"The God Particle" redirects here. For the particle nicknamed thusly, see Higgs boson. The God Particle Cover Author(s) Leon M. Lederman, with Dick Teresi Country United States Language English Genre(s) Physics Publisher Dell Publishing Publication date 1993 Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback) ISBN ISBN 0-385-31211-3 (Original hardcover)
The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What is the Question? is a 1993 popular science book by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Leon M. Lederman and science writer Dick Teresi.
The book provides a brief history of particle physics, starting with the Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Democritus, and continuing through Isaac Newton, Roger J. Boscovich, Michael Faraday, and Ernest Rutherford and quantum physics in the 20th century.[1][2][3][4]
Lederman said he gave the Higgs boson the nickname "The God Particle" because the particle is "so central to the state of physics today, so crucial to our final understanding of the structure of matter, yet so elusive,"[5][6][7] but jokingly added that a second reason was because "the publisher wouldn't let us call it the Goddamn Particle, though that might be a more appropriate title, given its villainous nature and the expense it is causing."[5][8]