Neutrino Hunters

Reviews

“Everything about neutrinos is fascinating. The various dramas associated with their discovery, our efforts to understand their very weird properties, and finally, what they have taught us about fundamental physics, are remarkable. Ray Jayawardhana is the perfect person to convey these exciting stories in Neutrino Hunters, which should be of broad interest.”

“With his typical blend of scientific insight and storytelling verve, Ray Jayawardhana vividly, colorfully, and humorously captures the often offbeat characters who, over the past century, have pursued one of the most elusive—and significant—mysteries in the history of physics.”

“Move over Neil deGrasse Tyson and Brian Greene! Ray Jayawardhana is the new dean of popular science—a working scientist who can explain even the most complex matters in a clear and entertaining way. In Neutrino Hunters, he spins a thrilling tale that takes us from the deepest depths of the Earth to the farthest reaches of the universe. A wonderful read from start to finish.”

“With clarity and wry humor, Jayawardhana relates how Wolfgang Pauli ‘invented’ the neutrino to explain where missing energy went during beta decay, then later bet a case of champagne that it would never be detected experimentally…Jayawardhana vividly illuminates both the particle that has ‘baffled and surprised’ scientists, and the researchers who hunt it.”

“Narrator Bronson Pinchot is well matched to this remarkably approachable account of the hunt for the elusive neutrino…While the topic of astrophysics research has the potential to present a challenge to any narrator, Pinchot’s tone conveys a genuine interest in the topic and an eagerness to engage the listener in this unusual detective story.”

“When physicist Boris Kayser declares, “If neutrinos did not exist, we would not be here,” he identifies a compellingly immediate reason for investigating these mysterious subatomic particles. But as Jayawardhana teases out the tangled history of neutrino investigations, readers learn of many other reasons that scientists have expended tremendous energy pursuing these elusive gremlins…A tale of revolutionary science and of the colorful personalities of those who did it—must-reading for armchair physicists!”

“An astrophysicist explains why scientists are eager to learn more about the elusive, ‘pathologically shy’ neutrino…Jayawardhana includes a fascinating account of the disputes between the theorists and experimentalists in this epic scientific adventure story with—as of yet—no last chapter.”

“In this richly detailed and nuanced book, scientist and author Ray Jayawardhana captures the incredible story of one of nature’s most ghostly yet vital ingredients. From the Earth’s core to exploding stars, vanishing scientists, and the very essence of matter in the universe, it’s a wild and immensely satisfying ride.”

“This is science from the front lines: Ray Jayawardhana reports on the hunt for one of nature’s most elusive particles, involving scientists around the world, from the frozen plateaus of Antarctica to a nickel mine two kilometers below the forests of northern Ontario. Their prey: a tiny, evanescent speck of energy—the neutrino—that holds the key to some of the deepest puzzles in cosmology and astrophysics. But it’s not just science: Neutrino Hunters also illuminates the thinkers and tinkerers (some brilliant, some eccentric) who have made the quest for the neutrino their life’s work. We are lucky to have Dr. Jayawardhana—a first-rate storyteller who also knows the physics inside and out—to guide us through the science and the personalities behind this remarkable story.”

“Ray Jayawardhana tells a whopping good ghost story. In recent years, researchers have discovered that neutrino particles, the poltergeists of physics that go right through us with nary a bump, promise to reveal much about the Earth, stars, and our cosmic origins. Beautifully written, Neutrino Hunters paints a vivid portrait of this new astronomy for the twenty-first century and the fascinating scientists who put it into place.”

“Neutrino Hunters is a fascinating, comprehensive look at the monumental efforts to detect the least understood particle known to physics. While the Higgs boson might be more famous, Ray Jayawardhana reveals that neutrinos are far more mysterious and may hold the key to the next breakthroughs in the field.”

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