Title: An Expansive Agenda for Particle Physics
Abstract: Global celebration greeted the 2012 discovery at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider of a particle that matches the textbook description of the Higgs boson. That achievement validated a remarkable chain of theoretical reasoning that combined the notion that symmetries dictate interactions with lessons from superconductivity. It was enabled by triumphs of accelerator art and experimental technique, and by human resourcefulness and collaboration on a global scale.
Some imagine that, once the keystone of the standard model of particle physics has been set, our subject is over. Others worry that we may be at an impasse, without sharp clues to a more complete understanding. I prefer to savor the challenge that our description of nature is incomplete, that we have so much more to learn.
This colloquium surveys themes that explore the breadth and depth of opportunities to enhance our understanding of the physical world, illustrated by examples from my research.