Collider: The Search for the World's Smallest Particles

On a Collision Course with a Highly Fun Read

I loved the easygoing style that Halpern brings to such an esoteric topic. The pages practically turned themselves. Writing on a technically dense subject such as particle physics with a light touch is not easy, but he pulls it off. Among other things, he is a master of calibrated understatement ("Presently the cosmos is thereby a bit of a jumble.") His miniature biographies of scientists, such as Fermi and Rutherford, could be a worthwhile book in themselves. And some awesome photographs of historic colliders seal the deal. I can only feel lucky to be alive in a time where astonishment is the order of the day when it comes to achievements in particle physics. Thanks to Halpern for keeping it real!

Fascinating, compelling and immensely readable

Strap yourself in and prepare for a mind-expanding journey into the thrills and mysteries of the universe with award-winning physicist and author, Paul Halpern. This book is a gem.

The long-awaited moment when the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN goes online has generated a great deal of excitement and (through misinformed press coverage) fear and trepidation. In 'Collider' Halpern eloquently explains what the LHC is, how it will work, and what scientists will be looking for when it is operational.

The purpose of the LHC is to recreate the conditions which are thought to have existed less than a trillionth of a second after the Big Bang that birthed our universe. To help readers grasp the enormous potential of the discoveries that could be made, Halpern takes the reader on a thrilling adventure story that traces the footsteps of the scientists whose discoveries have pinpointed the extraordinary forces that created and sustain this planet that we call home.

Peppered with entertaining anecdotes and analogies which clarify the scientific principles, 'Collider' is clearly a labour of love for its author. Halpern's highly infectious passion for science transmits itself through every page, and his explanations of the principles lend fuel to the imagination and generate a sense of wonder. The chapters take us on a compelling journey through subjects which include the standard model and the four forces, relativity, supersymmetry, the theory of everything, dark energy and dark matter, black holes, strangelets, wormholes and higher dimensions, describing what the LHC could divulge of these. The book concludes with the future plans for the Super LHC and the International Linear Collider.

For those who are concerned that the LHC will be the instrument of doom for our planet, unleashing black holes or strangelets which would annihilate the earth, Halpern gives reassurance. He points out that it is the energy 'per particle' which will reproduce the early conditions, and that this amounts to 'less than a billionth of a dietary calorie per collision.'

Like Carl Sagan before him, Paul Halpern has an extraordinary gift for enabling readers to envision the universe as he does; as a wondrous place where everything, from the tiniest particle to the largest star, is dependent on particular forces. 'Collider' reveals what we could learn when the portal of possibility that is the LHC shares its secrets and reveals more about these forces which shaped the cosmos.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.