A Map of the Invisible

For fans of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry: a richly conjured world, in map and metaphor, of particle physics

Atom Land brings the impossibly small world of particle physics to life, taking readers on a guided journey through the subatomic world. Readers will sail the subatomic seas in search of electron ports, boson continents, and hadron islands. The sea itself is the quantum field, complete with quantum waves. Beware dark energy and extra dimensions, embodied by fantastical sea creatures prowling the far edges of the known world.

Your tour guide through this whimsical—and highly instructive— world is Jon Butterworth, leading physicist at CERN (the epicenter of today’s greatest findings in physics). Over a series of journeys, he shows how everything fits together, and how a grasp of particle physics is key to unlocking a deeper understanding of many of the most profound mysteries—and science’s possible answers—in the known universe.

Jon Butterworth is currently Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UCL and works on the ATLAS Experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. He studied at the University of Oxford, receiving a DPhil in particle physics in 1992. He is the author of Smashing Physics, and of the 'Life and Physics' blog for the Guardian.