Quantum Physics is for students with imaginations comfortable in the abstract realm. The interesting itinerary begins in the familiar territory of Newtonian Mechanics. This, a necessary jumping off point for Einsteinian Relativity, assures that our preconceived notions of “reality” don’t get in the way of new experiences.

Resolving Newton and Einstein gives perspective for appreciation of Feynman’s “QED”. This cosmic dance between light and electrons called Quantum Electro-Dynamics, refers back to relativity while giving fresh insight into the behavior of the atom’s electron population.

A slight brush with conduction bands and the properties of materials, and we dive into the nucleus. Here we begin to wrestle with questions concerning the underlying structure of all of material existence, achieving answers more weird than the questions. We study experiments, understood only with models that dictate forces stronger than anything in our experience and matter in the strange form of quarks of different colors, up and down-ness, and charm.

For however interesting the landscape of the journey is, the real excitement comes from insights gained in the workings of our thoughts, the bounds of our creativity, the ways we connect or disconnect reality, perception and experience.