Higgs Discovery: The Power of Empty Space (Kindle Single) by Lisa Randall (PDF)

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On July 4, 2012, physicists at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva madehistory when they discovered an entirely new type of subatomic particle that many scientists believe is the Higgs boson. For forty years, physicists searched for this capstone to the Standard Model of particle physics—the theory that describes both the most elementary components that are known in matter and the forces through which they interact. This particle points to the Higgs field, which provides the key to understanding why elementary particles have mass. In Higgs Discovery, Lisa Randall explains the science behind this monumental discovery, its exhilarating implications, and the power of empty space.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐[This review, copied from Goodreads with an added comment on the excerpting, doesn’t explicitly address the question of audience. But it should tell you two things: the level at which Lisa Randall begins her text (look for the quotation), and the name of a book that probably goes farther in explaining the basics.]Most people who were paying attention to the news in summer 2012 will have heard of an oddly named subatomic particle. On July 4, teams of scientists working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) announced that the data generated so far by a hugely complex and expensive machine called the Linear Hadron Collider (LHC) justified saying that they had discovered a new particle, which was likely to be a long-sought particle called the Higgs boson. Physicists were excited because their best current view of how things work on the scale of atoms and their components, which is called the Standard Model of particle physics, requires the Higgs boson to exist, as part of a mechanism that imparts mass to those particles that have it (which is almost all of them).The work of finding this thing has been daunting. The task of saying anything intelligible about it is, in a way, even more formidable. Every knowledgeable commentator among the handful I checked has taken a different tack. Some examples (minus many details):Stephen Wolfram, a polymath who began following particle physics in his teen years and earned a physics doctorate at age 20, published a blog post the day after the July announcement (at […]). In it, he gave an overview of progress in the field over about 40 years, spiced with a good deal of personal flavor. Wolfram has the kind of mind that can easily harbor multiple attitudes, and here he seemed to reach two different conclusions. One involved a certain sense of letdown; particle physics had already lost much of its earlier excitement, and there was nothing (so far) genuinely new here, only the confirmation of something long expected. The other conclusion recognized that theory has much work left to do, though experiment may not. We still need some way of unifying everything that’s already known and also explaining some current mysteries. Unsurprisingly, Wolfram here mentioned the work he’s done on cellular automata, which–at least in his view–may serve to unify much that’s currently unconnected.Aidan Randle-Conde, a postdoc working at the LHC, wrote a post for the Quantum Diaries blog in August (at[…]) analyzing the first two papers on the initial results. There was one from each of the two teams running detectors involved in the search, the CMS team and the ATLAS team. That blog is written by and for particle physicists, and naturally a good deal of Randle-Conde’s report was technical, dealing with things like different decay modes. (I don’t claim to understand all of it; I like reading things I don’t understand, to see what I can figure out.) But he took care to stress more than once an important point you might not have gotten from the headlines: the results so far aren’t decisive. Stressing what he called the main message, he exclaimed, “_we haven’t discovered the Standard Model Higgs boson yet!_ We still have a long road ahead of us and already we have moved on to the next stage.” What’s been found might be called a Higgs-like particle; more measurements are needed to find out whether it behaves exactly as the Standard Model says it should. If it misbehaves, either it’s something else or the theory is amiss.Caltech theoretical physicist Sean Carroll began writing a book about the quest for the Higgs boson more than a year ago, hoping–justifiably, it turned out–that he’d be able to include a reported discovery in his text. I haven’t read the book, which is called

⭐, but I saw part of a lecture he presented in November 2012 to mark its publication, and I gather the lecture followed the book’s approach. Carroll began by looking all the way back to Democritus and the beginning of atomism. Then he surveyed discoveries involving gravity and electromagnetism and explained the idea of a field and its relation to particles. By the time I clicked off, his picture included all four known forces, the three generations of mass-carrying particles, and the set of force-carrying particles, and he had just added the Higgs boson to the mix. Judging from this lecture and others (I first heard him in Second Life), as well as his blog posts, Carroll is very good at this kind of from-the-ground-up explanation: easy to follow if you don’t already know the subject, still enjoyable if you do, and sprinkled with humor.The July announcement from CERN, which was webcast, was so widely seen and remarked upon that there were even disagreements about the font used in the graphics. Errol Morris, among others, touched on the issue (at […]).Harvard theoretical physicist Lisa Randall is almost certainly better known to the public than anyone else I’ve mentioned. She’s been on Charlie Rose’s PBS program a handful of times, was featured in Vogue in 2007, has jousted with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, and has published two books of science writing for the educated layman. After the Higgs announcement was made in July 2012, Randall decided to publish a short and quick e-book on the subject, which came out within a month.A common stereotype (which seems to be true) has it that theoretical physicists, who pursue the chancy in their work, also do so in their recreation, tending to favor rock climbing and mountaineering. Randall fits the type; her current Twitter picture shows her clambering up a rock face. True to form, Randall chose a somewhat risky approach with her Higgs commentary. Producing an e-book in short order is daring enough; it allows little time for reflection or for careful polishing and revision. What’s more, she begins her Higgs story in medias res. Three paragraphs in, after reporting the July announcement of a new particle, she takes us to the heart of the matter:”This discovery confirms that the Standard Model of particle physics is consistent. The Standard Model describes the most elementary components that are known in matter, such as quarks, leptons (like the electron), and the three nongravitational forces through which they interact– electromagnetism, the weak nuclear force, and the strong nuclear force. Most Standard Model particles have nonzero masses, which we know through many measurements…. But the origin of those particle masses was not yet known.”Three more paragraphs and she’s done with the introduction. From there, she relates her personal reactions at the time of the two big CERN announcements so far (there was a preliminary one in late 2011, followed by the discovery report in July 2012). Then she gives a pretty thorough discussion of the Higgs mechanism (with its associated field and boson), particle decays, and how earlier accelerators played a role in the search. After talking over some broader matters, such as what’s next, her new text comes to an end. That makes up about half the e-book; it’s pretty smooth considering that it was written “very quickly” (as her acknowledgments begin by saying), but there are a few gawky bits. The rest of the e-book consists of one chapter each from

⭐and

⭐, her two full-length books, which explain a fair amount of the theoretical background and elaborate on some concepts her new text had discussed, such as the predicted decay modes of the Higgs boson.(Some readers find this repackaging an odd tactic; I don’t. Where explanation and commentary are concerned, what matters is that the desired material appear somewhere. In fact, this gives readers a choice: keep reading and learn more, or stop here if you’re satisfied. And it’s efficient from the author’s point of view: why write again something you already wrote once for the same publisher? Even the publisher benefits.)The result may be a patchwork, but it’s not patchy–it turns out to be a remarkably coherent presentation. It’s clear from the introduction I quoted that Randall isn’t going to sit you down and teach you all the relevant physics. Instead, she takes you in hand right where the story becomes exciting. At the risk of a grandiose comparison, that’s what Milton does in

⭐(and what other traditional epics do): begin the story in medias res. If you ask me, Milton is more engaging than the Bible, and in case you need it he eventually fills in what he skipped at first. Similarly, Randall’s story conveys the thrill of deciphering events as they unfold: three paragraphs in, you’re grappling with the origin of mass, and later you’re in her head as she decides how to analogize the Higgs search for an interview. Unlike Milton vis-à-vis the Bible, there’s some material that Randall never brings in–much of the particle zoo goes unmentioned, for instance–but it doesn’t affect the tale she’s telling.Speaking of Milton reminds me of the term “God particle,” which is how the press often referred to the Higgs boson. Mentioning that phrase in two separate places, Randall very tactfully disposes of it, saying at one point that she’s “not a big fan” and later, in one of the excerpts, reminding us that it’s “just a name.” I can think of stronger objections. One is that, according to Peter Higgs in a Guardian article, the man who coined it, physicist Leon Lederman, had wanted to refer to the “goddamn particle” but was blocked by his publisher; its current form is almost the opposite of Lederman’s original intention. Another objection is that “God particle” sounds as if the Higgs boson explains everything or caps a theory that explains everything, and neither is true. Physics hasn’t yet reached a theory of everything; the Standard Model doesn’t know how to deal with gravity. A bigger problem is that most of the universe is missing from the currently accepted theories; they don’t account for dark matter and dark energy (see short account at […]).Some decades ago, physicist Steven Weinberg made a major contribution to the Standard Model. A little later, perhaps feeling that a Theory of Everything was near, he wrote, in the epilogue to

⭐, “The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.” More recently, Stephen Wolfram seems to have felt something of the same letdown, as I indicated above. Maybe it’s only a matter of disposition, but whatever the reason, Lisa Randall betrays no such sense that the tale is nearly told. One of the quietest remarks she makes in her Higgs e-book may also be the most far-reaching: “most of us are humble enough to realize that nature can have surprises in store.”Most likely, this will mean more discoveries, and more explanations. I’ll give Randall the last word on that prospect. In a 2005 article for the Edge website (at […]), she discussed issues in presenting science to the public. Near the end, she wrote this:”[P]eople have to recognize that science can be complex. If we accept only simple stories, the description will necessarily be distorted. When advances are subtle or complicated, scientists should be willing to go the extra distance to give proper explanations and the public should be more patient about the truth. Even so, some difficulties are unavoidable.”

⭐Higgs Discovery: The Power of Empty Space by Lisa Randall”Higgs Discovery” this timely and topical Kindle Single, is written to enlighten the public to what the discovery of the Higgs boson means and to explain where it will take us. Influential and highly acclaimed theoretical physicist and best-selling author of “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”, Lisa Randall, gives the reader an intellectual appetizer on the implications of the announcement that a key particle, the Higgs boson was discovered. Randall’s expertise and ability to convey such a complex topic to the layperson is what makes this Kindle Single such a great value. This 83-page book is composed of three sections: Higgs Discovery: The Power of Empty Space, An Excerpt from Warped Passages and An Excerpt from Knocking on Heaven’s Door.Positives:1. A timely and fascinating topic, written at an accessible level for the layperson and everyone in between.2. Randall’s expertise in the field and background as an educator provides the perfect mix to reach out and educate the public.3. A great Kindle Single value. A great Amazon idea that is now benefitting authors and readers alike. In merely 83 pages, the author provides much needed information on what has become a pop-scientific topic.4. What the Higgs boson is. Finally, I get it, I think.5. The implications of the discovery.6. As a true scientist and educator, Randall keeps the discovery in perspective. That is, in science everything is a matter of degrees of certainty.7. Not to be confused with the Higgs boson but also insight into what the Higgs mechanism is and its implications.8. Understanding what empty space really is.9. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC)…what makes it a remarkable machine and its future use.10. Debunking myths…faster than light neutrinos.11. Understanding scalar particles.12. The importance of the supersymmetric model.13. Really does a good job of capturing the essence of what these discoveries entail.14. The additional excerpts really help the readers gain a better understanding.15. In order not to overwhelm the general public, Randall focuses on a number of key concepts and processes which helps move the narration along.16. The Standard Model of particles and what the Higgs mechanism provides.17. Spontaneous breaking of symmetry…and when it occurs.18. The hierarchy problem of particle physics.Negatives:1. The topic can be daunting at times. This is a complex topic and despite Randall’s ability to relay the basic concepts to the public it will test your resolve to comprehend.2. The Kindle version loses something in translation. Some of the links did not function.3. One of the problems of inserting excerpts of previous books is that some of the references to other chapters of those books do not translate over to this book.4. There are a limited amount of charts. Such complex topics warrants more visual aid.5. A recommendation for the general audience, you will be better served by reading the excerpts first before the Higgs Discovery section.6. In many respects, there remains more questions than answers. “The Higgs boson, even if it is the Higgs boson, is almost certainly not the only particle yet to be discovered.”.In summary, this Kindle Single quenched my thirst for understanding the Higgs boson. This is a very complex topic but I’m glad that such an accomplished particle theorist like Lisa Randall took on the role to educate the public and even happier that it was done in a timely manner. That being said, the book can be daunting at times. It may take multiple readings or better yet I suggest you read the excerpts first and finalize with the meat of this brief book. If you are interested in becoming familiar with this pop-science topic, at this price and brevity you have nothing to lose. I highly recommend this book with the reservations noted.Further suggestions: ”

⭐” and ”

⭐” by Lisa Randall, ”

⭐” by Lawrence Krauss, ”

⭐”, ”

⭐” and ”

⭐” by Brian Cox, ”

⭐” by Walter Lewin, ”

⭐” by Michio Kaku, ”

⭐” by Brian Greene, “The Grand Design” by Stephen Hawking and “The 4 Percent Universe” by Richard Panek.

⭐Disappointing is my verdict on this book. I selected it on the basis of a review in a learned journal that is obviously above my intellectual comfort level. I had expected a short resume of the position of the Higgs in the particle physics firmament and some sort of timescale on its discovery. I may have read those things but if so, it was not that clear.What I did learn was that the `Higgs’ is actually three entities all carrying that name: the Mechanism, the Field and the Particle. It was emphasised how the `discovery’ is not such a precise moment. The experiments at CERN continued for a some time with the results analysed in minute detail until a recognisable pattern emerged from the mass of data. When this discontinuity was sufficiently prominent and its characteristics closely aligned with theoretical expectations, the scientists allowed themselves to go public and announce their discovery.Dr Randall is clearly an enthusiast. She bubbles over with joy about the Higgs discovery and I’m a little sad that I was unable to share her fun. The problem lay in my inadequacy in particle physics. She provided a chapter on how the Higgs is recognised by its decay characteristics. Some of these seemed contradictory. Perhaps they are. After all particle physics is full of enigmas.

⭐As other reviewers mentioned, this micro-booklet seems to be a collection of what could be news headlines, blog posts and some personal thoughts around the subject. My expectation was to get an introduction to the subject which could be light but logical/structured, as a starting point for further reading. For example, from the very first pages the author delves into how to find hints of the boson by the way it decays, and then here and there mentions that this thing we are looking for gives mass to particles. In my view this is an upside down exposition for which in my university days I would have been failed at Physics I. Maybe it’s me being stuck in needing to first know the Why, and only then be ready to dig into the How.I would have given 0 stars to be fair if it wasn’t for the one bit of information I got out of it, which is that Peter Higgs attended the same school as Paul Dirac in Bristol, which happens to be a city very dear to me.The only way these printed pages can be defined is a wrapper to advertise her other books, which of course I am now not that keen to spend my money on. Not worth half its price.

⭐it’s very rapid and interesting, but is also included as introduction to Knocking on Heaven’s Doors, and so, if you had read this book …

⭐Excellent -need more books like this to explain New scientific theories

⭐The story is a bit thin, like the book ….

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