{"product_id":"9781101221402","title":"Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics","description":"Physics, once known as \"natural philosophy,\" is the most basic science, explaining the world we live in, from the largest scale down to the very, very, \u003ci\u003every\u003c\/i\u003e smallest, and our understanding of it has changed over many centuries. In \u003ci\u003eBlack Bodies and Quantum Cats\u003c\/i\u003e, science writer Jennifer Ouellette traces key developments in the field, setting descriptions of the fundamentals of physics in their historical context as well as against a broad cultural backdrop. Newton’s laws are illustrated via the film \u003ci\u003eAddams Family Values\u003c\/i\u003e, while \u003ci\u003eBack to the Future\u003c\/i\u003e demonstrates the finer points of special relativity. Poe’s \"The Purloined Letter\" serves to illuminate the mysterious nature of neutrinos, and Jeanette Winterson’s novel \u003ci\u003eGut Symmetries\u003c\/i\u003e provides an elegant metaphorical framework for string theory. An enchanting and edifying read, \u003ci\u003eBlack Bodies and Quantum Cats\u003c\/i\u003e shows that physics is not an arcane field of study but a profoundly human endeavor—and a fundamental part of our everyday world.","brand":"Penguin Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47133113417968,"sku":"9781101221402","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781101221402_p0.jpg?v=1763687025","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781101221402","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}