Fermilab, United States
I remember the day that it happened really distinctly. We were all packed into the room late one afternoon, waiting for the results of this analysis, and it would be the first time that anyone in the experiment had seen this particular plot, including those of us who had worked on the analysis. Finally, the person giving the presentation put up the plot and everyone in the room knew instantly that this was it. We had found the top quark. The drama of everybody in the room seeing that plot at that one moment was exhilarating. That stands out as probably the most memorable moment in my science career. But you know, every time, every single time that you finish some measurement or search, and you go through the process of convincing yourself and your colleagues that you know what you’re talking about, that you got the right answer, I get a little bit of that same feeling. And when you get the letter that the paper was accepted for publication, it feels great. It’s like you’ve added something completely new to the world, and now it’s there for everybody.