Particle Physics and Society...

A beam of the right particles with the right energy at the right intensity can shrink a tumor, produce cleaner energy, spot suspicious cargo, make a better radial tire, clean up dirty drinking water, map a protein, study a nuclear explosion, design a new drug, make a heat-resistant automotive cable, diagnose a disease, reduce nuclear waste, detect an art forgery, implant ions in a semiconductor, prospect for oil, date an archaeological find, package a Thanksgiving turkey, or discover the secrets of the universe.

It was summer break from college.  My father came in my room with a science article from our hometown newspaper, the Winston-Salem Journal regarding the Tevatron, so-called because of the synchrotron's design to accelerate proton's and antiproton's to energies up to 1 TeV - tera electron volt, tera from the Greek τέρας for "monster."  With the delight of discovery, he told me of the scientific notation: 10¹² or 1,000,000,000,000.  Being a sophomore physics major, I merely smiled and nodded.  It was his way of sharing my journey with me vicariously, similar to a parent living out a sports fantasy in their athletic son or daughter.

Pop was an avid reader, and taught himself a wide range of subjects - Biblical, science, mathematics - even into retirement.

In his day, being the next-oldest male at home, he went to work at the sacrifice of his education...ending it formally after the sixth grade to provide for his mother and smaller siblings.

After he turned 18, he was drafted into the Navy.

I'm having a photo restored of his squadron in Illinois: it was segregated with the exception of his commanding officer.  Looking through his effects after his death, I found evidence he had a portion of his 93 dollar per month check sent home to his mother.

After the US Navy in which he was a cook, boxer and trained in ship armaments, he took a college entrance exam and qualified to go into college.  He chose not to, intimidated by the fact of his lacking a high school degree.

I wish he hadn't.  I think his life would have been far different, far less bitter than his experience working a blue collar job in the south in a factory.  He was a good provider and excellent role model.   He inspired my friends to "reach a little higher" as well, and our lives as men a better for his example.

The Tevatron will cease to exist this year in September and go into history.

And, at this poignant moment in science, I thought about a gentle man I called Pop...

Link: Accelerator's for America's Future