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Something Deeply Hidden

Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime

Published by Oneworld Publications
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

From the Royal Society Winton Prize winner

‘An authoritative and beautifully written account of the quest to understand quantum theory and the origin of space and time.’ Professor Brian Cox


Quantum physics is not mystifying. The implications are mind-bending, and not yet fully understood, but this revolutionary theory is truly illuminating. It stands as the best explanation of the fundamental nature of our world.

Spanning the history of quantum discoveries, from Einstein and Bohr to the present day, Something Deeply Hidden is the essential guide to the most intriguing subject in science. Acclaimed physicist and writer Sean Carroll debunks the myths, resurrects and reinstates the Many-Worlds interpretation, and presents a new path towards solving the apparent conflict between quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theory of general relativity. In doing so, he fills a gap in the science that has existed for almost a century.

A magisterial tour, Something Deeply Hidden encompasses the cosmological and everyday implications of quantum reality and multiple universes. And – finally – it all makes sense.

About The Author

Sean Carroll is Homewood Professor of natural philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. He won the Royal Society Winton Prize for his book on the search for the elusive Higgs boson, The Particle at the End of the Universe, and The Big Picture was an international bestseller. He lives in Los Angeles. @seanmcarroll preposterousuniverse.com

Product Details

  • Publisher: Oneworld Publications (September 12, 2019)
  • Length: 368 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781786076342

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Raves and Reviews

‘Like all great writers, Carroll has the remarkable ability of putting the reader utterly at ease with his lucid and addictive prose. He leads you so gently and comfortably into his quantum world that you quickly forget you are being given access to the most profound ideas about the nature of reality.’

– Jim Al-Khalili, author of Quantum Mechanics (A Ladybird Expert Book)

‘A thrilling tour through what is perhaps humankind’s greatest intellectual achievement – quantum mechanics. With bold clarity, Carroll deftly unmasks quantum weirdness to reveal a strange but utterly wondrous reality.’

– Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe

‘Sean Carroll’s immensely enjoyable Something Deeply Hidden brings readers face-to-face with the fundamental quantum weirdness of the universe – or should I say universes? And by the end, you may catch yourself finding quantum weirdness not all that weird.’

– Jordan Ellenberg, author of How Not to Be Wrong

‘Carroll gives us a front-row seat to the development of a new vision of physics: one that connects our everyday experiences to a dizzying hall-of-mirrors universe in which our very sense of self is challenged. It’s a fascinating idea, and one that just might hold clues to a deeper reality.’

– Katie Mack, theoretical astrophysicist, North Carolina State University, author of The End of Everything (forthcoming)

‘Sean Carroll beautifully clarifies the debate about the foundations of quantum mechanics, and champions the most elegant, courageous approach: the astonishing “Many-Worlds” interpretation. His explanations of its pros and cons are clear, even-handed, and philosophically gobsmacking.’

– Steven Strogatz, author of Infinite Powers

‘[A] challenging, provocative book…moving smoothly through different topics and from objects as small as particles to those as enormous as black holes, Carroll’s exploration of quantum theory introduces readers to some of the most groundbreaking ideas in physics today.’

– Publishers Weekly

‘Sean Carroll is always lucid and funny, gratifyingly readable, while still excavating depths… A fascinating and important book.’

– Janna Levin, author of Black Hole Blues

‘Irresistible and an absolute treat to read. While this is a book about some of the deepest current mysteries in physics, it is also a book about metaphysics as Carroll lucidly guides us on how to not only think about the true and hidden nature of reality but also how to make sense of it. I loved this book.’

– Priyamvada Natarajan, theoretical astrophysicist, Yale University, and author of Mapping the Heavens

‘A masterpiece…stands along with Feynman’s QED as one of the two best popularizations of quantum mechanics I’ve ever seen.’

– Scott Aaronson, Professor of Computer Science, University of Texas at Austin, and Director of UT’s Quantum Information Center

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