CERN’s new chief on the gamble that could fix our picture of reality

Mark Thomson's leadership at CERN comes at a pivotal moment for particle physics, as the field grapples with its biggest mysteries and must decide on the next big leap in research. With the Large Hadron Collider poised for upgrades, Thomson faces the daunting task of navigating potential high-risk, high-reward experiments that could reshape our understanding of the universe. The decisions made now could either confirm existing theories or reveal groundbreaking new physics, highlighting the importance of this period for both scientific progress and the broader implications for our understanding of reality.