Do you, like the cosmologist Dan Hooper, feel under attack from people who think physics is a waste of time and money? If so, Robert P Crease sees three ways to respond

Under attack What's the best way to respond to people who have a pop at physics? (Courtesy: Shutterstock/Rusma Ratri Handini)"> Under attack What's the best way to respond to people who have a pop at physics? (Courtesy: Shutterstock/Rusma Ratri Handini)

So you’re at a family gathering and a distant, well-educated relative comes over to talk about physics. Despite being a non-scientist, this person knows quite a lot about your field. You must be disappointed, the relative says, because dark matter, your life’s work, is proven not to exist. Furthermore, you’re told your field is crammed with dishonest people who are only in it for the money.

This is what happened to Dan Hooper , a physicist and cosmologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who specializes in dark matter himself.…