This book explores light and other types of waves, using this as a window into other
aspects of physics. It emphasizes a conceptual understanding, using examples chosen from
everyday life and the natural environment. For example, it explains how hummingbird
feathers create shimmering colors, how musical instruments produce sound, and how atoms
stick together to form molecules.
It is unique in its perspective on physics. It emphasizes
commonalities among different types of waves, including string waves, water waves, sound
waves, light waves, the matter waves of quantum mechanics, and the gravitational waves of
general relativity.
It is targeted toward college non-science majors, advanced high
school students, and others who are curious about our physical world. It assumes familiarity
with algebra but no further mathematics and is classroom-ready with many worked examples,
exercises, exploratory puzzles, and appendices to support students from a variety of
backgrounds.
The Story
I was asked to teach an undergraduate physics course called "The World of
Light" at Seattle University for non-science majors who needed to satisfy a distribution
requirement. I realized that
this is a fantastic subject because it intersects a huge range of different physics topics.
However, when I looked for textbooks, I didn't like the options because they tended to
minimize the physics. Instead, I wanted to expose students to
the core physics concepts and to show just how fascinating science can be. This book is
the result.
There is more original material in it than one might expect. Because
the math is minimal, I had to actually explain things in plain English, while keeping the
science rigorous. Like how electromagnetic waves
work, the difference between group velocity and phase velocity, and how quantum transitions
connect to resonance. The last chapter, on gravitational waves, introduces the difference
between near-field and far-field gravity, which is rarely taught in any physics course, at
any level.
Springer did a great job with the publication. This is a 539 page book with color figures
on almost every page. And yet (by my request), they managed to keep the price below $50!
Thank you, Springer!
Reviews
Optics and Photonic News (by Barry R. Masters): "This highly recommended book
inspires questions, curiosity, excitement and interest in the natural universe." See
the full review.
