How to Find a Higgs Boson—and Other Big Mysteries in the World of the Very Small

The history of particle physics, the hunt for the most elusive particle, and the fundamental questions the search has inspired.

"The passion van Vulpen feels for fundamental particle physics is clear—and his conversational style makes that enthusiasm contagious." —Jordy de Vries, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

How did physicists combine talent and technology to discover the Higgs boson, the last piece in our inventory of the subatomic world? How did the Higgs change our understanding of the universe? And now, nearly a decade after its detection, what comes next? Answering these questions, Ivo van Vulpen—a CERN particle physicist and member of the team behind the detection—invites us on a journey to the frontiers of our knowledge.

Enjoy van Vulpen's accessible explanation of the history of particle physics and of concepts like quantum mechanics and relativity—and ponder his inquiries regarding the search for new particles (to explain dark matter), a new force (to combine the existing fundamental forces), and new phenomena (undiscovered dimensions of space). This is a lively account of work at the world's highest-energy particle accelerator, with inspiring personal reflections on humanity's discoveries deeper and deeper into the world of the very small.

"Both fun and serious, with authentic detail and lovely illustrations, Van Vulpen takes us from the physics of everyday life to the heart of matter and the edge of knowledge." —Jon Butterworth, author of Atom Land: A Guided Tour Through the Strange (and Impossibly Small) World of Particle Physics​