"Why does E=mc^2?" by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw

Took out a book from the local library called "Why does E=mc^2?". By the title you wouldn't think it would be very useful, but it does have various chapters where it talks about the standard model and the higgs boson. Its provided the most concise explanation of the standard model I've seen so far and is a very trusted source because it is written by two high profile physicists.

Massive: The hunt for the God Particle, by Ian Sample

Picked this book up from the library today. Because its supposedly Higgs boson specific this may take me awhile to scour through and collect relevant notes. Scanned through some of the contents, and most of the book seems to cover the background of the theory and its history, which isn't how i want to direct my report. There is still a lot of relevant information, but not as much as was indicated from the blurb of the book.

Getting started

Went to scour the local library for research material last week. My initial hopes were not very high seeing as though it is quite a specific subject area but there was an abundance of material. Found 3 books and one other which incorporates how relativity is applied in the hunt for the Higgs' boson. I will probably start reading through and making notes sometime this week, starting with "Why does E=mc^2?: (And why should we care?)", by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, since it is a bit more 'user friendly' in its approach to explaining scientific concepts and also that it is not 'Higgs' specific but only provides a basic understanding and shows how relativity is applied to the research at CERN.

Project proposal approved

At last, I have received confirmation that my project proposal has been approved which means I will be able to get started on my extended project. Initially before the start of the term I had wanted to do my project on obesity in the UK but reconsidered so that I could find a project that had a bit more relevance to the subjects I am current undergoing for A2.
 I decided that I would like to do my extended project on the Higg's Boson because this would be a topic I would enjoy researching and also that the scientists working with particle accelerators around the world are at a pinnacle stage of their work, where the Higgs boson is believed to have been discovered in the summer of 2012, and the properties of the particle can be explored in the near future. Due to the current status of what would seem to be the greatest scientific breakthrough in the century, I feel that there would be plenty of sources where I could find relevant information for my projec.
 A problem which I expect to run into during my project would be that different sources would provide contradicting information due to the advancements of the understanding of the Higg's Boson. A piece of information from several years ago may have unintended errors from being slightly outdated in the approach of the topic.

Second thoughts

Having second thoughts on my initial project idea of obesity in the UK, this is because this doesnt have much relevance to my courses and I also feel I would struggle to research this topic as there are many factors to take into account such as the average age of the population. It is also hard to write an essay that would relate to the general population due to differences in diets, body sizes, geographical factors, and how much households earn. I find that it is too broad a topic for me to research for my extended project.

First blog entry

My name is Richard Voong and I have created this blog to document my progress for the AQA Extended Project