existence means. These things are important, because our belief about what is must affect how we see our place within it, and our belief about what we are. In turn, what we believe ultimately affects what we actually are and, therefore, how we behave.” ~ Euan Squires

Quantum physics appears frequently in popular literature because it raises some of the deepest questions about the nature of the universe and ourselves. But it is also one of the most misrepresented and misinterpreted areas of modern science. This presentation will briefly outline the conceptual highlights of quantum physics, to set up a discussion of what these insights have to say about the fundamental nature of reality. We'll survey the basic elements of quantum theory and touch on subjects such as measurement, entanglement, quantum teleportation, and quantum computing. Be prepared to stretch your mind, but the focus is on conceptual understanding rather than the mathematics. No formal background in physics is assumed or required.

About the presenter

Todd Duncan combines a research background in physics and astronomy with experience teaching science concepts to a wide range of audiences. Todd has a Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Chicago, and physics degrees from Cambridge University and the University of Illinois. He's the author of Glimpses of Wonder and An Ordinary World, and coauthor of Your Cosmic Context, an introductory college cosmology text.

Further Reading and Related Resources

• • Glimpses of Wonder, by Todd Duncan (Chapter 9 outlines the main ideas of this presentation)

  • Quantum Enigma, by Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner (Oxford, 2006)

  • Squires, Euan. The Mystery of the Quantum World (Second Edition), Institute of Physics Publishing, 1994. A good non-technical overview of the conceptual highlights of quantum physics, emphasizing the challenge they present to our common-sense view of reality.

  • Baggott, Jim. The Meaning of Quantum Theory, Oxford, 1992. A good overview of quantum theory, includes technical details but from a perspective that focuses on, "what does this mean?"

  • Greenstein, George and Zajonc, Arthur. The Quantum Challenge: Modern Research on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (1997). For those with a college-level background in physics, this book provides an excellent introduction to the key experimental results from quantum physics that challenge our commonsense worldview. Bridges the gap between popular books that leave out the technical details of the experiments, and standard textbooks with very little discussion of the meaning of these results for our worldview.

  • Mermin, N. David, "Is the moon there when nobody looks? Reality and the quantum theory," April 1985 Physics Today, p. 38. Great way of understanding the essence of the EPR paradox and Bell's Theorem.

  • Feynman, R.P. QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter. 1985. Good for gaining the intuition for understanding the strange behavior inherent in quantum mechanics. Simplified, but accurate so that you don't have to unlearn anything when you add the math.

  • Science News: 11/20/99, p. 334 (article on quantum entanglement)