The history of particle physics, the hunt for the most elusive particle, and the fundamental questions the search has inspired How did physicists combine talent and technology to discover the Higgs boson, the last piece in our inventory of the subatomic world? How did the Higgs change our understanding of the universe? And now, nearly a decade after its detection, what comes next? Answering these questions, Ivo van Vulpen--a CERN particle physicist and member of the team behind the detection--invites us on a journey to the frontiers of our knowledge. Enjoy Van Vulpen's accessible explanation of the history of particle physics and of concepts like quantum mechanics and relativity, and ponder his inquiries regarding the search for new particles (to explain dark matter), a new force (to combine the existing fundamental forces), and new phenomena (undiscovered dimensions of space). This is a lively account of work at the world's highest-energy particle accelerator, with inspiring personal reflections on humanity's discoveries deeper and deeper into the world of the very small.
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I really enjoy how the author tells us the brief history of the discovery of elementary particles. It was very clear and simple enough for a layman. The illustrations are cute and very intuitive. I love the part when the author starts explaining how the generic particle accelerator works and how the sensing works. It was very descriptive without talking in too much detail. I can also feel the enthusiasm of the author throughout the book.
This book was originally written in Dutch, and it is refreshing to read a book from his point of view as a Dutch. He introduced a lot of Dutch people who had a big influence on discovering the law of physics of elementary particles which was often forgotten by a lot of science books.