Seeking Primitives: Exploring the Ultimate Structure of Matter

Author: Gerard 't Hooft
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-11-01
Features: "The Golden Fleece Series" compiles popular science works by many Nobel laureates over the past half-century. It includes reflections by these scientific masters on their personal experiences with major scientific events, introductions to the latest scientific advancements in their fields, and profound insights into the relationship between science, society, and culture. These works fully embody the unique perspectives and wisdom of these Nobel laureates, representing a precious legacy left to us by these scientific giants, worthy of thorough exploration. This was one of the most creative and exciting periods in the history of physics. From 1965 to 1990, theoretical physicists and experimental physicists worked together to delve ever deeper into the fundamental structure of reality, gaining an increasingly clear understanding of the ultimate building blocks of everything in the universe. This book is a hand description of that period. 't Hooft's research spanned this unprecedented era of discovery and made significant contributions to advancing the field, for which he and 't Hooft won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1999. In this book, he elaborates on the entire process by which physicists, through the development of what is now known as the Standard Theory, came to understand the structure of matter from his personal perspective. In the latter half of the book, he compares the smaller structures now known to exist and makes predictions about black holes, grand unification, and the possible future directions of these topics. This brilliant personal account of the progress in one of the most gripping areas of 20th-century physics over the next 25 years will benefit not only physicists and physics students but also educated readers interested in the most exciting scientific exploration stories in history.