nd changed the face of modern physics.
In the 1970s, amid severe cutbacks in physics funding, a small group
of underemployed physicists in Berkeley decided to throw off the constraints
of academia and explore the wilder side of science. Dubbing themselves
the Fundamental Fysiks Group, they pursued a freewheeling, speculative
approach to physics. Some dabbled with LSD while conducting experiments.
They studied quantum theory alongside Eastern mysticism and psychic
mind reading, discussing the latest developments while lounging in hot
tubs. Unlikely as it may seem, this quirky band of misfits altered the
course of modern physics, forcing mainstream physicists to pay attention
to the strange but exciting underpinnings of quantum theory. Their work
on Bells theorem and quantum entanglement helped pave the way for todays
advances in quantum information science.
A lively and entertaining Cinderella story, How the Hippies Saved Physics
takes us to a time when only the unlikeliest heroes could break the
science world out of its rut.
