Not since Newton's apple has there been a physics
phenomenon as deliciously appealing to the masses as
Frank Close's ''Cosmic Onion''. Widely embraced by
scientists and laypersons alike, the book quickly became
an international bestseller. Translated into seven
languages, it propelled the author to become a worldwide
celebrity as well as an inspiration to a generation of
scientists. The book's title itself has entered popular
usage as a metaphor for the layers that can be peeled
away to understand the foundations of the physical
world, from dimensions and galaxies, to atoms and
quarks. 'Close is a lucid, reliable, and enthusiastic
guide to the strange and wonderful microcosmic world
that dwells deep within reality' - Frank Wilczek, Herman
Feshbach Professor of Physics, MIT, 2004 Nobel Prize in
Physics NEW Material. This title explains the principles
behind the Hadron Collider as well as the potential it
presents. It considers the recent development of the
Electroweak Theory as a law of nature. It explores the
mysteries uncovered and the ones that may be in store
with regard to top and bottom quarks.Keeping
still-pertinent contents from the original volume that
caught the world's attention in 1983, this fresh edition
of the Cosmic Onion includes extensive new material to
reflect new views of the universe. Providing
explanations that explore the foundations of 21st
Century science and future directions, this work offers
ready access and unique perspectives to more typical
topics such as the forces of nature, atoms, the nucleus,
and nuclear particles. It also travels down paths that
only a true pioneer and educator can venture, such as a
discussion of what Professor Close refers to as the
Eightfold Way including the findings, surprises, and new
questions emerging from the latest work with
accelerators. |
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