Atom

Icon Science

by Piers Bizony, Jim Al-Khalili (Foreword)

Riddled with jealousy, rivalry, missed opportunities and moments of genius, the history of the atom’s discovery is as bizarre, as capricious, and as weird as the atom itself. 

John Dalton gave us the first picture of the atom in the early 1800s. Almost 100 years later the young misfit New Zealander, Ernest Rutherford, showed the atom consisted mostly of space, and in doing so overturned centuries of classical science. It was a brilliant Dane, Neils Bohr, who made the next great leap - into the incredible world of quantum theory. Yet, he and a handful of other revolutionary young scientists weren't prepared for the shocks Nature had up her sleeve. 

This ‘insightful, compelling’ book (New Scientist) reveals the mind-bending discoveries that were destined to upset everything we thought we knew about reality and unleash a dangerous new force upon the world. Even today, as we peer deeper and deeper into the atom, it throws back as many questions at us as answers.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History, Physics, Chemistry, Popular Science, History Of Science

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Piers Bizony is a science journalist and space historian who writes for magazines such as Focus and Wired as well as the Independent. His award-winning book on Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey was described as 'full of sparkling enthusiasm' by the New Scientist and 'excellent, in every way worthy of Kubrick's original precision-crafted vision' by the Evening Standard.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little history of atomic science. Reads super smoothly.
I wish some of the technical details were explained more fully. Sometimes it feels like they don't expect the reader to understand the science anyway.
Final chapter was a bit of a miss, going too far into conjecture physics in some parts.

[Wei Lian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Makes a good reading for students learning NOS and TOK. Interesting insights offered about the development of scientific reasonings and the biofacts of some of the greatest scientists in the last century.

[Mahendran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous, fascinating book on a complicated subject. Coming from a science background, I had a basic understanding of the subject but nothing more really. Loved how the book broke down the complicated subject into understandable portions for a layman like me. The historical narrative in addition to character sketches of the multiple protagonists makes the read even more fascinating. The sections on the Solvay conferences - the Einstein versus Bohr / Heisenberg debates were brilliant and will remain etched in memory. The final chapter slipped into the philosophical realm from the scientific realm but I felt the discussion was quite rich.
Overall a book I felt enriched by and will revisit .

[Sam Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was thinking four or even three stars for this before I read the last chapter, which was just such a well written conclusion to the science that people a lot smarter than me have been grappling with for the past 120 years. There are times where I think this book focuses a bit too much on the lives of the scientists and not enough on the actual theories that they contributed, but this book is only 193 pages so I think that's what keeps it relatively bite-sized.

I gained a real appreciation for the creativity behind a lot of the discovery work to theory behind what the atom is or what our universe and everything in it is made out of. The ability to think creatively about problems, and kind of imagine the way things could work, is so important in science and something I want to try and bring to my lessons in the classroom this year. Science isn't about just understanding how things work, it's about learning to creatively think about a problem and work towards a solution. Ultimately, we have a pretty good idea about what an atom is at this point (it seems); it's a nucleus of protons and neutrons that are surrounded by a mostly empty space where electrons are pulled in and almost orbit the nucleus. But when you zoom out, so many more questions arise. Where did the FIRST atom come from? How did the universe we live in get everything perfectly correct that I'm sitting here typing on a computer? Gravity is a force, but where does that force originate from? One theory that the end of this book suggests is that black holes take stars and bring them into parallel universes. That's mind-blowing to me!

Not only did I learn more about what atoms are the work required to discover them, but the theoretical conversations around them really have my mind racing. I recommend this book if not just for the last 25 pages alone.

[Nadav Har'El · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bizony's book "Atom" surveys the discovery and understanding of what atoms are, and what they are made of, mostly in the 20th century. If you thought that we've always known that atoms exist - after all it's an ancient Greek word! - this book will clearly remind you that it didn't, and that it took the work of many brilliant physicists over a good part of a century, to prove that atoms actually exist, and then incrementally understand how they actually work, that they are composed of sub-atomic particles, that they follow the laws of Quantum Mechanics and not Newtonian Mechanics, and after discovering a whole "zoo" of sub-atomic particles - how these might actually be explained by a smaller number of fundamental particles - quarks and leptons.

One aspect of this book took some getting used to, and I'm sure some will love and some will like less (myself, I still can't decide): Together with the description of the various advances in physics in the 20th century, is intertwined the stories of the life of the scientists who made them. The book contains vivid descriptions of the life of dozens of scientists - where they worked, how they got started and how they came about to their invention, and sometimes even their love lives. These short biographies are cleverly intertwined with the text, so the book doesn't read like an encyclopedia of scientists - but still it made me wonder at certain points whether I was reading a book about science, or about the history of science. If you like both, you're sure to like this book. If you only want to learn current knowledge and see equations (of which there are none in this book), this might not be the book for you.

[Ali Miremadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent bit of popular science. Unusual combination of 10,000 ft summaries of major advances in atomic physics over the past century, along with the real world impacts around WWII, and brief but memorable portraits of Rutherford, Planck, the Curies, Einstein (not given an especially privileged role in this account), Schrodinger, Bohr, Heisenberg, Oppenheimer, Pauli, Dirac, Gamow, Meitner, Feynman and the rest. Bizony isn’t above giving us the sex lives of Marie Curie, Einstein, Schrodinger and Feynman; the politics (generally balanced and interesting - spoiler alert - Bohr comes out of it well, Heisenberg not so much); misogyny, anti semitism and academic theft (step forward the villain Otto Hahn at the expense of Lisa Meitner); but mainly the history of the ideas from Planck to todays speculations about the beginning, and end, of the universe. The final chapter was the hardest for me to follow but still interesting. I’m impressed at how much ground Bizony covers in a short book, but especially how he can discuss such dazzlingly complicated ideas (without pretending that a general reader will *understand* quantum mechanics and the rest after reading a narrativised summary such as this) in persuasive, enjoyable prose.

[Lee Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short book provides an easy guide to a very complicated world. It is written like a history book, building essential knowledge on the investigation of key historical figures and moments. I loved how the end of the book became very philosophical. It begins by breaking down the 'God' argument and outlining why belief in God exists. This is a very different critical approach to other writers at the time (not naming any Dawkins). What this book does is show how the highly improbable existence of the universe can naturally lead to the belief in a creator, but then respectfully outlines alternate views, first exploring the multiverse theory and then questioning reality itself. Atom theory enables us to question the reality of what we see and experience around us and makes us question what is existence and what is real. This leads to the exciting conclusion that there is still so much we don't know about reality and there is still so much to learn. Rather than drawing atheistic or religious conclusions, you become intrigued by the journey of learning the human race has been on and the revelations to come through our own curiosity and investigation.

[Freddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What got me hooked to this book, was the way the author presented the historical facts about the atom and the scientists' life stories without forgetting to convey the amazingness that surrounds the atomic and sub-atomic world.

It introduces you to the basic concepts surrounding the atomic scale by explaining the several discoveries and experiments performed by scientists over time.

I was constantly thrilled to read and understand more and more about the functioning of the atom, and how it is not ruled by the same set of physics laws that govern the bigger components of the universe. It can be a complex topic to understand, but the author provides explanations as simple as possible.

This is a really good science history book, that will open your apetite for such topics.

[Bookish Minh · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely love this book. It very cleverly explains the discoveries of atom and its hitherto relevancies along the history and development of physics and quantum physics. I have learned so much about atom and this book does remarkable job at helping me linking what I have known with each other and everything it mentions make perfect sense. I was gonna say that the first 70% is more intriguing than the rest but to be honest this book hooks me from the first till last page. I think it is perfect for a layman who is interested in a more technical and theoretical aspects of physics like me.

[Andres · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a really good explanation about how the atom's knowledge is built. Since the first theories until the future challenges the humanity will have to understand the atom and the Creation itself. The book is nice to follow, and easy to understand, specially all the things related to math and physics.

[Benjamin Redwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t be deceived by the limited-looking premise and blurb. This is a gloriously comprehensive history of 20th century physics and chemistry. Brilliantly accessible without skimping on detail either (until the really baffling latest theories at the end of the book) - and deeply, deeply funny. I seriously never thought physicists were funny. That’s the real surprise.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

easy reading about fascinating endeavour of human kind into depth of matter. might be too shallow for theoretical physicist but perfectly sufficient and clear for wondering mind of average person.

[Dave Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable romp through the discoveries of the nature of the atom and fundamental particles of the last couple of hundred years, along with the main protagonists at the practical and theoretical cutting edge

[Shaheryar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mentions all the scientists and experiments conducted to uncover the mystery of the atom. Although, it all led up to building the atom bomb. It does a give great perspective of our existence and the universe and it's birth.

[Gaurav Patil · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was wonderful to read the history of so many scientific concepts which were never thought to us in school nor we were ever encouraged to explore.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! The history of physics written like a detective story.

[Tiansoo Koay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written book about the atom in which Bizony compelled the story of atom from time of Democritus to the present day string theory.

[Eimear Penruddocke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enticing and well written- thoroughly enjoyed

[Tony Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compulsive reading

Great book, well structured and written. A little difficult at times but worth the effort. Reading alongside Homo Deus and contemplating the world around us.

[Icon Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book Guide

'Bizony's insightful, compelling book chronicles our quest to understand the atom through the personalities of those who looked furthest into its abyss - a human drama wrought with frustration, love, guilt and genius.'
New Scientist

No one ever expected the atom to be as bizarre, as capricious, and as weird as it turned out to be. Its tale is one riddled with jealousy, rivalry, missed opportunities and moments of genius.

Piers Bizony tells the story of the young misfit New Zealander, Ernest Rutherford, who showed that the atom consisted mainly of empty space, a discovery that turned 200 years of classical physics on its head, and the brilliant Dane, Niels Bohr, who made the next great leap into the incredible world of quantum theory.

Yet he and a handful of other Young Turks in this revolutionary new science weren't prepared for the shocks that Nature had up her sleeve. At the dawn of the Atomic Age, a dangerous new force was unleashed with terrifying speed ...

--------------

Piers Bizony is a science journalist and space historian who writes for magazines such as Focus and Wired as well as the Independent. His award-winning book on Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey was described as 'full of sparkling enthusiasm' by the New Scientist and 'excellent, in every way worthy of Kubrick's original precision-crafted vision' by the Evening Standard.

[Kee Onn · Rating 4 out of 5]

You might have heard of the names Einstein, Bohr, Schrodinger, Rutherford from the sleepy physics classes of old – this book brings the characters alive, back into the heady days of atomic research when Man has just discovered a whole new world in the subatomic realm. Rutherford was boisterous and has a bellowing voice, while Schrodinger claims his womanizing helps him in his discoveries in quantum mechanics. Or have you ever heard of the epic fights and debates on the Solway conferences, or experiences the tension of the moment during the Manhattan Project where they realized the monstrous power of the atomic bomb? Scientists are also human, science and history go hand-in-hand, and Piers Bizony will bring you into a realm of physics your average physics teacher will not lead you to. 

[Jerrid Kruse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, but surprisingly complete history of our understanding of the atom. The book does a nice job illustrating how science is a series of arguments and the role of hunches and assumptions. The instrumental nature of atomic ideas is well documented, but balanced well with the need for empirical evidence. The final chapter, origins of the cosmos, goes a bit beyond the atom, but is interesting. The author illustrates the many personalities behind the science and the story really does read like a drama with accurate science woven in seamlessly.

[Jan de Vries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit is een zeer goed boek. Erg leuk voor de geïnteresseerde. Op een fijne en leuke manier geschreven. Ik wil na dit boek graag meer van deze auteur lezen.

Dit boek geeft een inkijk in de gedachtegangen achter de revoluties die ons het huidige inzicht in de wereld van de atoom geeft. De verhalen van de onderzoekers en de historie contexten komen uitgebreid aan bod. De schrijver gaat niet al te diep in op de verschillende onderzoeken of theorieën. In plaats daarvan gaat dit boek over het proces zelf.

[Gordon Gatiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book telling the true story of the scientists who uncovered the secret of the atom. Mistakes and rivalries of human beings in the journey of discovery. A compelling read, wonderful knowledge, making you realise how innovative, creative and driven we are as a life-form. Recommended.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. It's a phenomenal overview of the history of the atomic theory, with a focus on the great minds who developed it.

Not technical at all, yet very informative and compelling. One of my favourite popular science books

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good introduction to the modern history of atomic physics. It gives an account of the important figures and explains in simple terms the important theories of that branch of science. Excellent starting place for those, like me, left off the academic study of science in school.

[Eduard Horak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazingly informative book about the lives of scientists dedicated to understand the atom better. I enjoyed the final chapter most of all.

[Russell Parkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another superb book and the subject...