LAUSR

The elusive concept of mass later became a central physical quantity in Newton’s formulation of classical mechanics. The microscopic concept of indivisible atoms was subsequently refined by eighteenth-century chemists who demonstrated that it is essentially required in describing all chemical reactions of matter. Parts II and III provide non-technical introductions of modern physics, namely the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics. Seminal works by pioneers of modern physics such as Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Schrodinger, Heisenberg, Dirac and Feynman, are introduced. These well-presented Parts II and III allow readers without specialised background to readily digest the advanced topics on the quantum field descriptions of subatomic particles in Part IV. The consequences of symmetry on sub-atomic particle physics, the standard model and the modern understanding of mass based on Higgs mechanism are presented. The book is concluded with the astonishing fact that majority of mass of matter is derived from the interaction energy between quarks and their force carriers, thus resulting in the thought-provoking conclusion of ‘mass without mass’ – mass is only a secondary quantity resulted by the perpetual quantum interactions of subatomic particles deep inside the nuclei of matter. The book is a gem in introducing the abstract ideas of modern physics and the story of mass to general audience even without formal training in STEM disciplines. The book is supplemented by the figures that significantly improve the readability of abstract physics concepts. Furthermore, each chapter is concluded by a list of ‘5 things we learned’ which constructively aids the readers in grasping the contents of each chapter. In summary, this book by Jim Baggott is a joy to read and will be especially inspiring to students (senior high school and junior undergraduate) interested in pursuing a career in fundamental physics.