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QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter

richard p. feynman

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Famous the world over for the creative brilliance of his insights into the physical world, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman also possessed an extraordinary talent for explaining difficult concepts to the nonscientist. QED--the edited version of four lectures on quantum electrodynamics that Feynman gave to the general public at UCLA as part of the Alix G. Mautner Memorial Lecture series--is perhaps the best example of his ability to communicate both the substance and the spirit of science to the layperson.

The focus, as the title suggests, is quantum electrodynamics (QED), the part of the quantum theory of fields that describes the interactions of the quanta of the electromagnetic field-light, X rays, gamma rays--with matter and those of charged particles with one another. By extending the formalism developed by Dirac in 1933, which related quantum and classical descriptions of the motion of particles, Feynman revolutionized the quantum mechanical understanding of the nature of particles and waves. And, by incorporating his own readily visualizable formulation of quantum mechanics, Feynman created a diagrammatic version of QED that made calculations much simpler and also provided visual insights into the mechanisms of quantum electrodynamic processes.

In this book, using everyday language, spatial concepts, visualizations, and his renowned "Feynman diagrams" instead of advanced mathematics, Feynman successfully provides a definitive introduction to QED for a lay readership without any distortion of the basic science. Characterized by Feynman's famously original clarity and humor, this popular book on QED has not been equaled since its publication.

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1985

This edition

Format
176 pages, Paperback
Published
October 1, 1988 by Princeton University Press
ISBN
9780691024172
ASIN
0691024170
Language
English

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About the author

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richard p. feynman

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Richard Phillips Feynman was an American physicist known for the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics and the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as work in particle physics (he proposed the parton model). For his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics, Feynman was a joint recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, together with Julian Schwinger and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga. Feynman developed a widely used pictorial representation scheme for the mathematical expressions governing the behavior of subatomic particles, which later became known as Feynman diagrams. During his lifetime and after his death, Feynman became one of the most publicly known scientists in the world.

He assisted in the development of the atomic bomb and was a member of the panel that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. In addition to his work in theoretical physics, Feynman has been credited with pioneering the field of quantum computing, and introducing the concept of nanotechnology (creation of devices at the molecular scale). He held the Richard Chace Tolman professorship in theoretical physics at Caltech.

-wikipedia

See Ричард Фейнман

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stillbummed
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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How can you not love Richard Feynman? This is as easy a lesson in quantum electrodynamics as you'll find, I think. Which is not to say "easy," but painless to read and absorbable with enough concentration and/or re-reading of the harder parts. No more math than you are already familiar with, just kind of hard to wrap your mind around.
I have often complained that I didn't "believe in" quantum theory because it doesn't make sense. It turns out that nobody understands WHY it works, but Dr. Feynman does explain HOW it works and the experimental evidence that PROVES it works. At the time of the writing, they were still working on it and as far as I know, they are still. It is vexing and puzzling but like it or not, it's life.
There are 4 lectures on QED on Youtube with the infamous Dr. Feynman. If you don't even like math or science you will still love the good humored, enthusiastic and irresistibly adorable Nobel prize winner. Here's the link to the first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLQ2a...
Watch the lectures and read the book and you'll understand QED .... somewhat. Very fun, believe it or not.
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Yuussha
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Jæja, nú náði ég ekki lestrarmarkmiðinu (skandall), en ég er hinsvegar með amk 5 bækur sem ég byrjaði en gafst upp á. Hér kemur sú fyrsta.

Verdict: Fín

Alls ekki jafn áhugaverð og margar aðrar eðlisfræðibækur ætlaðar almenningi (vissulega bara út af umfangsefni bókarinnar, en þá eru bara umfangsefnið OG bókin óáhugaverð þ.a. það breytir engu). Lengst af bara einfölduð tæknileg umfjöllun um útreikninga í skammtafræði sem er ekkert sérstaklega áhugavert fyrir almenning. Grunar líka að mikið af innsæinu glatist við einföldunina (eða ekki, hver veit, ekki ég amk). Feynman hlýtur þó að eiga hrós skilið fyrir að geta sett þetta efni fram á hátt sem er amk smá aðgengilegur almenningi, en það er ekkert nýtt.

Hefði ekki klárað að lesa ef ég væri ekki að reyna að ná lestrarmarkmiðinu fyrir 2024.

Held ég sé farinn að eiga erfiðara með að lesa fræðibækur á íslensku en ensku :((
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AnmolNegi
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter is an outstanding book on a subject that is often overlooked or glossed-over in many popular physics books. Feynman does a deep dive on Quantum Electrodynamics: a theory that deals not only with the various interactions between light and matter, but which can be applied to every area of physics with the exception of gravitation and nuclear physics.

The theory of QED is fascinating, both in its explanatory power and its elegance. Using only a handful of conceptual tools, and working with just two fundamental particles - the photon and electron - it can describe phenomena as varied as reflection and refraction of light, changes in the speed of light through different mediums, quantum interference, lenses (I found the application of QED to this seemingly mundane property of glass to be particularly mind-blowing), and even suggests how all the diverse properties of the elements arise from only three basic actions performed by these two fundamental particles.

To say that this book changed the way I see the world is only a slight overstatement - it has certainly opened my eyes. QED is an absolute must-read for anyone with an interest in physics. Feynman takes great pains to present the theory in a clear and logical way, and while the subject is challenging, it is utterly comprehensible from cover to cover. This is by far the best popular science book I've read in a long time - I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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ScottSterling
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Although a bit more conceptually demanding, technically trying and theoretically abstract than some of his other, more widely-read pop-science books (I’m thinking primarily of the bestselling “Six Pieces” duet published in the 1950s—a titularly symmetrical though somewhat uncreatively named duology, comprised of the now-classic tomes, “Six Easy-, and “Six Not-So-Easy Pieces”), “QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter” is still an engaging and elegant expostulation of some of the most thorny and mind-bending theories of the twentieth century—and which still challenge the brightest minds of the twenty-first—punctuated by Feynman’s characteristic exuberance, creative outside-of-the-box thinking, and pure, childlike wonder at the mysteries of Nature that always come across so clearly in his prose. Feynman’s unabashed aim of educating the broader public; his very un-professorial tone; his interspersed jokes and common touch; surmounted by his folksy, metaphor-rich explanations may bother the more fastidious and advanced (not to say snooty!) reader who may be looking for and expecting something closer to a post-graduate level seminar from this eternally-adolescent Nobel laureate, but the fact that a minuscule portion of the physics contemporary to Feynman’s writing of “QED” (and, in case you’re wondering, the acronym in the book’s title stands for Quantum Electrodynamics—definitely not for “quod erat demonstrandum,” the better-known, slightly arrogant mic-drop Latin phrase shouted gleefully upon pummeling one’s interlocutor in scientific or philosophical argument) really isn’t much of a strike against the book—especially for anyone interested not only in science, but also in the history (and to a lesser extent the epistemology) of science. “QED” is a unique time-capsule of a book written by one of the most unique and influential geniuses of the 20th century. And of course, it’s also a typically entertaining, informative, and adept piece of Feynmanian explication. As Feynman himself once said, he didn’t believe that he could have fully absorbed and understood a theory until he was able to effectively explain it to a class of undergraduates (Feynman is chock-full of these sorts of casually brilliant and insightful maxims).

The most salient point of all, though, is the inherent value in reading a book like “QED”. I found the experience both deeply fascinating and profoundly informative, which has been my reaction to everything else I’ve ever read by Feynman. And I expect that reading this book will enhance most anyone’s overall understanding not only of 20th, but 21st century physics—in particular quantum electrodynamics. It generously imparts to the reader both the complexity and the innate beauty of our extraordinary cosmos; of the still-mysterious and hotly debated significance of the preternatural success of mathematics, and the superhuman ability it imparts to human scientists who wish to define and delimit, and then structure of the cosmos—to successfully predict the far future, as well as retrodict the distant past; of the epiphanic simplicity and intellectually harmonious perspective that only a mind like Feynman’s (even decades after his death) can still offer any reader with a curious and open mind.
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defestore
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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A masterpiece of popular science. Feynman did what most authors can only dream of... He explained extremely difficult concepts from his path integral formulation of quantum mechanics and he even made renormalization sound intuitive... and he did it all without any equations, but without hand-waving.

I feel like I really understood something... maybe that's because I'm a physicist and I know some of these things, but nevertheless I think Feynman explained everything so clearly that a layman could understand it without any difficulties.

That's what a good popular science book should be like.
Highly recommended, obviously. Don't you want to understand how our world works?
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Ismata-chan
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Richard Feynman, a quien suele llamarse el físico más importante desde Einstein, dijo que sólo podía esperar explicar la manera en que las cosas funcionan, pero no por qué funcionan así. Debemos aceptar, dijo, «la Naturaleza como es: absurda»

Religión sin dios Pág.53
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SilentAmarok
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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ফাইনম্যান লোকটা কিন্তু ফাইন!
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nathan34950
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Ще одна книжка в якій я (гуманітарій) пробує шось зрозуміти в квантовій фізиці. І от скажу чесно, при тому, що сказати що "зрозумів" було б дуже голосно, ця книжка насправді наблизила до розуміння. Дуже круто розжовано звідки взагалі взялась теорія (на простому есперименті з відбиттям світла), яка математика лежить під нею (є прості формули), як це все потім експериментально підтверджувалось і головне - в правильних місцях повторюється що "так, це є незрозуміло і нелогічно і не співставляється з логікою фізики нормальних величин, тут правила інші".
Точно не скажу що легко читається - місцями прям дуже складно і незрозуміло, але загальна картина сприймається якось цілісніше. Дуже сподобався останній розділ (лекція) про інші проблеми і суміжні теорії. Викладено трошки поверхневіше але дуже цікаво. Нарешті, хтось нормально пояснив субатомні частинки (їх масу,заряд, "покоління") і як це все працює.
Все це здобрено хорошим саморінічним і "задротським" гумором.
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