Cari Cesarotti

Like the standard model, we don't necessarily know why there are three generations of everything, but we observe them. So they go into the standard model versus something like grand unified theory would be a way of explaining sort of why everything comes together in the way they do. So certainly we can't talk about the details of grand unified theory if we're gonna talk about other things.

Like the standard model, we don't necessarily know why there are three generations of everything, but we observe them. So they go into the standard model versus something like grand unified theory would be a way of explaining sort of why everything comes together in the way they do. So certainly we can't talk about the details of grand unified theory if we're gonna talk about other things.

But yeah, the difference is, like you mentioned, that something is first principles to motivate where it comes from versus something that's a way to kind of categorize empirical evidence that we've seen.

But yeah, the difference is, like you mentioned, that something is first principles to motivate where it comes from versus something that's a way to kind of categorize empirical evidence that we've seen.

It does a frustratingly good job, Sean.

It does a frustratingly good job, Sean.

Yeah, so I mean, the kind of work that we do as particle theorists, right, is we want to basically stress test the standard model and either confirm very rare predictions that it can make and so sort of see very hard to see phenomena. show up in things like colliders, which is my personal specialty and realm of interest. And then also we want to see where it breaks, right?

Yeah, so I mean, the kind of work that we do as particle theorists, right, is we want to basically stress test the standard model and either confirm very rare predictions that it can make and so sort of see very hard to see phenomena. show up in things like colliders, which is my personal specialty and realm of interest. And then also we want to see where it breaks, right?

We want to see if there are pockets of predictions that are false or that are just lacking, or we see some phenomena that's unexplained by the standard model. And that's where it's fun to be a researcher, right? Is when you try to come up with solutions to why this prediction isn't quite matching your expectation.

We want to see if there are pockets of predictions that are false or that are just lacking, or we see some phenomena that's unexplained by the standard model. And that's where it's fun to be a researcher, right? Is when you try to come up with solutions to why this prediction isn't quite matching your expectation.

Um, I mean, fair enough. Uh, and I think in fact, a lot of people have had that mentality. Um, but there are some pretty big holes in, in particle physics. And I think kind of the phase transition that we've gone through as a field in the past few decades, certainly in my career, which has been, albeit not quite as prolific as yours, Sean.

Um, I mean, fair enough. Uh, and I think in fact, a lot of people have had that mentality. Um, but there are some pretty big holes in, in particle physics. And I think kind of the phase transition that we've gone through as a field in the past few decades, certainly in my career, which has been, albeit not quite as prolific as yours, Sean.

But yeah, I mean, there's big open questions that are becoming more and more sort of nuanced versus like, ah, what the heck is this, right? Like that used to be the state of affairs is that we'd turn on our little bubble chambers and we'd look at something and be like, oh, what the heck is this? And that was a really rich, interesting time to be a physicist.

But yeah, I mean, there's big open questions that are becoming more and more sort of nuanced versus like, ah, what the heck is this, right? Like that used to be the state of affairs is that we'd turn on our little bubble chambers and we'd look at something and be like, oh, what the heck is this? And that was a really rich, interesting time to be a physicist.

And a lot of theories came and went and we were able to make an amazing amount of progress in such a short period of time just from experimental evidence, right? Yeah. And now I think we're in a much more subtle phase of particle physics where the questions are not so much what the heck is this, but where does this come from? Why does this look like this? What are the things that we're not seeing?

And a lot of theories came and went and we were able to make an amazing amount of progress in such a short period of time just from experimental evidence, right? Yeah. And now I think we're in a much more subtle phase of particle physics where the questions are not so much what the heck is this, but where does this come from? Why does this look like this? What are the things that we're not seeing?

You know, like things that are much more fundamental towards why has the universe taken on this profile?

You know, like things that are much more fundamental towards why has the universe taken on this profile?

Yeah, I mean, it's so funny that you say it like that, because in some way, I feel a bit flattered to think that people think that, you know, my work is so important that anything consequential could be the fault of mine. It's like, well, thank you. My goodness. But I mean, yeah, it's just it's physics is a field that I think has always kind of suffered from.

Yeah, I mean, it's so funny that you say it like that, because in some way, I feel a bit flattered to think that people think that, you know, my work is so important that anything consequential could be the fault of mine. It's like, well, thank you. My goodness. But I mean, yeah, it's just it's physics is a field that I think has always kind of suffered from.