Extras · 1 of 4

A typical day

Far less dramatic than the films. A theorist spends the day at a screen and a whiteboard, running calculations and arguing with collaborators. An experimentalist spends it aligning equipment, fixing something that broke overnight, and babysitting a run that takes 40 hours. Both spend a large share of the week writing: papers, grant applications, and emails to people in other time zones. Group meeting once a week, seminar once a week.