If It All Adds Up told the story of mathematics, weaving history and storytelling into mathematical concepts, in THE BAT EQUATION, Mickaël Launay presents quantic physics as the grand adventure that has radically shaped human recent history. Designed for a wide audience, it balances rigorous explanations with humor and charm, making the physics approachable. Simon Winchester has said about Launay’s work that it is “so enlightening that suddenly numbers don’t seem so fearsome as they once did” and it applies also to THE BAT EQUATION. Big scientific ideas were born in serendipitous ways and we believe that the clarity, passion and wisdom of Launay will make of THE BAT EQUATION another international best-seller.

A new fascinating book by the bestselling mathematician specializing in popular science, clearly and precisely explains… quantum physics!

Why does orange juice rise in the straw when we sip it? Are we still the same person twenty years later? Why is it so hard to predict the weather a month in advance? And why are there multiple keys for the same note on a piano?

These seemingly simple questions, when explored deeply, can lead us to overturn what we think we know about how the world works. Do you see the train next to you moving forward? But it’s your train that’s moving backward! Nature is full of illusions; it blurs the lines and shows us the opposite of what is real. It presents us with a thousand paths, but is there even one
that answers our questions?

From Archimedes’ principle to quantum physics, you will need to forget the obvious and embrace
uncomfortable uncertainties. Enter this book as you would a theater, sit back comfortably. The world is a magic show, and the bat is about to come out of the hat.