Everything around us – trees, buildings, food, light, water, air and even ourselves – is composed of minute particles, smaller than a nanometer (a billionth of a meter). Quantum physics is the science of these particles and without it none of our electronic devices, from smartphones to computers and microwave ovens, would exist.
But quantum physics also pushes us to the very boundaries of what we know about science, reality and the structure of the universe. The world of quantum physics is an amazing place, where quantum particles can do weird and wonderful things, acting totally unlike the objects we experience in day-to-day life. How can atoms exist in two places at once? And just how can a cat be dead and alive at the same time? Find out more with this entertaining illustrated guide to the fascinating, mysterious world of quantum physics.
Topics include: quanta, light, waves and particles, mass, photons, atoms, molecules, spectra, wave-particle duality, matter and antimatter, Schrödinger’s cat, the Uncertainty Principle, probability waves, quantum entanglement, radioactivity and quarks.
Eduard Altarriba is a graphic designer and illustrator. He runs Alababalà, a Barcelona-based independent studio producing games, exhibitions, animation, apps and workbooks for children that are practical and fun.