The infinity puzzle: quantum field theory and the hunt for an orderly universe

Description

"The second half of the twentieth century witnessed a scientific gold rush, as physicists raced to chart the inner workings of the atom. While many of its mysteries came unraveled, one remained intractable--the "Infinity Puzzle." Although quantum field theory offered a powerful explanatory framework for elementary particle physics, it nonetheless made one utterly ridiculous prediction: that certain events had an infinite probability of occurring. In The Infinity Puzzle, acclaimed theoretical physicist Frank Close covers half a century of particle physics and explains how scientists reached a solution that enables theory to match what we see in the real world, and in so doing gave rise to the idea of the Higgs boson. With a physicist's expertise and a historian's care, Close describes the personalities and competition, the dead ends and the sudden insights, in a story for the pursuit of an orderly universe. This updated edition includes a new epilogue that brings the story up to date, including the July 4, 2012, announcement of a Higgs "beyond reasonable doubt" and discussion of where physics goes next."--Publisher's website.  Read more... Abstract: "Mr Close's magisterial work is sure to become the definitive account"-The Economist  Read more... Content: Prologue: Amsterdam, 1971 -- 1. The point of infinity -- 2. Shelter Island and QED -- 3. Feynman, Schwinger ... and Tomonaga (and Dyson) -- Intermission: 1950 -- 4. Abdus Salam: a strong beginning -- 5. Yang, Mills ... and Shaw -- 6. The identity of John Ward -- 7. The marriage of weak and electromagnetic forces -- to 1964 -- Intermission, 1960 -- 8. Broken symmetries -- 9. "The boson that has been named after me", a.k.a the Higgs Boson -- Intermission, Mid-1960s -- 10. 1967: from Kibble to Salam and Weinberg -- 11. "And now I introduce Mr. 't Hoof" -- Intermission: Early 1970s -- 13. B.J. and the cosmic quarks -- 13. A comedy of errors -- Intermission: 1975 -- 14. Heavy light -- 15. Warmly admired, richly deserved -- 16. The big machine -- Intermission: End of the twentieth century -- 17. To infinity and beyond -- Epilogue: the bonfire of the infinities.