Ebook: To acknowledge the wonder. The story of fundamental physics

The quest to understand the nature of our Universe has advanced considerably in recent years as physicists have come to understand the composition of matter at the smallest scales. Some particles previously considered 'fundamental', such as the proton and neutron, are now known to be composed of still smaller constituents: quarks, bound together by gluons. The key to the mysteries of the physical world lies in the microworld -where energy and matter are interchangeable, particles behave as waves, and matter can be created temporarily from nothing. Our current descriptive theories concern the interaction via four basic forces of a mere handful of fundamental particles. But where do these particles and forces come from? What determines the relative strengths of the forces? Why should such objects exist at all? In an attempt to answer these questions, the very structure of space and time is invoked, and the solution is seen to lie -though still partly concealed from view- in the birth of the Universe itself.

In this exciting and frequently enthralling book, Professor Euan Squires traces the story of fundamental physics, explaining to a general audience the latest theories of the nature of space, time and matter . He takes the reader from first principles through successively deeper levels of physics, Always emphasising understanding of the phenomena described rather than complex mathematical manipulation. Everyone with a desire to discover more about the way theoretical physicists look at the world will want to read this book, and will experience a growing sense of wonder as the story unfolds.