Massive: The Missing Particle That Sparked the Greatest Hunt in Science

by Ian Sample

The biggest science story of our time, Massive spans four decades, weaving together the personal narratives and international rivalries behind the search for the “God" particle, or Higgs boson. A story of grand ambition, intense competition, clashing egos, and occasionally spectacular failures, Massive is the first book that reveals the science, culture, and politics behind the biggest unanswered question in modern physics—what gives things mass? Drawing upon his unprecedented access to Peter Higgs, after whom the particle is named, award-winning science writer Ian Sample chronicles the multinational and multibillion-dollar quest to solve the mystery of mass. For scientists, to find the God particle is to finally understand the origin of mass, and until now, the story of their search has never been told.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Physics, History, Popular Science, Biography, Nature

260 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Manny]

WARNING: THERE WILL BE A SHORT QUIZ AT THE END OF THIS REVIEW

Okay, now that I've got your attention, read the following descriptions of two subatomic particles, then answer the question. The particles in question are the Higgs and the inflaton. Ready?

____________________________________

Theoretical status

Higgs: Hypothetical.

Inflaton: Hypothetical.


What they're supposed to do

Higgs: Unify the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces, by mediating a scalar field which assigns mass to the W and Z particles. May also assign mass to other particles.

Inflaton: Create the whole universe. May also have created an infinite number of other universes.


Experimental status

Higgs: Rumoured to have been observed at the Large Hadron Collider a few weeks ago.

Inflaton: Will probably never be observed.

____________________________________


AND NOW THE QUESTION...

Which one is often referred to colloquially as "The God Particle"?












Yes... needless to say, the answer is the Higgs. Whoever said "the inflaton" can stay behind after class and clean the erasers.

[Gili · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
כוכבים מעוגל למעלה
הפיסיקה לא מוסברת מספיק טוב

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this one at a used book store while on vacation, and thought it timely, since the announcement this week that scientists have found solid evidence supporting the existence of the Higgs boson.

A comprehensive look at the theoretical origin of the particle in particle physics that give the other particles their mass. Light on theory and long on history, this was still an interesting read, especially in light of the recent (just over a week ago!) announcement that the elusive Higgs boson may have finally been found. Peter Higgs first proposed the idea of a field being responsible for the mass of the various particles at a meeting in Princeton, back in 1966 and with that initiated a search for evidence that the Higgs boson exists in nature. Scientists have been hard at work trying to understand its properties ever since.

[Searchingthemeaningoflife Greece · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Η ανησυχία του Χιγκς ήταν απλή. Πώς μπορούν οι επιστήμονες να είναι σίγουροι οτι οι παρατηρήσεις που κάνουν είναι πραγματικές; Είμαστε σίγουροι ότι οι αισθήσεις μας παράγουν μια πιστή αναπαράσταση του φυσικού κόσμου; Άραγε είναι το εργο που επιτελεί ο εγκέφαλός μας, μια συρραφή των εμπειριών μας προκειμένου να δημιουργηθεί με ακρίβεια μια άψογη εικόνα του κόσμου; Το να πιστέψουμε κάτι τέτοιο είναι μια πράξη πίστης, όχι λογικής, υποστήριξε ο Χιγκς. Το μυαλό μας μπορεί να μας προδίδει. Μπορεί να ονειρευόμαστε ότι εκτελέσαμε ένα πείραμα αλλά να νομίζουμε οτι είναι πραγματικό. Μπορεί να ζουμε μια αυταπάτη και να βλέπουμε πράγματα που δεν έχουν συμβεί. Αυτό που μπορεί να φαίνεται σαν ένα μοτίβο στην πραγματικότητα, σαν ένας νόμος της φύσης, μπορεί να μην είναι τίποτα παραπάνω από ένα τέχνασμα της φαντασίας.]

[Robert Kinosian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is nothing more than sensationalist science writing. Not just about the science itself, which would be acceptable for such an important topic in physics, but about the lives of the scientists involved as well. For example, mentioning that a scientist may have brought a mistress with him to a retreat for no purpose other than to make the reader go "Oh my!" and then moving on immediately to something else. The subject itself is interesting, and the writer actually does a decent job of exploring many of the theories that led to the search for the Higgs boson, which is why this book gets two stars instead of one. However, the tabloid-style writing got in the way of me really enjoying the topic of discussion, so I don't recommend reading it.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine a book that explains particle physics in a way that a history major can grasp it. That's this book. It's awesome by the way. Here are some concepts that might grab your attention: polywater - it makes water gel-like and it bonds ands spreads fast. Like that Vonnegut book except the water doesn't freeze. Scary. Then there's the god particle. They absolute smallest form that you can get to, but they can't prove it or test it yet. Then there's how they think that they know that there are different dimensions because when they watch some particles they're reacting to something that isn't there...unless string theory is true. Really fascinating.

[Jaantony · Rating 5 out of 5]

tutta la fisica. magistrale

[U · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was an excellent way to introduce me to the hunt for the Higgs Boson particle, nicknamed the God particle by some (although this name has come under criticism by both religious and athiest physicists). It starts off describing the works of Maxwell. Later, the backstory of Peter Higgs is also depicted. The entire process of first trying to get to know the field of physics, without success in the beginning, is quite interesting to the know famous Higgs as he was in the same position himself. The entire competition scene exists within this book. Everything from small scientific teams, to Stephen Hawking, and even the USA's competition with Europe to be the first to find the Higgs is here as well. Personally, I feel as though it was framed like the particle accelerator in Texas was indeed competing against the International Space Center, also in Texas. The relationship between government and science is completely different than the relationship between politics and science. Reagan and other US presidents seemed to have legitimate interests in the project, only to be later dismayed. All hopes for the US winning the race seemed to be dashed, in addition to all the careers gone with the search. The only problems I have with the book are that it somewhat quickly ends chapters and that virtually all chapters have a similar format, but that's okay to be honest.

[Arko · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly written book about the 'massive' effort by so many scientists & engineers to hunt down the Higgs boson thus unlocking a little bit more of Nature's fundamentals.

[Kam Yung Soh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book. If you want to know about the current state of particle physics, the hunt for the Higgs particle, or what scientists are doing with their powerful 'toys' (the current big-boy being the Large Hadron Collider), this is the book to read.

Starting with the history of particles (and fields), the book goes on to show how one mystery mystified scientists: why do some particles (like protons, neutrons and electrons) have mass while others (like photons) don't. It would take scientists like Peter Higgs and others to propose the answer: a scalar field (and associated particle) that gives mass to those particles.

With backing from the electroweak theory (the theory that unifies the electromagnetic and weak forces) that depends on the Higgs field and the discovery of the particles predicted by the electroweak theory, the hunt was on to find the Higgs particle.

The book now moves to the dramatic part: the race between CERN and Fermilab to be the first to discover the Higgs particle (with the Superconducting Supercollider suffering collateral damage along the way).

You get a real sense of the tensions and stresses felt by both the people, who want to be the first to find the Higgs, and the machines, which were being pushed well beyond their initial designed capabilities.

In closing, the book looks at the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) and speculates on what the finding of the Higgs particle will mean for the future of particle physics: will it's discovery point to 'new physics' beyond the Standard Model or leave the Model 'complete' with nothing else to hunt for?

One section looks at the alarmist (at the time) who believe the LHC (and its predecessors) could destroy the Earth or the Universe. What the section shows is that scientists in the future will have to really consider the possibility that they could destroy the universe as we know it as particle accelerators get more powerful and explore increasingly exotic areas of physics.

The future is interesting and I look forward to discovering whether the LHC has discovered the Higgs particle (in a few weeks time at the of writing).

[Reading Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Massive is the story of the Higgs bosun... except that the Higgs itself never makes an appearance. Sample does a good job of laying out the theoretical and practical background of the search for the Higgs, incorporating personal interviews, historical accounts, and the like. As far as I could tell, his explanations of the extremely complex physics necessary to understand the Higgs are clear and helpful.

The only downside of this book is that reading it now is reading a story that is missing its most recent chapter. Since this book was written, the LHC has found the Higgs. It would be great to see an updated edition including the discovery of the Higgs and a new analysis of what the likely next steps are for particle physics.

[George Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some have criticized this book because it's more history than science. Since I bought it because I was interested in the history, I got a lot out of it. There are occasional insights into the science, most chiefly it is a story of a major scientific discovery and the many people who participated in that discovery. My only regret is that the author didn't wait a few more years to write it so that he could have told it right up to the actual discovery of the Higgs Boson which took place after the book was published.

[Skord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good balance between the science and the social side of the science method. I'm not always a fan of the story-telling method of science writing but Sample really makes it work without losing sight of the fact that it's science he's writing about.

[Ford Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this as it gives you a good 10k view of the field and information if your not used to the science. worth the read and time as it allows you to grasp where we are in particle physics and where and what it means to us as humans understanding the universe.

[Randall Scalise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this is fairly poorly written by someone who does not understand particle physics.

p.86: "The force transmitted by Z particles only affects particles with a left-handed spin."

Leaving aside that it's chirality and not spin, the Z boson couples to both right and left chiral fermions.

Meh, there are better books by people who know what they're talking about.

[Bryan Higgs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a good book, focused around the Higgs Boson, and Peter Higgs, after whom it is named (although there were six physicists actually involved in coming up with the theory). Although I have read many books about this topic, this book fills in quite a few details and events that I had not known about before. It reads well, and has lots of information about the characters involved and their personalities, as well as some physical concepts.

I was particularly enamored by some inclusions. The first was a physics joke I initially heard as a graduate student. The book presents it as an actual occurrence, but probably as a tongue-in-cheek statement:

'[Leon Lederman] was a born practical joker with a knack for boosting the morale of his co-workers when times were tough. During a stint at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Lederman was once overseeing an experiment that required a large, thick metallic shield. Lederman had somehow secured an old navy cannon for the job, but, on delivery, he realized there was a problem with it. Inside the steel tube was a rifling groove that might interfere with the experiment. Lederman commandeered a lightly built student and sent him inside the cannon with a supply of steel wool to stuff into the offending groove. The student lasted for half an hour before crawling out. "Enough", he said. "I quit." Lederman implored the young physicist: "But you can't quit. Where will I get another student of your calibre?"'

Another quote I liked was attributed to President Ronald Reagan when considering whether or not to support the Superconducting Supercollider (which was eventually de-funded). It was attributed to Jack London, although that is in question:

'I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark should burn out
in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom
of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.'

Apparently, many high-ranking people spent a lot of time trying to verify who said this without real success.

Incidentally, I read a version of this book that was written prior to the discovery of the Higgs Boson by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. There is an updated version of the book that presumably includes updates relating to that, but I have not seen that version, so cannot comment on it.

This book is worth reading.

[Cronache di Betelgeuse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recensione pubblicata su Cronache di Betelgeuse

Dietro la più piccola scoperta scientifica c’è sempre un’idea rivoluzionaria, ma a volte non basta un solo uomo per riuscire a svilupparla completamente. E’ ciò che si scopre leggendo questo libro, che ci guida alla scoperta del bosone di Higgs, prima negli aspetti teorici, poi in quelli pratici.

Questa particella che ha fatto impazzire il mondo è riuscita a mettere in competizioni due continenti con le migliori menti pronte ad affrontare questa sfida impegnativa: trovare come e perché si è formata la materia che conosciamo. L’atmosfera che si incontra nelle pagine del libro è di grande attesa e riflette ciò che dovevano provare i vari gruppi di ricerca coinvolti. Essere i primi a esporre la teoria e a verificarla non è solo il coronamento dei propri sforzi, ma è anche il trampolino di lancio per altri scienziati, in modo che possano progredire sempre più nello svelare i misteri del nostro universo.

Per riuscire a capire tutte le nozioni esposte è necessario avere una base di conoscenza scientifica: cos’è un atomo e come è fatto al suo interno. Il narratore, partendo da questi concetti, ci guiderà in questo viaggio durato anni, costellato da tanti piccoli passi che hanno portato gli scienziati sempre più vicini alla scoperta finale fatta dal CERN di Ginevra.

Scopriamo anche qualche retroscena sui protagonisti della vicenda, che arricchiscono il libro con aneddoti sulla loro vita. I ricercatori diventano così non solo dei nomi in calce a qualche teoria oscura, ma vere e proprie persone con emozioni e sogni per il futuro. Ci si lascia contagiare dal loro entusiasmo e ci si rattrista con loro per ogni intoppo. Si scopre come sia la vita all’interno dei grandi laboratori di ricerca e la si può paragonare con quella dei grandi professori universitari, che oltre a formulare teorie riescono a forgiare le menti che dovranno dimostrarle o migliorarle.

In fin dei conti il libro è un’avventura scientifica, che rispecchia la vitalità della scienza e ci avvicina al suo mondo rivoluzionario.

[Fabio Parisini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avendo letto da poco un avvincente libro divulgativo sulla fisica quantistica, mi aspettavo un analogo libro sul bosone di Higgs. In realtà questo libro fa un interessante resoconto storico di come la fisica, dalla fine dell'ottocento ad oggi, si sia mossa sulle tracce della particella di Higgs. Il libro fa una rapida introduzione alla nascita delle prime teorie atomiche, parla degli scienziati, delle loro università, delle innovazioni tecnologiche, dei conflitti bellici, il tutto con un accurato taglio storico, ma permettendo anche al lettore digiuno di fisica di avere un'idea delle tematiche scientifiche citate. Dopo poco il libro diventa avvincente, molto più di tanti romanzi, è semplicemente un piacere leggerlo e non si vede l'ora di arrivare alla pagina successiva, e sapere come andrà a finire. Evidentemente trasuda l'accurato lavoro dell'autore, le ricerche, le interviste, la messa in ordine del materiale, la costruzione di un contesto organico. E' bello soprattutto imparare di più sul CERN, sempre sentito nominare ma, almeno per quanto mi riguarda, poco metabolizzato nella sua importanza e presenza nella storia scientifica moderna. Insomma, un libro diverso da quello che mi aspettavo, non un libro che mette al centro un obiettivo divulgativo, ma piuttosto ha l'obiettivo di documentare il lavoro di uomini appassionati alle loro ricerche. Molto consigliato.

[Upom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting book on the entire history of the search for the Higgs Boson, from its conception, to the creation of particle accelerators, including CERN's Large Hadron Collider. It also serves as a mini-biography of Peter Higgs, who apparently ended up divorcing his wife from working so much on physics like the Higgs Boson. There was an interesting chapter on the failure of the US to build a rival particle accelerator, The awesome sounding Superconducting Super Collider, and it how it died a death by a thousand cuts. A good lesson on how NOT to get a large government-funded science project through Congress. There was also a dark but strangely amusing chapter on all the theoretical ways experiments in particle accelerators could destroy humanity and even the universe, from the creation of microscopic blackholes, to the sinister "strangelets". I really wished the book went into more detail about the science of electroweak theory and particle physics instead of the cursory glance it gave. Still, the book is a comprehensive and entertaining history on one of the biggest science projects of all time.

[Francis Kayiwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world's most complicated machine was built to hunt down an elusive particle. Ian Sample doesn't focus much on the theory behind Higgs-Boson. That said, reading this book can be a springboard to the fascinating world of particle physics. He also doesn't go much into the actual construction and running of particle colliders but still the reader will be enlightened on how these at once simple yet complex machines run. The primary focus and the stars of the book are the brilliant people behind CERN's Large Hadron Collider and USDOE/Fermilab's Tevatron Collider.

To be honest the Tevatron is almost a side show and isn't given nearly enough mention and/or credit and is almost an afterthought. Perhaps this is because Tevatron is in my neighborhood that I find this to be an oversight. :-) That said this was a fun read into the people behind the science. I am glad the book didn't get bogged down with the details behind particle physics and the construction and I feel I must drive this point home, the book itself remains a science book.

[Janta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read an electronic copy of this book, borrowed from my public library. There were several annoying formatting errors -- words running together, etc. Minor stuff, but easily corrected by a copy editor.

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. It's an interesting story, but I never felt like I got an adequate grip on some of the physics. I also felt like a lot of the "human interest" elements of the book were tacked on and somewhat forced, and actually distracted from the main point. I know without those elements the book would be pretty dry reading, but they often felt like they'd been inserted as an afterthought, and frequently came across as kind of pointless. To me, if those two aspects had been better integrated -- the search for the Higgs boson and the lives of the people leading that search -- this would have been a much more enjoyable read.

[Alistair Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It provides terrific insight to the lives and thought processes of leading scientists in the field of particle physics. It's a real page turner that does a great job of communicating what drives these people and the hurdles they come up against. I envy Ian Sample's experiences in meeting and picking the brains of the scientists and admire his perseverance in digging into the detailed and tough topics.
I would agree with other reviewers that it felt thin on science from time to time but maybe that's a good thing. By the end of the book I think that I understand a bit more about the physics discussed but I'm still struggling, and I'm a scientists! Too much detail and I might have turned off.
Overall, very readable and enjoyable.

[Bob Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book immediately after I read Big Bang by Simon Singh. That immediately set up an unfair comparison. This book is not nearly as well written, as interesting, or as understandable as Big Bang. On the other hand, it gave me some background about the thing that EVERYBODY is talking about = the Higgs boson. I had no clue what it was before I read this book, or why it was so important. I now have a clue. Not a big clue, but a clue. 2012 is supposed to be the year that we find out whether the Higgs boson exists. This book will allow you to sound halfway intelligent around the water cooler when that news starts to come out.

[Karen Plummer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Massive" explains the history of the search for the Higgs boson particle up through 2010. It's an exciting journey, involving some of the best minds of all history. The author explains the science in a manner that is mostly understandable to those of us without a strong science background and his sources are the men and women involved in this great and frustrating search. The history of FermiLab, CERN, and the sadly defunct Superconducting Supercollider were fascinating as well. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this but feel a re-reading may be on tap later on because there was so much to take in.

[Charlesbures · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a very good discussion of the scientific race between CERN and Fermilab to find this hypothetical elementary particle - the last to be found to complete the Standard Model. It discusses the human factors involved between all the scientists, who hope to find it before the funding is stopped.

It sort of explains what the particle is meant to do, and does not go into the details of the complex, mathematical associated with elementary particles.

It gives an excellent perspective of why teams of scientists are needed these days.

[Jim Lane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read other books about particle physics and physicists -- this one was not nearly as engaging as I hoped, although it might be good for someone completely unfamiliar with the concepts.

I also find it interesting that we are so confident about the latest discoveries and the standard quantum model currently in service. The model is always overthrown, 4 elements, atoms, atomic particles, subatomic particles, quantum particles. Who's to say there isn't a "next" layer of discovery when the technology permits its exploration?

[Sage Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

whichever way you look it... the story is Massive
The hunt is not really for the Higgs boson, of course, it is for an understanding of the origin of mass, or more technically "electroweak symmetry breaking". Mass is what breaks the symmetry between the electromagnetic force and the weak nuclear force, and this happens at the energies we have reached with the LHC. The Higgs may do it, it may not. We just need to know, one way or the other
So read this book, then watch the final stages of this particular scientific quest play out over the coming months and years.

[Ravi Warrier · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have ever wondered about the elusive, yet extremely popular (amongst scientists if no one else) celebrity of a sub-atomic particle, the Higgs Boson, then this is the book to read!
Ian Sample has done a remarkable job at codifying the chronology of this long hunt for the particle that's dubbed, "the God Particle". From the early days when Peter Higgs' work predicted the possibility of the existence of the particle and field, to the race to find it and the current state of the scientific endeavor, this book has it all, inside one cover. A wonderful, scientific page-turner.

[SteveDave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes a bit of a different approach to the telling of science. It's less about explaining the science and more about exploring the people and process behind the science; essentially, it's a history of the science. There is still plenty of actual scientific discussion in here, and it is very much written for a lay audience. An interesting enough book, although it looks I read the pre-updated version because the one I read was published a couple of years before the Higgs was discovered.

[Raymond Le Blanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. Although it would normally cost me a lot off effort to understand the topic (particle physics), the author managed to write a fascinating story about the quest to find the Higgs Boson. It describes the world of nobel prize winning physicists and the machines they build and use to prove their theories (The problem described in this book is that no one has ever observed the Higgs boson in an experiment to confirm the theory about it's existence).