Expected and unexpected in the exploration of the fundamental laws of nature

Dr Michelangelo Mangano

The research of the fundamental laws of Nature brings scientists, by definition, at the edge of the known, and beyond. Whenever new major steps in this exploration are about to start, concerns are raised about the possibly malign nature of the new phenomena that may be activated. How does the knowledge of the "known" allow scientists to anticipate the possible consequences of the "unknown"? The discussions over the possible outcomes of new high-energy experiments will be used as a case study to address this topic, covering both the scientific and sociological aspects of the issue.