Nobel Physics Laureate Alain Aspect wrote this book to share his fascination over the interpretation of quantum mechanics: a debate that preoccupied two giants of physics, Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein.

This book begins with the first quantum revolution that gave rise to our modern "Information Society" and communications as we know it today. "Without quantum physics," Alain Aspect emphasizes, "there would be no cell phones, no television, no computers, and no internet.”

Aspect then tackles the second quantum revolution, kicked off by Einstein’s 1935 paper that led to an almost philosophical debate between him and Bohr. With the help of concrete experiments, Aspect succeeded in settling the matter: "From the very first day, when I filled barrels with sand for stable support, to the final one, when we had the latest state-of-the-art electronics at our disposal, I explain how physicists encounter problems—sometimes thorny and theoretical, sometimes very real—that they must solve in their laboratory."

Early on in his research, no one gave Aspect any credence, and his peers often called him a crackpot. "I put a great deal of the human element into this book, giving a backstage peek at research by describing how physicists try to convince their colleagues that they’re onto something truly interesting, which enables them to get help and funding."

Aspect now teaches at the University of Paris-Saclay’s Optics Institute, and is a research director emeritus at France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). In 2022, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for demonstrating that we must abandon the vision of the world Einstein espoused.

This book is meant for all readers interested in science; no scientific training or background is necessary. It has sold more than 45,000 copies in France. Translation rights have already been sold in 9 languages: English, Italian, Chinese (simplified), Korean, Turkish, Arabic, Japanese, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Katja Petrovic 
September 2025