Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli is the book I chose to read. The book itself is only seven chapters, so I chose to read about two chapters daily. I finished the book within a week. I frequently had to reread pages since the ideas introduced were conceptually difficult. Yet, throughout the chapters, larger initial concepts were tied together, and I began to understand how physics is a way of perceiving and understanding our universe.
Rovelli’s book introduces fundamental concepts of physics. The lessons begin chronologically, the first chapter introduces general relativity, the second discusses quantum mechanics, the third describes space architecturally, and the fourth explains particles. By the fifth and sixth lessons – now more advanced with conceptual compounding – Rovelli ties much together to explain the ideas of fundamental physics. He describes how scientists can only see particles through their interactions, time does not exist, and space is granular, all because everything is connected, exchanging, and interacting. Then, in the final chapter, titled “Ourselves”, these ideas are reflected back onto the reader. We do not fully understand how this exchange, though we are part of it, and this exact mystery is what makes it so beautiful, we have the opportunity to be curious and discover.
As a reader, I found Seven Brief Lessons of Physics to be quite credible, Rovelli is a theoretical physicist, and I saw connections between the material and my knowledge from high school physics. The book was very entertaining, as the content required strong engagement, challenging me to think deeply and use Rovelli’s analogies to fully comprehend. The explanation of particles, in that they can only be “seen” through interactions with one another, caused me to think about life. Are our interactions with one another the best way to truly see our lives? Furthermore, Rovelli discussed interactions and exchanges as a probability, assessed by statistical mechanics, causing me to reflect on my psychology knowledge, in that the brain can only perceive the world outside the skull through its best “guess”. Rovelli’s way of writing was also very moving, with grand descriptions that acknowledged his own love for the beauty of physics as a new way to see the world. Though I previously viewed much of the world categorically, without giving much thought to the big picture, I now feel inspired to look at the world with similar admiration. We are all connected, we are the fabric of the universe, and everything is one.
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