Chapter 8

           WhenKohlerandLangdonemergedfromtherearofCERN’smaincomplexintothestarkSwisssunlight,Langdonfeltasifhe’dbeentransportedhome.ThescenebeforehimlookedlikeanIvyLeaguecampus.

           Agrassyslopecascadeddownwardontoanexpansivelowlandswhereclustersofsugarmaplesdottedquadranglesborderedbybrickdormitoriesandfootpaths.Scholarlylookingindividualswithstacksofbookshustledinandoutofbuildings.Asiftoaccentuatethecollegiateatmosphere,twolonghairedhippieshurledaFrisbeebackandforthwhileenjoyingMahler’sFourthSymphonyblaringfromadormwindow.

           "Theseareourresidentialdorms,"Kohlerexplainedasheacceleratedhiswheelchairdownthepathtowardthebuildings."Wehaveoverthreethousandphysicistshere.CERNsingle-handedlyemploysmorethanhalfoftheworld’sparticlephysicists—thebrightestmindsonearth—Germans,Japanese,Italians,Dutch,younameit.Ourphysicistsrepresentoverfivehundreduniversitiesandsixtynationalities."

           Langdonwasamazed."Howdotheyallcommunicate?"

           "English,ofcourse.Theuniversallanguageofscience."

           Langdonhadalwaysheardmathwastheuniversallanguageofscience,buthewastootiredtoargue.HedutifullyfollowedKohlerdownthepath.

           Halfwaytothebottom,ayoungmanjoggedby.HisT-shirtproclaimedthemessage:NOGUT,NOGLORY!

           Langdonlookedafterhim,mystified."Gut?"

           "GeneralUnifiedTheory."Kohlerquipped."Thetheoryofeverything."

           "Isee,"Langdonsaid,notseeingatall.

           "Areyoufamiliarwithparticlephysics,Mr.Langdon?"

           Langdonshrugged.