If the new boson is indeed the Higgs particle, its discovery represents an important milestone in the history of particle physics. However, despite the pressure to award Nobel Prizes to physicists associated with the Higgs boson, John Moffat argues that there still remain important data analyses to be performed before uncorking the champagne. John Moffat is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Toronto and a senior researcher at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Well-known for his outside-the-box research on topics such as dark matter, dark energy, and the varying speed of light cosmology (VSL), his new book takes a critical look at the hype surrounding the Higgs boson. In the process, he presents a cogent and often entertaining history of particle physics and an exploration of alternative theories of particle physics that do not feature the Higgs boson, including his own. He gives a detailed and personal description of how theoretical physicists come up with new theories, and emphasizes how carefully experimental physicists must interpret the complex data now coming out of accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The book does not shy away from controversial topics such as the sociology of particle physics. There is immense pressure on projects like the $9 billion LHC to come up with positive results in order to secure funding for the future. Yet to date, the Higgs boson may be the only positive result to emerge from the LHC experiments. The searches for dark matter particles, mini-black holes, extra dimensions, and supersymmetric particles have all come up empty-handed, with serious consequences for theoretical physics, including string theory and gravity theory. John Moffat is also the author of Reinventing Gravity (2008) and Einstein Wrote Back (2010).
The Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists: Second Edition, 2 Volume Set examines the lives and careers of noteworthy scientists and thinkers through the ages, illuminating the progress of science and its impact on society in general. From Aristotle and the beginnings of objective observations, to twentieth century giants, Freud and Hawking, this extensive in-depth reference explores the men and women who have shaped our ideas and the world in which we live today. Extensively revised and updated, this second edition comprises two substantial illustrated volumes that contain over 2,000 biographical entries and over half a million words. It looks and reads like a "Who's Who" of the world of scientific thought, providing an in-depth listing of prominent historical as well as modern figures of science and medicine. The main biographical entries are arranged alphabetically and summarize the individual's life and contribution to science. The volumes also include a chronology of the history of science from 590 BC to the present, a subject index, and a bibliography of key publications in the history of scientific thought. For anyone researching the world of scientific personalities and ideas, this unique reference work will be indispensable.
An Enlightening Way to Navigate through Mind-Boggling Physics ConceptsPhysics Curiosities, Oddities, and Novelties highlights unusual aspects of physics and gives a new twist to some fundamental concepts. The book covers both classical and modern physics in an engaging, straightforward style.The author presents perplexing questions that often lack
In the ultimate guide to the ultimate mystery--the quantum world--an award-winning scientist and a master of popular science writing explains recent breakthroughs and the wondrous possibilities that lie in the future. Illustrations throughout.
A pioneer in kidney transplantation in Canada in the late 1950s, Dr. John Dossetor was faced with making many ethical decisions in his ground-breaking research and practice in nephrology so it was with much personal experience that he embraced the study of medical ethics in his later years. His medical career spans decades of change as modern technology made possible more complex treatment situations. His observations on his own distinguished career in medicine from his perspective as a bioethicist are instructive and informative.
These two volumes provide in-depth coverage of 24 of history's most important inventors and their inventions. Who invented the sewing machine, the telephone, the internal combustion engine? Who pioneered vaccination? Who gave the world television, nylon, the nuclear reactor? The answers to some of these questions are straightforward, the answers to others much less so. All of them are explored in the fascinating Icons of Invention: The Makers of the Modern World from Gutenberg to Gates. This in-depth resource tells the stories of 24 of the most influential and well-known inventions of the modern age—and of the individuals most responsible for their development. Presented in chronological order, the entries provide background on the lives and work of inventors such as Thomas Edison, Alexander Fleming, and Tim Berners-Lee. At the same time, the set profiles their competitors and details the sometimes-controversial, often-mistake-plagued routes almost all of them took to their most famous creations.
Who are the great scientists throughout the ages, and what exactly did they do to earn their importance? From Archimedes to Newton to Einstein to Hawking, The Scientific 100 provides the fascinating answers. Vivid biographical sketches chronicle the lives and accomplishments of the world's preeminent scientists. And in the tradition of the Citadel Press 100 Series, they are ranked provocatively in order of influence--an inspiration for lively discussion. This unique volume is a browser's treasure trove and a handy reference for the general reader. John Simmons has been associated with Current Biography for more than fifteen years. He has written frequently about Nobel laureates in science. A member of the New York Academy of Sciences, he divides his time between New York City and Paris.
The author has published two texts on classical physics, Introduction to Classical Mechanics and Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism, both meant for initial one-quarter physics courses. The latter is based on a course taught at Stanford several years ago with over 400 students enrolled. These lectures, aimed at the very best students, assume a good concurrent course in calculus; they are otherwise self-contained. Both texts contain an extensive set of accessible problems that enhances and extends the coverage. As an aid to teaching and learning, the solutions to these problems have now been published in additional texts.The present text completes the first-year introduction to physics with a set of lectures on Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, the very successful theory of the microscopic world. The Schrödinger equation is motivated and presented. Several applications are explored, including scattering and transition rates. The applications are extended to include quantum electrodynamics and quantum statistics. There is a discussion of quantum measurements. The lectures then arrive at a formal presentation of quantum theory together with a summary of its postulates. A concluding chapter provides a brief introduction to relativistic quantum mechanics. An extensive set of accessible problems again enhances and extends the coverage.The goal of these three texts is to provide students and teachers alike with a good, understandable, introduction to the fundamentals of classical and quantum physics.
This book is a collection of proceedings of a symposium organized by the North Carolina Section of the American Chemical Society on the preparations, properties, and processing of high-temperature superconducting materials. The proceedings include papers of new results presented at the symposium.
How does the physics we know today - a highly professionalised enterprise, inextricably linked to government and industry - link back to its origins as a liberal art in Ancient Greece? What is the path that leads from the old philosophy of nature and its concern with humankind's place in the universe to modern massive international projects that hunt down fundamental particles and industrial laboratories that manufacture marvels? John Heilbron's fascinating history of physics introduces us to Islamic astronomers and mathematicians, calculating the size of the earth whilst their caliphs conquered much of it; to medieval scholar-theologians investigating light; to Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton, measuring, and trying to explain, the universe. We visit the 'House of Wisdom' in 9th-century Baghdad; Europe's first universities; the courts of the Renaissance; the Scientific Revolution and the academies of the 18th century; the increasingly specialised world of 20th and 21st century science. Highlighting the shifting relationship between physics, philosophy, mathematics, and technology -- and the implications for humankind's self-understanding -- Heilbron explores the changing place and purpose of physics in the cultures and societies that have nurtured it over the centuries.
This Well-written book is devoted to modern physics that was revolutionized in the last century with few exceptions the monograph is self contained. He book is also useful for practicing scientists treating basic principles and a wide range of applications.
Chemistry is widely considered to be the central science: it encompasses concepts on which all other branches of science are developed. Yet, for many students entering university, gaining a firm grounding in chemistry is a real challenge. Chemistry3 responds to this challenge, providingstudents with a full understanding of the fundamental principles of chemistry on which to build later studies.Uniquely amongst the introductory chemistry texts currently available, Chemistry3's author team brings together experts in each of organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry with specialists in chemistry education to provide balanced coverage of the fundamentals of chemistry in a way that studentsboth enjoy and understand.The result is a text that builds on what students know already from school and tackles their misunderstandings and misconceptions, thereby providing a seamless transition from school to undergraduate study. Written with unrivalled clarity, students are encouraged to engage with the text andappreciate the central role that chemistry plays in our lives through the unique use of real-world context and photographs.Chemistry3 tackles head-on two issues pervading chemistry education: students' mathematical skills, and their ability to see the subject as a single, unified discipline. Instead of avoiding the maths, Chemistry3 provides structured support, in the form of careful explanations, reminders of keymathematical concepts, step-by-step calculations in worked examples, and a Maths Toolkit, to help students get to grips with the essential mathematical element of chemistry. Frequent cross-references highlight the connections between each strand of chemistry and explain the relationship between thetopics, so students can develop an understanding of the subject as a whole.Digital formats and resourcesChemistry3 is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats, and is supported by online resources.The e-book offers a mobile experience and convenient access along with functionality tools, navigation features, and links that offer extra learning support: www.oxfordtextbooks.co.uk/ebooksThe e-book also features interactive animations of molecular structures, screencasts in which authors talk step-by-step through selected examples and key reaction mechanisms, and self-assessment activities for each chapter. The accompanying online resources will also include, for students:DT Chapter 1 as an open-access PDF;DT Chapter summaries and key equations to download, to support revision;DT Worked solutions to the questions in the book.The following online resources are also provided for lecturers:DT Test bank of ready-made assessments for each chapter with which to test your studentsDT Problem-solving workshop activities for each chapter for you to use in classDT Case-studies showing how instructors are successfully using Chemistry3 in digital learning environments and to support innovative teaching practicesDT Figures and tables from the book
Nature's construction set assembling the building blocks of matter - To conduct or not to conduct and where semiconductors fit in - p-n junctions how they work and what you can do with them - A logical decision using the transistor as an electronic switch - The amazing shrinking transistor the benefits of integrated circuits - Upwardly mobile or how to make electrons travel faster - When is a particle not a particle? the importance of electron waves - The joy of tunnelling from superatoms to superlattices - Negative resistance and the quantum transistor - Superconductors and single electron tunnelling - Making light work computing with photons.
Quantum theory is so shocking that Einstein could not bring himself to accept it. It is so important that it provides the fundamental underpinning of all modern sciences. Without it, we'd have no nuclear power or nuclear weapons, no TV, no computers, no science of molecular biology, no understanding of DNA, no genetic engineering. In Search of Schrodinger's Cat tells the complete story of quantum mechanics, a truth stranger than any fiction. John Gribbin takes us step by step into an ever more bizarre and fascinating place, requiring only that we approach it with an open mind. He introduces the scientists who developed quantum theory. He investigates the atom, radiation, time travel, the birth of the universe, superconductors and life itself. And in a world full of its own delights, mysteries and surprises, he searches for Schrodinger's Cat - a search for quantum reality - as he brings every reader to a clear understanding of the most important area of scientific study today - quantum physics. In Search of Schrodinger's Cat is a fascinating and delightful introduction to the strange world of the quantum - an essential element in understanding today's world.
Learn all about the fascinating lives and tremendous impact of 100 extraordinary scientists from all over the world with this fact-filled biography collection for kids Educational and engaging, 100 Scientists Who Shaped World History features: Simple, easy-to-read text that has been freshly updated Illustrated portraits of each figure Fascinating facts about famous and lesser-known scientists A timeline, trivia questions, project ideas and more! From Pythagorus to Isaac Newton, Louis Pasteur to Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin to Stephen Hawking and many more, readers will be introduced to the lives and accomplishments of the greatest scientists throughout history. Organized chronologically, 100 Scientists Who Shaped World History offers a look at the amazing discoveries and advancements made by these figures and shows how scientific contributions have helped guide humanity for thousands of years.
The definitive account of the great Bohr-Einstein debate and its continuing legacy In 1927, Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein began a debate about the interpretation and meaning of the new quantum theory. This would become one of the most famous debates in the history of science. At stake were an understanding of the purpose, and defense of the integrity, of science. What (if any) limits should we place on our expectations for what science can tell us about physical reality? Our protagonists slowly disappeared from the vanguard of physics, as its centre of gravity shifted from a war-ravaged Continental Europe to a bold, pragmatic, post-war America. What Einstein and Bohr had considered to be matters of the utmost importance were now set aside. Their debate was regarded either as settled in Bohr's favour or as superfluous to real physics. But the debate was not resolved. The problems of interpretation and meaning persisted, at least in the minds of a few stubborn physicists, such as David Bohm and John Bell, who refused to stop asking awkward questions. The Bohr-Einstein debate was rejoined, now with a new set of protagonists, on a small scale at first. Through their efforts, the debate was revealed to be about physics after all. Their questions did indeed have answers that could be found in a laboratory. As quantum entanglement became a real physical phenomenon, whole new disciplines were established, such as quantum computing, teleportation, and cryptography. The efforts of the experimentalists were rewarded with shares in the 2022 Nobel prize in physics. As Quantum Drama reveals, science owes a large debt to those who kept the discussions going against the apathy and indifference of most physicists before definitive experimental inquiries became possible. Although experiment moved the Bohr-Einstein debate to a new level and drew many into foundational research, it has by no means removed or resolved the fundamental question. There will be no Nobel prize for an answer. That will not shut off discussion. Our Drama will continue beyond our telling of it and is unlikely to reach its final scene before science ceases or the world ends.
Questions of the fundamental nature of matter continue to inspire and engage our imagination. However, the exciting new concepts of strings, supersymmetry and exotic matter build on ideas that are well known to physicists but mysterious and puzzling to people outside of these research fields. Covering key conceptual developments from the last century, this book provides a background to the bold ideas and challenges faced by physicists today. Quantum theory and the Standard Model of particles are explained with minimal mathematics, and advanced topics, such as gauge theory and quantum field theory, are put into context. With concise, lucid explanations, this book is an essential guide to the world of particle physics.
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