It also demonstrates that science is the most human of activities, with all that that implies. The poster for Particle Fever. The story of CERN. See this film, and join us science nerds in contemplating the infinite (or is it? Overall this documentary was a disappointment. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. "Particle Fever" features a lot of brilliant people siting around talking to each other at a conference table, or writing lengthy equations on blackboards, or scribbling away furiously in notepads. As the movie unfolds, the central character becomes the protons, and story deals with the creation of subatomic particles that all the scientists build their careers, research and lives around trying to find or manipulate. Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2015. Does the evidence indicate that we live in one universe or that we are part of some inconceivably vast multiverse of infinite alternate universes? "Particle Fever" is a gripping documentary about the most exacting and expensive scientific experiment ever conducted, and one that may be among the most significant. It's made entirely from footage of the actual scientists and impressive shots over the colossal machinery. ). PARTICLE FEVER is a little dry. Within a few minutes I was sucked into the story. This is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist, The Story of Who We Are: Gregory Nava Helps Celebrate Selena’s 50th Birthday, Thumbnails Special Edition: Gregory Nava's Selena, The Brilliance is in the Details of HBO’s Riveting Mare of Easttown. Particle Fever Review. True science, without bias toward the objective of the funders, really barely exists today. Nothing gets really explained. Those questions: what is the fundamental nature of reality? The film is so well put together that one's attention is riveted throughout & there is no shortage of humor either in both the scientists who comment on the event nor in the ironic answers that the initial data coming out of these experiments seem to suggest. The movie is just too superficial. Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2016. This review of Particle Fever (2013) was written by Marcdoyle on 12 March 2014. At the same time, he's wisely chosen figures to follow from among the 10,000 people involved from over 100 nationalities who can bring this highly specific work to life for the layperson. Post-doctorate scholar Monica Dunford is the one who consistently explains this complicated process in smart but easy-to-understand terms. Not even the size of the LHC is mentioned or how the detectors work, etc, etc. He's taken a potentially daunting topic—the search for the elusive and highly significant Higgs boson particle, also known as the "God particle"—and turned it into a movie that's not just accessible but fun, with a surprisingly emotional payoff at the end. Review by Dara K. Marzipan. Follow Joshua Rothkopf on Twitter: @joshrothkopf Posted: Tuesday March 4 2014 Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2020, This is an excellent documentary about the Large Hadron Collider in Cern, Switzerland. It is still interesting mostly because it is well filmed and it shows some (too brief) details on the construction of the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) and its control center and physicists in Geneva. It is a good movie. They include producer/Johns Hopkins University professor David Kaplan, a theoretical physicist who's loose and chatty as he describes what this discovery would mean to the world: "It's gonna change everything," he says in understated hyperbole. It can be quite dry at times. Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2015. A team of Turkish researchers reported on a study of semen parameters among 2,010 men who attended infertility clinics held by Austria's University of Graz between 1993 and October 2007. 2.5 Bravo! On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 96% based on 48 reviews, with an average rating of 7.92 out of 10. This is a very interesting look inside the theoretical vs experimental scientists views and how theory and results often do not match up and how that is handled by the individual minds involved. The search for the "god particle". Some of the physicists talk about the multiverse versus supersymmetry depending on the possible mass of the Higgs boson, but if anyone bought this documentary with the hope of obtaining at least a minimum of understanding on any of these subjects would be enormously disappointed. But "Particle Fever" also works on a purely visual, visceral level. There is also evidence that those who run these huge "scientific" processes may slant or withhold the unvarnished truth for public relations purposes. 10,000 scientists from over 100 countries join forces in pursuit of a single goal: … It exhibits the world view behind this endeavor. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Highly enjoyable Science Communication : solid and engaging, Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2015. Particle Fever, to its great credit, is very rarely dry. In a fever indeed. The interviews with the different physicists are enlightening, and the photography gives one a feeling for the immensity of the machine that they created to find the boson. A standing ovation for the master who theorized the Higgs four decades before it was proven. Highly recommend it! The film follows the intense excitement amongst physicists leading up to the inauguration of the super particle collider at CERN, Switzerland, perhaps the most complex instrument and experiment that humans have yet conducted. The film may work at an accessible level for the layman, but I saw it with a physicist friend and even he was impressed. The primary lesson is that it came out in-between the two anticipated values and thus presented another mystery (TBD). This is an excellent portrayal of some of the personalities within the field of science that were involved with bringing the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) on line and those who were impacted by it's discoveries. Particle Fever - Inspiring, Teaching, and Touching, Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2015. But it was a disappointment that neither Kaplan nor any of the many physicists interviewed in the film make really any good attempt to explain what the whole thing is about. People that dedicate themselves to something for 30 to 40 years of their lives are incredibly inspiring, whether they are rocket scientists or are inventing a new kind of sponge. There is an obvious and evident bias against a Creator behind it all, but that is the way most scientists are today. ", Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2018. Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2014. And as all these researchers inch closer to the discovery they hope to make, they find themselves falling into one of two categories, with mind-boggling notions about whether our universe has tidy, parallel others out there, or whether ours is merely a speck or a pocket of a multiverse where chaos reigns. Which of the various models of subatomic physics developed over the past century is correct? Both the personal and career impacts are evident over this multi year effort. She also explains the study itself very well: At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Switzerland, scientists and engineers several years ago created the behemoth Large Hadron Collider, an underground, 17-mile ringed tunnel which is the biggest machine humans have ever built. Sun Apr 13, 2014 at 10:20pm ET By Ron Wilkinson. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here. The greatest attribute of this documentary is that it never makes you feel stupid, even if you remember the fact that all of the characters in this movie are particle physicists. With six scientists to get to know a little, so much to explain, and suspense to build, Particle Fever inevitably feels as if it's just skimming the surface of a fascinating subject. It is the largest machine ever built by humanity and its sole purpose is to do research in particle physics. I really didn't learn much (because I already knew most of it) but enjoyed seeing great people and CERN scenery and the enthusiasm of the scientists. The film also movies with a great fluidity, the work of veteran editor (and frequent Francis Ford Coppola collaborator) Walter Murch, a two-time Academy Award winner for "Apocalypse Now" and "The English Patient.". The snow-covered French Alps against a baby-blue sky are especially spectacular. This is a very interesting documentary of the search for the Higgs Boson. Intermediary introduction to particle physics for those not in science, Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2019. Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2014, Very interesting. There, they will send beams of protons on a collision course with each other at ridiculously high speeds in hopes of recreating the conditions that existed just after The Big Bang. Particle Fever can be viewed on Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, or the documentary’s website. Sex as a Senior (50-80 Years Old) At this point in their lives. Film Review: ‘Particle Fever’ This surefire crowdpleaser is a documentary about science for professionals and laypeople alike. Kaplan's mentor at Stanford University, the brilliant Savas Dimopoulos, recalls fleeing his childhood home of Turkey with his Greek family because of ethnic tensions. Particle Fever follows half a dozen diverse characters – out of more than 10,000 scientists from more than 100 countries – who work on the world's largest … The high point of the movie is when the finely tuned beams finally get aligned in all four detectors and data begins to be accumulated. Fabiola Gianotti, the head of one of the main teams seeking the Higgs, is also an accomplished pianist. I didn't expect to like this physics documentary nearly as much as I did. I am sort of surprised that these subtle efforts were not deleted out, but glad they were not. Particle Fever is more than a handy primer on physics and the Large Hadron Collider. Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2018. A description of “Particle Fever” — Mark Levinson’s mind-blowing new documentary — must grapple with some issues of scale. Still, even a science dunce will walk away with a basic understanding of the project and a strong impression of the community around this … Movie Review - 'Particle Fever' - Thrills, Chills And High Subatomic Drama What's possibly the nerdiest documentary ever made turns out to be one of the most inspiring, too. Then they play the anthem of the European Union, Beethoven! Particle Fever has generally received very positive reviews. Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2015. She compares the control room during these experiments to a room full of 6-year-olds whose birthday is next week. Was this review helpful? This page works best with JavaScript. ", Heady stuff, indeed. That's much of the beauty of director Mark Levinson's film. If the film disappoints, it only does so by not being yet more rigorous in its scientific detail. It shows that the key to success in regards to the scientific … David Kaplan has done better very brief documentaries, which can be seen on youtube or quanta magazine. And the tears of Peter Higgs when the boson mass is announced! For more information about the Higgs boson and its discovery, check out the BSR feature article, “Hunting Down the Higgs” by Christopher Smallwood. But that doesn't detract from the power of that moment, or the infinite, dizzying possibilities that await. You can find Christy's writing at ChristyLemire.com. Movie review: Director-physicist Mark Levinson captures the search for knowledge in a clear and bracing way in 'Particle Fever.' This is a modest, compact movie … Particle Fever is a science documentary that, once it gets going, feels almost like a thriller. Doubt this, visit a laboratory where they study dark matter and/or dark energy. Honestly, theories of dark matter and dark energy come across as reformulations of concepts used in telecommunications technology and proprietary knowledge to capitalize on science and try to take credit away from those who discovered the underlying science in the first place. The site's consensus states: "The concepts behind its heady subject matter may fly over the heads of most viewers, but Particle Fever presents it in such a way that even the least science-inclined viewers will find themselves enraptured." 7 November 2014 | by l_rawjalaurence – See all my reviews Superficially PARTICLE FEVER is a quest-narrative charting the search by a group of 4000 physicists at a variety of locations - Geneva, Princeton, Texas, for a particle that might provide the key to the way the universe works. Particle Fever follows six scientists during the launch of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), marking the start-up of the biggest and most expensive experiment in the history of the planet. If you follow the news, you know how this multibillion-dollar adventure ends. 4.0 out of 5 starsParticle Fever - Inspiring, Teaching, and Touching. Levinson is a physicist-turned-filmmaker himself, so it's clear that he wanted the science to be tangible and authentic. No pressure. Review: Particle Fever The film may not put itself above the uninitiated, but director Mark Levinson oftentimes appears almost too eager to present his material with affectation. The people are real, not actors, and they are highly engaging. What makes this movie so special is the 'humanity' it reveals as you get to know the many people involved in this effort and their highs & lows from the day they turn it on until the day they discover the "God Particle. The greatest attribute of this documentary is that it never makes you feel stupid, even if you remember the fact that all of the characters in this movie are particle physicists. It is a good movie. As documented in the wonky but surprisingly compelling film “Particle Fever," even the most cautious scientists occasionally have reason to get a little worked up. But I do understand a lot more about the questions these geniuses are trying to answer. It's shot beautifully, with crisp, vibrant footage of not just the collider itself—which resembles a buzzing, whirring, seven-story stained glass window—but also of the striking landscape surrounding the lab. Verified Purchase. I thoroughly enjoyed it -- it's loaded with drama and tension, with some very exciting, edge-of-your-seat moments built in. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. They know they have to achieve results which fit within a preconceived parameter in order to continue to be funded and have public support. Theorised in 1964 by a number of physicists, among them Peter Higgs for which it is named, the Higgs boson is an elementary particle that gives mass to other particles. It alternates between an insider's view by those experimental physicists at CERN who were involved in the engineering of this monumental machine for smashing particles together to create a situation as close to the birth of the universe in the Big Bang as possible & their counterpart theoretical physicists (mostly at Princeton) who are posing some of the mind-boggling questions that the CERN experiments would hopefully answer. Also does a great job highlighting the role of female scientists on the team. 4.0 out of 5 starsParticle Fever - Inspiring, Teaching, and Touching. The fact that I watched this film in a format where I could stop and replay gave me an advantage over theater-goers whose reviews say that they could not follow much of the science. A feast for all inquiring minds that is really not to be missed! "Particle Fever" features a lot of brilliant people siting around talking to each other at a conference table, or writing lengthy equations on blackboards, or scribbling away furiously in … particle fever | salty popcorn review | large hadron collider The film follows a number of theoretical and experimental physicists in their search for the Higgs boson. You can still see all customer reviews for the product. Christy Lemire is a co-host of the YouTube film review show "What the Flick?!" go watch it right now higgs boson movie review The documentary is mostly filled with anecdotes and trivia. You don't have to be a physicist—you don't even have to be good at math, I can certainly attest to that—to enjoy the energy, camaraderie and giddy thrill of discovery that radiates from the documentary "Particle Fever". After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. I found it entertaining. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. My second favorite thing about Particle Fever is that it taught me just enough about what these physicists have been looking for all these years to quench my own curiosity of the subject. There’s a palpable excitement throughout, even as the work moves slowly, and the physicists themselves are charming and straightforward enough (“We won’t know how, but it’s gonna change everything”) to make it a … If you know a kid who is interested in science, you must get her to this film before it leaves theaters. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. A beautiful film as well as a provocative one, Particle Fever shows us why physics is asking the really big questions that have gone beyond the capabilities of philosophy and art, and yet why physics is more akin to philosophy and art than you may have imagined. These people are the real deal. The greatest attribute of this documentary is that it never makes you feel stupid, even if you remember the fact that all of the characters in this movie are particle physicists. The production crew … It's not a course on physics but displays some of the interactions of scientists and the drama with the process of getting the LHC up and running. "Particle Fever" is about a labor intensive physics experiment--that involved many thousands of scientists, lasted from 2007 to 2012 and is actually still on-going. The hope is that among all the stuff that explodes from that collision will be the storied Higgs boson particle, which potentially could explain the universe as we know it. I know that I'll never understand the math. Overall, cinema-goers and film critics broadly agree on the merits of the movie, with critics giving it an average score of 83% and users giving an average score of 83%. Read full review Like the white lab-coat scientists you see in the first Jurassic Park, busy interrupting the cellular mitosis and completing the genetic code. Nice integration with footage taken as the story evolved in real time. It tells of the effort of science to understand the universe and-or other universes. Like all of the global warming manipulation of data to support a predetermined purpose, the same to some degree is shown in this film. The formula for establishing new scientific ideas is pretty straightforward: Develop a theory, test it through practical experimentation, reformulate the theory as needed. Verified Purchase. What are the limits of the human mind in both posing and answering these questions? One of the best & most inspiring documentaries (on science) ever made! FOR THE RECORD: “Particle Fever” review: A review of the documentary film “Particle Fever” in the March 7 Calendar section said that the Large Hadron Collider was … Particle Fever is that rare, exhilarating science doc that’s neither dumbed down nor drabbed up. Particle Fever is very inspiring and is shot and produced in a way that you would still be emotionally moved by this story if it were about canning tuna fish. Particle Fever doesn’t prompt us to say: “Gee, these superbrains are just like us, except for the brains.” The film allows for our awe. Particle Fever is a documentary about Higgs particle and the long arduous journey to discover, or rather prove its existence. Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2016. She's also on Twitter @christylemire and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/christy.lemire2. It does not matter. Physicists are shown writing equations on boards but it is all for show. The visual effects and background music are very well done. As the years pass and the scientists enjoy progress and setbacks—they celebrate too early after successfully shooting the first beam of protons in one direction, for example—Levinson faces the challenge of making the less-cinematic elements of their work visually compelling. An excellent piece of Science Communication - you don't have to be a Physicist to follow this drama - and yes, it has a dramatic feel to it. Eventually, PARTICLE FEVER seems to favor the multiple universe theory of the Big Bang. If the latter is true, as Kaplan posits, "In a sense, it's the end of physics. Particle Fever is a documentary about the Large Hadron Collider and the monumental discovery of the Higgs-Boson. Christy reviewed films for The Associated Press for over 14 years. If you want to learn something do a little investigating on your own into the "goddess in the circle of stars statue" which they show several times in this film. 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