This story ultimately does not give the past special significance. We can reflect upon and even celebrate the road we have taken, but the greatest liberation, and the greatest solace that science provides, come from perhaps its greatest lesson: that the best parts of the story can yet be written. Surely this possibility makes the cosmic drama of our existence worthwhile. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book is written in part as a tribute to all of those who have helped bring our understanding of the universe to the place it is today.
