Waves in an Impossible Sea

"""Matt Strassler has been one of the deepest thinkers in fundamental physics and quantum field theory for the past three decades. It is a cause for celebration to see him combine his penetrating insights together with a brilliant flair for beautifully clear and simple non-technical explanations, to produce a true masterpiece with this book. I have never seen its equal and don't expect I ever will.""--Nima Arkani-Hamed, Institute for Advanced Study ""It's not easy to convey the ideas of modern physics without any equations, but also without compromises, making sure every statement is precisely correct. Matt Strassler does it better than anyone I've ever read. If you want to know what's really going on in the realms of relativity and particle physics, read this book.""--Sean Carroll, author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe ""This extraordinary work, reminiscent of the genius of Feynman, will awaken your sense of wonder and unveil the enchantment that surrounds our physical world. From the moment I delved into this captivating masterpiece, I found myself spellbound. It is a mesmerizing odyssey that will forever change how you perceive the world.""--Stephon Alexander, author of Fear of a Black Universe ""There is a particular zing you get from good explanations, and Matt Strassler knows how to deliver them. This book is a rare attempt by a noted particle physicist to convey the core concepts out of which the world is constructed in language that truly anyone can understand. Matt says he was motivated to write the book by the many egregious explanations he had read about how the Higgs field generates the masses of elementary particles--and indeed, his version delivers the zing I've long sought.""--Natalie Wolchover, senior editor, Quanta Magazine ""Matt Strassler succeeds triumphantly in conveying the fascination of the physical reality that underpins our world of atoms and stars. His distinguished expertise, combined with an entertaining and lucid writing style, enable him to lure readers into a 'deeper dive' than most physicists attempt when addressing a general readership -- and to do this without distortion. He conveys the essence of the deep structures that underpin our natural world in an engaging and accessible way. This book deserves wide readership."" --Professor Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal"