Nobel Dreams Quotes

“Rubbia seemed to understand that whether it was a W or not was almost inconsequential. What mattered was that it proved that UA1 could discern W-like events. Since the theory, which was almost certainly right, predicted that more W’s would be on the way, UA1 had every reason to be optimistic. Whether it was a W or not, Rubbia could use it to claim the discovery; as long as those other W’s showed up, no one would ever know the difference, or even care. Added to this, Rubbia seemed simply unwilling to waste his time with background. Background calculations did not win Nobel prizes. He let his junior colleagues worry about background.”
― Gary Taubes, Nobel Dreams: Power, Deceit, and the Ultimate Experiment