The “Why” also includes all of the amazing byproducts of the core research.
Consider anyone who has benefitted from laser surgery. Some of the biggest
improvements in laser surgery came from developments in particle physics research
by scientists trying to improve targeting particle beams. Researchers at CERN one
day were trying to figure out how best to represent their data across a network —
and they invented the web page. Along the way to understanding concepts when
we do not even know the question, amazing discoveries happen.
Brown University
Located in historic Providence, Rhode Island and founded
new particles from CERN or CMS’s partner
institution at Fermilab in Illinois. Furthermore,
connectivity through OSHEAN allows access
to data that is stored worldwide so researchers
can connect to sites in India, Nebraska,
Massachusetts, Fermilab or even in Korea –
directly – and analyze the data directly on their
servers without having to move it because of
the stability and speed of the network.
THE WHY in 1764, Brown University is the seventh-oldest college
Why are we doing all of this? Why was $4B spent tional Ivy League institution comprising undergraduate and
on an electron tunnel in Switzerland and who graduate programs, plus the Alpert Medical School, School
cares what a quark is? Physicists are often of Public Health, School of Engineering, and the School of
challenged with these questions as they Professional Studies.
in the United States. Brown is an independent, coeduca-
defend their quest to understand the unknown.
It is human nature to want a tangible “here and
@BROWNUNIVERSITY
now” answer to why we search. Maybe it would
be helpful to know that the “nature of electric- For more information, please visit:
“Having a great network has been very ity” was researched well before Edison, and www.brown.edu
important for Brown to keep its leading edge the nature of biology and cell interactions was and to b e able to do the research we need to researched well before Jonas Salk.
produce results,” concluded Narain.
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Stronger Together
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