John Huth
View Blog
I'm a physics professor at Harvard University. I was born in London, England, and grew up in Philadelphia, PA. I got into particle physics because I felt that it tried to answer the deepest questions that humans can ask of the universe. I joined ATLAS in particular through my interest in the importance of using particles like muons to understand how the fundamental forces are unified.
Currently, I'm the team leader for the Harvard ATLAS group. We designed and constructed the electronics for that ATLAS muon spectrometer. Early on, I worked with other physicists and computer scientists to develop grid computing. My main interest at the LHC is understanding the unification of the weak and electromagnetic forces, and making sure the ATLAS detector is able to take data at higher beam intensities.
Outside of particle physics, I teach a class called Primitive Navigation, which looks into how humans were able to find their way well before the scientific revolution: through voyaging in the Pacific Islands by Micronesians and Polynesians, or the Norse discovery of North America. I have a book by the same title in the works. I do sea kayaking, backpacking, and I enjoy cooking for relaxation.
