The Jazz of Physics: The Secret Link Between Music and the Structure of the Universe

Don't be afraid of this book. If you love exploring new ideas, you will love this book. If you like being introduced to some incredible people through biographical vignettes, you will love this book. If like a good story of discovery you will love this book.I've only finished three chapters, so I can't do a complete review yet. But here are just some of the things that those first three chapters have done for me.1. They have introduced me to a kid, (the author, Stephon Alexander), whose family is from Trinidad, who grew up in the Bronx with a grandmother who wanted him to become a musician to escape poverty, who went to public schools, who listened to Hip-Hop and Battle Rap and wore dreadlocks, but who is now a theoretical physicist, jazz musician, cosmologist, Ivy-League professor, and someone who knows how to tell a good story.2. I've learned how understanding magnetism led to a way to describe neural networks; and how that in turn is leading to new approaches for understanding the structure of our Universe.3. I've been introduced to Small's Jazz Club in New York City. And by going online I have learned about it's fascinating history, the availability online of most performances there since 2007, and the unique and well thought-out revenue sharing model that supports both the musicians and the club.4. I've learned that a parsec is a unit of measure in cosmology that equals approximately 19 trillion miles. That as recently as 1920 there was serious scientific debate about whether there were any galaxies other than our own in the Universe. And that in 1989 Margaret Geller, the daughter of an X-ray crystallographer, along with John Huchra, mapped out other galaxies that extend for 100 million parsecs. Yes, that is 100 million times 19 trillion miles. The mind boggles.If you like this taste of what I've experienced you will love the book. I'll write a full review when I'm done, but I am not going to rush it. It is much too good a story, with far too much thought-provoking substance to hurry through it without savoring.

A unique and personal take on 'The Meaning Of It All' physics. Alexander's use of memoir to... hold on... I met Stephon Alexander in 2005 while doing research for a screenplay; he was at the Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC). Since then I wrote a memoir in which Stephon appears. Here's a bit of it:...I need to explain why I think Stephon Alexander is a special humanbeing, and if you hang in you’ll see how this connects to other things.When we sat down for our interview at Stanford, the first thing I toldStephon was that I’m a dilettante. Stephon stopped me. “That word,” hesaid. “What does it mean?”“Dilettante?”“Yes. What does it mean?”I told him it means that I know just enough about theoretical physics tomake a fool of myself in talking to an actual theoretical physicist.“How do you spell it?”I didn’t really know. I told him there are some “l’s and “t”s but I didn’tknow how many of each, plus there is an “i” somewhere and at least one“e.” Stephon was nodding, taking this in, filing it away somewhere.Then I asked him why he became a theoretical physicist and he saidbecause he was angry at God.Hold on. Let me ask you something. Let’s say that for some reason you’rebeing interviewed because you have expertise at something. Someone, aHollywood screenwriter, say, shows up and you do a formal interview.And let’s say the interviewer starts out by saying something to the effectof how smart you are, but in doing so uses a word you’re unfamiliar with.Here’s the question: Would you stop him and ask what that word means?Neither would I.Why is that? Because our main concern would be how we’re perceived.This would be the case in any situation with a stranger, but especially inan on-the-record interview, and even more especially if the premise of theinterview is that we’re smart.Stephon did not care how he was perceived. Or, rather, he may havecared, but his need to know something, a truth about the world, minorthough it was, was more important.If people – you, say, plus me – worried less about how we’re perceived,we’d worry less about self-image (still another self word), too. Whichmeans we’d be less likely to believe untruths simply because they makeus feel more comfortable about ourselves. Please trust me on something:The belief in untruths is the primary reason why the world is so [screwed] up.In fact, all the reasons why the world is so [screwed] up depend on peoplebelieving untruths. I know that I’m right on this one thing.Stephon Alexander is not one of the reasons why the world is so [screwed] up,which is enough to make him special. In fact, that’s my definition of special,as in special human being. Someone who is not part of the problem of theworld being so fucked-up.And listen. Stephon Alexander knows some secrets of the universe. Trustme on another thing: That Stephon asked me what “dilettante” means andhow you spell it is as much a reason for his knowledge of some secrets of theuniverse as his astounding innate brain power, his intelligence.This angry-at-God thing. Stephon grew up in a poor section of the Bronx,New York. As a child he was confused by all the misery around him. Theconfusion led to anger at God, since he had been told that God createdEverything and Everything must include the misery all around him. Sohe wanted to understand how God could have done this. Stephon, havingbeen blessed with astounding innate intelligence, even as a young personsensed that he would not come to understand about God through studyingreligion or philosophy or anthropology. He was tempted by art, he told me,particularly the art of jazz music. But he decided to dedicate his life to physics,the area of it that looks into first causes. What happened in the beginning.If anyone ever comes close to a real understanding about God it willbe a physicist, someone like Stephon Alexander. It will not be a Popeor an ayatollah or a rabbi or a Buddhist in a monastery or some [screw]ballmother[etc] blabbing away on Sunday morning TV. The reason for thisis simple: Without knowing how things work—what causes what—there isno possibility of knowing anything else. It’s all just words strung togetherand circular reasoning and specious causation and made up stuff and othercrocks of [poop]. All of it.Another thing. That Stephon was tempted to dedicate his life to art, tojazz music, is significant also. In fact, Stephon does dedicate himself to jazzmusic, to playing it on a saxophone, when he’s not looking into first causes.To sum up: In seeking to understand God, Stephon Alexander looks intofirst causes and plays jazz music on a saxophone.I love that.Although he grew up in the United States, Stephon was born in theCaribbean, on an island. I believe that this heritage is part of what makesStephon special. The spirituality of his people. He told me a childhood storyabout his grandmother that gave me the shivers.The island on which Stephon was born is this island, by the way. The littleisland from which I write.#Anyway, it doesn't surprise me that Stephon has written a fascinating book on physics and Jazz music. Not at all. (That his unquestioning faith in Einstein's Relativity theories may be misplaced is a separate matter. Those interested should give Electric Universe theory a look, at thunderbolts.info.)

"Gifted" this book to someone also trained as a physicist and a musician. Apparently, even for the initiated, this a challenging read...and physicists enjoy a challenge.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. It was quite amazing to follow Dr. Alexander's journey to the world of physics through the lens of jazz. I have read review with people complaining about the book being autobiographical or even jumping subjects. That actually is what makes this book so interesting to read. I learned some new aspects of physics, it helped strengthen other elements of physics I had heard about in the past, and it was a pleasure to read about his journey into physics, starting with the first trip to the museum and seeing a display of Albert Einstein.I would highly recommend this book to those with a novice based love of physics, those who love both music and science, and as an amazing way to aspire children, teens, and young adults to reach for their goals in their own unique way. I love that his journey was his and not limited to a one way, boring, pre-charted road.

Okay, as the book became more complicated I got lost in the Physics. But this writer is infinitely readable and he knows just when to re-introduce Jazz into the development of his ideas to keep me hooked. I would love to hear him lecture and play - maybe start appearances at Jazz festivals - to allow the "rest of us" who are intrigued by the ideas and the direction but need help understanding "the getting there."

Excellent and interesting read

I loved this book. Understanding Physics is tough, and this book does an amazing job of explaining quantum theory, relativity, cosmology, and so much more. And it goes beyond physics to make it feel very real by tying it all to jazz. Stephon Alexander is amazing.

Das ist das Gegenprogramm zu Frau Hossenfelder, das hässliche Universum. Sie beklagt, dass Physiker nur nach Schönheit und Symmetrien oder bestenfalls Symmetriebrüchen suchen, und Stephon Alexander ist wie die meisten Physiker Musik-versessen und sieht Ähnlichkeiten zwischen Naturgesetzen und den Gesetzen der Musik, spielt vollendet Jazz Saxophon mit herausragenden Musikern. Ich kann beiden Seiten etwas abgewinnen.Kritik ist angebracht, da das CERN jenseits des Higgs-Boson nichts mehr findet. Wir haben also keine Erklärung für die Masse der Teilchen, die fast nur aus Bindungsenergie zu bestehen scheinen. Andererseits ist es eine hervorragende Erklärung, dass Symmetrien Erhaltungsgrößen bedeuten und wo sie gebrochen werden, spalten sich Naturkräfte auf. Die Ursache der Aufspaltung ist die Abkühlung im Universum. Dennoch haben wir so vieles nicht verstanden und die Analogien der alltäglichen Welt taugen nur wenig, um Quanteneffekte oder kosmische Effekte zu erklären.

Great book. I really enjoy it very much. Clear concepts and explanations.

This book is pretty easy to follow and an interesting read. It's not the ultimate math/ physics read. It is the story of how Stephon's interest in life moved due to people he met and information he got from encounters with some bright minds. He has led a life that interests me through this book. Be warned though. From this book I've learned to hope there are more like it. I'm starting with the Physics World Book of the year Award and seeing what falls out. It should be a very interesting rabbit hole.

Well Physics was my best subject at school and music was my evening study. So this book really interested me. It is surprising just how many top flight physicists are also great musicians, Einstein played violin to a high standard, his love was Mozart. From the other angle, John Coltrane was intensely interested in mathematics and physics, which drove his unique take on Jazz.This is the journey this book takes you on, in many ways the personal journey of the author, from growing up in the Broncs with Rasterfarian dreadlocks to meeting his first mentor who’s office had a picture of Einstein on one wall and Coltrane on the other.My biggest surprise was reaching chapter 6, an entire chapter about Brian Eno and cosmology! Brian loaned Stephon his bicycle indefinitely and one of the great things about this book are the stories Stephon tells.You are not going to get away with an easy read on the physics side, though everything is understandable and well explained.I really loved this book and the writing style is very compelling, it hits the right balance between the physics, the music and the stories. I feel Stephon has a lot more to say on the subject, and look forward to any follow ups. The question is who would I recommend this book to? Just about any musician who wants to see a little further into the links with physics and Jazz, and free thinking.

量子宇宙論とジャズをimproviationの単語で結び付てストーリーが展開していく。著者の両者への考察は直観的に理解できるところも有るが、あくまでも直観を超えられない。「だからどうなの？それ以降の論理展開は？」と聞かれると回答に詰まる。物理の本だからと言って堅苦しく考えずに、ＮＹ下町育ちの当時ととしては大変珍しい黒人物理学者の保守的、閉鎖的学会での奮闘記として読むのが良いのでは、何故なら、著者も述べてるように宇宙論は現代の神話なのです、その心は凡人には理解できない。