Understand
The traditional realm of astronomy is the observation and study of the largest objects in the Universe, while the traditional domain of high-energy physics is the study of the smallest things in nature.
- But these two sciences concerned with opposite ends of the size spectrum are, in Muir's words, bound fast by a thousand invisible cords that cannot be broken.
- In this essay I propose that collaborations of astronomers and high-energy physicists on common problems are beneficial for both fields, and that both astronomy and high-energy physics can advance by this close and still growing relationship.
- Dark matter and dark energy are two of the binding cords I will use to illustrate how collaborations of astronomers and high-energy physicists on large astronomical projects can be good for astronomy, and how discoveries in astronomy can guide high-energy physicists in their quest for understanding nature on the smallest scales.