Helgoland
by Carlo Rovelli · first published 2020
12mentions
4recommended by
7HN commenters
2021–2025first – last mentioned
57% recommend43% neutral
In June 1925, twenty-three-year-old Werner Heisenberg, suffering from hay fever, had retreated to the treeless, wind-battered island of Helgoland in the North Sea in order to think. Walking all night, by dawn he had wrestled with an idea that would transform the whole of science and our very conception of the world. In Helgoland Carlo Rovelli tells the story of the birth of quantum physics and its bright young founders who were to become some of the most famous Nobel winners in science. It is a celebration of youthful rebellion and intellectual revolution. An invitation to a magical place.
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Carlo Rovelli's book Helgoland[1] is a short and accessible account of the various philosophical interpretations of quantum phenomena, along with their shortcomings. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the topic. Rovelli is…
on “Quantum mechanics and our part in creating reality” ↗…the game would be a better teaching tool if there were explanations before/after you complete a level For people interested in QM but without a physics/math background Carlo Rovelli has a book called Helgoland that explains a lot of the basics in a non-technical way
on “Visualizing quantum mechanics in an interactive simulation” ↗…the observer into the equation. Once the observer (or the affected system, same thing, in the end) is incorporated, a lot of the things about superposition that needed interpretation disappear. Read Helgoland for more. (My physics degree was a long time ago and my math is quite out of date. While Rovelli doesn’t discuss QC in the book, his take on what superposition is not has strong implications for QC AFAICT.)
on “Disentangling the facts from the hype of quantum computing” ↗Consider reading Carlo Rovelli's "Helgoland", which is a good introduction both to Rovelli (a brilliant, poetic, and humble writer) and to Relational Quantum Mechanics, of which he is a major proponent and likely founder. Why? Because he asserts…
on “What makes quantum computing so hard to explain?” ↗1. "Helgoland: The world of quantum theory" It's relatively light on physics but I loved the philosophical mixin. 2. "Seed of knowledge, stone of plenty". Mostly about the electromagnetic properties of ancient monuments…
on “Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021?” ↗…first chapter) Topoi, Goldblatt (tough read, but Category Theory calls to me) The Order of Time, Rovelli (his work is the clearest explication I’ve yet encountered of how QM might really be) Helgoland, Rovelli (ibid)
on “Ask HN: Which book are you reading, since when?” ↗Helgoland by Rovelli is probably my all-time favourite book. I have recently finished 'The beginning of infinity' by David Deutsch (another bestseller), another quantum physicist and was deeply disappointed. While…
on “Anaximander and the Nature of Science by Carlo Rovelli Review” ↗For anyone interested in other theories that were not mentioned and not satisfied with the unfalsifiability of Many Worlds I can recommend reading Carlo Rovelli's book Helgoland and his Relational Quantum Mechanics[0]. [0]: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-relational/
on “How David Bohm and Hugh Everett changed quantum theory” ↗…as a scientist, and he has a gift for writing beautiful and accessible prose about some pretty heady topics. If you are interested in RQM but find this article somewhat dry, check out his short book "Helgoland". I find both RQM and Rovelli's notion of "thermal time" (i.e. the idea causality and entropy are emergent properties dependent on our perspective, as opposed to fundamental features of reality) to be…
on “Relational Quantum Mechanics” ↗Review of the book Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution by Carlo Rovelli. According to the review the author proposes that there is no essence to things but only relations, but doesn't explain his theory completely.
on “A crash course on our boundlessly bizarre universe” ↗I read Helgoland at the weekend (in a hammock at a glamping lodge in the jungle) and have been meaning since to buy some prisms to see if I can replicate that experiment. Do you happen to know if it's as simple as he…
on “Quantum mechanics and our part in creating reality” ↗From my favorite theoretical physicist (author of "The order of time", "Reality is not what it seems", "Helgoland", etc.) comes yet another book referencing his fascinating work.
on “A New Book by Carlo Rovelli: “White Holes”” ↗