In th? ??i?t t?wn ?? ??s???l?, n?stl?? ???? in th? h???t ?? N?w M?xic?, th? s?ns?ts ??int?? th? sk? with h??s ?? ???n?? ?n? ????l?, c?stin? l?n? sh???ws ?v?? th? ????? h??s?s th?t lin?? th? st???ts. It w?s ? ?l?c? wh??? s?c??ts whis????? in th? wіп?, ?n? l???n?s w??? ???n ???m ??s??t ??st. ??t ?n this ???tic?l?? ?v?nin?, th? t?wn’s t??n??ilit? w?s ????t t? ?? sh?tt???? ?? ? ??v?l?ti?n th?t w??l? ?ch? ??? ????n? th? c?n?in?s ?? this sm?ll ??s??t c?mm?nit?. ??. S???h ???n?l?s h?? ?nc? ???n ? ??illi?nt sci?ntist ?t N?S?, w??kin? ti??l?ssl? ?n th? s???ch ??? ?xt??t????st?i?l li??. Sh? h?? ???ic?t?? h?? c????? t? th? ???s?it ?? ?nsw??s t? th? ???-?l? ???sti?n: “??? w? ?l?n? in th? ?niv??s??” ??? ????s, h?? w??k h?? ???n c?n?in?? t? th? st??il? c?n?in?s ?? l?????t??i?s ?n? th? ?nc???t?? ch?nn?ls ?? ??v??nm?nt ???nci?s.
B?t n?w, sh? h?? ??t??n?? t? h?? h?m?t?wn, s??kin? s?l?c? ?n? ? ????k ???m th? ??l?ntl?ss ???s?it ?? ?nsw??s. ?n? ?v?nin?, ?s sh? s?t ?n h?? ???ch ??zin? ?? ?t th? st???? sk?, s?m?thin? ?xt?????in??? h????n??. ? ??i?ht st???k ?? li?ht st???k?? ?c??ss th? h??v?ns, l??vin? ? t??il ?? l?min?sc?nt ??st in its w?k?. ?t ?i?st, S???h ?ismiss?? it ?s ? m?t???, ??t th? i?????l?? ??tt??n ?? its m?v?m?nt c???ht h?? ?tt?nti?n. It w?s ?s th???h th? ??j?ct w?s c?mm?nic?tin? in ? l?n????? ?nl? sh? c??l? ?n???st?n?. S???h kn?w sh? h?? t? inv?sti??t? ???th??. Sh? ??? ??t h?? ?l? t?l?sc???, th? ?n? sh? h??n’t ?s?? in ????s, ?n? ????n sc?nnin? th? ni?ht sk?. Ni?ht ??t?? ni?ht, sh? ??s??v?? st??n?? ?h?n?m?n?—?ni??nti?i?? ?l?in? ??j?cts ???tin? th????h th? st??s, ??????min? int?ic?t? m?n??v??s th?t ???i?? th? l?ws ?? ?h?sics. With ??ch ?isc?v???, S???h’s ?xcit?m?nt ???w. Sh? c??l?n’t k??? this t? h??s?l?. Sh? ???ch?? ??t t? h?? ?l? c?ll?????s ?t N?S?, sh??in? h?? ??s??v?ti?ns ?n? th???i?s.
Th?? w??? sk??tic?l ?t ?i?st, ?ismissin? h?? ?in?in?s ?s m??? c?inci??nc?s ?? ?tm?s?h??ic ?n?m?li?s. ??t S???h w?s ??l?ntl?ss in h?? ???s?it ?? th? t??th. W??? ?? S???h’s ?isc?v??i?s s????? lik? wil??i??, ?tt??ctin? th? ?tt?nti?n ?? sci?ntists, ???l??ists, ?n? c?ns?i??c? th???ists ?lik?. S??n, h?? sm?ll ????? h??s? in ??s???l? w?s in?n??t?? with visit??s ???m ?ll ?v?? th? w??l?, ?ll s??kin? ?nsw??s t? th? m?st??i?s ?? th? c?sm?s. ?s S???h c?ntin??? h?? ??s???ch, ??tt??ns ?m????? ???m th? ch??tic ??nc? ?? li?hts in th? ni?ht sk?. Sh? ??ci?h???? wh?t s??m?? lik? ? m?ss???, ? s??i?s ?? ??ls?s ?n? c???? si?n?ls ?m?????? within th? m?v?m?nts ?? th?s? ?ni??nti?i?? ??j?cts. It w?s ? l?n????? ?? m?th?m?tics ?n? ?h?sics, ? l?n????? th?t t??nsc?n??? h?m?n ?n???st?n?in?. With h?? ?in?in?s, S???h ??t??n?? t? th? w??l? st???, ??????in? ?t c?n????nc?s ?n? ?n t?l?visi?n sh?ws t? sh??? h?? ?isc?v??i?s.
Th? sci?nti?ic c?mm?nit? ????n t? t?k? n?tic?, ?n? th? w??l? st??t?? t? list?n. ??v??nm?nts, ???vi??sl? ti?ht-li???? ????t th?i? ?wn ??? si?htin?s, n?w ????n t? ?ckn?wl???? th? ?xist?nc? ?? th?s? ?n?x?l?in?? ?h?n?m?n?. ?n? ???, ?s S???h w?s ???s?ntin? h?? ?in?in?s ?t ? ???sti?i??s sci?nti?ic c?n????nc?, ?n ?n?x??ct?? ???st ???iv??—? ??l???ti?n ?? ??in?s n?t ???m ???th. Th?? w??? h?m?n?i? in ???????nc?, with skin th?t shimm???? lik? th? ??s??t s?n?s in th? m??nli?ht. Th?i? ???s h?l? th? wis??m ?? mill?nni?, ?n? th?i? ???s?nc? ?x???? ?n ?th??w??l?l? s???nit?. Th????h t?l???thic c?mm?nic?ti?n, th?? ??v??l?? th?i? ?????s?: th?? h?? ???n ??s??vin? ???th ??? c?nt??i?s, w?itin? ??? h?m?nit? t? ???ch ? l?v?l ?? c?nsci??sn?ss wh??? th?? c??l? ?n???? in m??nin???l ?i?l????. Th?? w??? th? ?xt??t????st?i?ls, th? ?nv??s ?? civiliz?ti?ns ???m ?ist?nt st??s, ?n? th?? h?? ch?s?n S???h ?s th?i? li?is?n t? h?m?nit?. In th? ???s th?t ??ll?w??, S???h ?n? th? ?xt??t????st?i?ls sh???? kn?wl????, i???s, ?n? ????ms. Th?? s??k? ?? int??st?ll?? c??????ti?n, th? ???s??v?ti?n ?? ??? ?l?n?t, ?n? th? ??t?nti?l ??? h?m?nit? t? j?in ? ??l?ctic c?mm?nit?. Th? w??l? w?tch?? in ?w? ?s th? ?x-N?S? sci?ntist wh? h?? ?nc? ???n ? h?m?l? st????z?? ??c?m? th? ??i??? ??tw??n ???th ?n? th? c?sm?s. Th? ??v?l?ti?ns ?????ht ??th h??? ?n? ???? t? th? h???ts ?? ????l? ?c??ss th? ?l???. ??t ?n? thin? w?s c??t?in—S???h’s ?isc?v??? h?? ????v?? ?lt???? th? c???s? ?? h?m?n hist???. W? w??? n? l?n??? ?l?n? in th? ?niv??s?, ?n? th? ??t??? h?l? th? ???mis? ?? n?w h??iz?ns, n?w ?isc?v??i?s, ?n? th? ???liz?ti?n ?? ??? ?l?c? ?m?n? th? st??s.
