Physics over easy: breakfasts with Beth and physics

During a sequence of meals, the author relates the principal features of physics in easy-to-understand conversations with his wife Beth. Beginning with the studies of motion by Galileo and Newton through to the revolutionary theories of relativity and quantum mechanics in the 20th century, all important aspects of electricity, energy, magnetism, gravity and the structure of matter and atoms are explained and illustrated. The second edition similarly recounts the more recent application of these theories to nanoparticles, Bose-Einstein condensates, quantum entanglement and quantum computers. By including accurate measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background and supernovae in near and distant galaxies, an understanding of how the universe was formed in an Inflationary Big Bang is now possible. We've also gained a much better picture of the life of stars and how they may turn into red giants, white dwarfs, black holes, neutron stars or pulsars.

Includes index.

Introduction : What keeps us going? Physicists, and other people -- ch. 1. Breakfast of hard-boiled eggs with inertia. How it all began -- with rolling balls -- ch. 2. Breakfast of eggs bene-bricked. What keeps the ball rolling? -- ch. 3. Breakfast of apple-gravity pancakes. Why does an apple fall from a tree? -- ch. 4. Breakfast of cereal and calories. But it takes energy to keep moving -- ch. 5. Breakfast of hot cakes with energy how hot is it? Putting heat to work -- ch. 6. Breakfast of french toast. First law : You can't win second law : Nor can you break even -- ch. 7. Breakfast of cold cuts. Go fly a kite! Storing electricity -- ch. 8. Breakfast of blueberry muffins. Electricity in matter a.c./d.c. -- ch. 9. Breakfast of apple fritters and love. Magnetic forces. Magnetic fields. What Maxwell wrought -- ch. 10. Breakfast of eggs and crisp bacon. Making waves. What waves can do -- ch. 11. Breakfast of oat meal with light cream. What is light? How and what we see. It's a colorful world! -- ch. 12. Breakfast of lox and bagels. What's the speed of light? Is it really relative? The paradoxes of relativity and black holes -- ch. 13. Breakfast of farina. Does anyone believe in quant…