To understand the universe in the state that it began in, the so-called Big Bang, we need laws of physics that work better than our current set of rules and procedures, which break down when we try to push them back to the beginning.
Interpretation
We need improved laws of physics to comprehend the origins of the universe beyond our current understanding.
David Gross highlights the limitations of our existing physical laws when applied to the extreme conditions of the Big Bang, suggesting that to truly understand the universe's inception, we require a more refined theoretical framework. This statement emphasizes the ongoing quest in science to develop theories that can explain phenomena at the very beginning of time and the necessity for innovation in scientific thought.
In practice
In a scientific conference discussing the frontiers of physics, this quote can inspire researchers to innovate new theories.
The main reason why people should care about research in fundamental physics is the same reason they care about astronomy and cosmology. People, children, want to know what we're made out of, how it works, and why the universe is the way it is.
In the lab, we could not see or physically describe the mathematical objects that we called quarks, which we suspected were the key to unlocking the dynamics of the strong force that binds together the clump of protons and neutrons at the center of the atom.
It took them only an instant to cut of that head, but it is unlikely that a hundred years will suffice to reproduce a singular one.
Space is not empty. It is full, a plenum as opposed to a vacuum, and is the ground for the existence of everything, including ourselves. The universe is not separate from this cosmic sea of energy.
Weapons of mass destruction violate more than individual lives - they cross international borders and jeopardize all people. They also drain resources that could be used instead for medicines, schools and other life-saving supplies. We must come together with even greater determination to prevent a WMD nightmare.
If your experiment needs statistics, you ought to have done a better experiment.
The unity of all science consists alone in its method, not in its material.
My own experience of over 60 years in biomedical research amply demonstrated that without the use of animals and of human beings, it would have been impossible to acquire the important knowledge needed to prevent much suffering and premature death not only among humans but also among [other] animals.
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