Q is for quantum: an encyclopedia of particle physics pdf

John Gribbin is a British science writer, an astrophysicist, and a visiting fellow in astronomy at the University of Sussex. His writings include quantum physics, human evolution, climate change, global warming, the origins of the universe, and biographies of famous scientists. He also writes science fiction. John Gribbin graduated with his bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Sussex in 1966. Gribbin then earned his Master of Science (MSc) degree in astronomy in 1967, also from the Univ. of Sussex, and he earned his PhD in astrophysics from the University of Cambridge (1971).
In 1968, Gribbin worked as one of Fred Hoyle's research students at the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy, and wrote a number of stories for New Scientist about the Institute's research and what were eventually discovered to be pulsars.
In 1974, Gribbin, along with Stephen Plagemann, published a book titled The Jupiter Effect, which predicted that the alignment of the planets in a quadrant on one side of the Sun on 10 March 1982 would cause gravitational effects that would trigger earthquakes in the San Andreas Fault, possibly wiping out Los Angeles and its suburbs Gribbin distanced himself from The Jupiter Effect in the 17 July 1980, issue of New Scientist magazine, stating that he had been "too clever by half".
In February 1982, he and Plagemann published The Jupiter Effect Reconsidered, claiming that the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption proved their theory true despite a lack of planetary alignment. In 1999, Gribbin repudiated it, saying "I don't like it, and I'm sorry I ever had anything to do with it.
In 1984, Gribbin published In Search of Schrödinger's Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality. The Spectator Book Club described it as among the best of the first wave of physics popularisations preceding Stephen Hawking's multi-million-selling A Brief History of Time.Gribbin's book was cited by BBC World News as an example of how to revive an interest in the study of mathematics.
In 2006, Gribbin took part in a BBC radio 4 broadcast as an "expert witness". Presenter Matthew Parris discussed with Professor Kathy Sykes and Gribbin whether Albert Einstein "really was a 'crazy genius'".
At the 2009 World Conference of Science Journalists, the Association of British Science Writers presented Gribbin with their Lifetime Achievement award.

Q is for quantum: an encyclopedia of particle physics pdf by John Gribbin

Here in one volume John Gribbin, the award-winning science writer and physicist, has collected the answer to everything you need to know about the quantum world -- the place where most of the greatest scientific advances of the twentieth century have been made. This exceptional reference begins with a thorough introduction setting out the current state of knowledge in particle physics. Throughout, Gribbin blends articles on the structure of particles and their interactions, accounts of the theoretical breakthroughs in quantum mechanics and their practical applications, and entertaining biographies of the scientists who have blazed the trail of discovery. In a special section, "Timelines," key dates in our quest to understand the quantum world are mapped out alongside landmarks in world history and the history of science. Q is for Quantum is an essential companion for anyone interested in particle physics.Historical highlights include: Isaac Newton's work on particles in the seventeenth century; the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century transformation of alchemy into chemistry, culminating in Dmitiri Mendeleyev's publication of the periodic table of the elements in 1869; James Clerk Maxwell's investigation of electromagnetism and waves around the same time; and the brilliant research of Christiaan Huygens, Thomas Young, and Augustin Fresnel. Among the longer biographies in the book number those of such twentieth-century scientific giants as Erwin Schroedinger, Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, Linus Pauling, Robert Oppenheimer, and Andrei Sakharov.Quantum physics today is directly and continuously relevant to life. Fundamental life processes such as the workings of DNA depend on the quantum behavior of atoms. As entries in the encyclopedia note, the human conquest of this micro-realm has already led to the development of computer chips and the valuable technique of carbon dating, and we are on the verge of still greater practical advances. Gribbin shows that real quantum computer technology is gradually realizing the dreams of science fiction, and identifies the amazing possibilities of energy from nuclear fusion. No one can doubt that the fruits of quantum electrodynamics, the most accurate scientific theory ever developed, have yet to be fully gathered. And no one will dispute that this is the only reference to this weird and wonderful world. The curious, the imaginative, and the bold will require this encyclopedia of the fundamental science of the future.