How to Teach Physics to Your Dog

When physics professor Chad Orzel went to the pound to adopt a dog, he never imagined Emmy. She wasn’t just a friendly mutt who needed a home. Soon she was trying to use the strange ideas of quantum mechanics for the really important things in her life: chasing critters, getting treats, and going for walks. She peppered Chad with questions: Could she use quantum tunneling to get through the neighbor’s fence and chase bunnies? What about quantum teleportation to catch squirrels before they climb out of reach? Where are all the universes in which Chad drops steak on the floor?

With great humor and clarity, Chad Orzel explains to Emmy, and to human readers, just what quantum mechanics is and how it works—and why, although you can’t use it to catch squirrels or eat steak, it’s still bizarre, amazing, and important to every dog and human.

"Thanks to Chad Orzel and his endearing mutt Emmy, I finally understand Heisenberg's uncertainty principle! Not to mention a few crucial ideas that Emmy grasped perhaps more quickly than I. How to Teach Physics to Your Dog is a blessing for all those who never mastered -- or maybe even had the faintest glimmer about -- modern physics. I can't be the only one." -- Spencer Quinn, author of Dog on It

"This charming little book is a lighthearted and amusing way for laypeople to learn about one of the strangest and most important aspects of modern science. It is also a great resource for practicing 'quantum mechanics' for people who want new ideas on how to more effectively explain their work to the public." -- William D. Phillips, 1997 Nobel Laureate in Physics

"Quantum physics is perhaps the most interesting and slipperiest scientific subject; who knew that Socratic discussion with an adorable dog was the key to unraveling it?" -- Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother and coeditor of Boing Boing

"Orzel's whimsical take on quantum physics is a delight, and Emmy is the perfect Everyman, posing the questions we'd all like to ask about the intricacies of this most esoteric of subjects." -- Jennifer Ouellette, author of The Physics of the Buffyverse

"Chad Orzel teases out the mysterious and seemingly incomprehensible side of advanced physics and makes it comprehensible via one-sided monologues to even the most distractible: dogs, humans, and in my case even disdainful felines or somewhat puzzled infants." -- Tobias S. Buckell, author of HALO: The Cole Protocol

"I've long believed that everyone should be familiar with the wonders of quantum mechanics. I had no idea that 'everyone' would include dogs! Chad Orzel's book is a fast-moving and fun introduction to some of the deepest mysteries of modern physics. And Emmy is a star." -- Sean Carroll, author of From Eternity to Here

“[D]on't let Orzel's laid back nature or clever sense of humor fool you—he is explaining some pretty serious stuff. A level-headed and confident guide, he takes Emmy (and the reader) through everything from wave-particle duality and superpositions to quantum tunneling and the so-called "many worlds" interpretation ("many worlds, many treats").” –NewScientist.com

Who better to teach the magic of quantum physics than a talking dog? Sit down with Chad Orzel and his dog Emmy as he explains the laws of  physics.

Learn the basics of quantum physics with this clever, fun, and lighthearted introduction to modern physics based on a series of conversations with Chad Orzel and his dog Emmy.

When physics professor Chad Orzel went to the pound to adopt a dog, he never imagined Emmy. She wasn't just a friendly mutt who needed a home. Soon she was trying to use the strange ideas of quantum mechanics for the really important things in her life: chasing critters, getting treats, and going for walks. She peppered Chad with questions: Could she use quantum tunneling to get through the neighbor's fence and chase bunnies? What about quantum teleportation to catch squirrels before they climb out of reach? Where are all the universes in which Chad drops steak on the floor?

With great humor and clarity, Chad Orzel explains to Emmy, and to human readers, just what quantum mechanics is and how it works--and why, although you can't use it to catch squirrels or eat steak, it's still bizarre, amazing, and important to every dog and human.

Chad Orzel was born and raised in central New York, and received a degree in physics from Williams College, and his Ph.D. in chemical physics from the University of Maryland. He is now a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Union College in Schenectady, New York. He lives near campus with his wife Kate, their daughter, and, of course, Emmy, the Queen of Niskayuna.