The Infinity Puzzle

Fülszöveg

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR
THE INFINITY PUZZLE
"It is a pleasure to read a book on recent advances in our understanding of the structure of matter by an author who not only understands the subject but also takes care to investigate conflicting accounts
of how these advances came about."
-PETER HIGGS,
Emeritus Professor of Physics, The University of Edinburgh
"As someone who can defdy explain abstruse quantum field theory to a lay reader, Frank Close is a rarity among physicists. Rarer still, he knows how to weave a compelling tak-—that of the 'infinity problem,' which has bedeviled the field of quantum electrodynamics and subsequent attempts to unify the forces of nature. The result is a great scientific whodunit, replete with a large, engaging cast of characters, behind-the-scenes maneuvering, and unexpected twists and turns. Here is proof that Close belongs among the very first rank of scientist-authors. I strongly recommend Tke Infinity Puzzle."
-STEVE NADIS,
coauthor of The... Tovább

Fülszöveg

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR
THE INFINITY PUZZLE
"It is a pleasure to read a book on recent advances in our understanding of the structure of matter by an author who not only understands the subject but also takes care to investigate conflicting accounts
of how these advances came about."
-PETER HIGGS,
Emeritus Professor of Physics, The University of Edinburgh
"As someone who can defdy explain abstruse quantum field theory to a lay reader, Frank Close is a rarity among physicists. Rarer still, he knows how to weave a compelling tak-—that of the 'infinity problem,' which has bedeviled the field of quantum electrodynamics and subsequent attempts to unify the forces of nature. The result is a great scientific whodunit, replete with a large, engaging cast of characters, behind-the-scenes maneuvering, and unexpected twists and turns. Here is proof that Close belongs among the very first rank of scientist-authors. I strongly recommend Tke Infinity Puzzle."
-STEVE NADIS,
coauthor of The Shape of Inner Space
"The development of quantum field theory is among the very greatest achievements of humankind, on par with those of Einstein, Newton, and Darwin. Frank Close introduces these difficult ideas with a rare clarity and simplicity. Anyone who wants to understand why we built the LHC and what we hope
to learn from it should read this book."
-DAN HOOPER,
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and University of Chicago;
author of Dart{ Cosmos and Nature's Blueprint
BASIC BOOKS
A Member of the Perseus Books Group www.basicbooks.com
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The second half of the twentieth century witnessed a scientific gold rush, as physicists raced to chart the inner workings of the atom. The stakes were high: the questions were big, and there were Nobel Prizes and everlasting glory to be won. Many mysteries of the atom came unraveled, but one remained intractable—what Frank Close calls the "Infinity Puzzle."
The problem was simple to describe. Although clearly very powerful, quantum field theory—the great achievement of the 1930s—was making one utterly ridiculous prediction: that certain events had an infinite probability of occurring.
The solution is known as renormalization, which enables theory to match what we see in the real world. It has been a powerful approach, conquering three of the four fundamental forces of nature, and giving rise to the concept of the Higgs boson, the now much-sought particle that may be what gives structure to the universe. The Infinity Puzzle charts the birth and life of the idea, and the scientists, both household names and unsung heroes, who realized it.
Based on numerous firsthand interviews and extensive research. The Infinity Puzzle captures an era of great mystery and greater discovery. Even if the Higgs boson is never found, renormalization—the pursuit of an orderly universe—has led to one of the richest and most productive intellectual periods in human history. With a physicist's expertise and a historian's care. Close describes the personalities and the competition, the dead ends and the sudden insights, in a story that will reverberate through the ages. Vissza