RE: Searching for the North (or the South) pole at CERN
What a delight to read. As you probably know, I'm a "humanist"--that is, my formal training is in liberal arts, not science. I not only understood every word you wrote, but I believe I understand the implications. Thanks for building a bridge between theoretical physicists and non-scientists, like me. I was thinking while I read your article of Becquerel and the Curies. Of the excitement at the end of the 19th century that revolved around investigations of magnetism and radioactivity. Those science pioneers also looked for 'footprints', for proof that something was there, though they could not directly observe it. You must have the same sense of being on the threshold of something great, of something that will change our understanding of matter, and the universe.
BTW, your refrigerator cartoon had me laughing out loud :)
Thanks a lot for this comment. Finally a feedback: you made my day! Really (I was so sad to get barely no reaction to my post).
I am trying to make things easy to understand by anyone, but sometimes, I (wrongly) assume readers know a few things. Do not hesitate, in the context of any of my posts, to ask questions and require clarifications on any single word I wrote. Really. I will take all the time it needs to properly answer and make things clear(er).
Physics/chemistry at that time was something. This is where modern physics started, somehow. Today, we know we are also at the beginning of something, We have good reasons to believe in this, but we have only a few (very mild) signs of novelties up to now.
I hope I will see something know during the time I still have on this planet :)
I know the feeling...we work so hard on a post. We're communicating. And nobody answers. But usually it just means people are busy. This article hit home for me because a few years back I went through a book writing phase. I wrote a couple of small books, for young people--one on Marie Curie and one on the basics of radioactivity. I think I wrote because I wanted to learn. I didn't know anything about the subject when I started.
What a time those science pioneers lived in. I get the same excitement in your piece. I'm sure Marie Curie, Pierre, all of them had the thought you have: what comes next? Will it be in my lifetime?
I will ask questions. Thank you for the invitation.
The "what comes next" question is somehow always valid, regardless of the epoch :)