How To Teach Quantum Physics To Your Dog by Chad Orzel

Author : Chad Orzel
Title : How To Teach Quantum Physics To Your Dog
Published : 2010

Publisher : Oneworld Publications 

Pages : 304
Genre : Non Fiction

     Emmy is no ordinary dog. When adopted from the shelter by physics professor Chad Orzel, she becomes immediately fascinated by his work. Could she use quantum tunneling to get through the neighbor's fence? How about diffracting around a tree to chase squirrels? Or using virtual particles to catch bunnies made of cheese? Taking Emmy's anarchic behavior as a starting point, Orzel explains the key theories of quantum physics. From quarks and gluons to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, this is a uniquely entertaining way to unlock the secrets of the universe.

     For me, there is something about the study of how the universe is put together that grabs my brain and won't let it go. There is something beautiful in how everything is connected and by studying this interaction we learn just how similar everything truly is. While a great many books have been written on the subject by minds far greater than mine, many can be a struggle to get through without a much better understanding of the subject. What Orzel attempts to do in this book is break it down into my digestible parts. This is done ion the form of Emmy his must trusted and smart than the average dog. 

     Emmy has two great obsessions in life, the first is how to get food at her beckon call. The second is how to capture evil squirrels, complete with small goatee beards, the squirrel not Emmy. Now at this point, you may well question what these two things have to do with quantum physics. Well as it turns out quite a lot. As it can help with the acquisition of both.  As Emmy asks her questions her owner attempts to you use science to help in her goals. Some reviews I read complained about this very thing, and I have to ask my self what exactly they thought they were getting into when buying a book called how to teach quantum physics to your dog.  For me at least I think it's a light-hearted way to tackle such a big subject and also may be a way of getting younger readers into the book. It also goes a long way to add some humor to the subject and the book as a whole. Not that for me it needs it as I find the subject fascinating but it's still a nice touch.

     The book deals with some very big subject within the field, and in the case of most books if you only have a passing interest it can lead to it wrinkling your brain.  With this text, it for me was just the right amount to get a grasp of the basic concepts for each problem he was trying to explain. No, I must say that I did not read this book entirely in one sitting. It felt like the kind of book to read alongside something else. you could go through a couple of chapters a day and you would be fine. It would also allow the mind time to process all the ideas and concepts being thrown at it. And for its worth, there are a lot. What you are not going to get her is a real deep understanding of the subject. Each of the topics talked would need there own book. But I did feel that it would be good to peak someone's interest and have a starting block to jump off from. Despite the heady subjects tackled I felt the author presented them In a way most of us could understand relating them to real-world problems something easier said than done when talking about how our very universe is put together. 

     As I said previously this book is a starting point, if you have already read a lot on the subject or even study it, then this is not the book for you. But it can work as a great aid for those young minds or curious older ones and will provide a few laughs along the way from a dog who very much like a treat, please.