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The Large Hadron Collider: The Extraordinary Story of the Higgs Boson and Other Stuff That Will Blow Your Mind Paperback – September 29, 2020

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 62 ratings

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An insider's history of the world's largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider: why it was built, how it works, and the importance of what it has revealed.

Since 2008 scientists have conducted experiments in a hyperenergized, 17-mile supercollider beneath the border of France and Switzerland. The Large Hadron Collider (or what scientists call "the LHC") is one of the wonders of the modern world—a highly sophisticated scientific instrument designed to re-create in miniature the conditions of the universe as they existed in the microseconds following the big bang. Among many notable LHC discoveries, one led to the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics for revealing evidence of the existence of the Higgs boson, the so-called God particle.

Picking up where he left off in The Quantum Frontier, physicist Don Lincoln shares an insider's account of the LHC's operational history and gives readers everything they need to become well informed on this marvel of technology.

Writing about the LHC's early days, Lincoln offers keen insight into an accident that derailed the operation nine days after the collider's 2008 debut. A faulty solder joint started a chain reaction that caused a massive explosion, damaged 50 superconducting magnets, and vaporized large sections of the conductor. The crippled LHC lay dormant for over a year, while technical teams repaired the damage.

Lincoln devotes an entire chapter to the Higgs boson and Higgs field, using several extended analogies to help explain the importance of these concepts to particle physics. In the final chapter, he describes what the discovery of the Higgs boson tells us about our current understanding of basic physics and how the discovery now keeps scientists awake over a nagging inconsistency in their favorite theory.

As accessible as it is fascinating, The Large Hadron Collider reveals the inner workings of this masterful achievement of technology, along with the mind-blowing discoveries that will keep it at the center of the scientific frontier for the foreseeable future.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

The book is a fast read brimming with personality. Reading about the Large Hadron Collider, with its spinning particle streams, hypercontrolled collisions, and awesome implications, is like learning about what wizards do.
Foreword Reviews

Lincoln's tales of the LHC . . . offer readers fresh insight into some of the most significant research in modern physics.
Publishers Weekly

Laypersons interested in the building blocks of the universe and/or the newsworthy LHC will learn a lot from this work and enjoy the process.
Library Journal

Physics blends with some amazing stories of the Higgs boson and other details in a powerful scientific survey packed with insights that are both scientifically detailed and widely accessible to general-interest readers.
California Bookwatch

This engaging story will be appreciated by readers interested in the frontiers of science . . . Highly recommended.
Choice

Written in accessible language and an engaging manner . . . I was pleased to see how Lincoln's sense of humor. . . lightens what might otherwise be a tedious enumeration of technical details.
Metascience

Book Description

An insider's history of the world's largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider: why it was built, how it works, and the importance of what it has revealed.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Johns Hopkins University Press (September 29, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 142143914X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1421439143
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.55 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 62 ratings

About the author

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Don Lincoln
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Don Lincoln holds a Ph.D. in physics from Rice University. He is a senior scientist at Fermilab, the US' premier particle physics laboratory. He has co-authored over 1,500 scientific papers, four popular physics books and an array of science article in such magazine such as Scientific American and Analog. He regularly contributes to CNN, Big Think, Forbes, and other online venues. His scientific accomplishments include participating in the discovery of the top quark and the Higgs boson.

He is first and foremost a researcher. Understanding the fundamental nature of reality is his passion. However he is also an author. He thinks it is his responsibility to share the excitement he feels when he or one of his colleagues discover something entirely new about the universe. Slowly, in fits and starts, with an occasional backslide, our understanding of our universe grows. Our species' long-held goal becomes more likely with each discovery.

More information can be found on: http://www.drdonlincoln.com

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
62 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides a wealth of basic scientific education on subparticles and the LHC. The author is good at explaining complex particle physics in layman's terms, which is essential for a correct understanding. They appreciate the readable descriptions and straightforward narrative.

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9 customers mention "Information quality"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides a wealth of basic scientific education on subparticles and the LHC. They appreciate the author's ability to explain complex particle physics in layman's terms. The book provides an excellent overview of all particles and is great for physics-minded kids.

"Great overview of the LHC. Does a review of all of the particles...." Read more

"Great insight into the workings of the LHC -- be prepared for extreme detail...." Read more

"...a wealth of basic scientific education on subparticles and other technical information that are essential for a correct understanding of what then..." Read more

"This book was interesting but did not blow my mind. Here's what would have blown my mind. "The Universe started out as energy...." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing and straightforward narrative. They find the descriptions readable for non-physicists and the topic approachable for laypeople.

"...The descriptions are all very readable for the non-physicist if you don't get hung up on particle specifics...." Read more

"...and a travel for the inner of matter in a breathtaking and straightforward narrative. Indispensable for scientists!" Read more

"...discussion by an informed author who loves his topic....very approachable for the layman...." Read more

"Interesting, yes. Understandable, yes. Mindblowing, no...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2019
    Great overview of the LHC. Does a review of all of the particles. I have been following all of the particle stuff for years through Scientific American and thought I knew more, the book reminded me I don't. You can probably enjoy the book more if you just read about the particles and not get hung up on remembering all of their properties, which I tried to do, but not being a particle physicist it is tough, so just read about them and continue the books narrative. The descriptions are all very readable for the non-physicist if you don't get hung up on particle specifics. I agree with Larry, the dual mention of every property in English and Metric units is very annoying.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2015
    Great insight into the workings of the LHC -- be prepared for extreme detail. Two flaws (in my mind): Each and every measurement of size, distance, etc., is given in both English and metric units; very distracting. Too many awkward comparisons in an attempt to clarify concepts. He should realize that anyone reading the book can grasp the ideas without comparisons to too simple things.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2016
    This book offers much more than just a bunch of information about the LHC. For non-physicists (like me), the book brings a wealth of basic scientific education on subparticles and other technical information that are essential for a correct understanding of what then LHC was built for and what its current experiments are doing. I recommend it highly.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2015
    Great book lots of good information if you're interested in CERN and the finding of the Higgs Boson. Don goes into a lot of detail explaining much of basic subatomic physics as he gets the point of the reason for the LHC.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2015
    Lincoln's book is extremely well done and extends the work he did on his first book , The Quantum Frontier.
    The LHC's finding of the Higgs Field & Boson and Lincoln's descriptive review is outstanding.
    Almost as good as being there - ALMOST

    JJ
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2016
    This book was interesting but did not blow my mind. Here's what would have blown my mind. "The Universe started out as energy. Yet today most of it is matter. We all know that matter and energy are interchangeable. We even know how they equate: the change in energy equals the change in mass times the speed of light squared (E = mC2). We are also pretty good at changing matter to energy, in nuclear power plants and hydrogen bombs. What we don’t know how to do is change energy to matter. And that must happen a lot, or the universe would be mostly energy and I wouldn’t be here to write this book. So how does that happen? It turns out that it requires a field that affects energy particles and gives them mass. This is the story of why we need that field and how the CERN Large Hadron Collider proved that it exists.” Don Lincoln is very good at explaining complex particle physics in layman’s terms. He is not very good at translating the mysteries that excite a particle physicist into adventures that excite a layman. If you are interested in CERN, the LHC, and the Higgs Boson, by all means read this book. If you want to have your mind blown by cosmic mysteries, stick with Steven Hawking.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2016
    The history of LHC and its experiments, the hunting for the Higgs and a travel for the inner of matter in a breathtaking and straightforward narrative. Indispensable for scientists!
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2014
    Purchased for a Christmas gift. Beyond my ability to understand the individual we purchased it for will be pleased with the info as he is an engineer.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Alain Turner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love this man
    Reviewed in Canada on March 1, 2023
    Great book from a great scientist. Definitely recommended
  • miss janet moseley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2015
    Brilliant
  • Diego
    5.0 out of 5 stars Muy recomendable y muy bien explicado
    Reviewed in Spain on July 3, 2015
    Un libro muy bien escrito. Pensado para el hombre de la calle. El autor se explica muy bien con numerosas analogías para hacerse entender, y expone las limitaciones que tiene el hecho de usar analogías en el mundo de la física de partículas. Hay una parte sobre la física de partículas, donde se narra la historia del descubrimiento del boson de Higgs, y otra sobre el funcionamiento del colisionador y de los sensores que lo integran. Esta última parte es la he encontrado muy interesante porque no se suele encontrar en libros dirigidos para la gente corriente.

    La lectura es rápida y cuesta dejar de leer, puede ser que algún pasaje haya que releerlo, pero son pocos.

    El autor es uno de los investigadores del LHC, y cuenta la historia de alguien que la está viviendo desde dentro.

    Es un buen divulgador.

    En una entrevista el pasado mes de abril el autor comentaba qué le gustaría tener este libro traducido al castellano. Como aún no está no queda más remedio que leerlo en inglés.

    Muy recomendable si te gustan este tipo de temas.