I'm not a physicist, but I love to read about physics... the popular media, that is - not the actual journals. I enjoyed Brian Greene's work with string theory (though I don't think it's science) and liked a lot of the work that Hawking has done. The debates about various theories are neat to watch. In physics, science seems quite pure: they have data that are usually quite precise but get mixed up when you have to deal with quantum effects. Then the debates start. Each side is very articulate and does a great job with defending their positions. I'm sort of like a spectator in a boxing match. I go "ooh" and "ah" as each contender puts forward their ideas.
I have been intrigued by the Higgs Boson or "God Particle" mostly because I don't understand it. I know that finding it will make one side very happy and the other side very sad. I'm also astounded by the manpower and money that's gone into finding it - it's a high-stakes endeavor!
This animation did a great job consolidating the ideas about how science is done.
No comments:
Post a Comment