Critical Focus | Fantastic Physics — and Worlds We Never See
THE MICROSCOPE
2016, Volume 64:3, pp. 119–129
DOI
https://doi.org/10.59082/YBLH6754
AUTHOR
Brian J. Ford
EXCERPT
“Scientist, eh?” asked the man on the plane. “You’re lucky.” I sipped my coffee and nodded. “Looking through a microscope is always exciting,” I said. “It gives you such insights into how the world works.” “Sure,” he went on. “And now you have all these incredible new places to explore. Just look at this — a new planet that’s just like ours. It even looks like Earth!” I looked across at his magazine. “That isn’t a picture of a planet,” I sighed. “It’s all invention, a made-up image. It’s guesswork.” You can anticipate his answer: “But it’s here, in print. It must be real. Astronomers in Chile have published it.” I downed the rest of my coffee in a single gulp.