UNDERSTANDING THE UNIVERSE: FROM QUARKS TO THE COSMOS

by Lincoln Don

The Big Bang, the birth of the universe, was a singular event. All of the matter of the universe was concentrated at a single point, with temperatures so high that even the familiar protons and neutrons of atoms did not yet exist, but rather were replaced by a swirling maelstrom of energy, matter and antimatter. Exotic quarks and leptons flickered briefly into existence, before merging back into the energy sea.This book explains the fascinating world of quarks and leptons and the forces that govern their behavior. Told from an experimental physicist's perspective, it forgoes mathematical complexity, using instead particularly accessible figures and apt analogies. In addition to the story of quarks and leptons, which are regarded as well-accepted fact, the author who is a leading researcher at the world's highest energy particle physics laboratory also discusses mysteries on both the experimental and theoretical frontier, before tying it all together with the exciting field of cosmology and indeed the birth of the universe itself.The text spans the tiny world of the quark to the depths of the universe with exceptional clarity. The casual student of science will appreciate the careful distinction between what is known (quarks, leptons and antimatter), what is suspected (Higgs bosons, neutrino oscillations and the reason why the universe has so little antimatter) and what is merely dreamed (supersymmetry, superstrings and extra dimensions). Included is an unprecedented chapter explaining the accelerators and detectors of modern particle physics experiments. The chapter discussing the hunt for the Higgs boson, currently consuming the efforts of nearly 1000 physicists, lends drama that only big-stakes science can give. Understanding the Universe leaves the reader with a deep appreciation of the fascinating particle realm and just how much it determines the rich beauty of our universe.

Genres: Science, Physics, Space, Astronomy, Nonfiction

567 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2004

Reviews

[Jose Brox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simply awesome. My usual complain about science popularization books is that authors tend to try to amaze you by telling either a) that science is some kind of nerdy magic or b) how incomprehensible for mere mortals are the most important facts -which is even worse. Instead, Don Lincoln shows you the real thing: he has a profoundly scientific mind, and so the book is filled not only with the _whats_ but also with the _hows_: there are many passages which directly or indirectly reflect, accurately, how experiments are done, how and what a scientist thinks in different situations, how sure are we of the truth of a particular hypothesis, how a new quandary is being approached from different points of view; in short, how science progresses forward. This book does not present just a distillation of laws, formulas or facts; it also shows the social scientific process (which I find necessary in a popularization/history of science book). Reunions, discussions, mistakes, corrections, predictions, long-term timing, rushes for publication, well-meaning envies, collaborations, succesful and failed funding searches, cool solutions to hard design problems, design failures... all these and related themes appear throughout the book, in a transversal manner, properly integrated with the known facts.

As for the facts themselves, I also found it an excelling book. Mind you, it is quite demanding with its 500+ pages, but it also leaves you with the satisfactory sensation that you have actually had a "full" introductory immersion in the world of particle physics, and you have actually learnt the qualitative basics of the field (well, perhaps after a re-read :P). In particular, the author makes an explicit effort of showing you all the difficult facts, but relying on simple explanations (there are lots of great analogies). The first chapters, on the history of particle physics (and of course, chemistry and nuclear physics) since the end of the XIX century, are truly wonderful and put to shame many other books I have read on the same subject: again, the author goes with the facts, warns you when some historical fact is not that sure, and does not try to amaze, but to expose and explain. In addition, the last chapter, about the motivation of the scientific enterprise, is also really strong, on Sagan's level.

The only (minor) objection I have is with the interspersed jokes: I found them a) surprisingly unwitty for such a smart a person, being "guys jokes" (mostly about beer, or self-deprecating) and b) a little sexist at times, unconsciously supporting particular roles for women as wives and such.

I hope there is a new edition soon!

[Thomas Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Understanding the Universe: From Quarks to the Cosmos, Don Lincoln, 2004, 567 pages, Dewey 539.72, ISBN 9812387056

Errata

p. ix "Only in the 20th Century did the idea of atoms prove to be correct." No, it was proven in the 19th Century, by the whole-number ratios of quantities of elements that combine to form compounds.

[Huyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

i can't express how much i loved this book, I mean it’s hard not to have your pulse racing, this guy knows what he’s talking about and is excited about it. Don Lincoln covers a wide range of topics, all the fascinating things from neutrino oscillation, CPT violation, Higgs mechanism to all the little things associated with each discovery and scientist. Although not entirely convincing to me, his justification for investment in nuclear physics is interesting: we do this because we are human beings, curious to unlock the most perplexing mysteries of the universe and pursue the greatest eternal truth. but there's much more to the whole story, advancement in elementary particles physics has always produced marvelous spin-offs: laser, tv, internet, computers, MRI that have revolutionized every aspect of our life. Often when I read this book, Lincoln made me think to myself: if only more people were interested in science and applied the principles of science to our society, we'd get rid of all the dogma, irrationality, superstition and have a more tolerant society based on truth, openness, exchange of ideas, competition and collaboration, and genuine equality (everyone has to play by the rule of experimentation). I do hope that will become the basis of our society some day, when everyone, like Lincoln puts it, "finds science a passion, indulge it, always study, always learn, always question. To do otherwise is to die a little inside". While the LHC is dying a little inside, we'll wait for the scientists to hit and hope for the best. May God help us find the invisible dinosaur in the zoo...

[Austin Wright-pettibone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great survey of particle physics from a noted experimentalist. The chapter on accelerators was really top notch. Was left wanting more detail in the final chapter (bringing together cosmology and particle physics), but for a non-technical book, I understand the omissions.

[Randall Scalise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Needs a proofreader.

p. 47: "Consequently, one was led to the inescapable conclusion that the mass of an electron was very small (modern measurements give it a mass of 1/1886 that of a hydrogen atom)."
Should be 1/1836. Remember the Alamo.

p.213: "... through a mathematical slight of hand ..."
sleight

p.214: "In 1964, a Scottish theorist named Peter Higgs and his colleagues Robert Brout and François Englebert ..."
Englert

p.241: "We indicate one of these weird W or Z bosons by giving them a “*” for a superscript. These possibilities for making Higgs bosons are shown in Figure 5.11. This “associated” production (so-called because the Higgs boson is produced in association with a massive weak boson)"
The figure does NOT show associated production and has no virtual W* or Z*.

p.242: "... finding events in which only a low mass bottom Higgs boson is made is essentially hopeless."
Bottom Higgs boson? What's that?

p.429: :"... his “special” theory only applied to the special situation where an observer experienced no acceleration ..."
Absolutely not! Special relativity can certainly handle accelerating particles and frames. The difference between SR and GR is that in SR spacetime is flat and in GR spacetime is curved.

[Michael Boustead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could both this book, understand much of it and enjoy it.

[WarpDrive · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quite enjoyable, easy-to-read introductory overview of particle physics (it took me just a couple of days to go through it). The author manages to explain some potentially intricate concept and experimental results in a very clear and concise manner. Definitely recommended to individuals with no prior or minimal knowledge of this field of inquiry.
On the other hand, if you are interested in more quantitative/detailed explanations, this is probably not the book for you - in particular if you are interested in relativity and quantum mechanics, which are unfortunately treated very succinctly in this book.
But, for the right audience, this is definitely a great book, and the enthusiasm of the author is very refreshing and contagious. Definitely a solid 4-star.

[Lorin Kleinman · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I became curious about sub-atomic articles, I looked for a book that explained the topic for lay people, and found this. (I found it at Reiter's bookstore in DC, which everyone should visit.) There's a short list of scientists who can write clearly for non-scientists, and Don Lincoln is definitely on it. It's an extremely clear and well-written (and sometimes funny) lay person's introduction to particle physics, which--if you've never thought about particles--is deeply fascinating, and explains a great deal about how the world works.

[Hossam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "story" of science has never been more interesting and harmonical. Learn something new every time I re-read it. Will probably read it a hundred times more