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. David Gross backbangbegin share on social
The Big Bang theory is the idea that if we go back early enough in the history of the universe - and we can do this, of course, by looking at starlight coming to us from billions of years ago - we will see a very hot and dense period where the universe was much smaller, denser, and hotter. David Gross agobackbang share on social
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. David Gross astronomycarechild share on social
My father and mother treated us children as intellectual equals, thus greatly bolstering our self-confidence and our interest in ideas of all kinds. David Gross bolsterchildconfidence Change image and share on social
Some wonder whether some day we will arrive at a theory of everything and run out of new problems to solve - much as the effort to explore the earth ran out of new continents to explore. David Gross arrivecontinentday Change image and share on social
Since the founding of quantum mechanics in the 1920s, theoretical physics had nurtured an extremely radical tradition. David Gross 1920sextremelyfound Change image and share on social
I had set out to disprove quantum field theory - and the opposite occurred! I was shocked. David Gross disprovefieldoccur Change image and share on social
When I was at Berkeley, the framework of quantum field theory could calculate the dynamics of electromagnetism. It could roughly describe the motion of the weak nuclear force, radiation. But it hit a brick wall with the strong interaction, the binding force. David Gross berkeleybindbrick share on social
Indeed, the most important product of knowledge is ignorance. David Gross ignoranceimportantknowledge Change image and share on social
Theorists can be wrong; only nature is always right. David Gross naturetheoristwrong Change image and share on social