Introduction
PART 1 Dismantling Classical Physics
1 Cathode Ray Tube: X-rays and the Electron
2 The Gold Foil Experiment: The Structure of the Atom
3 The Photoelectric Effect: The Light Quantum
PART 2 Matter beyond atoms
4 Cloud Chambers: Cosmic Rays and a Shower of New Particles
5 The First Particle Accelerators: Splitting the Atom
6 Cyclotron: Artificial Production of Radioactivity
7 Synchrotron Radiation: An Unexpected Light Emerges
PART 3 The Standard Model and Beyond
8 Particle Physics Goes Large: The Strange Resonances
9 Mega-detectors: Finding the Elusive Neutrino
10 Linear Accelerators: The Discovery of Quarks
11 The Tevatron: A Third Generation of Matter
12 The Large Hadron Collider: The Higgs Boson and Beyond
13 Future Experiments
Acknowledgements
Notes
Index
DR. SUZIE SHEEHY is a physicist, science communicator and academic who divides her time between research groups at the University of Oxford and University of Melbourne. She is currently focused on developing new particle accelerators for applications in medicine. The Matter of Everything is her first book.
A Best Book of the Year: New Scientist, The Sunday Times (UK)
“[An] absorbing scientific history. . . . Sheehy, a particle
physicist who splits her time between labs at Oxford and the
University of Melbourne, radiates enthusiasm for her field. . . .
Delightfully accessible. . . . Sheehy also celebrates the
long-overlooked contributions of female scientists, such as Harriet
Brooks. . . . Is there anything left to discover? Sheehy argues
that—despite all the discoveries of the past 125 years—our universe
remains full of enigmas.”
—The Wall Street Journal
“Vividly described. . . . A sweeping but detailed and pacy account
of 100 years of scientific advancement, The Matter of Everything
has a cheering takeaway. What such leaps lie ahead? What questions
seem intractable now that we won't give a thought to in the future?
Sheehy mounts the case that - with persistence, curiosity and
collaboration - we may yet overcome challenges that now seem
impossible.”
―New Scientist
“The Matter of Everything . . . brings out the stars of
experimental physics, the people who directly observe, hypothesize
and build machines firing beams of matter and energy to test theory
against reality. . . . Give[s] a real sense of the thrill of
scientific discovery.”
―The Times (UK)
“Never less than fascinating. . . . In the end, as Sheehy tells us,
physics is not just about the search for how the Universe works:
‘Physics is all about people.’ Her journey through the history of
particle physics reveals the extraordinary ingenuity of
experimental scientists and their selfless dedication to answering
big questions about matter and the universe. It is a field that has
brought huge benefits to humankind, from new medical imaging
technologies to cancer treatments. But in the end, it may well be
the physicists’ example of working together to solve problems that
will prove the most valuable to us all, at a time when the world
faces unparalleled challenges.”
―The Guardian (UK)
“This is a book about the fundamental problems of physics written
from a viewpoint I hadn’t come across before: that of the
experimenter. Someone first thought of the cloud chamber, or the
cyclotron, or the MRI scanner, and that person (or that team) had
to build one: you couldn’t buy one off the shelf. The actual
sequence of experiments, and failures, and more experiments, and
success, is a fascinating one, especially for any readers excited,
as I am, by the thought of making things. A splendid idea, vividly
carried out: I enjoyed this book enormously.”
– Philip Pullman, best-selling author of His Dark Materials
“This fascinating and highly readable book captures the radical
excitement of experimental science as it's being made. It’s an
all-action thriller, laced with some of the most profound ideas
humans have ever had.”
– Brian Eno
“Kicking off with the discovery of X-rays towards the end of the
nineteenth century to the massive colliders scientists dream of
building today, The Matter of Everything is an impassioned, elegant
history of particle physics and its applications. Dr. Sheehy
adroitly brings together a glittering cast of characters --
from the famous giants of the field to the unjustly overlooked
scientists whose shoulders they stood on -- to tell the story of
the most fundamental of all sciences.”
– Ananyo Bhattacharya, author of The Man From the Future
“The Matter of Everything is a magical tour of the great
experiments defining the most incredible century in physics, which
saw exploring the cutting edge of science move from tabletop
curiosities to literally the world’s largest machines. Sheehy
seamlessly weaves the science and history with why this matters to
all of us: as she expertly illustrates, our quest to understand the
tiniest of particles has had an enormous impact on technology,
health and society, reaching far beyond the lab.”
– Andrew Steele, author of Ageless
“This is story-telling at its very best and why I fell in love with
physics. Sheehy's attention to detail shines through every story
and yet there's a lightness of touch in the way she highlights the
passion, drive, ingenuity and, ultimately, the sheer triumph of
science in unlocking nature's secrets.”
– Jim Al-Khalili, author of The World According to Physics
“Physicist [Suzie] Sheehy debuts with a terrific history of
experiments that have changed the course of science. In a
fast-paced and accessible narrative, Sheehy keenly demonstrates how
‘our view of the smallest constituents in nature has changed
rapidly throughout the last 120 years.’ . . . Along the way come
fascinating profiles of scientists, including several women who
have been omitted from history. . . . With punchy writing and vivid
historical details, Sheehy brilliantly captures the curiosity that
fuels science, the frustration of ‘false starts and failures,’ and
the thrill of finding answers that are bound to raise more
questions. This is pop science at its best.”
—Publishers Weekly [starred review]
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