Pauline Gagnon knows how to simplify what could appear complex to mere mortals like me. She brings us into the fascinating world of the infinitely small realm and puts us in touch with the world of the researchers that study it.  One feels at home, at the core of the mystery.  No need for a huge scientific background, she talks to our intelligence and satisfies our curiosity. What does the Higgs boson eats during the winter? I have no clue but I would like to invite it over for dinner. Thank you for holding the door open for us.

Louise Angers

 

This book reads like a novel and is twice original: first of all, it presents to an unprecedented level of detail and accessibility the ongoing work at the LHC and how it contributes to increasing knowledge in particle physics, the Standard Model and its future. Then it describes in carefully researched and documented terms the human aspect of the international LHC collaborations  (nature of research, participation by country, women's place, hierarchy, internal management etc.) to the point of making us real proud of these determined scientists whose work goes beyond the language and culture barriers. As a bonus, a last chapter is offered on the role Einstein's first wife may have played in her famous husband's work, a topic that was completely new to me.
Luc Le Blanc

 

With this book, Pauline Gagnon managed to convey her broad knowledge of subatomic particle of the material world in a manner that is accessible to all. She explains the theoretical and experimental concepts conceived by the planet's cleverest physicists, with such a simplification that even a high school student can grasp it. She describes how thousands of women and men from various countries work together on one of the largest machines on Earth to figure out its smallest components. The book is well-written and full of illustrations and photos. Not everyone can  make this topic interesting, funny and captivating. In summary, this book allowed me to learn a lot on the matter that surrounds us while having fun. Thank you Madame Gagnon for this entertaining and informative book.

Pierre Tremblay

 

At last, an easily accessible book on particle physics! Pauline Gagnon succeeded the feat of writing a crystal clear book that guides the readers step by step in the world of fundamental research, more specifically at the LHC. One discovers a fascinating world, really simply explained. While avoiding technical jargon, the author spares no effort to offer us a view of every facet of the colossal international collaboration that led to the Higgs boson discovery.  I came out of this reading in awe, and as a collateral effect, I am now looking forward to the LHC restart to see what these experiments will discover at higher energy!

Nadia Capolla, optics, photonic and laser physicist, Montreal

 

This book from Pauline Gagnon answered really well the questions I had regarding fundamental particles as well as the particle accelerator and its detectors. This book reads really well. As a fan of astronomy, this book is really interesting since it covers the most current topics: dark matter and dark energy. Pauline explains to us the ongoing experiments on these topics. An excellent book to stimulate your neurons.
Jacques Girard, automatisation technician