David Darling

Teleportation

Most people will be familiar with the idea of teleportation from science fiction films, an such a device would be extremely useful but how likely is it that it will ever be created? In Teleportation: The impossible leap David Darling explains some of the discoveries which may eventually lead to a teleportation device. The book starts with a chapter looking at teleportation in science fiction, and then introduces the reader to the physics of teleportation and in particular to quantum theory. Darling then describes how recent experiments have brought quantum teleportation closer to reality.

In fact my criticism of the book is that it is more about quantum theory than about teleportation. It looks at the history of quantum theory, at quantum cryptography and at quantum computation. It might suit you if you want to find out about quantum theory but in that case I would recommend a book with some diagrams. My view is that when we do get a teleportation device, it will probably involve physics which is completely different to what is known as quantum teleportation today. The last chapter of the book does get on to discussing such, more 'classical', devices and the philosophical issues of teleportation, but I woul have like to have seen much more of the book devoted to this.

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Hardcover 288 pages
ISBN: 0471470953
Salesrank: 673400
Weight:0.95 lbs

Published: 2005 Wiley

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Amazon.co.uk info

Hardcover 288 pages
ISBN: 0471470953
Salesrank: 515144
Weight:0.95 lbs

Published: 2005 John Wiley & Sons

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Hardcover 288 pages
ISBN: 0471470953
Salesrank: 222930
Weight:0.95 lbs

Published: 2005 Wiley

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Product Description
An authoritative, entertaining examination of the ultimate thrill ride Until recently the stuff of sci-fi fiction and Star Trek reruns, teleportation has become a reality-for subatomic particles at least. In this eye-opening book, science author David Darling follows the remarkable evolution of teleportation, visiting the key labs that have cradled this cutting-edge science and relating the all-too-human stories behind its birth. He ties in the fast emerging fields of cryptography and quantum computing, tackles some thorny philosophical questions (for instance, can a soul be teleported?), and asks when and how humans may be able to "beam up."

Product Description

An authoritative, entertaining examination of the ultimate thrill ride
Until recently the stuff of sci-fi fiction and Star Trek reruns, teleportation has become a reality-for subatomic particles at least. In this eye-opening book, science author David Darling follows the remarkable evolution of teleportation, visiting the key labs that have cradled this cutting-edge science and relating the all-too-human stories behind its birth. He ties in the fast emerging fields of cryptography and quantum computing, tackles some thorny philosophical questions (for instance, can a soul be teleported?), and asks when and how humans may be able to "beam up."

Very disappointed In this one **
When I had originally ordered this, I was really intrigued about an entire book devoted to the topic of teleportation. I had read everything on the internet about the subject and felt I wanted to go deeper in to the complexities and possibilities of current and future research. And based on the title "Teleportation, the Impossible leap" that's what I expected this book to deliver. But sadly, that was not the case. The first 130 pages are devoted to what I would kindly refer to as "fill". Darling basically just regurgitates the history of physics and at such a simplistic level that any first year physics student would find it pedantic. I realize Darling, or his supporters, would say that such information is necessary because the book has to appeal to a mass market and the least knowledgeable reader. This would be fine if the book had plans to go deeply in to the subject of teleporation in later chapters. But at only 251 pages, over half of the book is gone before the subject of teleporation is even touched upon. Darling has a nice little physics chronology in the back that basically just restates everything in the first half of the book. In my opinion, he should have just included this at the start of the book and doubled the section that dealt with the real subject, teleportation. I have to admit that Darling in an excellent writer and makes complex subjects easy for the reader to understand. But after paying $19 for this book, I would have expected it to be longer and more in depth.

Very disappointed In this one **

When I had originally ordered this, I was really intrigued about an entire book devoted to the topic of teleportation. I had read everything on the internet about the subject and felt I wanted to go deeper in to the complexities and possibilities of current and future research. And based on the title "Teleportation, the Impossible leap" that's what I expected this book to deliver. But sadly, that was not the case. The first 130 pages are devoted to what I would kindly refer to as "fill". Darling basically just regurgitates the history of physics and at such a simplistic level that any first year physics student would find it pedantic. I realize Darling, or his supporters, would say that such information is necessary because the book has to appeal to a mass market and the least knowledgeable reader. This would be fine if the book had plans to go deeply in to the subject of teleporation in later chapters. But at only 251 pages, over half of the book is gone before the subject of teleporation is even touched upon. Darling has a nice little physics chronology in the back that basically just restates everything in the first half of the book. In my opinion, he should have just included this at the start of the book and doubled the section that dealt with the real subject, teleportation.
I have to admit that Darling in an excellent writer and makes complex subjects easy for the reader to understand. But after paying $19 for this book, I would have expected it to be longer and more in depth.

Fascinating But Frustrating ***
This book is a peculiar mix of interesting science blended with frustratingly bad writing and poor editing. It slogs through (granted some slogging is appreciated) the entire history of physics, somewhat breathlessly leading you toward teleportation and quantum computing ... which should have been the START of the book, not the END. And the whole thing is book-ended by some heavy handed and sophmorically written sci-fi vignettes about some future dork trying to make up his mind about which planet would be suitable for tonight's dinner date ... I counted several typos throughout the book, like "teleportee" instead of "teleported" or "heath death" instead of "heat death". Such small nits like this slipped through as tell-tale signs that this book was both written and edited in haste. It reads like nothing more than someone's assembled notes about physics history: "Person A did this experiment, which showed A. Then Person B did another experiment which showed B. They published their results in Journal B. Then guess what. Person C did an experiment and found C. Then person D discoved D. Then ... blah blah blah" ... until 200 pages of this mind-numbing chronology later, you finally get to the letter Z, if you haven't thrown the book across the room by then. Even worse, the author goes through tortuous verbal gymnastics in an attempt to explain arcane photon experiments. Seriously, a few simple diagrams would've done wonders, but instead the reader is forced to imagine lasers and tubes and layered mirrors and all kinds of abstract junk based on the author's cryptic descriptions. Why not a nice historic diagram of Newton's apparatus, or a scematic of how the EPR paradox plays out? This lack of even a single basic diagram is the book's biggest flaw. The comment on the book's jacket that this writer "brings characters to life" is laughable. That is the one thing this book DOES NOT DO. Explain photons and quantum entanglement for the lay-person, Hmmm, OK. It does that. List endless experiments published in journals X, Y, Z .. OK, it does that too. But it is devoid of personality, unless you find personality in a bland chronology of experiments. Which physicists may, in fact. Who knows how they think? This is a book that is worth reading, but be prepared to skim when it is obvious that the writer is neither writing (just "listing") and the editor has stopped editing and fallen asleep (teleportee!). At the very least, drink some coffee first. If this guy is "one of the best science writers" around, as others claim, then the state of scientific writing must be in a shambles.

Fascinating But Frustrating ***

This book is a peculiar mix of interesting science blended with frustratingly bad writing and poor editing. It slogs through (granted some slogging is appreciated) the entire history of physics, somewhat breathlessly leading you toward teleportation and quantum computing ... which should have been the START of the book, not the END. And the whole thing is book-ended by some heavy handed and sophmorically written sci-fi vignettes about some future dork trying to make up his mind about which planet would be suitable for tonight's dinner date ...

I counted several typos throughout the book, like "teleportee" instead of "teleported" or "heath death" instead of "heat death". Such small nits like this slipped through as tell-tale signs that this book was both written and edited in haste. It reads like nothing more than someone's assembled notes about physics history: "Person A did this experiment, which showed A. Then Person B did another experiment which showed B. They published their results in Journal B. Then guess what. Person C did an experiment and found C. Then person D discoved D. Then ... blah blah blah" ... until 200 pages of this mind-numbing chronology later, you finally get to the letter Z, if you haven't thrown the book across the room by then.

Even worse, the author goes through tortuous verbal gymnastics in an attempt to explain arcane photon experiments. Seriously, a few simple diagrams would've done wonders, but instead the reader is forced to imagine lasers and tubes and layered mirrors and all kinds of abstract junk based on the author's cryptic descriptions. Why not a nice historic diagram of Newton's apparatus, or a scematic of how the EPR paradox plays out? This lack of even a single basic diagram is the book's biggest flaw.

The comment on the book's jacket that this writer "brings characters to life" is laughable. That is the one thing this book DOES NOT DO. Explain photons and quantum entanglement for the lay-person, Hmmm, OK. It does that. List endless experiments published in journals X, Y, Z .. OK, it does that too. But it is devoid of personality, unless you find personality in a bland chronology of experiments. Which physicists may, in fact. Who knows how they think?

This is a book that is worth reading, but be prepared to skim when it is obvious that the writer is neither writing (just "listing") and the editor has stopped editing and fallen asleep (teleportee!). At the very least, drink some coffee first. If this guy is "one of the best science writers" around, as others claim, then the state of scientific writing must be in a shambles.

Review from Author of Quantum Mechanics Demystified *****
David Darling is one of the best science writers around, and in this book he tackles one of the most mysterious of the latest breakthroughs in quantum physics, teleportation. Entanglement, the spooky action at a distance connection between particles, allows teleportation to occur. Learn all about this in this well written account by David Darling, a skilled science writer whose penetrating prose has kept me up thinking at night many times. Also try to get a copy of his excellent work "Equations of Eternity".

Review from Author of Quantum Mechanics Demystified *****

David Darling is one of the best science writers around, and in this book he tackles one of the most mysterious of the latest breakthroughs in quantum physics, teleportation. Entanglement, the spooky action at a distance connection between particles, allows teleportation to occur. Learn all about this in this well written account by David Darling, a skilled science writer whose penetrating prose has kept me up thinking at night many times. Also try to get a copy of his excellent work "Equations of Eternity".

Science FACTion *****
First of all, bravo! The insight that organic teleportation could not take place before quantum (sp?) computing is something that breezed through my mind, but I thought I did not understand enough for it to be true. And then I read it in this wonderful book! Helped my self-esteem and also showed me that Darling is not only brilliant, but open-minded. There is science of course: that which has been established as fact, science fiction: that which is fantasy and need not be at all rooted in science, and a third realm: the realm of the scientific imagination which I like to call "science faction." And Darling embraces the importance of imagination and inspiration as necessary to any scientific progress of any significance. If one cannot dream it, or will not dream it, it will NEVER happen. But if one dares to dream, much more is possible than that which has already been established as fact. A lot of people think space initiatives are unimportant to us humans, but they've got it wrong: we must, MUST see our species as one people searching for friendship both on terra firma and well, wherever else. Who does not look at the stars at night without dreaming of what (or who) may be in that vast sea of existence. And out of such imaginings come ideas that have led young scientists to actually try to do "the impossible": to teleport information, then things, and then perhaps people. When you think of the death rate on today's roadways, how could anyone complain about possible dangers? We must dare to dream to make life better.

Science FACTion *****

First of all, bravo! The insight that organic teleportation could not take place before quantum (sp?) computing is something that breezed through my mind, but I thought I did not understand enough for it to be true. And then I read it in this wonderful book! Helped my self-esteem and also showed me that Darling is not only brilliant, but open-minded. There is science of course: that which has been established as fact, science fiction: that which is fantasy and need not be at all rooted in science, and a third realm: the realm of the scientific imagination which I like to call "science faction." And Darling embraces the importance of imagination and inspiration as necessary to any scientific progress of any significance. If one cannot dream it, or will not dream it, it will NEVER happen. But if one dares to dream, much more is possible than that which has already been established as fact. A lot of people think space initiatives are unimportant to us humans, but they've got it wrong: we must, MUST see our species as one people searching for friendship both on terra firma and well, wherever else. Who does not look at the stars at night without dreaming of what (or who) may be in that vast sea of existence. And out of such imaginings come ideas that have led young scientists to actually try to do "the impossible": to teleport information, then things, and then perhaps people. When you think of the death rate on today's roadways, how could anyone complain about possible dangers? We must dare to dream to make life better.

This does not seem so impossible! *****
This book presents current information regarding scientific leaps regarding teleportation, sorry for the pun, in a way that is very accessible and interesting. Now all we need are quantum computers! "Teleportation depends on entanglement. If nature has already been kind enough to entangle large portions of itself, then it seems that a lot of the work needed to teleport macroscopic objects has already been done." (p. 221)

This does not seem so impossible! *****

This book presents current information regarding scientific leaps regarding teleportation, sorry for the pun, in a way that is very accessible and interesting. Now all we need are quantum computers! "Teleportation depends on entanglement. If nature has already been kind enough to entangle large portions of itself, then it seems that a lot of the work needed to teleport macroscopic objects has already been done." (p. 221)