NZSM Online

Get TurboNote+ desktop sticky notes

Interclue makes your browsing smarter, faster, more informative

SciTech Daily Review

Webcentre Ltd: Web solutions, Smart software, Quality graphics

Under The Microscope

IN SEARCH OF THE ULTIMATE BUILDING BLOCKS by Gerard t Hooft; Cambridge University Press, 1997; 191 pp; $33.55 paperback, $90.95 hardback

Reviewed by Craig Webster

This book is not for the timid or casual reader, but more intrepid readers who are familiar with some of the aspects of quantum mechanics will find it an interesting and personalised synopsis of the field from approximately 1970 to the present -- a period co-inciding with the author's career to date.

Quantum mechanics is certainly one of the most significant theories of the 20th century and the period covered in this book is of particular interest because of the large number of new particles discovered during this time. But this is not a physics textbook -- t Hooft includes many personal insights and conversations with other important figures in the field, giving the reader a rare inside look into the process and motivations behind the breakthroughs. The book has a conversational tone and there are no complicated mathematics.

Often the triumph of a new particle theory is short lived. While the new theory may be shown to solve many persistent problems of the past, trying to remove what initially appear to be technical difficulties may uncover new problems which ultimately lead to the demise of the new theory and require the development of still newer theories.

Many aspects of accepted quantum physics do not fit well with our human-sized ideas of reality. The concept of "spin" is used to describe particles as if they were tiny planets on axes, but if the actual rotational speed at the surface of an electron is calculated it is found to be 137 times faster than the speed of light! That's impossible of course and the problem is resolved simply by limiting the extent of the metaphor: "There is no such thing as the surface of an electron".

The fascinating interplay between the results of particle experiments and the predictions of theory continues through the book. A theory can predict the existence of a new particle which can then be found by experiment -- sometimes to the surprise of the physicists themselves. But errant theories may make extravagant predictions which are dismissed with a touch of Douglas-Adams-like absurdity: "This is nonsense" t Hooft explains after one such episode.

Physical theories are much like jigsaw pieces. Defining and placing a new piece focuses attention on the gaps that remain. Despite the large amount of ground that has been covered by modern particle physics there are no shortage of new theories jostling to extend current knowledge. The quest for a great unified physical theory remains a long way off.

Stop Press: Gerard t Hooft has won this year's Nobel prize for physics.

Craig Webster is currently a clinical researcher in the Anaesthetics Department at Auckland's Green Lane Hospital.