SCIPP member Michael Riordan has been awarded the 2025 Abraham Pais Prize for History of Physics by the American Physical Society. Michael was cited “For important contributions to the history of post-World War II physics, including the discovery of quarks, the invention and development of the transistor, and the search for the Higgs boson; and for making these stories interesting and accessible to both non-academic and academic readers.”

In this Symmetry Magazine article, Michael explains one of his personal physics highlights: the discovery of quarks in deep inelastic scattering at SLAC. Other books include “Crystal Fire: The Invention of the Transistor and the Birth of the Information Age” and “Tunnel Visions: The Rise and Fall of the Superconducting Super Collider.” Michael was also awarded the 2002 Andrew Gemant Award by the American Institute of Physics.