Extreme Physics: Where Small and Big Things Meet

The profound discovery of Einstein a century ago, that particles can both be made from energy and disappear back into energy, inspires the experiments that provide our knowledge of the smallest building blocks of matter and the interactions among them. Experiments, done at enormous accelerators, have led to a consistent theory of the origins of our world up to a certain point. However, at an energy scale not far above what we can attain at existing accelerators, this picture is predicted to break down. Moreover, the theory of the very small is intimately connected to cosmology—the ultimate cause and structure of our universe. Cosmological observations again point to the need for a new theory in this energy range. With new tools and technologies, scientists in the field of particle physics are taking the next step toward understanding the nature of space and time.