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Smashing Physics
- Inside the Discovery of the Higgs Boson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
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Smashing Physics
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Summary
The first insider account of the work at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the discovery of the Higgs particle - and what it all means for our understanding of the laws of nature.
The discovery of the Higgs boson made headlines around the world. Two scientists, Peter Higgs and François Englert, whose theories predicted its existence, shared a Nobel Prize. The discovery was the culmination of the largest experiment ever run, the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider.
But what really is a Higgs boson and what does it do? How was it found? And how has its discovery changed our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature? And what did it feel like to be part of it?
Jon Butterworth is one of the leading physicists at CERN and this book is the first popular inside account of the hunt for the Higgs. It is a story of incredible scientific collaboration, inspiring technological innovation and ground-breaking science. It is also the story of what happens when the world's most expensive experiment blows up, of neutrinos that may or may not travel faster than light, and the reality of life in an underground bunker in Switzerland.
This book will also leave you with a working knowledge of the new physics and what the discovery of the Higgs particle means for how we define the laws of nature. It will take you to the cutting edge of modern scientific thinking.
Jon Butterworth is one of the leading physicists on the Large Hadron Collider and is Head of Physics and Astronomy at UCL. He writes the popular Life & Physics blog for the Guardian and has written articles for a range of publications including the Guardian and New Scientist.
Jon has appeared on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, Material World, The Infinite Money Cage, BBC Newsnight, Horizon, Channel 4 News, and Al Jazeera. He frequently gives public lectures including at the Welcome Institute and the Royal Institution.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Tim
- 22-09-15
Loved it but hardly understood it!
I really enjoyed this book and had to appreciate it at a fairly superficial level because some of the concepts are very difficult for a non particle physicist to understand. I like to think that I'm no mathematical or scientific slouch but I found much of the content too tough.
But that just means you have to appreciate it on a different level.
Well worth a listen.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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- Robert
- 21-04-15
Physics for the layman and a great story
This book chronicles the professional experiences of one of the higher ups in britains involvement with the LHC as well as several other physics experiments. The book is well written and generates real excitement even when you know the outcome, as well as providing a sound basis of knowledge of quantum mechanics and relativity (for the level of an interested outsider, at least) without being bogged down in technical detail. The workings of the LHC and indeed all particle smashers are explained very clearly. A really excellent read.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- mr Peter Mo
- 24-12-14
Well read and informative.
This was a great addition to my physics collection. It doesn't really go into complex-hard to listen to explanations. It's well written, well read and funny. I recommend this to anyone who is at least remotely interested in physics.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Matt
- 05-09-19
Great book
Great story about a very interesting time in a subject that’s not easily accessible to many people. Well done John Butterworth.
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- Charles B.
- 17-05-16
Excellent tour of the world of particle physics
What made the experience of listening to Smashing Physics the most enjoyable?
Butterworth makes the impossibly complex theories of particle physics easy to understand. Better still, he encases these theories in the realities of science politics and personalities. Despite the complexity of the subject matter, I could not stop listening.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Ken
- 12-06-21
Thoroughly enjoyable
Made a complex subject very approachable and explained a lot of topics very clearly in a way that made sense without needing to understand the mathematics behind the subject
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- OctopusX
- 07-02-18
Very pleasant to listen to and informative
A breeze to go through, the information is accessible to anyone with a passing interest in particle physics . The narrator performance doesn't leave much to be desired either.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Nellster
- 12-09-18
Lots of new ideas in a story well told.
A fascinating history of the LHC which manages to cover the physics (both familiar and new to me) in sufficient detail without being overwhelming. Will easily stand another listen.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Gavin
- 04-05-20
higgs timeline navigated brilliantly
wonderful timeline encounter of the discovery from a sceptics point of view. enjoyed the dry humour too. some prior background reading in particle physics required though to really enjoy and appreciate this book.
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- P
- 20-02-18
Interesting story
The background to the discovery of the Higgs boson and cern, well read and very well written.
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