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A curious paradox

A curious paradox faces modern science. Scientists are specializing more than ever before within their fields of research but some of the greatest progress is being made by those who bridge fields using a cross-fertilization of ideas.

David Harris

From the editor: A curious paradox


A curious paradox faces modern science. Scientists are specializing more than ever before within their fields of research but some of the greatest progress is being made by those who bridge fields using a cross-fertilization of ideas.

Particle physics and cosmology, for example, might appear to have divergent concerns: one looking ever smaller and the other with no larger field of view possible. But in recent years, we have found some very specific links between the large and the small, revealing fundamental truths about both, and showing that our understanding of the universe is far less complete than some of us had fooled ourselves into believing. Similarly, a combination of accelerator physics and biological science is revolutionizing the way we look at living organisms.

The important lesson to learn from these advances is that no field of science lives in its own universe. For science to play an effective role in society, it must make clear its interactions with other aspects of life, ranging from philosophy through policy to popular culture.

symmetry will explore the connections between particle physics and the rest of the world. The magazine originates from a very specialized endeavor—the world of particle physics—but recognizes that the field has important things to both teach and learn, and it does this in the spirit of collaboration. For instance, symmetry is a joint project of the two largest particle physics facilities in the United States, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, each of which has evolved and expanded beyond its original accelerator focus. The field of particle physics realizes the importance of looking beyond its traditional boundaries and we at symmetry hope to share the excitement of this exploration.

We also hope to work in collaboration with our readers and encourage your contributions through letters, commentaries and opinion pieces, and suggestions for content that you feel is important for those inside and outside particle physics to share.

David Harris
Editor-in-Chief
 

Submit letters to the editor for publication via letters@symmetrymagazine.org.

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