Scientology
Scully, Marlan
Seaborg, Glenn
séances
Selleri, Franco
semiconductors
Senate, U.S.
Serber, Robert
shamanism
Shambhala Press
Shamir, Adi
Shelley, Mary
Shimony, Abner
Clauser’s collaboration with
telepathy experiment of
Silent Pulse, The (Leonard)
Simon and Schuster (publisher)
Simpsons, The (television series)
Sirag, Saul-Paul, xix,
career of
Consciousness Theory Group and
at Esalen
as est training consultant
at Fundamental Fysiks Group reunion
PCRG and
Skeptical Inquirer,
Smith-Corona Marchant Corporation
Society for Psychical Research
Solvay, Ernest
Soviet Union
Lysenko’s genetic research in
parapsychology research in
space
space-time
Space-Time and Beyond: Toward an Explanation of the Unexplainable (Toben)
Specter, Arlen
“Spectra,”
spin
Bell and
hidden-variables model and
measuring
neutrons and
orientation and
probabilities and
spin-up, spin-down states and
spiritualism
Spit in the Ocean,
Sputnik
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Stanford Research Institute (SRI)
Geller tests and
Stanford University
Stapp, Henry
career of
parapsychology experiment of
Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars)
string theory
Structure of Scientific Revolutions, The (Kuhn)
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
Suarès, Carlo
superluminal telegraphy
Herbert and
no-signaling theorem and
polarization of light and
Sarfatti and
Susskind, Leonard
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Switzerland
Sylvania company
synchronicity
tachyons
Taking the Quantum Leap: The New Physics for Nonscientists (Wolf)
Taoism
Tao of Physics, The (Capra)
criticism and reviews of
Eastern mysticism and
first edition of
opening chapter of
“parallelist” approach of
publishing of
scholarly attention to
scientists’ responses to
success of
as teaching tool
Weisskopf as adviser for
worldwide distribution of
writing of
Targ, Russell
critics of
at Fundamental Fysiks Group reunion
funding of
remote-viewing phenomenon and
Tarot cards
Taylor, John G.
Tecnic Research Laboratories
Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre
telekinetics
teleological evolution
telepathy
Shimony’s experiment in
teleportation
Teller, Edward
Temple University
Texas, University of (Austin)
Texas A&M
Theoria to Theory,
theory of everything
thermodynamics, second law of
Thomson, J. J.
‘t Hooft, Gerard
Three Mile Island
Timaeus (Plato)
time
Time,
Time, Space, and Knowledge (Tulku)
Times (London)
Times Higher Education,
“Time Traveller’s Handbook” (Sarfatti)
Toben, Bob
Toffler, Alvin
Toshiba
Tougaloo College
Townes, Charles
transpersonal psychology
Tuesday Night Club (Livermore Philosophy Group)
Turner, Michael
Turning Point, The (Capra)
UFOs
uncertainty principle
double-slit experiment and
Uncommon Wisdom: Conversations with Remarkable People (Capra)
United Kingdom
United States
universe, participatory
Upanishads
Uri: A Journal of the Mystery of Uri Geller (Puharich)
U.S. Bureau of Standards
Vaidman, Lev
Veat (meat substitute)
Vedas
Vendanta
Venezuela
Vienna, University of
Vietnam War
Vigier, Jean-Paul
Viking Press
Village Voice,
von Braun, Wernher
von Neumann, John
Walker, Evan Harris
hidden variables–consciousness model of
Wall Street Journal,
Washington Post,
Watts, Alan
wavefunction
consciousness and
in double-slit experiment
probabilities and
wave-particle duality
W bosons
Weather Underground
Weber, Tullio
Weinberg, Steven
Weinberger, Caspar
Weisskopf, Victor
Sarfatti’s correspondence with
Weissmann, George
career of
mystical experience of
parapsychology interest of
at reunion
Wellerstein, Alex
What the BLEEP Do We Know? (film)
Wheeler, John
AAAS talk of
consciousness-quantum relationship interest of
delayed-choice experiment and
double-slit experiment and
participatory universe view of
quantum measurement seminar of
Whitehead, Alfred North
Whitehead, Bill
Whole Earth Catalog,
Wiesner, Jerome
Wiesner, Stephen
Wigner, Eugene
“Wigner’s friend” thought experiment of
Wigner-Araki-Yanase theorem
Wilson, Ken
Wilson, Robert Anton
Wired Magazine,
Wisconsin, University of
Witten, Edward
Wittgenstein, Ludwig
Wolf, Fred Alan
as Captain Quantum
career of
Erhard and
as est training consultant
at Fundamental Fysiks Group reunion
out-of-body experience of
popular book business and
psi interest of
Sarfatti and
Wolfe, Tom
Wolf Prize
Wootters, Bill
no-cloning work of
“World of Marshall McLuhan, The,”
World War I
World War II
science émigrés in
Wozniak, Steve
Xerox PARC research laboratory
X-rays
Yale University
Yeshiva University
yin and yang
Yippies
Young, Arthur
Zeilinger, Anton
Zen
“Zen of Physics” (course title)
Zukav, Gary
Zurek, Wojciech
no-cloning work of
More Praise for
“Kaiser uncovers a ragtag band of scientists. . . . Scien
ce has never been more unpredictable—or more entertaining!”
—Bryce Christensen,
Booklist, starred review
“Kaiser is a master storyteller, a very good physicist, and a fine historian. The book is dazzlingly researched. . . . Kaiser’s narration of the physics he presents is accurate and accessible.”
—Silvan Schweber,
Physics Today
“Entertaining. . . . A curious and largely forgotten episode in the history of physics.”
—Marcus Chown, New Scientist
“Interspersing entertaining anecdotes with explanations of concepts in quantum physics, Kaiser’s book can be read on many levels. At its most challenging, it is an intellectual history of quantum mechanics. But it is also a yarn about an eccentric group of physicists who refused to be defeated by their marginalization within their own discipline. And, as social history, it offers a window onto one of the most colourful periods of twentieth-century U.S. history.”
—Hugh Gusterson, Nature
“Readers will enjoy this entertaining chronicle of colorful young scientists whose sweeping curiosity turned up no hard evidence for psychic phenomena but led to new ways of looking into the equally bizarre quantum world.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Kaiser’s style is engaging, which makes this history of the time when physics left the short-sleeved white shirts, skinny ties and plastic pocket protectors behind one of the best science books of the year.”
—Kel Munger, Sacramento News & Review
“Exhaustively and carefully researched. [Kaiser] has uncovered a wealth of revealing detail about the various physicists involved, making for a very lively tale. . . . Fascinating.”
—Peter Woit, American Science
“A remarkably accessible sub-atomic joyride to distant realms of knowledge where the deepest secrets of physics reside.”
—Chris Bergeron, Metro West Daily News
“An entertaining historical peek into the nature of the creative process.”
—Aaron W. Hughey, Bowling Green Daily News
“[A] wonderful book about the expansion of awareness and the broadening of disciplinary scope.”
—Cyrus C. M. Mody,
Social Studies of Science
“There is much to be commended in this likeable history of an idio-syncratic recent period in science.”
—Doug Johnstone,
Independent (UK)
“This entertaining, worthwhile read is as much about the nature of society at the dawn of the New Age as it is about quantum physics.”
—C. G. Wood, Choice
“Here is a book that is immensely fun to read, gives insight into deep and increasingly consequential questions of physics, and transports the reader back into the heart of North Beach zaniness in the long 1960s. Put down your calculators and pick up this book!”
—Peter Galison, author of Einstein’s Clocks, Poincaré’s Maps
“A tremendously fun and eye-opening tale.”
—Ken Alder, author of
The Measure of All Things
“David Kaiser’s masterly ability to explain the most subtle and counterintuitive quantum effects, together with his ability to spin a ripping good yarn, make him the perfect guide to this far-off and far-out era of scientific wackiness.”
—Seth Lloyd, author of
Programming the Universe
“An unconventional view of some unconventional people engaged early in the fundamentals of quantum theory. Great fun to read.”
—Anton Zeilinger, author of Dance of the Photons
“A mind-bending trip to the far horizons of science.”
—Fred Turner,
author of From Counterculture to Cyberculture
“David Kaiser shows us the wonder, mystery, and joy of the scientific pursuit that helped define, and inspire, a particular moment within the counterculture.”
—Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of
Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint material: to Zane Kesey and the estate of Dr. Timothy Leary for permission to reprint the epigraph on p. vii, which originally appeared in Timothy Leary, “Preface,” Spit in the Ocean 3 (Fall, 1977): 8–11; to Jack Sarfatti and Taylor & Francis, Ltd., for permission to reprint the epigraph to chapter 4, which originally appeared in Jack Sarfatti, “Implications of meta-physics for psychoenergetic systems,” Psychoenergetic Systems 1 (1974): 3–8; and to the Melanie Jackson Agency, LLC, for permission to reprint quotations from the Richard P. Feynman papers.
Copyright © 2011 by David Kaiser
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
First published as a Norton paperback 2012
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Manufacturing by RR Donnelley, Harrisonburg
Book design by Mark Melnik
Production manager: Devon Zahn
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kaiser, David
How the hippies saved physics: science, counterculture, and the quantum revival / David Kaiser.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-393-07636-3 (hardcover)
1. Physicists—California—Berkeley—Biography.
2. Quantum theory. 3. Counterculture.
I. Fundamental Fysiks Group (Berkeley, Calif.) II. Title.
QC15.K26 2011
530.092'279467—dc22
2010053415
ISBN 978-0-393-34231-4 pbk.
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How the Hippies Saved Physics: Science, Counterculture, and the Quantum Revival Page 51