Foreword: an apology

Summary

It is difficult to venture into the world of the ultimately small, or even to talk about it, without a very good understanding of the laws of Nature that govern that world. The forces one finds there determine the way in which the tiny particles we wish to study move about, and also all their other properties. Whether, and how, we can actually observe them will also depend on these forces.

And this is not easy, because the laws of Nature are complicated. More and more experts in this field seek refuge in a kind of mathematical gibberish no ‘normal’ person can follow, unless he or she belongs to the in-crowd. To really appreciate the rock-solid logic of the laws of physics, one actually cannot avoid math. Nonetheless, we physicists feel the need to share the joy of all our beautiful discoveries with whoever wants to listen. We are advised then to avoid all math. This then is what I shall reluctantly do.

It is my intention to provide a narrative of twenty-five years of research on the very tiniest particles of matter. During those twenty-five years, I began to view Nature as an intelligence test to which humanity as a whole has been subjected, as a giant jigsaw puzzle given to us to play with. Time and again, we stumble upon new pieces, large or small, that fit beautifully with those we already have. I want to share with you the sense of triumph we feel at such moments.