Front Cover
‘If you want to know why the discovery of the Higgs boson matters, read this book!’ Brian Cox
Inside Front
The discovery of the Higgs boson made headlines around the world. Two scientists, Peter Higgs and François Englert, whose theories predicted its existence, shared a Nobel Prize. The discovery was the culmination of the largest experiment ever run, the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.
But what really is a Higgs boson and what does it do? How was it found? How has its discovery changed our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature? And what did it feel like to be part of it?
Jon Butterworth is one of the leading physicists at CERN and this book is the first popular inside account of the hunt for the Higgs. It is a story of incredible scientific collaboration, inspiring technological innovation and ground-breaking science. It is also the story of what happens when the world’s most expensive experiment blows up, of neutrinos that may or may not travel faster than light, and the reality of life in an underground bunker in Switzerland.
Smashing Physics will leave you with a working knowledge of the new physics and what the discovery of the Higgs particle means for how we define the laws of nature. It will take you to the cutting edge of modern scientific thinking.
Back Cover
“This is a unique book, which captures the highs and lows of the last 20 years of particle physics, culminating with the discovery of the Higgs Boson. I’ve known Jon for most of my career – he’s an insightful, creative, diplomatic and occasionally outspoken physicist, and every facet of his character is on display in this beautifully written book. If you want to know what being a professional scientist is really like, read it!” – Brian Cox
“This is more than just another telling of the story of the hunt for the Higgs at the LHC – the reader here is utterly immersed in the politics, excitement and sheer intellectual adventure of discovery… from someone who was actually there! The process of scientific research is laid bare in all its glory, warts and all, and emerges as a delightful example of what is best about human intellectual endeavour.” – Jim Al-Khalili
Life and Physics 