Just Build A Bigger Particle Accelerator!

The eternal divide between theoretical and experimental physicists captured in one perfect image. On the left, theoretical physics lives in a bright pink world of elegant equations and beautiful symmetries. "What if we add an 11th dimension? Wouldn't that be cute?" Meanwhile, experimental physicists are out there in the cold, harsh reality, chain-smoking through 72-hour shifts while waiting for their particle detector to register something—anything—after burning through another $50 million in funding. And when the data doesn't match the theory? The theorist simply smiles and says, "Just build a bigger particle accelerator!" Sure, because that's only another decade and several billion dollars. No big deal.