This rock and tree, in an quiet corner of the CERN complex, is one of my favourite contemplative spots, and the other night, after another very deep discussion on the nature of Nature, I put my hand on the rock. In that moment, which felt like a marriage between Barad, Michelangelo and Merleau Ponty, I realised why I keep returning to CERN: it provides the closest point of connection between humanity and the Universe on a fundamental physical level. That’s why, in its own special way, this is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

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