Breakfast with Einstein: The Exotic Physics of Everyday Objects

Probably the most fun physics book I have ever read. Describes how quantum mechanics affects every part of our modern everyday life. Very casual in tone, but rigorous in the science.

2022 book #18. 2018. Quantum physics for the lay person, assuming that person has a science or engineering degree. Interesting but pretty tough going in parts. Who would have thought you needed a knowledge of quantum physics to completely understand how your toaster works?

I saw a blurb about this book and thought I should read it because my knowledge of physics stems from high school and one university course almost 50 years ago. I wish I could say that I now understand physics better but that would not be true. If someone asked me to explain the physics of refrigerator magnets (one of the chapters that Orzel covers) I wouldn't be able to do it any better than I could before I read the book. And I think someone without even the minimal knowledge of physics and chemistry that I have would be even more lost. I was also disappointed that almost all of the scientists Orzel refers to are male; the exceptions are Marie Curie and her daughter Irene Joliot-Curie. It is probably true that males predominate in the show more field of physics but what about Lise Meitner who was one of three scientists responsible for developing nuclear fission or Donna Strickland who won a Nobel Prize in 2018 for developing pulsed lasers. Disappointing. show less