Publishers Weekly
★ 01/29/2024
This superb study by University of Cambridge particle physicist Cliff (How to Make an Apple Pie from Scratch) examines contemporary physics’ most intriguing mysteries through profiles of the scientists trying to solve them. Cliff details Italian physicist Linda Cremonesi’s contributions to an Antarctic data collection project that in 2016 discovered unexpected cosmic rays (“charged particles like protons and nuclei”) that appeared to travel upward from the ice, a finding some physicists speculate might result from a subatomic sterile neutrino particle, which can normally pass through matter, losing that ability while moving through the Earth and colliding with the ice on its way out. Cliff also examines Nobel Prize–winner Adam Riess’s ongoing research attempting to resolve why direct and indirect measurements of how fast the universe is expanding don’t match up, and physicist Chris Polly’s efforts to determine whether the unusual magnetic properties of the muon (“an exotic, heavier cousin of the more familiar electron”) are evidence of a quantum field that has yet to discovered. Cliff’s lucid explanations do a remarkable job of making the complicated physics accessible and even exciting, and the focus on the scientists’ stories ensconces the heady ideas in approachable, human narratives. This is a first-rate dispatch from the cutting edge of physics. Agent: Dorian Karchmar, WME. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
"[Cliff] is also an engaging writer, with a keen ear for the fun metaphor and an observant eye when describing the scientific milieu in which he operates. . . . Mr. Cliff splendidly captures the behind-the-scenes experiences that are rarely reported on."
—The Wall Street Journal
"Space Oddities is as fascinating as its title suggests. Anomalies are always interesting, sometimes fascinating, and occasionally revelatory, and Harry Cliff recounts with vivid clarity the stories of some of the most striking oddnesses that have lit up the landscape of modern physics. I enjoyed it enormously."
—Philip Pullman, New York Times bestselling author of the His Dark Materials trilogy
"Many of us laugh at the implausible cosmologies believed by our medieval and ancient forebears. Dr. Cliff lays out the gaps and anomalies at the edge of modern science, which may make the best theories of today look as quaint as those of long ago."
—Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, New York Times bestselling authors of A City on Mars
"Superb . . . examines contemporary physics’ most intriguing mysteries through profiles of the scientists trying to solve them. . . . Cliff’s lucid explanations do a remarkable job of making the complicated physics accessible and even exciting, and the focus on the scientists’ stories ensconces the heady ideas in approachable, human narratives. This is a first-rate dispatch from the cutting edge of physics."
—Publishers Weekly (starred)
“A fascinating tour of the strange anomalies discovered through scientific experiments in particle physics and cosmology. . . . This book is accessible with clear explanations, a sprinkling of humor, and a dash of poetry. The combination makes for an engaging follow-up to Cliff’s previous book, How To Make an Apple Pie from Scratch.”
—Library Journal
"Cliff converts complex physics into eminently readable popular science."
—Booklist
"An authoritative investigation of emerging scientific problems. . . . Cliff’s optimism, light sense of humor, and enthusiasm for his subject shine through."
—Kirkus Reviews
Library Journal
02/01/2024
Cliff (particle physics, Univ. of Cambridge) guides readers on a fascinating tour of the strange anomalies discovered through scientific experiments in particle physics and cosmology. He also looks at the impact of such phenomena on those disciplines' future. He explains, for example, that some of the experiments conducted at the Large Hadron Collider—where he also works—and some of the measurements taken by the Hubble Telescope have yielded results that contradict the accepted model of elementary particles and forces that constitute matter, composition, and the scope of the universe. These conflicting outcomes have often led to more paradoxes within established theories, sparking tension among the scientific community. VERDICT Geared toward curious lay readers willing to be challenged with mind-bending scientific puzzles. It helps to have some familiarity with physics, but this book is accessible with clear explanations, a sprinkling of humor, and a dash of poetry. The combination makes for an engaging follow-up to Cliff's previous book, How To Make an Apple Pie from Scratch.—Donna Marie Smith
Kirkus Reviews
2023-11-28
A leading experimental physicist and science presenter examines how new evidence is upsetting old scientific models, ideas, and precepts.
“Science does not progress in a straight line, running from ignorance to understanding,” writes Cliff, a particle physicist at Cambridge and CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. “It is a messy business, full of false starts, wrong turns, and dead ends.” Without a doubt, the author has the credentials to explain how physicists are currently confronting a host of new puzzles. Over several decades, a sense of complacency had developed, but in the past few years, a series of anomalies have undermined the old certainties. Why, for example, are stars moving away faster than expected? Why do neutrinos refuse to behave as the theoretical models predict? What are the powerful pulses of energy that occasionally burst through the Antarctic ice? Cliff describes his treks around the world, visiting research facilities and interviewing some of the people hunting for answers. There’s an ongoing conflict between the theoreticians, who trust in complex mathematical models, and the observers, who focus on experiments and connections. Both sides show a sense of groping for new paradigms and a novel way of defining reality. One problem with the book is that, despite Cliff’s attempts to explain the issues in non-specialist terms, cosmology and particle physics are extremely complex areas, and some sections of the text are difficult to follow. Readers with a background in advanced physics will find plenty of the material fascinating, while general readers are in for a challenge. But Cliff’s optimism, light sense of humor, and enthusiasm for his subject shine through: “Nature does not yield its secrets easily; they must be fought for. But in the end…this winding road does inexorably lead to deeper understanding.”
An authoritative investigation of emerging scientific problems.
