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The profound discovery of Einstein a century ago,
that particles can both be made from energy and disappear back into
energy, inspires the experiments that provide our knowledge of the
smallest building blocks of matter. The experiments, done at enormous
accelerators, have led to a consistent theory of the origins of our
world up to a certain point. However, at an energy scale not far above
what we can attain at existing accelerators, this picture is predicted
to break down. Moreover, the theory of the very small is intimately
connected to cosmology -- the ultimate cause and structure of our
universe. Cosmological observations again point to the need for a new
theory in this energy range. In this colloquium, I will trace out the
path from where we are at the Tevatron and what we need to do to take
the next step towards understanding the nature of space and time. The
discovery of new particles will open up windows on this world. |