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Bookshelf (The Particle Garden, An Introduction to Cosmology and A Scientific Biography)

Abstract

The Particle Garden, by Gordon Kane: Addison Wesley, ISBN 0-201-40780-9: 'Our universe as understood by particle physicists' is the subsidiary title of Gordon Kane's attractive new book. In setting out to present a balanced picture of particle physics, Professor Kane has written the sort of book which could easily motivate a young student to turn to particle physics research. (The author relates how he was turned on by reading a book about Einstein.) In explaining particle physics wisdom, especially instructive is the distinction drawn in the book between 'Descriptive Understanding', 'Input and Mechanism Understanding' and 'Why Understanding'. The analogy uses a vidéocassette recorder (VCR): Descriptive Understanding corresponds to being able to work and handle a VCR which did not come with the appropriate documentation; Input and Mechanism Understanding means the ability to fix the VCR unaided if it goes wrong; and Why Understanding confers the ability to invent a VCR and make one. The book also rues the unfortunate disappearance of the US Superconducting Supercollider megaproject.; An Introduction to Cosmology, by Jeremy Bernstein: Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-110504-3: Professor Bernstein is a successful physicist and science writer, and 'An Introduction to Cosmology' benefits from both these skills. It is both a  More>>
Authors:
Publication Date:
Sep 15, 1995
Product Type:
Journal Article
Report Number:
INIS-XC-16A0232
Resource Relation:
Journal Name: CERN Courier; Journal Volume: 35; Journal Issue: 6; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Subject:
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; COSMOLOGY; EDUCATION; SUPERCONDUCTING SUPER COLLIDER; UNIVERSE
OSTI ID:
22556081
Country of Origin:
CERN
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Journal ID: ISSN 0304-288X; CODEN: CECOA2; TRN: XC16A0232127240
Availability:
Available on-line: http://cds.cern.ch/record/1732446/files/vol35-issue6-p044-e.pdf
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
page(s) 44-45
Announcement Date:
Jan 09, 2017

Citation Formats

Anon. Bookshelf (The Particle Garden, An Introduction to Cosmology and A Scientific Biography). CERN: N. p., 1995. Web.
Anon. Bookshelf (The Particle Garden, An Introduction to Cosmology and A Scientific Biography). CERN.
Anon. 1995. "Bookshelf (The Particle Garden, An Introduction to Cosmology and A Scientific Biography)." CERN.
@misc{etde_22556081,
title = {Bookshelf (The Particle Garden, An Introduction to Cosmology and A Scientific Biography)}
author = {Anon.}
abstractNote = {The Particle Garden, by Gordon Kane: Addison Wesley, ISBN 0-201-40780-9: 'Our universe as understood by particle physicists' is the subsidiary title of Gordon Kane's attractive new book. In setting out to present a balanced picture of particle physics, Professor Kane has written the sort of book which could easily motivate a young student to turn to particle physics research. (The author relates how he was turned on by reading a book about Einstein.) In explaining particle physics wisdom, especially instructive is the distinction drawn in the book between 'Descriptive Understanding', 'Input and Mechanism Understanding' and 'Why Understanding'. The analogy uses a vidéocassette recorder (VCR): Descriptive Understanding corresponds to being able to work and handle a VCR which did not come with the appropriate documentation; Input and Mechanism Understanding means the ability to fix the VCR unaided if it goes wrong; and Why Understanding confers the ability to invent a VCR and make one. The book also rues the unfortunate disappearance of the US Superconducting Supercollider megaproject.; An Introduction to Cosmology, by Jeremy Bernstein: Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-110504-3: Professor Bernstein is a successful physicist and science writer, and 'An Introduction to Cosmology' benefits from both these skills. It is both a textbook and a good read. The author explains that the book arose from a course he gave at the Stevens Institute of Cosmology. Teaching this course was one of the most pleasant tasks I have had as a professor,' he admits in the introduction. It shows. The physics arguments are well constructed, and the book is packed with anecdotes. The introduction is especially good, and a more general overview in Part 1, although very qualitative, introduces many very useful numerical ideas which help place terrestrial physics in a more humble context.}
journal = []
issue = {6}
volume = {35}
journal type = {AC}
place = {CERN}
year = {1995}
month = {Sep}
}