The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we hand over the keyboard to a physicist or mathematician to tell you about fascinating ideas from their corner of the universe. You can sign up for Lost in Space-Time here.

If the dream of every fledgling scientist is to make a discovery that will change the course of history, then the nightmare is that, having made the announcement and hit the headlines, someone discovers that you made a mistake and you will face…