A tale of two discoveries
2 Aug 2012 by Evoluted New Media
There are two discoveries I’d like to talk to you about in this month’s column. The first, perhaps unsurprisingly, concerns what has become the world’s best known elementary particle – the Higgs Boson. The second remains in the realm of the very small – but rather than being particulate in nature, it is mammalian – the tiny American water shrew.
The two represent very different approaches to discovery. On the one hand we have a multinational effort resulting in the world’s most complex experiment and consolidation of a theory that takes our understanding of the universe to truly staggering levels. On the other we have a study about a shrew.
Now, in terms of excitement this match-up may seem a little one sided. However, I’d like to suggest that in one important way the shrew study holds the more thrilling discovery. A tough sell I know, and certainly heresy to the particle physicists – but hear me out.
It turns out that unlike virtually every other diving mammal Sorex palustris warms up its thumb sized body before taking the plunge into water. Larger mammals are known to boost their diving abilities by staying cool. Will this discovery have a global impact on the way we think about biology? Unlikely, yet the study does boast something that the work on the Higgs cannot. Surprise.
It is the following quote by leader of the shrew study, Dr Kevin Campbell, which should stir excitement in all scientists: “The results were completely contrary to what we expected.” Despite all their incredible success, this was the one thing that the brilliant team at CERN never got to say.
The discovery of the Higgs and the work on the diving shrew represent the two ends of the discovery spectrum if you like. Does all this matter? Maybe not – nonetheless, whilst the predictability of the Higgs is a testament to the astonishing insight of Peter Higgs – I think it is fair to say that one of the most exciting things a scientist can face is a surprising result.
In truth of course both ends of this ‘spectrum of expectance’ are important – after all, todays surprise at an unusual result can lead to tomorrows satisfaction at an accurate prediction.
