Breakfast with Einstein: The Exotic Physics of Everyday Objects

The universe works the way it does because of physics; how exactly to explain and understand why things work the way they do is what the study of physics is all about. But although physics undergirds everything in our lives, most of us probably don’t think about it much, which is a shame because it is truly fascinating. Author Chad Orzel wants to rectify this ignorance by walking the lay reader through some of the science in the simple moment of our morning breakfast.

It’s a good thing the title is approachable because the current understanding of physics is far from intuitive. Quantum physics is full of all sorts of unusual terms and interactions, and so seems completely unrelated to how we experience the world. However, Orzel magnificently connects the two, beginning with some common object – the heating element on the stove, or an alarm clock, or, especially, the sun – and digs deep into what makes it work. More than this, the everyday object is an illustration of the physic science and leads the reader to understand the abstract principle by connecting it with the concrete. Further, Orzel’s objects are presented in a beautiful arrangement that gently leads the reader approximately through the history of physics discovery, so you can see how discoveries and insights built on each other and led to further understanding. This is still not easy stuff and takes some concentration; it is very complex, but Orzel avoids equations and difficult mathematics and includes helpful, extremely simplified diagrams and charts. In every way he makes this a set of concepts that the lay reader can grasp. It is a great overview of the hidden science we encounter everyday.