of us for a while, but am I right to say that The World According to Physics is the first book where you’ve tried to give an overview of the entire field? I’m not expecting a person to read my book and say, ‘OK. I now understand the subtleties of quantum gravity or the nature of space and time.’ That takes a lifetime of effort and dedication.” In chapter seven, the author tries to explain the roads to unification. And basically why physicists have this urge to unify different concepts in physics.

A clear, simple, and fascinating account of what physics tells us about our universe, and—crucially—what evidence supports that view, from one of the most talented, inspiring, and informative popularizers of science. A triumph!"—Ian Stewart, author of Do Dice Play God? Along with lots of jabber about what Theory means in science (and "we will cover that in a later chapter"), Al-Khalili does go reasonably deeply into 3 key elements of modern physics: relativity, quantum mechanics and thermodynamics. I did truly try to keep up, but I found it hard to follow. I still couldn't really say what a Higgs Boson particle is (and Al-K spent a lot of time on it), nor do I know why the Hadron collider was able to prove its existence. For only a single example.

Let’s look at the physics books you’ve recommended. These are really the books that inspired you as you dedicated your life to this fascinating but difficult subject, is that right? in the end the book describes the different application of physics such as quantum computing and navigation and the connection to other science fields. Al-Khalili aims to empower readers to use critical thinking to evaluate the news, as well as their own knowledge and beliefs. He succeeds easily, with each chapter dedicated to a lesson readers can apply to their lives. . . . Readers overwhelmed by information overload will find this a balm."— Publishers Weekly This is a beautiful, straightforward, and readable little book with so much to say about how and why we do science. I recommend it to anyone in these crazy times who wants to understand the meaning and value of following the science.”—Daniel M. Altmann, Imperial College London

If I knew that then the King of Sweden would be calling me up with the Nobel. It’s counterintuitive and weird but we’ve learned to accept it. Quantum mechanics is hugely accurate – most of modern scientific development is based on it and on what it tells us about the subatomic world, but at its heart it says that an atom can be in two places at once. We’ve learned to live with that. Well, it seems like an optical illusion because you don’t feel any different. You don’t feel yourself becoming squashed up but the point is that everyone’s point of view is equally valid. The popular way of describing this would be to say: ‘Everything’s relative.’In this deeply insightful new book, Al-Khalili illuminates why physics matters to everyone and calls one and all to share in the profound adventure of seeking truth in the world around us. About the author The entirety of this book was just amazing and really held my interest. It has a great way of reducing down complex concepts into ways that are easier to understand, and is a great book for those who don’t have much of a basis in this field, and those who just love physics! Al-Khalili himself has authored plenty of books that delve deeply into the topics he covered in this compilation. No matter who you read, I suggest starting with this book which provides that perfect introduction to all of these topics and more. So it’s not the easiest of reads, but it’s one of the books that made me fall in love with physics. It’s one of the books that persuaded me that I wanted to spend the rest of my life dedicated to thinking about some of these ideas.