Introduction

Surely you picked up the because you’re curious about quantum physics and you want to learn about it. Perhaps you’ve heard that some of nature’s smallest particles choose sometimes to behave (or misbehave) like waves. Or perhaps you read that in the quantum realm, cats can be both alive and dead at the same time. Or maybe you want to learn more about how quantum physics applies to everyday life or may one day lead to the world’s fastest and most secure computers.

In any case, you probably want to jump right into the great discoveries of the great quantum physicists–Planck, Bohr, Heisenberg, and Schroedinger. If you want to truly appreciate the value of their work, however, you’re going to need some sort of baseline against which to gauge its full wonder.

Never fear, we will discuss everything you want to know about quantum physics, and probably more. To get warmed up, though, we’re going to introduce you to the most important pillars of “non-quantum” physics. These days this goes by the quaint term “classical” physics, given its charm and utility that survive to this day. Our story will soon begin beneath an apple tree in the seventeenth century English countryside—with nothing less than the birth of physics.