Why Do Scientists Study Things They Can’t See? Lessons From the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics

When I talk to children about science, I sometimes hear the same question: “But how do scientists know it’s there if they can’t see it? It is a wonderfully simple question, and I think adults sometimes underestimate how important it is. We are used to seeing science presented as a collection of facts: planets orbit the Sun, atoms make up matter, electricity flows through circuits.