About the Book
A simple and entertaining introduction to the building blocks of the universe.
In 2014 the LEGO(R) Group sold 62 billion LEGO(R) pieces. That's 102 LEGO(R) bricks for every person in the world. That's nothing however compared to the estimated seven billion billion billion atoms that make up each of us, let alone the between ten quadrillion vigintillion and one-hundred thousand quadrillion vigintillion atoms in the known observable universe.
Thankfully, understanding atomic and subatomic physics need not be infathomable. LEGO(R) bricks are a great way to visualize the blueprint of the universe, right down to its smallest elements. Particle Physics Brick by Brick explains how and with what the universe came to be. It introduces the Standard Model of Physics, the "rule book" of physics that has been proven correct again and again since its mid-20th century development. Today, it is the gaps in the model that keep physicists busy.
In concise chapters, the book assigns to each atomic element a colored LEGO(R) brick, such as neutrons, leptons and quarks. By assembling actual or imaginary bricks and observing their relationships and interactions, particle physics becomes clear. The book opens with the Standard Model of Physics, the physicists and the discoveries made over history, and directions on how to use the book.
The chapters that follow are:
Building Blocks and Construction Rules
Building a Universe
Electromagnetism and QED (Quantum ElectroDynamics)
The Strong Force and QCD (Quantum ChromoDynamics)
The Weak Force and Breaking Symmetries
Broken Symmetry and Mass
Problems with Ghosts
Violated Symmetry
The Future.
Particle Physics Brick by Brick is a succinct introduction for anyone that wants to gain a basic understanding of the atomic world, its elements and how they interact. By using tangible substitutes - bricks - it brings the unseen atomic world into the realm of the visual.
About the Author :
Dr Ben Still is a scientist, science writer and educator, and author He has a PhD in experimental particle physics, and his articles have been published in academic journals His other books include The Secret Life of the Periodic Table and Brain Explains: Quantum Physics
Review :
Dr Ben Still is a Physicist at the University of London. Alongside his research career, Ben has been an advocate of new methods of communicating physics. He has worked with artists, designers, and illustrators to show complex physics research topics in a new light. With the publication of "Particle Physics Brick by Brick" Dr. Still draws upon his experience and expertise to use LEGO blocks to create a uniquely visual and clear depiction of the way our universe is put together. It turns out that this offers a perfect and 'student friendly' introduction to the enigmatic and fascinating world of Quantum Physics. "Particle Physics Brick by Brick" starts with the Big Bang, and along the way, the constructs and interactions within and among atoms and sub-atomic particles, and the forces that play upon them, are clearly explained, with each LEGO block representing a different atomic or sub-atomic particle. The different colors and sizes denote what that particle is and its relationship with the other 'building blocks'. Each individual chapter is presented in digestible chunks, using toy building blocks to illustrate the ideas and experiments that have led to some of the biggest discoveries of the past 150 years. Soon readers will be able to construct every element in the Universe using a box of LEGO and Dr. Still's "Particle Physics Brick by Brick", making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library General Science collections, as well as Particle Physics supplemental studies reading lists.-- "Midwest Library Review" (3/1/2018 12:00:00 AM)
If you don't know your quarks from your bosons, after reading this book... you will probably still be confused. That doesn't mean this is ineffective; to the contrary, Still displays absolute mastery of particle physics, and the information is laid out via irresistible LEGO designs... Using colorful bricks as any variety of particles, Still takes us through the (so-called) building blocks of the universe, the Big Bang, electromagnetism, broken symmetries, and much, much, much more. From the first paragraph: "The Standard Model has no tested analogy for the dark matter which defines the size, shape, and distribution of galaxies." If that doesn't atomize your brain, keep going--antimatter, weak forces, the triple alpha process, Feynman diagrams, antiprotons, antiquarks, and on and on, all of it illustrated with clarity (assuming you can follow any of it). The truth is, there are advanced teens who will swoon for this--precious few, but they exist--and one thing's for sure, there is nothing else out there like this text.--Daniel Kraus "Booklist" (4/15/2015 12:00:00 AM)
In this colorful explanation of particle physics, author and physicist Ben Still uses a popular children's toy to illustrate the realm of the very small. He starts by assigning Lego bricks of different colors and sizes to the different fundamental particles and then proceeds to use them as literal building blocks to construct models of atoms and molecules. He uses those constructions in turn to discuss the Big Bang, the forces in the standard model, and more. With minimal text and full-color images and diagrams on almost every page, this book could provide an inviting introduction for the general reader to the world of atoms and particles.--Cynthia Cummings "Physics Today" (5/1/2018 12:00:00 AM)
Introduces basic rules of physics and discoveries about how the world works, considers models that explain and explore how the universe came to be and how it works, and assigns bricks to each atomic element. Readers who assemble these real or imaginary bricks receive lessons on their interactions and learn particle physics in a most accessible, colorful and interactive manner. Particle Physics Brick by Brick is a top educational approach especially recommended for prior Lego enthusiasts who want to learn science through a familiar and attractive structural approach.--Diane Donovan "Donovan's Bookshelf" (4/1/2018 12:00:00 AM)
Spend a few hours perusing these pages and you'll be in a much better frame of mind to understand your place in the cosmos... The astronomically large objects of the universe are no easier to grasp than the atomically small particles of matter. That's where Ben Still comes in, carrying a box of Legos. A British physicist with a knack for explaining abstract concepts... He starts by matching the weird properties and interactions described by the Standard Model of particle physics with the perfectly ordinary blocks of a collection of Legos. Quarks and leptons, gluons and charms are assigned to various colors and combinations of plastic bricks. Once you've got that system in mind, hang on: Still races off to illustrate the Big Bang, the birth of stars, electromagnetism and all matter of fantastical-sounding phenomenon, like mesons and beta decay. "Given enough plastic bricks, the rules in this book and enough time," Still concludes, "one might imagine that a plastic Universe could be built by us, brick by brick." Remember that the next time you accidentally step on one barefoot.--Ron Charles "Washington Post" (12/27/2017 12:00:00 AM)
Still makes quantum physics as intriguing as alchemy with his explanation of the universe. The book provides a visual component that enhances explanations and helps make sense of concepts by using LEGO bricks to represent the building blocks of matter, such as neutrons morphing into protons. The periodic table is clearly explained, for example, through color-coded blocks. Realizing that terms such as quarks, leptons, fermions, and bosons are unfamiliar to those outside the field, a handy glossary is provided within the book flaps. Straightforward language and pithy subheads ("What's the Antimatter") make the ideas accessible and entertaining. The design is notable for managing the information with insets, rules, arrows, photos, and colors that create an attractive and logical organization. It is Still's use of metaphor that makes the concepts most tangible--during the r-process, for example, unstable nuclei build rapidly in size "like a snowball rolling down a snow-covered hill." As a result, physics becomes much more than equations... Add to schools and public libraries where curiosity reigns. Readers will be enticed by LEGO but then wowed by pure science.--Janet S. Thompson "School Library Journal" (5/1/2018 12:00:00 AM)
The particles and forces of the Standard Model of particle physics are often described as the "building blocks of the matter," so what better way to explain them than by using actual building blocks? In this quirky book, particle physicist Ben Still (The Secret Life of the Periodic Table) illustrates the properties and interactions of leptons, quarks and other particles with colored Lego bricks--which he then uses to explain the workings of the universe.--Mike Perricone "Symmetry Magazine" (12/11/2018 12:00:00 AM)
