“You mentioned black holes earlier.”
“Yes. Gravity loses its predictive power around them. As does relativistic mechanics. More than the generation of diamond-level pressure zones, that’s why it’s important to study their behavior through the proxy of gravitational waves. If we can determine why gravity fails to reliably affect matter and why geometry becomes ill defined around black holes—if we can replace our current singularity theories with fact—then we’ll have solved one of the greatest outstanding questions in physics. There also won’t be a need for two contradictory theories of reality anymore, and—”
The crackle of a microphone drowned her out before she could explain the extent of the gulf between her field and Ethan’s, and why they collided at the rims of black holes. Before she could argue why her field—whyshe—was on the right side of scientific history, too.
“…I’ll take questions.”
Ethan’s credits faded to the white of a blank projector beam. Fragments of applause rippled in fits and starts through the auditorium as the audience realized that his talk was finished, some flinching awake and others putting down their phones. Despite his frown, Richard Hall was among those clapping, as was Secretary McCandless.
So Erin leaned forward. “I have a question.”
“Monaghan.”
Because she was watching for it, she saw his fingers clench on the edge of the podium, saw the corners of his mouth tighten.
He knew what she meant to do.
But hadn’t he done the same to her? During their all-hands:Dirty results… fraudulent data.Turnabout was fair play. Now here he was, standing in Maiman Auditorium’s very public spotlight of his own volition, ripe for a fall.
For her revenge.
Thiswas easy.
“Your research concerns a measurement of the smallest possible unit of space. A quantum. This requires isolating that unit, doesn’t it?”
“Of course.”
“And space—space-time—is a wave.”
“Relativistic mechanics and your own experimental research both currently assert that as fact,” with a shrug, adding quickly, “However, unlike LIGO’s gravitational wave measurements that require verification with multi-messenger astronomy, the holometer has no implicit noise to scrub from its signal. The accuracy of its readings is never subject to human error when running a Fourier transform, and it doesn’t need external—”
“A wave is inherently in motion, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but what does that have to do with—”
“For your holometer to yield meaningful results, you’d need to isolate a unit in a moving wave. Isn’t the limitation of the Quantum Mechanical Model that it can’t show speed and position at the same time? By the Heisenberg Uncertainty principle, you’ll never know exactly where your unit is. How can you measure it if you can’t locate it?”
“The Quantum Mechanical Model can’t show the speed and location of anelectronsimultaneously. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Model will fail when applied to measuring a quantum of space.”
“You can’t be sure, though.”
“I—” Rigorous, exacting, honest Ethan Meyer wouldn’t promise certainty if he couldn’t validate his assertion with data. His fingers spasmed again.
“Relativistic mechanics, on the other hand, has no such practical limitations. General relativity has passed all observational tests. It’s consistent with experimental data. Whichcan be collected accurately. It seems that you can’t say the same.”
The quiet as she sat back in triumph from her tabletop microphone was very loud. Ethan abandoned the stage a minute later after giving only the briefest of thanks for the audience’s attention and consideration, face set as he shoved his laptop into his bag with unsteady hands. When it became clear that he wasn’t coming back to the podium for an encore no one wanted, Schulz and his assistant had to finish the night. Hall passed Erin a business card while the audience filed out of Maiman Auditorium.
“I’d welcome additional details about your department’s gravitational and radio wave research. You’re working at the vanguard of physics. I’m interested to see more from you, Dr. Monaghan.”
“I’ll send the information on Monday.”
“Good. Now, I have some people I’d like you to meet.”
Mind buzzing with names, credentials, positions, funding lures, and the pulse of fading adrenaline, she wobbled back to the Modern Physics building almost an hour after Ethan’s talk had ended. She’d made connections with the federal officials, had seen her rival publicly, definitively silenced in a forum much more consequential than an internal research meeting—if her gut twinged at a flash of memory articulating his lowered eyes and shaking fingers, she squashed it—and she’d even survived the day in heels. She was secure in both her research and her control as she stepped past the badge scanner. (She did kick off her shoes in the hall, though.) Because if she could manage all this, then her tongue-tied moment by the water dispenser must’ve been a fluke.Right?
She padded to the bullpen in semi-darkness. The building’s central nervous system had powered down for the night and she made her way toward her desk by the dim hints of emergency exit lighting, Modern Physics’ fluorescent bulbs and air conditioning off, its chairs deserted, office doors closed and locked.
All except one.
