Q is for quantum

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Amir D. Aczel

"Serious scientists, working off of theories, first developed by Einstein and his colleagues seventy years ago, have been investigating the phenomenon known as "entanglement," one of the strangest aspects of the strange universe of quantum mechanics.". "According to Einstein, quantum theory required entanglement - the idea that subatomic particles could become inextricably linked, and that a change to one such particle would instantly be reflected in its counterpart even if a universe separated them. Einstein felt that if the quantum theory could produce such incredibly bizarre effects then it had to be invalid. But new experiments in both the United States and Europe show not only that it does happen, but that it may lead to unbreakable codes and even teleportation."--BOOK JACKET.

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Jonathan Silvertown

"The story of seeds, in a nutshell, is a tale of evolution. From the tiny sesame that we sprinkle on our bagels to the forty-five-pound double coconut borne by the coco de mer tree, seeds are a perpetual reminder of the complexity and diversity of life on earth. How and why do some lie dormant for years on end? How did seeds evolve? The wide variety of uses that humans have developed for seeds of all sorts also receives a fascinating look, studded with examples, including foods, oils, perfumes, and pharmaceuticals."--Global Books in Print.

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Allan G. Johnson

"This new edition of Allan G. Johnson's one-volume dictionary includes 75 new entries, as well as an expanded biographical section, extensive revisions and updates, and more thorough cross-referencing. The combination of clear prose, engaging examples, a single author's voice, and minimal assumptions about the average reader's prior knowledge of the field, makes this a distinctive and valuable reference work.". "Johnson defines amorphous and fuzzy sociological concepts in a lively and sensible way and his book provides an introduction to what it means to think sociologically. For a deeper understanding of social life, and of the only discipline dedicated to making sense of it in all its diversity, this dictionary is a perfect guide."--BOOK JACKET.

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Lewis H. Ryder

This book is a modern pedagogic introduction to the ideas and techniques of quantum field theory. After a brief overview of particle physics and a survey of relativistic wave equations and Lagrangian methods, the quantum theory of scalar and spinor fields, and then of gauge fields, is developed. The emphasis throughout is on functional methods, which have played a large part in modern field theory. The book concludes with a brief survey of 'topological' objects in field theory and, new to this edition, a chapter devoted to supersymmetry.