Who Ordered the Muon? ...and Other Mysteries of Particle Physics

At the turn of the twentieth century, physicists knew little about atoms, except that they contained electrons and could be organized into families. These clues soon helped solve the problem of atomic structure. Subatomic then became all the rage. However… after the electron, proton and neutron came an onslaught of new and exotic subsubatomic particles, about which little was known – except that they too could be grouped into families. Déjà vu all over again? KITP particle and string theorist Jim Halverson will chronicle a century of confusion and triumph and give us a peek at the latest ideas on Nature’s structures and patterns.