- Major global co-edition written by well-known NZ author - Popular science that explains modern physics in easy terms - Looks beyond Rutherford the man to examine his discoveries - Ernest Rutherford and the birth of Modern Physics traces key concepts in modern science from their origins in the work of the man Einstein labelled 'a second Newton', using the great New Zealander's life as a guide to nuclear and quantum physics in simple terms. In the early twentieth century, scientists discovered a new world: one of waves, particles and unseen forces, giving humanity everything from radio to TV, X-ray machines, smoke detectors and more. A key mover of this new world was Ernest Rutherford, a no-nonsense Nelsonian who became known as the 'father of the atom'. Through his achievements, this book explains why this science seized the public imagination, and why Rutherford's contribution remains integral to how we understand the universe. It also explains how the science behind his discoveries works.