How would you define condensed matter physics? In 250 words how might you motivate someone to want to know more. For Condensed Matter Physics: A Very Short Introduction, I need to write a brief blurb (about 250 words) that will be used for marketing.
Here is my first attempt. What do you think?
There are many more states of matter than just solid, liquid, and gas. Examples include liquid crystal, magnet, glass, and superconductor. New states are continually being discovered leading to a stream of Nobel Prizes. Some states, such as superfluid and superconductor, exhibit the weirdness normally associated with the quantum physics of single atoms, such as Schrodinger's cat. Condensed matter physics seeks to understand how states of matter and their distinct physical properties emerge from the atoms that a material is composed of. Materials and states studied by condensed matter physicists are central to modern technology. Examples include superconductors in hospital MRI machines, magnetic multilayers in computer memories, LEDs in solid-state lights, crystalline silicon in computer chips, and liquid crystals in digital displays.Condensed matter physics is not just defined by the objects that it studies (states of matter in materials), but rather by a particular approach to the study of these objects. It addresses fundamental questions and produces unifying concepts to describe a wide range of phenomena in materials that are chemically and structurally diverse.A system composed of many interacting parts can have properties that the parts do not have. Water is wet, but a single water molecule is not. Your brain is conscious, but a single neuron is not. Such emergent phenomena are central to condensed matter physics and also occur in many fields, from biology to computer science to sociology, leading to rich intellectual connections. When do quantitative differences become qualitative differences? Can simple mathematical models describe rich and complex behaviour? What is the relationship between the particular and the universal? Condensed matter physics is all about these big questions.
If you gave the book to your aunt would this motivate her to start reading?
If your colleague in engineering was browsing in a book store and read this on the cover would they buy the book?
I welcome suggestions.
BTW. In case you were wondering, the book is not about to come out. I just need to submit the marketing plan to OUP.
Hi Ross,
ReplyDeleteI have some experience with writing a blog about physics for a broad audience, so here's my two cents based on my narrow experience:
1) In the first paragraph you list technological applications. This is a mistake. The general reader is not attracted to applications, but to ideas. This is a major factor for cosmology and particle physics to do well in communication, they can sell themselves as addressing big questions, which I gather is your angle for condensed matter. But any mention of tech will induce your reader that this will be a big part, and no tech topic get's tract unless it is about the first, the largest or the fastest.
2)In the second paragraph you talk about materials that are chemically and structurally diverse. Too technical for a blurb, better to say that it's about fact's that don't depend on composition (even thought there is a loss in information). The whole paragraph is not doing much weight lifting here to be honest. Not your fault it's difficult to explain how different an approach emergence is.
3) Third paragraph has the core message and it's good. The first problem is you use the word "math". Experience shows that any mention of this word will scare readers. Even though you're not saying it, they become afraid of there being equations in the book. No matter how simple, any equation of mentioning of math in a book scares off readership. My aunt would be worried that the book is not for her, and the engineer was looking for a entertaining book, not to have to pay actual attention. Second problem is a lack of romance and a last,simple, sentence that will linger on. This is the factor that makes a undecided reader continue to read.
Also avoid long explanatory commas if you can, reader get lost in them.
If I were doing your copydesk:
"There are many more states of matter than just solid, liquid, and gas. Examples include liquid crystal, magnet, glass, and superconductor. New states are continually, and unexpectedly, being discovered. Some states, such as a superconductor, exhibit the weirdness like Schrodinger's cat, normally associated with the quantum physics of single atoms. Condensed matter physics seeks to understand how states of matter and their distinct physical properties emerge from the atoms that a material is composed of.
A system composed of many interacting parts can have properties that the parts do not have. Water is wet, but a single water molecule is not. Your brain is conscious, but a single neuron is not. Such emergent phenomena are central to condensed matter physics and also occur in many fields, from biology to computer science to sociology, leading to rich intellectual connections. When do quantitative differences become qualitative differences? How can quantum mechanics affect daily life? What is the relationship between the particular and the universal?
The silicon chip may have transformed modern society. But understanding how it works transformed our knowledge forever"
You may oppose the last phrase as too hyperbolic, but I do think that condensed matter physicists don't give themselves enough credit. You're writing a book about how more is different, own it.
I hope you don't take my criticism and suggestions in a negative way. Your blog is one of the last physics-oriented ones that give me joy to read. Condensed matter is criminally underrated and having being following your blog I'm sure you'll make it justice. If I wrote a lengthy comment, be sure that it is a measure oh how much I treasure your work and wish it to reach the broadest audience possible.
I'm sorry for the typos, and the first sentence in the copydesk version should read "(...) exhibit weirdness like Schrodinger's cat(...)", I was trying to change as little as I can from your own words, but english is not my native language, so errors ensued naturally.
ReplyDeleteHi Cesar,
DeleteThanks for all your kind comments, suggestions, and the helpful rewrite.
I took your efforts as a high compliment. I will aim to rewrite my blurb accordingly.
cheers
Ross
my comment: your second paragraph is in fact essentially content free, typical for blurbs.
ReplyDelete