In 1895, the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen noticed that a phosphor-coated screen gave off a green light when exposed to a cathode ray tube. The question of how cathode ray tubes emitted X-rays led to the seminal discovery in 1897 of the electron – the first subatomic particle. But as she shows, particle physics has changed how we live dramatically over the last century. In her book – which is often complex yet never less than fascinating – she uses 12 experiments to show how particle physics has shaped our understanding of the world we live in. Sheehy, who has worked at CERN, guides the reader round this triumph of engineering and scientific cooperation, “one of the greatest experiments ever built”.

Source: The Guardian May 05, 2022 03:44 UTC