Charles Liu - The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book

Quantum Physics. Quantum Mechanics. Quantum Computing. Quantum Chemistry. Quantum Astronomy. Quantum Theory. Quantum Time. Quantum physics literally underpins everything around us. It’s fundamental to the world and the universe, and yet many of us know next to nothing about it! How does it work? How does it affect you, me, and the universe?

Explaining everything from the basics to the latest theories and from practical applications to the future might hold, The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book by Charles Liu, Ph.D. (Visible Ink Press // July 16, 2024 // $29.95) makes quantum physics and its impact on us, the world, and the universe entertaining and easy to grasp. This engaging and approachable guide provides clear answers to more than 800 of the most frequently asked, most interesting, and most fascinating questions about quantum physics, including …

 Did the Big Bang arise from quantum foam?

 When did philosophers first consider the existence of atoms?

 How was radioactivity discovered?

 What is the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated?

 Why did Albert Einstein say, “God does not play dice with the universe”?  Does entangled time mean the present can affect the past?

 How does quantum physics appear in portrayals of space?

 How do animals sense magnetic fields?

 What did quantum physicist Erwin Schrödinger say about free will?

 Does quantum physics predict the existence of a multiverse?

 What is quantum teleportation?

 What is artificial intelligence?

Governing the behavior of matter and energy on minuscule scales, quantum physics affects you in countless ways. It helps shape everything, from the DNA inside you and the sun shining on you to the mobile phone in your hand and the computer on your desk.

Quantum physics appears in so many sciences—and even psychology and philosophy! It is all around us. Without it, the sun wouldn’t shine. With its role in photosynthesis, it literally supports life. And it might even mean that the multiverse is real. The world is an amazing and often complex place, and through quantum physics all of us may one day understand the universe and how it all works!!

About the author

Charles Liu, Ph.D. is a professor of astrophysics at the City University of New York’s College of Staten Island, an associate with the Hayden Planetarium and Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, and host of the podcast The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu. He earned degrees in astronomy, astrophysics, and physics from Harvard and the University of Arizona, and he held postdoctoral positions at Kitt Peak National Observatory and at Columbia University. His research focuses on colliding galaxies, starburst galaxies, quasars, and the star formation history of the universe. In addition to his research publications, Liu also writes for students and general audiences, including Visible Ink Press’ popular The Handy Physics Answer Book and The Handy Astronomy Answer Book; StarTalk with Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Jeffery Lee Simons; and The Cosmos Explained. Among his many professional honors, Charles has been awarded the American Astronomical Society Education Prize and the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award. He currently serves as president of the Astronomical Society of New York and is a fellow of the American Astronomical Society. Charles and his wife have three children, and they live in Montclair, New Jersey.