Quantum physics is the most fundamental branch of science. Allowing for dead- and-alive cats, teleportation, antimatter and parallel universes, as well as underpinning all of our digital technology, it is as important as it is mind- bending. In this clear and compact book, Gemma Lavender demystifies the strange and beautiful quantum world, and hence the nature of reality itself.
What is the universe made of? How did it start? This Manual tells the story of how physicists are seeking answers to these questions using the world’s largest particle smasher – the Large Hadron Collider – at the CERN laboratory on the Franco-Swiss border. Beginning with the first tentative steps taken to build the machine, the digestible text, supported by color photographs of the hardware involved, along with annotated schematic diagrams of the physics experiments, covers the particle accelerator’s greatest discoveries – from both the perspective of the writer and the scientists who work there. The Large Hadron Collider Owners' Workshop Manual is a full, comprehensive guide to the most famous, record-breaking physics experiment in the world, which continues to capture the public imagination as it provides new insight into the fundamental laws of nature.
From our special place in the Orion Arm to the Milky Way’s future collision with the Andromeda Galaxy, Milky Way Owners' Workshop Manual looks at the structure, formation and evolution of our home galaxy and its place in the universe. Find out how it compares to other galaxies, why it could be unique, and discover the most exciting and perplexing phenomena within it, including supernovae, the different kinds of stars, planetary systems and radiation, plus the monstrous, super-massive black hole Sagittarius A*. The various spacecraft that are observing our galaxy are introduced, as they help us to piece together a clearer picture of its structure, investigating the mind-blowing processes within it and giving us a snapshot into its future. A companion volume to our forthcoming Universe Manual and Planets of the Solar System Manual, and complementing Haynes' existing Earth, Moon and Mars manuals, this book provides a down-to-earth, digestible guide to our galaxy for the layperson.
From the Big Bang to black holes and supernovas, this is the complete story of the universe unravelled into one concise narrative.