Archive

In May 1983, physicists on the UA1 detector for the Super Proton Synchrotron accelerator at CERN made the first definitive observations of the Z boson.

08/01/08

Coming soon: First coffee-table book by a high-energy physics experiment

08/01/08

Contest results: Oh, the places your symmetry went!

In August 2007, we asked readers to send photos of places their copies of symmetry have been. Here are three letters with photographic evidence of the magazine's travels.

08/01/08

The Iron Lady and the boson

I enjoyed seeing the confidential letter from CERN Director General Herwig Schopper to UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the Jan/Feb 08 issue of symmetry. It reminded me of a related letter.

08/01/08

The Big Bang Theory

Jennifer Ouellette missed one major unfortunate connection to reality provided by the TV show The Big Bang Theory.

08/01/08

Gamma-rays inspire brass quintet

When you hear the descending flurry of 16th notes in the trumpets, you know the gamma rays are coming. They speed toward the detector in the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope in chromatically harmonized notes.

08/01/08

Pécub's Cup

A Faraday Cup is (pick one) 1) a gadget named after the great experimentalist Michael Faraday, used to measure the current of a charged-particle beam, or 2) an award that recognizes the inventors of innovative instruments for particle accelerators.